masked and
blackened faces defied recognition, whose cocked revolvers were
thrust into his very face before a lariat settled over his shoulders,
snapped into place, and, yelling for help when help was miles beyond
range of his ringing voice, Sergeant Wing was jerked violently to
earth, dragged into a tent, strapped to a cot, deftly gagged, and then
left to himself. An instant later the Picacho was lighted up with a
lurid, unearthly glare; the huge column of sparks went whirling and
hissing up on high, and, far and near, the great beacon was warning
all seers that the fierce Apache was out in force and raiding the Yuma
road.

Away out across the desert its red glare chased the Concord wagon
wherein, all unconscious of the danger signal, the sisters were now
chatting in low tone.

"Drive your best," had Harvey muttered to his Mexican Jehu, as he
leaned out of the saddle to reach his ear. "Not a word to alarm the
girls," he cautioned his companion, "but be ready for anything."

Far out beyond the swaying, bounding vehicle; far out across the
blistered plain, the glare and gleam fell full upon the brown adobe
walls at Moreno's, and glittering eyes and swarthy faces peered
through the westward aperture, while out in the corral the night
lights were dancing to and fro, and Feeny, sore perplexed, but
obedient to orders, was hurrying the preparations of his men. Murphy's
wild announcement had carried conviction to the major's soul, despite
all Feeny's pleadings, and the sight of that beacon furiously
burning, the thought of those helpless women being borne off into the
horrors of captivity among the Indians, had conspired to rouse the
paymaster to unlooked-for assertion of himself and his authority. In
vain had Feeny begged him to think of his money, to remember that
outlaws would resort to any trick to rob him of his guard, and might
have even overpowered Wing and his party and then lighted the beacon.
The chain of evidence, the straight story told by his morning visitor,
the awful news contained in the pencilled note brought in by Mullan,
were considerations too potent to be slighted. In vain did Feeny point
out to him that if Apaches were really in the neighborhood Wing would
not be content with starting the fire, but would surely signal whither
to go in search of them, and that no vestige of signal-torch had
appeared. Old Plummer vowed he could never again know a moment of
peace if he neglected to do anything or everyth