The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-08-03
ip the saddle. galloping down the dusty
stage road toward Cheyenne.
CHAPTER XVII.
he Trail of SiInn+ MUMMY

paper.
Gould you inform me where I
might find Silent Murphy, a govern
ment scout?"
The voice had the unmistakable ring
of military authority, and the soldier
operator instinctiTely dropped his feet
to the floor.
Well. my lad. you are not dumb,
are you?"
The telegrapher's momentary hest
tation vanished; his ambition to be-
come a martyr to the strict laws of
service secrecy was not sufficiently
strong to cause him to take the doubt
full chances of a lie. He was here,
but has gone"
Where? p
1.-THE devil knows. He rode north.
carrying dispatches for Custer"
'When?"
"Oh, three or four hours ago.
Hampton swore softly but fervent-
ly, behind his clinched teeth.
Where is CUSTER"
Don't know exactly. Supposed to
be with Terry and Gibbons, some
where near the mouth of the Powder.
although he may have left there by
this time, moving down the Yellow
stone Murphy's orders were to inter-
cept his column somewhere between
the Rosebud and the Big Horn. No
other scout along this border would
take such a detail. But that old devil
of a Murphy just enjoys such trip.
He started off as happy as ever l see
him"
How far will he have to rider
"Oh, bout 300 miles as the crow
flies. little west of north, and the
better part of the distance. they tell
me, it's almighty rough country for
night work. But then Murphy, he
knows the way ali right. Sorry you
didn't come along a little earlier" he
said, genially. DO you know Muir
phy?"
I'm not quite certain. Did you
Happen to notice a peculiar black scar
on the back of his right hand?"
"Sure; looks like the half of pear.
He said it was powder under the skin"
A new look of reviving determine
ton swept into Hampton's gloomy
eyes-beyond doubt this must be his
man.
How many horses did he have??"
Two"
Did you overhear him say anything
definite about his plans for the trip"
What, him? He never talks, that
fellow. He can't do nothing but sput
ter if he tries But l wrote out his or.
ders, and they give him to the 25th tC
make the Big Horn. You wasn't plan
ming to strike out after him, was
your"
Il might risk it If I only thought
could overtake him within two days;
my business is of some Importance"
We'll, stranger, 1 should reckon yoU
might do that with a dOg-gone gOOC
outfit. Murphy's sure to take things
pretty easy to-day, and he's almOs
certain to follow the old mining trai
as far as the ford over the Belle
Fourche, and that's plain enough t
travel. Beyond that point the devi
only knows where he will go, for theI
is when his hard ridin' begins
The moment the operator mentioned
that odd scar on Murphy's hand, ever,
vestige of hesitation vanished. Be
yond any possibility of doubt he wa
on the right scent this time. Murph.
was riding north upon a mission a
desperate as ever man was Gale,
upon to perform. The chance of hi
coming forth alive from that Indian
haunted land was, as the operate
truthfully said, barely one out of
hundred. To the end, to the death
need were, he would follow!
The memory Of his old plain Graf
would not permit any neglect of tn
few necessaries for the trip. H
bought without haggling over prices
but insisted on the best. So it wa
four in the afternoon when he fnall
struck into the trail leading nortf
ward. He rode a mettlesome, hal
broken bronco, a wicked-eyed brute
which required to be conquered twic
within the first hour of travel; a SET
ond and more quiet animal trailed b.
hind at the end of a lariat, bearing tn
necessary equipment
He had. by persistent questionin!
acquired considerable information, du
ing that busy hour spent in Cheyenn'
regarding the untracked regions lyin
before him, as well as the characte
and disposition of the man he pu
sued. Both by instinct and trainin
he was able to comprehend those brit
hints that must prove of vast benef
in the painless wilderness.
The night was already dark, bt
stars were cleaning brilliantly owe
. head, and the trail remained easil
, traceable. 1t became terribly lionel
: on that wilderness stretching ava
7 for unknown leagues in every dire
: ton, yet Hampton scarcely noted thi
: so watchful was he lest he miss II
a trail. To his judgment, Murphy woul
$ not be likely TO ride during the nigl
a until after he had crossed the Fourch
I There was no reason TO suspect tn;