The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-07
THERE WAS JOHN SMITH
AND THERE WAS THB SQUARE BUTTE
ON THE MONTANA PLAIN,

Oh AhENo MAJ mon NEO" HelSu1 huu
Three Guileless Girls from Missouri
HELENA. Mon. Aug. lat DR.. Barbour's
! suggestion the several young women and the
practical young man. his fellow passengers on
the Great Northern. gazed long and intently
out OF the car windows at the Square Butte.
The massive hill. resembling. with It's four
lowering walls, some ancient feudal keep. In
splred the members Of the party to remark:
"A baronlal stronghold"
"Ah. you've been reading Scott. / suppose
you think It peopled by formidable Front de
B9ufs2"
Mercy how forbiddinG It looksl"
How romantici"
Looks solid enough" This from the praoti-
cal young man.
And now" said the doctor. before 1 under
take to tell you the story-for the Square Butte
has It's romanoe-allow me to direct your atten-
ton 70 the gentleman In the furthest seat
front"
The passenger referred to wore a brown cam
vas suit and a cowboy hat. A red silk handker-
chief was loosely knotted about his throat,
after the obsolete fashion OF the old-time stage
driver and knight OF the road. His most con-
B%piouous feature. however. was q pair Of stony
gray eyes. the cold. unfeeling expression Of
which caused one OF the young women to shud-
der and exclaim:
"Horrorsl What q brutal Unlocking mani"
well" said the doctor. "he plays q part in
the story. l shall let you guess his identity
later on, Meanwhile. you may scan the Square
Butte at your leisure. as It will remain in view
for several hours. II you could see through
and beyond 1t. say to a distance Of seventy
miles. you would be able to observe the big
cattle ranch Of John Smith"
"HeRvensl John Smith,"
What a romantic namel"
Doubtless an assumed one" said the prac-
teal young man. Il have heard that Western
people have this weakness"
Smith" said the doctor, "a few years back
began to suspect that his cattle were being
stolen. He rode over the sparsely settled
country and inquired Of his neiGhbors II they.
too. were losing stock at the hands Of cattle
thieves. In going about he ran across a new
settler-a man by the name Of Lamphire. Lam
phire. his wife. and three manageable girls
had taken up a ranch within q few miles OF the
Square Butte. The newcomer was poor.
Moreover, he was honest. Smith could read
simplicity and old-fashioned sturdiness of
character in every line OF the old mans face.
His wife was a good soul. too. And the girls.
being fresh from the paw-paw region OF Mis-
souri,. were fair representatives OF the country
bred maidens OF the Middle West. as Ruileless
as they were pretty. John Smith. having
looked over the half dozen milch COWS that
we're sadly masticatlng sagebrush in lieu Of
their former fodder in the back yard. thought
1t useless to repeat his query here. Neverthe-
less. it occurred to him to ask II any suspicious
characters-possible cattle thieves-had been
seen in that vicinity Of late.
mo" said Lamphire. there hain't.'
Amy visitors around here at ALP
"'Yep-had three last week. Como from
Helena. they said. and goin' north to Benton
"'And their names2 Did you learnP'
eel haarJ Huhat fhav onllad aaoh Ofhar 0pa
was Bilious. t'other was Tarr. and the t'other
one still was Peel
Then. when Smith got him to describe their
appearance. he knew that the trio were Bilious.
an ex-cowboy and bad man; John Tarr. Helena
gambler and desperate man. and FULLY Peel.
also gambler and man killer and the man most
dreaded. dapper and smiling as he was, of all
the six-shooter fraternity in the mountains.
However. there was nothing In all this to con-
meet the three men with his cattle LOSSES. and.
90 considering. John Smith. having made the
rounds, went home"
Then they weren't tho thieves. after all ?"
said one Of the young women in u disappointed
tone.
And didn't this John Smith ever discover
who were the thieves 2" asked an other.
Give the doctor a chance. please" said the
practical young man.. He isn't half through
yet. Besides. l want to see where the Square
Butte comes in"
I'm the course Of a few months more.' said
the doctor. Smith assured himself Of the fact
that sundry head Of cattle were missing. he
posted u half dozen Of his cowboys on the
range. to watch day and night. and he himself
took up a position where he could eye the
stage road. One day he saw the three men,
Peel. Bilious and Tarr, riding leisurely along in
the direction OF Lamphire's. He followed.
They stopped at the farmers house and went
mas Smith thought, like old acquaintance.
smith rode ROUND to the back yard where
Lamphire was at work and casually addressed
him. Pretty soon he heard the cottage organ
a-RoinR inside. and FULLY Peel's high tenor
joined to the soprano Of one Of the Misses
Lamphire in the good old sunday-school song
OF Gathering in the Sheaves' came floating out
through the parlor window.
"'Tully's a purity good singer said the old
farmer proudly. L used to sing that song my
sell. back in Andrew county. Missouree.'
"'TulIy! said smith. You are well 40
quainted with him thenP
why. yes said Lamphire. I reckon he's
been here twenty times the past year-enough
to get acquainted anyhow
1.-THE others too?'
Smith rode back to his post. thinking the
three men In, that vicinity was suspicious.
Their professional Interests could not have
down the Helena and Fort Benton stage road
for fun. And Smith could not satisfy his mind
with the plausible explanation that the Misses
Lamphire might have been the sole, at
traction, 30, altogether, he decided 70
later. about dusk. he detected a hand
Of cattle moving up a neighboring coul6e in
crossed the stage road and followed. Three
men were driving the band, About 10 O'Clock
and Smith. not caring to make a closer
acquaintance with such odds at that time.
also. At daylight. when he glanced ahead,
there was no trace of the herd. Smith spent
the whole day eirclinR around the Square Butte
In a vain search for the trail. The band Of cat
tie had Of a certainty disappeared. But where
and howp
When he went home at last he told his chief
cowboy Of the strange circumstance, and. at
the latter's suggestion. they both went back for
a more extended search of the locality. How
ever. 1t was all useless. After puzzling them
selves with various theories for o space, the
cowboy finally said:
Lets try getting a closer look at the Square
D-kk. A -.-al L--.L - "a - - ~