Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1908-03-28


hideous creature behind them. That
man could tell, but he has gone mad
Brant endeavored TO speak, but the
words would not come; his brain
seemed paralyzed. Hampton held him
self under better control
Il have confidence, Lieut.. Brant, in
your honesty" he began, gravely, land
l believe you will strive to do what
ever is best for her, if anything should
happen to me out yonder. But for the
possibility of my being knocked out, /
wouldn't talk about this. not even to
YOU The affair is a long way from
being Strengthened out so as to make
pleasant story, but I'll give you all
you actually require to know in order
to make it clear to her. provided 1
shouldn't come back. You see, she
doesn't know very much more than
you do-only what 1 was obliged to
tell to keep her from getting too close
ly entangled with you. Maybe 1 ought
to have given her the full story before
l started on this trip. I've since
wished had, but you see, 1 never
dreamed it was going to end here, on
the Big Horn; besides, 1 didn't have
the nerve.
You see, Brant, feel that simply
have to carry these dispatches
through. 1 have pride in giving
them to Custer myself, because of the
trouble I've had in getting them here.
But perhaps l may not come back,
and in that case there wouldn't be
anyone living to tell her the truth 1t
seems to me that there is going to be
big fight somewhere in these hills
before long So I want to leave these
private papers with you until 1 come
back 1t will relieve my mind to know
they are safe; if 1 don't come, then
want you to open them and do what
ever you decide is best for the little
girl You will do that, won't your"
He handed over long manila jen-
velope securely sealed, and the young
er man accepted it, noticing that it
was unaddressed before depositing it
safely in an inner pocket of his fatigue
jacket.
Certainly, Hampton" he said. 'Is
that ALP
All except what I am going to tell
you now regarding Murphy. There is
no use my attempting to explain ex-
actly how 1 CHANGED to find out all
these things, for they came to me little
by little during several years 1 knew
had reason to doubt the guilt of the
captain, in spite of the verdict of the
jury that condemned him. In fact, 1
knew at the time, although it was not
in my power to prove it, that the two
principal witnesses against Nolan lied.
l thought L could guess why, but we
drifted apart, and finally 1 lost all
track of every one connected with the
affair Then 1 happened to pick up
that girl down in the canyon beyond
the Bear Water, and pulled her out
alive just because she CHANGED to be
of that sex, and I couldn't stand to see
her fall into Indian clutches. 1 didn't
feel any special interest in her at the
time, supposing she belonged to Old
ellis, but she somehow grew on me
she's that kind, you know; and
when discovered, purely by accident,
that she was Capt Nolan's girl, but
that it all had been kept from her, l
just naturally made up my mind I'd
dig out the truth if l possibly could
for her sake. The fact is, l began to
think a lot about her-not the way
you do, you understand; I'm getting
too old for that, and have known too
much about women,-but maybe some
what as father might feel. Anyhow,
wanted to give her a chance, a
square deal, SO that she wouldn't be
ashamed of her own name if ever she
found out what it was
About that time 1 fell foul of Muir
ply and Slavin there in Glencaid
never got my eyes on Murphy, you
know, and Slavin was so changed by
that big red beard that failed to rec
ogni1e him. But their actions aroused
my suspicious, and 1 went after them
good and hard. 1 wanted to find out
what they knew, and why those lies
were told on Nolan at the trial. had
an idea they could tell me. So, for a
starter l tackled Slavin, supposing we
were alone, and 1 was pumping the
facts out of him successfully by hold
ing a gun under his nose, and occa-
sionally jogging his memory, when
this fellow Murphy got excited, and
chasseed into the game, but happened
to nip his partner instead of me- In
the course of our little scuffie l
to catch a glimpse of the fell
lows right hand, and it had a scar on
the back of it that looked mighty ia
wanted to see it again. So, when l
got out of that scrape. and the doctor
had dug stray bullet out of my
anatomy, there didn't seem to be any
one left for me to chase excepting
for Slavin was dead 1 wasn't
sure he was the owner of that
scar, but 1 had my suspicious and
wanted to verify them Having struck