The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-08-05
swung forward his fleld-glasses for a

said, at last. Here, take a look, Muir
ply. I could count about 20 in that
bunch and they are travelling north"
The older man adjusted the tubes TO /
his eyes and looked long and steadily
at the party.
They seem-to be a-closin' in" he
DECLARED, finally, staring around into
the others face. all bravado gone.
There's anuther lot-bucks, all o. EN-
out west yonder-an' over east a
smudge is-just startin' Looks like
we wus In a pocket-an thar might
be some-har-raisin' fore long"
Well Murphy. you are the older
hand at this business. What do you
advise doing?"
Me? Why, push right 1ong-while
we kin keep under cover. THEREAFTER
dark-trust ter bull luck an male
'nuther dash. It's mostly luck. any
how
You mean we should start now?"
''Better-let the cattle rest-frst
An'-if We ever feed prisoners-Pd
like ter eat a bite-mesilf"
They rested there for over two
hours, the tired horses contentedly
munching the succulent grass of the
coulee, their two masters scarcely ex-
changing a word. Murphy, after salts
flying his appetite, rested fiat upon
his back, one arm flung over his eyes
to protect them from the sun.
At last they saddled up and passed
down the coulee into the more precip-
itous depths of the narrow canyon.
Their early advance was slow and
cautious, as they never felt certain
what hidden enemies might Turk be-
hind the sharp corners of the winding
defile and they kept yigilant eyes
upon the serrated skyline. The saw
ages were moving north and so were
they
1t was fully three o'clock when they
attained to the bank of the Powder,
and crouched among the rocks to wait
for the shades of night to shroud their
further advance. Murphy climbed the
bluff for a wider view, bearing Hamp-
toms field-glasses slung across his
shoulder, for the latter would not
leave him alone with the horses. He
returned finally to grunt out that there
was nothing special in sight, except a
shifting of those smoke signals to
| points farther north. Then they lay
down again, Hampton smoking, Muir
ply either sleeping or pretending TO
sleep. And slowly the shadows of an
other black night swept down and
shut them in.
1t must have been two hours later
when they ventured forth. Silence
and loneliness brooded everywhere,
not so much as a breath of air stir
ring the leaves. Murphy continued to
lead, the light tread of his horse bare
Iy audible, Hampton pressing closely
behind, revolver in hand, the two pack
horses trailing in the rear.
Midnight, and they pulled up amid
the deeper gloom of great, overhang-
| ing bluff, having numerous trees near
its summit There was the glow OF a
| distant fire upon their left, which red
| dened the sky, and reflected oddly on
| the edges of vast cloud-mass rolling
! up threateningly from the west.
Their horses stood with heads hang
ing YEARLY down, their sides rising
and falling, and Hampton. rolling stiff
ly from the saddle, hastily loosened
his girth.
They'll drop under us if we don't
give them an hour or two he said,
quietly They're both dead beat"
Murphy muttered something, inco-
herent and garnished with oaths, and
the moment he succeeded in releasing
the buckle, sank down limp at the
very feet of his horse, rolling up into
a queer ball. The other stared and
| took step nearer.
Whats the matter? Are you sick,
Murphy"
No-tired-don't want ter see
thet thing agin."
What thing?"
tibet green, devlish,-crawlin face
If We must know" And he twisted
his long, ape-like arms across his eyes
lying curled up as a dog might
For a moment Hampton stood gaz
ing down upon him, listening to his in.
coherent mutterings. his own face
grave and sympathetic. Then he
moved back and sat down. Suddenly
the full conception of what this meant
came to his mind-the man had gone
mad. The strained cords of that dis
eased brain had snapped in the pres
ence of imagined terrors. and now al
was chaos. The horror OF il over
whelmed Hampton: not only did this
unexpected denouement leave him
utterly hopeless, but what was he to
do with the fellow? They were in the
very heart of the Indian country
the country Of the savage Sioux. He
stared at the curled-up man, now 81
lent and breathing heavily as if asleep
If he only might light a pipe, or boi
himself cup of black coffeel Muir
ply never stirred; the horses were
seemingly too weary TO browse. Their
Hampton nodded and sank into an un
easy doze.