The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-08-31
CHAPTER xxx.

liz NGI9C VI SSDlCSDiOns
Murphy uttered one suffering cry
OF surprise, finging his hand instinct
lively to his hip, but attempted no
more. Hampton's ready weapon was
thrusting its muzzle into the astound-
ed face, and the gray eyes cleaning
along the polished barrel held the fell
low motionless.
Hands upi Not a move, Murphy
I have the drop!" The voice was low,
but stern. and tho old frontiersman
obeyed mechanically, although his
scanned face was fairly distorted with
rage.
You, Damn you'll thought I
knew-the voice"
Yes, / am here all right. Rather
d place for us to meet, isn't it? But,
you see, you've had the advantage all
these years.; you knew whom you
were running away from. while 1 was
compelled to plod along in the dark.
But I've caught up just the same, If it
a beer a long race"
What do ye-want me fer?" HI
look in the ace was cunning.
Hold your hands quiet-higher,
o fool That's it. Now, don't play
with me. 1 honestly didn't know for
certain l did want you, Murphy, when
1 first started out on this trip. I
merely suspected h a l might, from
some things l had been told. When
somebody took the liberty of slashing
at my back in a poker-room at Glen
caid, and drove the knife into Slavin
by mistake, 1 CHANGED to catch a
glimpse of h hand on the hilt, and
there was a scar on 1t. About Is
a before, / was acting as officer of
the guard one night at Bethune. 1t
was a bright starlit night, you remem
Der, and just as / turned the corner of
the old powder-house there came a
sudden fash, a report, a sharp cry. 1
sprang forward only to fall headlong
over a dead body; but in that fash /
had seen the and grasping the re-
yolver, and there was a scar on the
back of it, a cry peculiar scar. 1t
Glanced l had the evening previous
slightly quarre1ed with the officer who
was killed; l vas the only person
known to be neal at the time he was
shot; certain other circumstantial evil
dence was dug up, while Slavin and
one other-no, it was not you-gave
some damaging. manufactured testi-
AAo4y 5C1AAAS AI0s Ao q IC0h4L as
held guilty of murder in the second
degree, dismissed from the army in
disgrace, and sentenced to ten years
Imprisonment. So, you see. it was not
exactly you / have been hunting,
Murphy,.it was a scar"
Murphy's face was distorted into a
hideous grin.
Il notice you pear exactly that kind
of a scar, my a and you spoke las
night Is If you had some recollection
of the case"
The hooking grin expanded; into
the husky voice crept a snarl of de-
aance, for now Murphy's courage had
come back-he was fronting aesh and
blood. "Oh. stop preachin-Rn' shoot
be damned ter vel"
You do me a grave Injustice. Muir
ply. Your slashing at me down in
Glencaid hasn't left so much as a
sting behind. It's completely blotted
out, forgotten. l haven't the slightest
desire to kill you, man; but 1 do want
to clear my name of the stain of that
crime / want you to tell the whole
truth about that nights work at Be-
thuhe, and when you have done so,
you can go. I'll never lay a finger on
you; YOU can go where you please"
"Bahi-ye amt got no proof-agin
meEsides, the case is closed-it can't
be opened agin-by law"
You devili I'd be perfectly 1usti-
ned in killing you," exclaimed Hamp-
ton. savagely.
Murphy stare at him stupidity, the
cunning of incipient insanity in his
eyes. En- whar-do We expect-me
ter say-all this. pervidin,, of course
~ wus fule 'nough-ter do it?"