Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-29
BOB HAMPTON OF PLACER.
BY RANDALL PARRISH,
AUTHOR WILDERNESS WAS KING"
A

You see. she doesn't know very much more
| than you do-only what | was obliged to tell
| to keep her from getting too deeply entan-
gled with you. Maybe I ought 10 have
| given her the full story before l started on
| this trip. I've since wished had but you
see. 1 never dreamed 1t was going to end
| here. on the Big Horn. besides. l didn't
| have the nerve"
He swept his heavy eyes across the brown
| and desolate prairie. and back to the trout
| bled face of the younger man You see.
| Brant. feel that l simply have to carry
| these dispatches through. l have a pride in
| giving them to Custer myself. because of
! the trouble I've had in getting them here.
| But perhaps 1 may not come back. and in
! that case there wouldn't be any one living
| to tell her the truth. That thought has
| bothered me ever since pulled out of Chey-
| enne. 1t seems to me that there is going to
| be big fight somewhere in these hills be-
| fore long. I've seen lot of Indians riding
| north within the last four days, and they
| were all bucks. rigsed out in war toggery,
| Sioux and Cheyennes. Ever since we
| crossed the Fourche those fellows have been
| In evidence, and it's my notion that Custer
| has a heavier job on his hands, right at
| this minute, than he has any conception Of.
so want to leave these private papers
| with you until come back. 1t will relieve
| my mind to know they are safe; If | don't
| come then l want you to open them and do
| whatever you decide is best for the little
| girl. You will do that. won't you?"
He handed long manila envelope
| securely sealed and the younger man &C
| copied it, noticing that 1t was unaddressed
| before deposting 1t safely in an inner
| pocket of his fatigue jacket
Certainly, Hampton" he said. rs that
all?"
| 'All except what am going to tell you
| now regarding Murphy. There is no use my
attempting to explain exactly how | CHANGED
to find out all these things. for they came to
| me little by little during several years.
| knew Nolan. and l knew your father, and
had reason to doubt the guilt of the cap
n f1..x 81 Ns fI.a f,trN Tho
condemned him. In fact. L knew at the
| time, although 1t was not in my power to
| prove 1t, that the two principal witnesses
against Nolan lied l thought l could guess
why. but we drifted apart, and finally L
| lost all track OF every one connected with
| the affair. Then l happened to pick up
| that girl down in the canyon beyond the
Bear Water. and pulled her out alive just
because she CHANGED to be of that sex. and
| I couldn't stand t. see her fall into Indian
clutches. 1 didn't feel any special interest
| In her az the time. supposing she belonged
| to old Gillis but she somehow grew on me
| discovered, purely by accident, that she
was Capt Nolan's girl. but that it all had
| been kept from her. just naturally made
| up my mind I'd dig out the truth If l posi-
| bly, could, for her sake. The fact Is, l be-
| gan to think a lot about her-not the way
| you do you understand; I'm getting too old
| for that. and have known too much about
/ women-but maybe somewhat as father
! might feel. Anyhow / wanted to give her
| a chance. a square deal. SO that she
| wouldn't be ashamed Of her own name II
ever she found out what 1t was.
| He paused. his eyes filled with memories.
| and passed his hand through his uncovered
| hair.
| About that time fell foul of Murphy
and Slavin there in Glencaid," he went on
quickly, as IL anxious to conclude. II
| never got my eyes on Murphy. you know,
and Slavin was so changed by that big red
| beard that 1 failed to recognize him. But
| their actions aroused my suspicious. and I
went after them good and hard. 1 wanted
| to find out what they knew, and why those
| lies were told on Nolan at the trial. I had
| an Idea they could tell me. So. for a
| starter. tackled Slavin, supposing We were
alone. and 1 was pumping the facts out of
! him successfully by holding a gun under
his nose, and occasionally jogging his mem
DRY. when this fellow Murphy got excited.
and chasseed into the game but happened
| to nip his partner instead of me. In the
| course Of little scuffle 1 CHANGED to
catch a glimpse of the fellows right hand.
| and It had a scar on the back of 1t that
looked mighty familiar. I had seen 1t be-
fore. and 1 wanted to see 1t again. So.
! when 1 got out of that scrape. and the doc
tor had dug stray bullet out of my anat-
| omy, there didn't seem to be any one left
| for me to chase excepting Murphy, for
| Slavin was dead. I wasn't exactly sure he
was the owner of that scar but had my
suspicious and wanted to verify them Hav-
ing struck his trail. reached cheyenne just
| about four hours after he left there with
| these dispatches for the Big Horn. l caught
| up with the fellow on the south bank of the
| Belle Fourche, and being well aware that
i, no threats or gun play would ever force
| him to confess the truth, l undertook to
| brighten him by trckery. L brought along
some drawing paper and drew your father 8
| picture in phosphorus. and gave him the
benefit in the dark. That caught Murphy
| all right. and everything was coming my
way. He threw up his hands, and even
agreed to come in here with me. and tell
no -hnla ct htt fha hra In
couldn't stand the strain Of the scare had
given him. He went ravng mad on the
! Powder: he jumped on me while l was
asleep and since then every mile has been
| a little hell. That's the whole Of 1t to
date"
They were up with the pack train by now.
and the cavarymen gazed with interest at
the new arrivals Several among them
seemed to recognize Murphy. and crowded
about his horse with rough expressions Of
sympathy. Brant scarcely glanced at them,
his grave eyes on Hampton's stern face.
| "And what is 1t you wish me to do?'
Take care of Murphy. Don't let him re-
main alone for a minute. If he has any
return of reason, compel him to talk. He
| knows you and will be as greatly fright
| ened at your presence and knowledge as at
| mine Besides, you have fully as much at
| stake as any one, for in no other way can
the existing barrier between Nadia and
yourself be broken down.
Insisting that now he felt perfectly fit
was quickly supplied with the necessary
food and clothing. while Murphy grown
! violently abusive, strapped on a litter
between two mules. a guard on either side.
| Brant rode with the civilian on a sharp trot
as far as the head of the pack train, en-
deavoring to the very last to persuade the
wearied man to reinquish this work to
| another.
| Foster" he said to the sergeant in COM
mand of the advance, did you chance to
notice just what coulee Custer turned into
| when his column swung to the right?"
IT think it must have been the second
yonder, sir: where you see that bunch of
trees We was long ways back. but
could see the boys plain enough as they
| come out on the bluff up there. Some of
'em waved their hats back at us. Is this
| man goin' after them, sr?
Yes, he has dispatches from Cheyenne"
'Well he ought ter have no trouble find
| in the trail. 1t ought ter be bout as plain
| as a road back in Gods country, sir, fer
| there were more than two hundred horses.
and they'd leave a good mark even on hard
| ground"
! Brant held out his hand. 'Tr certainly
| do akin my power. Hampton, to bring this
out right You can rely on that, and [ will
be faithful 10 the little girl. Now. just 4