Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-25

he had crossed the Fourche There was nc
reason to suspect that there were any hos
tile Indians south Of that stream, and prob.
ably therefore the old scout would endeavoI
his horses. for the more periious travel be-
yond. Hampton hastened on, his eyes peer.
ing anxiousiy ahead into the steadily In
creasinE gloom.
scure. the rider made camp. confident he
must have already gained heavily on the
man he pursued. He lariated his horsea
and ffnging himself down on some soft
He was up again before daylight. and, after
hasty meal. pressed on. The nature of
the country had changed considerably, be-
coming more broken, the view circum-
scr1oed by towering cliffs and deep ravines.
Hampton swung forward his field glasses,
and. from the summit of every eminence,
studied the topography of the country ~
ing beyond. He must see before being
seen, and he believed he could not now be
many miles Ia the rear of Murphy.
Late IN the afternoon he refined up his
horse and gazed forward into a broad val
ley: bounded with PERCEPTIONS bluffs. The
trail now scarcely perceptible. led d.
rectly down, winding about like some huge
snake, across the lower level. toward where
q considerable stream of water shone ST.
very In the sun, half concealed behind q
fringe of Willows. Beyond doubt this was
the Belle FOurche. And yonder, close in
against those distant willows some black
dots were moving. Hampton glued his anx-
fous eyes to the glass. The leyeied tubes
clearly revealed man on horseback, lead
ing another horse. The animals were walk
ing. There could be little doubt that this
was Silent Murphy.
Hampton larfated his tired horses behind
the bluff. and returned to the summit lying
fiat upon the ground. with the field glass at
his eyes. The distant figures passed slowly
forward into the midst of the willows, and
for half an hour the patient watcher scan
ned the surface of the stream beyond, but
there was no sign Of attempted passage
The sun sank lower, and finally disappeared
behind those desolate ridges to the west
ward. Hampton's knowledge of plains
craft rendered Murphy's actions sufficiently
clear. This was the F0urche; beyond those
waters lay the terrible peril of Indian raid
ers. Further advance must be made by
swift. secret night riding, and never-ceasing
vigilance. This was what Murphy had been
saving himself and his horses for. Beyond
conjecture. he was resting now within the
shadows of those willows. studying the OPP
posite shore and making ready for the dash
northward. Hampton believed he would
linger thus for some time after dark to see
IL Indian f1res would afford any guidance.
Confident Of this, he passed back to his
horses. rubbed them down with grass. and
then ate his lonely supper. not venturing to
light fire. certain that Murphy's eyes were
scanning every inch Of skyline.
Darkness came rapidly, while Hampton
sat planning again the details of his nign,'s
work. The mans spirits became depressed
by the gloom and the silence. EVIL faneies
haunted his brain. His mind dweit upon
the past. upon that wrong which had
wrecked his life, upon the young girl he
had left praying for his safe return upon
that miserable creature skulking yonder in
the black night. Hampton could not re-
member when he had ever performed such
an act before, nor could he have explained
why he did so then, yet he prayed-prayed
for the far-off Nadia, and for personal
guidance In the stern work lying before
him. And when he rose to his feet and
CROPPED his way to the horses, there re-
manned no spirit of vengeance In his heart,
no hatred. merely a cool resolve to sue
coed In his strange quest. So, the two AMI
mails trailing cautiously behind, he felt his
slow way on foot down the steep BLUM into
the denser blackness of the valley
Go be Continued Tomorrow)