The citizen., 1913-09-12
CHAPTER Xxx.
The Fight in the Snow.

The slope toward the south had not
been swept clear by the wind. and the
horses broke through the crust to
their knees, occasionally stumbling
INTO hollows where the drifts were
deep. This made progress slow. al.
though Hamlin pressed forward reck,
lessly, fully aware of what 1t would
mean should the fugitives emerge
Iirst. and thus achieve a clear pass.
age TO the river. What was going on
there to the right, behind the fringe
Of low hills, could not be conjectured,
but to the left the riders could see
clearly for a great distance over the
desolate. snow-draped land, down to
the dark waters of the Canadian and
the shore beyond. 1t was all a desc.
late waste, barren of movement. and
no smoke bore evidence of any Indian
encampment near by. A mile or more
to the west the river took a sharp
bend, disappearing behind the bluffs,
and on the open plain, barely visible
against the unsullied mantle of snow
were dark specks, apparently moving,
but in erratic fashion. The distance
intervening was too great for either
man to distinguish exactly what these
might be, yet as they plunged onward
their keen eyes searched the valley
7igilantly through the cold clear air.
Some of your ong-horns, Hughes?"
asked the Sergeant finally, pointing as
he turned and glanced back. Quite a
bunch of cattle, it looks to me-"
Them thar amt cows" returned
the other positively. "Tha're too close
ly punched up I reckon it'll be Black
Kettles pony herd"
Then his village will lie in beyond
the big bend tn re-" and Hamlin rose
in his stirrups, shading his eyes. THE
herders haven't driven them far since
the storm broke You don't see any
smoke. do you?"
Hughes shook his head.
You wouldn't likely see none
against the gray sky; them ponies
is two er maybe three miles off. an
ther camp is likely a mile er so furth.
er. Thar's a big bend thar, as re-
member; sort o level spot with bluff
all round. 'cept on the side o ther
river. We he'd a cattle corral thar
onc't. durin' a roundup. Most likely
that's whar they are"
And lie Fevre is heading straight
for the spot. Well, he'll have to come
out on this bench first"
yep, there sure amt no valleys
lying between. How many O. these
yere gulch openings have we got past
already?"
Three; there's the fourth Just
ahead That's the one they were trail.
ing through. No doubt about that. is
there?"
Not less them Injuns took to the
ridge They wus sure in the fourth
valley when we fust sighted the outfit
back thar. Watcher goin' ter do. Ser
geant? Jump 'em a hossback. an
just pump lead?"
Hamlin had thought this over as he
rode and already had planned his at
tack The opening to the valley along
which lie Fevre's exhausted party
were slowly advancing toward them,
seemed favorable-it was narrow and
badly choked with snow. 1t offered
an ideal place for a surprise and was
far enough away from the Indian en-
campment-if the latter was situated
as Hughes believed, in the great bend
above-so that no echo of shots would
carry that distance, even through the
crisp atmosphere. There were two
things the Sergeant had determined
to accomplish IL possible-the rescue
Of Miss Molly uninjured. and the cap
ture of lie Fevre. No matter how
deeply he despised the man he could
not afford to have him killed. So far
as the Indians were concerned there
would be no mercy shown. for II
either one escaped he would carry
the news to the village. With all this