The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1908-02-27
CHAPTER XVII.

tWE AEatl OF 2NlGnA QFnnN
The young infantryman who had
been detailed for the important serv-
ice of telegraph operator sat in the
Cheyenne office, his feet on the rude
table. his face buried behind a news
paper.
Gould you inform me where 1
might find Silent Murphy. a govern
ment scOut?"
The voice had the unmistakable ring
OF military authority. and the soldier
operator instlnctively dropped his feet
10 the floor.
We'll. my lad. you are not dumb,
are you?"
The telegrapher's momentary hest
tation vanished; his ambition 70 be.
come a martyr TO the strict laws OF
service secrecy was not sufficiently
strong 10 cause him to take the doubt
full chances OF a lie. He was here,
but has gone"
where
The devil knows. He rode north.
carrying dispatches for Custer.
When"
OAs AAANN VI AAAA nNNAa ahN-
Hampton swore softly but fervent-
ly. behind his clinched teeth.
Where is Custer?"
Don't know exactly. Supposed 10
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
r+.-. ar,.r,h.t~ rr1.r. 49,, ., swy..
cept his column somewhere between
the Rosebud and the Big Horn. No
other scout along this border would
take such a detail. But that old devil
OF a Murphy just enjoys such a trip.
He started Oh as happy as eye / see
him"
How far viii he have 10 rlde?"
"Oh. bout 300 miles as the crow
files. 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. he
knows the way ala right Sorry you
didn't come along a little earlier" he
said. geniHlly DO you know Muir
phy?"
I'm not quite certain. Did you
happen TO notice a peculiar black scar
on the back Of his right handg
Sure; looks like the half Of a pear
He said Il was powder under the skin
A new look OF reyiyink determine
ton swept into Hampton's gloomy
eyes-beyond doubt this must be his
man.
How many horses did he have?e"
Two"
did you overhear him say anything
definite about his plans for the trips"
what, him. lie never talks. that
fellow. He can't do nothing but sput
ter n he tries. But I wrote out his or
ders. and they give him 70 the 10Th "a
make the Big Horn You wasn't plan
ming to strike out after him, was
your"
Il might risk Il II only thought |
could oyertake 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 to-day. and he's almost
certain 20 follow the old mining trail
as far as the ford oyer the Belle
Fonrche. and that's plain enough to
travel. Beyond that point the devil
only knows where be win 90, for then
is when his hard ridin' begins"
The moment the operator mentioned
that odd scar on Murphys hand. every
yestige OF hesitation vanished. Be
yOnd any possibility OF doubt he was
on the right scent this time. Murphy
MAS riding north upon a mission al
desperate as ever man was called
upon 10 perform The chance OF his
coming forth alive from that Indian
haunted land was. az the operator
truthfully said. barely one out Of a
hundred To the end 10 the death n
need were. be would follow
GO DE CoNTINUEDJ