Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-27
BOB HAMPTON OF PLACER.
BY RANDALL PARRISH,
AUTHOR OF WHEN WILDERNESS WAS KING.s
Copyright 1907. BY A. c. Mcclurg

beaten yet evidently remained unconquered.
biding his chance with savage stoicism and
the other watched him wariIy even while
seeming to occupy himself with the field
glass.
At last they saddled up and. at first lead
Ing their horses, passed down the coulee
into the more precipitous depths of the mar
row canyon. This proved hardly more than
a cash cut through the rolling prairie rock
strewn. holding an insignificant stream Of
prackish water, yet was ideal hiding
place, having ample room for easy passage
between the rock walls. The men mounted
and Hampton. with a wave of his hand
oade the old scout assume the lead.
Their early advance was slow and eau
tous. as they never felt certain what hidden
enemies might Turk behind the sharp cor
ners OF the winding defile, and they kept
NlSllant eyes upon the serrated skyline
The savaSeS We're moving north, and so
were they. 1t would be remarkably good
fortune II they escaped running into some
wandering band, or if some stray scout did
not stumble upon their trail. So they con-
tnued to plod on
1t was fully 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 Muir
ply climbed the bluff for a wider view
bearing Hampton's field glasses slung across
ms shoulder, for the latter would not leave
MIN alone with the horses. He returned
finally to, grunt out that there was nothing
special in sight. except shifting of those
smoke signals TO points farther north Then
.hey lay down again, Hampton smoking,
Murphy either sleeping or pretending to
sleep. And slowly the shadows of another
black night swept down and shut them in.
IL must have been two hours later when
they ventured forth. Silence and loneli-
ness Drooded everywhere not much as a
breath of air stirring the leaves. The I'M
speakable. unsolvable mystery of it all
rested like weight the spirits of both
men: 1t was disQuieting thought that
IN a
STAY, were stealing among the shadows of
those trackless plains, and that they must
literally feel their uncertain way through
the Gordon. every sound an alarm, every
advancing step fresh peril. They crossed
Inc swift deep stream, and emerged drip
ping, chilled to the marrow by the icy
water. Then they swung stiff1y into the
wet saddles, and plunged. with almost reck-
less abandon. through the darkness. Muir
ply continued to lead, the light tread of his
horse barely audible Hampton pressing
closely behind. revolver in hand, the two
pack horses trailing in the rear. HAMPTON
had no confidence in his sullen, treacherous
companion: he looked for early trouble yet
he had little fear regarding any attempt at
escape now. Murphy was a plainsman. and
would realize the horror of being alone, I'M
armed. and without food on those demon
haunted prairies. Besides, the silent man
behind was astride the better animal.
Midnight and they pulled up amid the
deeper gloom Of great, overhanging bluff
having numerous trees near it's summit
There was the glow of a distant fire upon
their left. which Redeemed the sky. and re-
nected oddly on the edges of vast cloud
mass rolling up threateningly from the
west Neither knew definitely where they
were. although Murphy guessed the mar
row stream they had just forded might be
me upper waters of the Tongue. Their
horses stood with heads hanging YEARLY
down. their sides rising and falling; and
HAMPTON. rolling stif1y from the saddle
hastily loosened his girth.
~" They'll drop under us II we don't give
them an hour or two he said, quietly
They're both dead beat
Murphy muttered something incoherent
and garnished with oaths. and the moment
down limp at the very feet of his horse.
rolling up into queer ball The other
stared, and took step nearer.
phy?'
'No-tired- want ter see-thet thing
agin.''
What thing?"
Tibet green, deviish-craw face-if We
must know!" And he twisted his long.
ape-like arms across his eyes, lying curled
up as a dog might.
For moment Hampton stood gazing
down upon him. listening to his incoherent
mutterings. his own face grave and SYM
pathetic. 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 presence of
imagined terrors. and now all was chaos
The horror of 1t overwhelmed Hampton;
not only did this unexpected denouement
leave him utterly hopeless. but what was he
to do with the fellow? How could he bring
him forth from there alive? II this stream
was indeed the Tongue, then many a mile
OF rough country. ragged with low noun
tains and criss crossed by deep ravines. vet
stretched between where they now were and
the Little Big Horn, where they expected
to find Clusters men. They We're In the very
heart of the Indian country-the country of
the savage Sioux. He stared at the eurled-
up man. now silent and breathing heavily
as If asleep. The silence was profound the
night so black and lonely that Hampton in
voluntarily closed his heavy eyes to shut it
out. If he only might light pipe. or boil
himself a cup Of black coffee! Murphy
never stirred; the horses were seemingly
too weary to browse. Then Hampton nod
ded and sank into an uneasy doze
ITO be Continued Tomorrow