The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-02-13

didn't suspect they wus bein' tracked.
Well, thet was my chance; what Ia
been campin' out yere months await
in fer. l didn't expect ter git nuthin'
back, y understand; all wanted was
ter kill that damn skunk, an squar
accounts 1t looked ter me then like |
! he'd him on the hip. He didn't know |
l was in the kintry: all I he'd to do |
was lay out in the hills, an take pot |
shot at him afore he saw me-"
And get the girl and the money"
las God is my witness, l never |
thought bout thet. l jest wanted ter
plug him. know it sounds sorter cow
ardly, but that fellow s gun.hghter,
an he he'd two Injuns with him. Any.
how that wus my notion, an as soon
as Black Smoke went lopin up the
valley, 1 loaded up, an climbed them
bluffs, to whar he'd good lookout
erlong the north trail. laid out thar
| all night. The storm come up, an
mighty nigh froze. but snuggled down
| inter Their snow an stuck. When yer
onc't get a KILN freak on, yer goin'
through hell an high water ter get
yer man. Thet's how l felt Well.
just long bout daylight an outfit
showed up. With my eyes half froze
over, an Their storm BLOWN the snow
! in my face, couldn't see much-nuth-
in but outlines O bosses an men.
But thar was four o 'em, an big
fellow ahead breakln' trail. Course
l thought it was LIE Fevre; l want
| lookin' fer no one else, an soon as l
dared, l let drive. He Topped over
dead as a door nail, an then l popped
away couple O times at the others.
One fell down, an l thought l got
him, but didn't wait to make sure:
just turned and hoofed it fer cover.
KNOWN the storm would hide my
trail. Id got the men I went after,
an just match ally didn't give er whoop
, what became o. the rest. AS l went
down the bank heard 'em shootn', SO
l knowed some wus alive yet an it
would be better fer me to crawl inter
my hole an lie still"
Hamlin sat motionless, staring at
the man, not quite able to compre-
bend his character. Killing was part
of the western code. and he could ap-
preciate Hughes eagerness for re-
yenge, but the underlying cowardice
in the man was almost bewildering.
Finally he got up, swept the revolver
on the bench Into his pocket, walked
over, and picked up the gun.
Nov, Hughes he said quietly,
I'll talk, and you listen. In my judy
ment you are miserable sneaking
cur, and l am going to trust you just
so far as | can watch you. l suppose
] ought to shoot you where you are,
and have done with it. You killed one
of the best men who ever lived a
friend of mine, Sam Wasson-"
"Who?"
p, Sam WATSON. government scout"
Hughes dropped his face into his
hands.
Good Lord! knew him!"
The Sergeant drew a deep breath.
and into his face there came a look
almost of sympathy.
"Then you begin to realize the sort
of fool you are" he went on soberly.
They don't make better men out here:
his little finger was worth more than
your whole body. But killing you
won't bring Sam back, and besides
reckon you've told me the straight
story, an his shooting was an acct
dent in way. Then you're more USE
full to me just now alive than you
would be dead. My name Is Hamlin.
sergeant Seventh Cavalry. and I am
here after that man LIE Fevre. We
trailed his outfit from Dodge until the
storm struck US, and then came
straight through travelling by com.
pass. l did not know the mans name
was lie Fevre until you told me; up
in Kansas he Is known as Dupont"
"That's it; that's the name he took
when he sold the cattle"
"The officer robbed and killed was
Major Mcdonald, and it is his daugh.
ter they hold. The fellow Dupont
Quarreled with and shot was desert.
! er named Connors. We found the
body. Now where do you suppose LIE
Fevre is?"
Hughes stared into the fire, nervous
! ly pulling his beard.
wall, Id say IN west yere some
, whar along the Cimarron. 'Tain't like
ly he had compass, an the wind
wus from the 'nor'east. Best they
could do, the ponies would drift. The
Injuns would keep the gineral direc-
! ton, O. course, storm 'er no storm an
! Gene is some plainsman himself, but
tibet blizzard would sheer EN- off all
the same. l reckon they're under the
banks ten mile, er more, up thar An
soon as there's change in weather,
they'll ride fer Black Kettles camp.
Thet's my guess, mister"
Hamlin turned the situation over
deliberately in his mind, satisfied that
Hughes had reviewed the possibilities
correctly. If LIE Feyre's party had got
through at ALL then that was the most
likely spot for them to be hiding lin.
They would have drifted beyond