The Irish standard., 1907-11-02

munching the succulent grass of the
coulee, their two masters scarcely ex-
changing word. Murphy, after satis-
flying his appetite. nested 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.
It 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 wider view, bearing Hamp-
toms fleld.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.
It 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 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 a 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
" from the saddle. hastily loosened
his girth.
They'll drop under usSif 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.
whats 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 a dog might.
For 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 all
was chaos. The horror Of 1t 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 ST.
lent and breathing heavily as If asleep
If he only might light a pipe, or boil
himself cup of black coffee! Muir
ply never stirred; the horses were
seemingly too weary to browse. Then
Hampton nodded and sank into an un
| easy doze.