Mower County transcript., 1907-12-18

he no longer feared, sudden, uneX-
plainable feeling of sympathy took
possession of him. Murphy sputterec
and sWore but his victorious compap-
ion neither spoke nor moved. There
were several distant smokes out to
the northward now, evidently the an
swering signals Of different bands OF
savages, while far away, beneath the
shadow of the low bluffs bordering the
stream, numerous black, moving dots
began to show against the light brown
background Hampton, noticing that
Murphy had stopped swearing to gaze,
swung forward his field-glasses for a
better view.
They are Indians, right enough" he
said, at last Here, take look, Muir
ply. | 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 'long-while
we kin keep under cover. THEREAFTER
dark-trust ter bull luck an make
'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-l'd
like ter eat bite-mesilf."
They rested there for over two
hours, the tired horses contented1y
munching the succulent grass of the
coulee, their two masters scarcely ex-
changing word. Murphy, after satis-
flying his appetite, rested fat 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 lurk be-
hind the sharp corners of the winding
defile, and they kept vigilant 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 f1eld-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 breath of air stir.
ring the leaves. Murphy continued to
lead, the light tread of his horse bare
ly 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 a great, overhang
ing bluff, having numerous trees neal
it's 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 Wearily down, their sides rising
and falling. and Hampton, rolling stiff
ly from the saddle, hastily loosened
his girth.
"Thcy'N 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
queer ball The other stared and
took step nearer.
''What's the matter? Are you sick
Murphy"
''No-tired-don't want ter see
thet thing agin.'
What thing?"
"Thet green, devlish,-crawlin face
If ye must know!" And he twisted
his long, ape-like arms across his eyes
lying curled up as 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 tho pres.
ence of imagined terr0rs, and now all
was chaos. The horror Of it over
Whelmed HamptOn: not only did this