The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1908-03-13
CHAPTER XVII.
The TrsII q sIIent Murphy.

NA- 81 " 9AEHA
The young infantryman Who had
been detailed for the important serv-
ice OF telegraph operator sat il the
Cheyenne Office. his feet on the rude
table. his face buried behind a news
paper.
Gould you inform me where
might find Silent Murphy. a govern
nent scout"
The voice had the unmistakable ring
o. military authority. ard the soldier
operator instinctively dropped his feet
70 the door
Wei, ny lad. you are not dumb.
are you2"
The telegrapher's monetary hesi-
tatiOn vanished: his ambition 70 be-
come q martyr 10 the strict laws o.
service secrecy was not sufficiently
strong 10 cause him 10 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"
-Oh. three OF four hours ago"
Hampton swore softly but te-veat
~. behind his clinchef 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 20 inter
cept his column somewhere between
the Rosebud and the Big Hon No
other scout along this border would
take such a detail. But that old devil
OF a Murphy Just enjoys such q trip.
He started OF as happy as ever / see
him
How far viii he have 70 rider
"Oh. bout 900 miles as the crow
sizes. a 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. be
knows the way al right Sorry you
didn't come along a little earlier" be
said. genially. Do you know Muir
phy7-
I'm not quite certain Did you
happen 70 notice a peculiar black scar
on the back OF his right hznd7-
Sure. looks Ike the half OF pear.
he said il was powder under the skin
ton swept into HamptOn's gloomy
eyes-beyond doubt this must be his
man.
How many horses did he have.7-
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 IL he tries. But wrote out his or
ders. and they give him TO the 18th 20
make the Big Horn You wasn't plan
ming 10 strike out after him. was
your
4 might risk II IL onA thought
could overtake him within two days;
my business Is Of some importance"
Wei. stranger. should reckon you
might do that with a dog-gone good
outfit Murphy's sure to take things
pretty easy to-day. 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 be will go. for then
is when bis hard ridin' begins"
The moment the operator zentioned
that odd scar on Murphy's hand. every
vestige Of hesitation vanished Be
yond any possibility Of doubt be VAS
on the right scent this time. Murphy
was riding north upon a mission as
desperate as ever man was called
upon 10 perform. The chance OF bis
coming forth alive from that Indian
haunted land was. as the operator
truthfuily said. barely one cut ~ q
hundred. To the end 10 the death n
need were. be would follow,
CTo BE CONTINUED