Eastern Colorado times., 1913-08-01

oNSi, anu picked up the gun,
Now. Hughes" he .said quietly,
I'll talk. and you listen. In my judg-
ment you are miserable sneaking
cur, and am going to trust you just
80 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, e.
friend of mine, Sam Wasson-"
"Who?"
Sam Wasson, government scout"
Hughes dropped his face into his
hands.
Good Lord! knew him!"
The Sergeant drew 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;
MS 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 acci-
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 | am.
here after that man Le Fevre. We
tralled his outfit from Dodge until the
storm struck US. and then came
straight through travelling by COM
pass. | did not know the mans name
was LIE Fevre until you told me; up
IN Kansas he is known as Dupont"
ThQt'9 II. that's ~
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 a desert
er named Connors. We found the
body. Now where do you suppose Le
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 a compass, an the wind
wus from the nor'east Best they
could do, the ponies would drift. The
lnjuns would keep the gineral direc-
tion. o course, storm 'er no storm, an
Gene is some plainsman himself, but
thet blizzard would sheer 'em off all
the same. l reckon they're under the
banks ten mile, er more, up thar. An
soon as there's a change in weather,
they'll ride fer Black Kettles camp.
Thets my guess, mister"
Hamlin turned the situation over
deliberately In his mind, satisfied that
Hughes had reviewed the possibilities
correctly. II lie Fevre's party had got
through at all, then that was the most
likely spot for them to be hiding in.
They would have drifted beyond
doubt, farther than Hughes supposed,
probably. as he had been sheltered
from the real violence of the wind as
1t ragged on the open plain. They
might be fifteen, even twenty miles
away, and SO completely drifted in as
to be undiscoverable except through
accident. What course then was best
to pursue? The storm was likely to
continue violent for a day, perhaps
two days longer. His horses we're ex-
hausted, and Carroll helpless. 1t
might not even be safe to leave the
latter alone. Yet If the frozen man
could be left in the hut to take care
OF himself and the ponies, would there
be any hope Of success in an effort to
proceed up the river on foot? He
could make Hughes go-that wasn't
the difiiculty-but probably they
couldn't cover five miles day through
the snowdrifts. And, even IL they
did succeed in getting through in time
t2 intercept the fugitives, the others
would possess every advantage-both
position for defense, and horses on
which to escape. Hughes lighting his
pipe. confident now in his own mind
that he was personally safe, seemed
to sense the problem troubling the
Sergeant.
Il reckon know this kentry we'll
'nough," he said lazily. ter give yer a
pointer er two. I've rounded up long
horns west O. yere. Them fellers
amt goin' to strike out fer the Cana
dian till after the storm quits. By
thet time yer ponies Is rested up in
better shape than theirs will be, and
we kin strike cross to the sou'west.
We're bound either to hit 'em, or ride
cross thar trail.'
But the woman!" protested Ham.
lin. striding across the floor. What
may happen to her in the meanwhile7
She is an Eastern girl unaccus-
toned to this life-a-a LADY,"
yer don't need worry none bout
thet. Ef she's the right kind she'll
stan m0ro'n man u,ho,, ~. -. -