Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-08-19
CHAPTER XVII.


ice of telegraph operator sat In the
Cheyenne office, his feet on the rude
table his face buried behind news
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 instinctively dropped his feet
to the floor.
well, my lad, you are not dumb.
are you?"
The telegrapher's momentary hesi-
tation vanished his ambition to be-
come a martyr to the strict laws OF
service secrecy YVES not sufficiently
strong to cause him to take the doubt
full chances of lie. He was here,
but has gone"
'Where?"
"The devil knows. He rode north,
carrying dispatches for Custer"
When"
ooh, three or four hours ago"
Hampton swore softly but fervent-
~, 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 detail. But that old devil
of a Murphy just enjoys such trip.
He started OF as happy as ever l see
him"
"How far will he have to rider"
ooh, 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 all right. Sorry you
didn't come along little earlier" he
said, genially. DO you know MUIR
phy?"
III HOI QullC OASolA. AIAA yoo
happen to notice 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??"
1.-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 wrote out his or
ders, and they give him to the 25th to
make the Big Horn. You wasn't plan
ming to strike out after him, was
you?"
II might risk 1t If only thought I
could overtake him within two days;
my business is of some Importance
well, stranger, should reckon you
might do that with a dog-gone good
outfit. Murphy's sure to take things
pretty easy today, and he's almost
certain to follow the old mining trail
as far as the ford over the Belle
Fourche, and that's plain enough to
travel Beyond that point the devil
only knows where he will go, for then
is when his hard ridin' begins"
The moment the operator mentioned
that odd scar on Murphy's hand, every
vestige Of hesitation vanished Be-
yond any possibility of doubt he was
on the right scent this time. Murphy
was riding north upon mission as
desperate as ever man was called
upon to perform. The chance of his
coming forth alive from that Indian
haunted land was, as the operator
truthfully said, barely one out of a
hundred. To the end, to the death If
need were, he would follow!
The memory of his old plain craft
would not permit any neglect of the
few necessaries for the trip. He
bought without haggling over prices,
but insisted on the best. So it was
four in the afternoon when he finally
struck into the trail leading north
ward. He rode mettlesome, half
broken bronco, wicked-eyed brute,
which required to be conquered twice
within the first hour of travel; sec
ond and, more quiet animal trailed be-
hind at the end of a lariat, bearing the
necessary equipment.
He had, by persistent questioning,
acquired considerable information. dur
ing that busy hour spent in Cheyenne.
regarding the untracked regions lying
before him, as well as the character
and disposition of the man he pur-
sued. Both by instinct and training
he was able to comprehend those brief
hints that must prove OF vast benefit
in the painless wilderness.
The night was already dark, but
stars were cleaning brilliantly over
head, and the trail remained easily
traceable. 1t became terribly lonely
on that wilderness stretching away
| for unknown leagues in every direc-
ton, yet Hampton scarcely noted this,
80 watchful was he lest he miss the
trail To his judgment, Murphy would
not be likely to ride during the night
until after he had crossed the Fourche.
There was no reason to suspect that
there were any hostile Indians south
Of that stream. and probably therefore
the old scout would endeavor to con-
serve his own strength and that OF his
horses, for the more .perilous travel