The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-07-27
chAPTER i.
/ Hampton, Of Placer.


survive, itSmust be discovered among
the musty and nearly forgotten rec.
crdss d the Eighteenth regiment Of In
fantEy.
yet the tale Is worth telling now.
when such days are past and gone.
There were s16 OF them when, like so
many hunted rabbits, they were first
securely trapped among the frowning,
rocks and forced relentlessly back
4 ward from OF the narrow trail until
the PERCEPTIONS canyon walls finally
hated their disorganized flight, and
from sheer necessity compelled rally
in hopslsss battle Sixteen, ten In
q ntfymen from old Fort Bethune, un-
dsf command Of sgd. Wyman. a gray
headed sergeant Of 30 years contlnu-
sons service In the regulars, two cow
,uneters from the XXI" ranch,
stranger who had Joined them unin.
tilted 81 the ford over the Bear Water,
ether With old ellis, the post
trader and his silent chit Of a. girl.
Sixteen-4but that was three days be-
Z fore. and In the meanwhile. not few
ot those speeding Sioux bullets had
found softer billet than the limestone
rocks SIX ot the soldiers, four al
ready dead, two dying, lay out
stretched in CHASTITY silence where they
lfells
Then the taciturn ellis gave sud-
den utterance to a sobbing cry, and a
burst Of red spurted across his white
I beard as4he reeled backward. knock
ing the girl PROSTATE when he fell.
Eight remained, one helpless, one
8mere lass Of 10. 1t was the morning
lot the third day.
The beginning Of the affair had burst
upon them so suddenly that no two in
l that stricken company would have
S told the same tale. None among them
had anticipated trouble.
In all the fancled security Of I'm.
questioned peace these chance trav.
elers had slowly toiled along the steep
trail leading toward the foothills.
sGiliis and the girl, as we'll as the two
acattl eherders, were on horseback; the
& remainder soherly trudged forward on
q foot with guns slung to their shout ,,
Y ders. Wyman was somewhat in ad-
vance, walking beside the stranger,
the latter "a man Of uncertain age,
smoothly shaven, quietly dressed in
{ garments bespeaking an eastern tailor,
q bit grizzled OF hair along the tenn.
y ples. and possessing a pair OF cool,
gray eyes. He had introduced himself
+ BY the name Of Hampton, but had vol
unteered no further information, nor
was 1t customary in that country to
question impertinently.
Hampton. through the medium OF
\ easy conversation, early discovered in
4 the sergeant an intelligent mind, pos.
sessing some knowledge Of literature.
They. had been discussing books with
\ rare enthusiasm, and the former had
drawn from the concealment of an
inner pocket a dlminutive copy of "The
Merchant Of Venice" from which he
was reading aloud disputed passage,
when the faint trail they followed sud-
denly dipped into the yawnihg mouth
OF a black canyon. 1t was marrow,
gloomy, contracted gorge, a mere cash
between those towering hills shadow
Z dng its depths on either hand. A swift |
mountain stream, noisy and clear as
crystal, dashed from rock to rock close
beside the more northern wall, while
the ilI.defned pathway, strewn with
powders and guarded by underbrush,
ciung to the opposite side, where low
& scrub trees partially obscured the
view.
8 All was silent as death when they
entered, yet they had barely advanced
q short hundred PAGES when those APP
:parently bare rocks in front famed
sreS the narrow defile echoed to wild
;screeches and became instantly crowd.
led with weird, leaping figures. 1t was
like 4 plunge from heaven into hell.
I Blaine and Endicott sank at the first
4 are. while Wyman's stricken arm
dripped blood. Indeed, under that
} sudden shock, he fell, and was barely |
rescued by the prompt action of the
IA, beside him, Dropping the opened
i,ook. and firing madly to left and
4iFht with q revolver which appeared
"a spring into his hand as by magic,
rs latter cool!y dragged the fainting
soldier across the more exposed space,
until the two found partial security
I. Z niong 4 mass OF loosened rocks litter.
ling the base OF the precipice. The
others Who survived that first scorch-
stinR discharge also raced toward this
q 6 iameS shelter, impelled thereto by the
iinefring instinct OF border fighting,
and hinging themselves fat behind
projecting powders, began responding
! TO the hot IRE rained upon them
scattered and hurried as these first
jsyclleys we're, they proved sufficient to
check the bowling demons in the open.
sIt has never been Indian nature to
lYace unprotected the aim Of the white
ien: and those dark figures, which
only y moment before thrcnged the
narrow gorge leaplng crafty In the
riot of apparent victory, suddenly
& melted from sight Sinking down into 4
ieafy covert beside the stream or into 4
hoiss among thS rocks Ike 50 many
ssnishin DOS Nov aud q then lg.gr