The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-02-13
CHAPTER VII.
Plans for ESCAPE.

Plans for Escape.
Desperate as he certainly felt their
situation to be. for a moment or two
Hamlin was unable to cast aside tho
influence of the girl, or concentrate
his thoughts on some plan for escape.
1t may have been the gentle pressure
of her hand upon his sleeve, but her
voice continued to ring in his ears. He
had never been a woman's man, nor
was he specially interested in this
woman beside him. He had seen her
fairly, with his first app~reciative
glance, when he had climbed into the
stage on the preceding day. He had
realized there fully the charm Of her
face, the dark roguish eyes, the clear
skin, the wealth of dark hair. Yet
all this was impersonal; however
pretty she might be, the fact wal
nothing to him and " could be.
Knowing who she was, he compre-
hended instantly the social gulf
stretching unbridged between them.
An educated man himself, with family
connections he had long ago ceased
to discuss, he realized his present
position more keenly than he other
wise might. He had enlisted in the
army with no misunderstanding as to
what a private's uniform meant. He
had never heretofore supposed he re-
GREETED any loss in this respect, his
nature apparently satisfied with the
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yet he vaguely knew there had been
times when he longed for companion
ship with women Of the class to
which he had once belonged. For.
tunately his border stations offered
little temptation in this respect, and
he had grown to believe that he had
actually forgotten. That afternoon
even-sweetly fair as Miss Mcdonald
undoubtedly appeared-he had looked
upon her without the throb of a pulse,
as he might upon a picture. She was
not for him even to admire-she was
Major McDonald's daughter, whom he
had been sent to guard. That was all
then.
Yet he knew that somehow it was
different now-the personal element
had entered unwelcomed, into the
equation. Sitting there in the dark,
Gonzales body crumpled on the floor
at his feet, and Moylan lying stiff and
cold along the back seat, with this
girl grasping his sleeve In trust, she
remained nc longer merely the Ma
jor's daughter-she had become her
self. And she did not eem to r
and did not seem to realize that there
were barriers Of rank, which under
other circumstances must 80 utterly
separate them. She liked him, and
frankly told him 30, not as she would
dismiss an inferior with kindness,
but as though he vas an equal, as
though he was a gentleman. Some
how the very tone of her voice, the
clinging touch of her hand, sent the
blood pumping through his veins.
Something besides duty inspired
him; he was no longer merely a SOL
der, but had suddenly become trans
formed into a man. Years of repres-
sion, Of iron discipline, were blotted
out, and he became even as his birth
right made him. Molly Mcdonald"
Molly Mcdonald" he whispered the
name unconsciously to himself. Then
his eyes caught the distant flicker Of
Indian fire, and his teeth locked saw
agely.
There was something else to do be-
sides dream. Because the girl had
spoken pleasantly was no reason why
he should act the fool. Angry at him
self, he gripped his faculties. and
faced the situation, aroused, intent.
He must ave himself-and her! But
how? What plan promised any pos
sibility of success? He had their sur.
roundings in q map before his eyes.
His training had taught him to note
and remember what others would as
naturally neglect. He was q soldier
Of experience, . plainsman by long
training. and even In the aerceness Of
the Indians attack on the stage his
quick glance had completely visual
iSed their surroundings. He had not
appreciated this at the time. but now
the topography Of the immediate re-
ygion ~ unrolled before him In de-
tail; yard by yard Il rsappearsd -
though photographed. He saw the
widely rutted trail, rounding the bluR
ut the right . hundred yards away.
CURING sharply down The llepe l44