The Savannah morning news., 1903-05-10

out into the turbulent camp. Until that
| moment she had deemed it wisest 10
| remain in her room
| She was greeted only with respect.
| Men paused ana looked after her. You
see, Prue had such grave calm eyes,
that looked straight at you with 50
much confidence and such a sensitive,
serious mouth. that argued such a ca
pacity for making up quiet opinions Of
| people-and acting on them-that yol
| were always very much inclined TO
| take of your hat, even II YOU were
| Tony Quinn and middling drunk. It
| was not ten minutes before she had
| corroborated the Doctors bad news;
but she had also heard incidentally Of
| Billy Knapp, Alfred. and Buckley The
| hotel-keeper pointed out the latter
that quiet man with the brown beard.
Prue went straight 10 him and stated
| her case.
In the statement she laid great
stress on the importance Of the dip of
| strata. If the doctor did not get 10
| work before long. he would be unable
| to finish his explorations before his
| means had become exhausted. Prue
waxed quiet technical She used
| number OF long words and a few long
! phrases. hoping thus 10 awe the calm
and cOntemplative individual in front
of her.
Buckley did not comprehend the rea-
| sons. He did comprehend the unutter-
able eloquence q the eyes, for though
her logic went for naught with the
| scout. il succeeded nevertheless in inn
| pressing Prue herself. in bringing more
| wildly before her the importance of it
| all. She clasped her hands. and tears
| choked her. When she had finished,
Jim said grayely that she should go.
CHAPTER ".
| ALFRED USES HIS SIX-SHOOTER.
| Michail LaFond merely spread the
| news, and made it a subject of discus
sion. In his statements he said Moth
ing Of his own grievance, nor did he
suggest plan. He knew that this was
not case for violence. nor did he care
that il should become such. His ac-
tons always deDended very much on
how an impulse hit his queerly con-
| struCted nature. In the present in
stance he might either resolve TO get
even with Billy Knapp by means of
personal vengeance, or his anger might
take the direction of a cold. set deter
mination to get through the plains
journey in spite of the scouts prohibi-
ton. That the latter, rather than the
| former course happened to appeal to
! him, was purely a matter of chance.
point, the plan finally adopted in Sc
cret by a choice few had a good deal
OF his desire mingled in its substance.
The quiescence of the camp astonish-
ed and puzzled the three scouts They
had expected an outbreak. and were
prepared for il. 1t did not come.
The three days slipped by: every
thing was packed: and early in the
morning, before the dawn's freshness
had left the air. the little band dehled
| across the prairie A curious crowd
gathered sleeplly to watch it go but
there was no demonstration Billy
openly congra tulated himself Alfred
looked to see that his revolvers were
still capped.
The party comprised an even dozen
'schooners." each drawn by four tough
ponies. Besides, these. a dozen men
rode on horseback. On occasion. their
mounts could be pressed into draft
service. The men themselves were a
representative lot: tall bronzed. silent.
They had taken part in the fierce IN
dian wars. then just beginning to lull:
they had ridden pony-express with
| Wild Bill; they had stalked revenue
officers in the mountains OF Tennessee.
AS they STROBE with free grace beside
their teams. or sat, with loose-swaying
shoulders. their wiry little broncos,
they drew TO themselves in the early
light the impressiveness of an age-
the age of pioneers.
At their head rode Billy Knapp. At
their rear rode Jim Buckley Alfred
was little of everywhere at once AS
! a matter of habit, these three carried
their rifles cross-fashion in front of
them, but the new Winchesters and
the old long-barrelled pieces of the
| other score of men were still slung in
| side the canvas covers, for the Indian
country was vet to see. Beneath the
| axles hung pals. The wagons contain
ed much food. a good supply of am
! munitiOn. and a sCanty equipment of
! the comforts Of life. In one of them
! were three wooden boxes, two trunks,
the doctor. Mrs. Prue, and little Miss
! Prue herself, laughingly proud at be-
! ing allowed to bangle along the dew
wet grass the heavy coil of a black
! snake Whip.
The men shouted suddenly. the
| horses leaned to their collars, the wag-
ons creaked. and the swaying process
sion began to loom huge and ghost
like in the mist that steamed golden
white from the surface of the prairie.
Then. from the haze of the town.
six more wagons silently detached
themselves. and followed in the wake
OF the first.
This second caravan differed from
the other in that it deployed no out
riders. and from the close drawn can
vas of its wagons came. once in a
while, the sharp cry OF a child. fol-
lowed Immediately by the comforting
of woman. The men drove from the
seats, and across the lap Of each was
a weapon.
About FIVE miles out. the first cara
van halted until the second drew near
| er. Billy Knapp cantered back TO il .
| one Of the men in the foremost wag-
| on thereupon clsmped the brake and
! jumped 10 the ground. where he stood,
| leaning on the muzZle Of his big noun
taineer's rife. chewing a nonchalant
! plug.
What's this ?" demanded Billy. REIN
/ ing IN his horse.
| The man shifted his quid
'Nawthin' he drawded. except
/ that this ware OUTFITS a-goin too"
Billy's eyes snapped.
We settled sN thet af0re.' said he,
! with outward calm.