Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-29
CHAPTER III.
Between Life and Death.

posed a silent, lingering horror. The fierce
pangs of hunger no longer gnawed. but
dull apathy now held the helpless defend
ers. One of the wounded died. mere lad.
sobbings pitifully for his mother; an infan-
tryman peering forth from his covert. had
been shot in the face and his scream echoed
among the rocks in multiplied accents of
agony. while Wyman lay tossing and moan
ing, mercifully unconscious. The others
rested in their places, scarcely venturing to
stir limb, their rowing. wolfish eyes the
only visible evidence of remaining life,
every hope vanished, yet each man clnging
to his assigned post of duty in desperation.
There was but Little firng-the defenders
nursing their slender stock. the savages
biding their time. When night shut down
the latter became holder and tainted cru
ely those destined to become soon their
haplcss victims. Twice the maddened men
fired recklessly at those dancing devils and
one pitched forward, emitting a howl of
pain that caused his comrades to cover
once again behind their covers. One and all
these frontiersmen recognized the inevitable
before dawn the end must come. No use
less words were spoken; the men merely.
clinched their teeth and waited.
Hampton crept closer in beside the girl
while the shadows deepencd and ventured
to touch her hand. Perhaps the severe
strain of their situation the intense loneli
ness of that Indian-haunted twilight had
Il,
made no effort now to repulse him.
Kid he said at last are you game
/ for try at getting out of this?
, She appeared to hesitate over her answer
and he could feel her tumultuouS breath
| ing Some portion of her aversion had van
| ished. His ace was certainly not an un-
pleasant one to look upon. and there were
others of her sex who had discovered in it
covering for multitude of sins. Hamp-
| ton smiled slightly while he waited; he
| possessed some knowledge of the nature
| feminine.
Come Kid" he ventured finally, yet
with new assurance vibrating in his low
voice. this is surely a poor time and place
! for any Indulgence in -tantrums and you've
| got more sense. I'm going to try to climb
up the face of that cliff yonder-it's the
! only possible way out from llere-and
| propose to take you along with me.
| She snatched her hand roughly away, yet
remained facing him. Who gave you any
right to decide what l should do?"
The man clasped his fingers tightly about
| her slender arm advancing his face until
| he could look squarely into hers. She read
| in the lines of that determined countenance
| an infcxible resolve which overmastered
her.
The right given by Almighty God to pro-
| tect any one of your sex in peril he re-
piled before dawn those savage tiends
will be upon us. We are utterly helpless.
| There remains only one possible path for
| escape and l believe | have discovered it.
| Now. my girl. YOU either climb those rocks
Win me or l Sudll XIII you Niitle you are
| 1t is that the Sioux torture. l have two
shots left in this gun-one for you. the
| other for myself. The time has come for
| deciding which of these alternatives you
| prefer
The CLEAN of a star glittered along the
steel of his revolver and she realized that
he meant what he threatened
| If | select your bullet rather than the
| rocks. what then?'
You viii get H. but in that case you will
| die like a fool
You have believed me to be one all this
| afternoon.
Possibly" he admitted Your words
and actions certainly justified some such
| conclusion. but the opportunity has arrived
| for causing ne to revise that susp- on
| Il don't care to have you revise it, Mr.
| Bob Hampton. If I go l shall hate you just
| the same"
Hamptons teeth clicked like those of an
angry dog. Hate and be d he ex-
claimed roughly. "An l care about now is
| to drag you out of here alive
| His unaffected sincerity impressed her
| more than any amount of pleading She
| was long accustomed to straight talk; it
| always meant business. and her untutored
| nature instantly responded with a throb of
| confidence.
Well if you put it that way" she said,
| I'll GO"
| For one GREATNESS moment neither stir
| red. Then a single wild yell rang sharply
| forth from the rocks in their front and a
rife barked savagely, its red flame cleav-
y
instant and the impenetrable gloom again
| surrounded them.
| Come on. then" he whispered his fin
| gers grasping her sleeve.
| She shook off the restraining touch of his
| hand if it were contamination and sank
| down upon her knees beside the inert body.
| He could barely perceive the dim outlines
! of her bowed figure yet never moved, dis
| breath perceptbly quickening while he
watched and waited Without word or moan
she bent yet lower and pressed her lips
upon the cold, white face. The man caught
no more than the fainteSt echo of MUIR
INJURED Goodbye. old dad l wish 1 could
| take YOU with me- Then she stood stffly
upright facing him. I'm ready now"
| she announced calmly. You can go on
| ahead
| They crept among low shrubs and around
the powders, carefully guarding every
| slightest movement lest some rustic of dis
turbed foliage or sound of loosened stone
j might draw the fire of those keen watchers.
| Nor dared they ignore the close proximity
| of their own little company, who, amid
| such darkness, might naturally suspect
| them for approaching savages Every inch
| of their progress was attained through te-
| dious groping, yet the distance to be trav-
| ersed was short, and Hampton soon found
| himself pressing against the uprising preci
| pice Passing his fingers along the front, he
! finally found that narrow ledge which he
| had previously located with such patient
| care. and reaching back drew the girl
| silently upon her feet beside him. Against
|
| venture to stand erect, the faint glimmer
| of reflected light barely sufficient to reveal
to each the shadowy outline of the other.
| Don't move an inch from this spot" he
| whispered. 1T wouldn't be squaye deal,
Kid. to leave those poor fellows to their
| death without even telling them there's a
| chance to get out
/ She attempted no reply as he glded noise
| lessly away. but her face could he have
| seen it. was not devoid of expression. This
| was an act of generosity and deliberate
| courage of the very kind most apt to ap-
peal to her nature, and within her secret
| heart there was rapidly developing a re-
| spect for this man. who with such calm as
| surance won his own way. He was strong
| forceful. braye-Homeric virtues of real
worth in that hard life which she knew
best. All this swept across her mind In
J fash of revelation while she stood alone
| her eyes endeavoring vainly to peer into
the gloom. Then suddenly that black cu:-
tain was rent by jagged spurts of red and
| yellow flame. DaZed for an instant her
heart throbbing wildly to the sharp reports
| of the rifles. she shrank covering back, her
| fascinated gaze fixed on those imp-like fig
| foot by foot. clinging to a fragment of rock
Almost with the flash and sound Hampton
sprang hastily back and gathered her in
| his arms.
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