The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1913-12-26
CHAPTER XXX,
The Girl and the Man.

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his coat. and gripped his revolver.
Lying there on his face he fred twice,
deliberately, choosing the exposed In
dian as 4 target. The latter, striving
to mount his frightened pony, fell for
ward, graspine the name desperately,
a stream of blood dyeing his blanket
as the animal dashed across the val
ley. Dupont had whirled the girls
horse to the left, and, with her body
as a shield, was attempting to escape.
Already la WIS too far away to make
q revolver slot safe. Hamlin arose to
hiE knees, and picked up the dropped
rife. His lips were pressed tight: his
eyes full OF grim determination. Why
didn't Dupont FIRE? Could 1t be he was
unarmed? Or was he hoping by delay
to gain a closer shot? Keen-eged, res
olute, the Sergeant determined to
take nc chances. The rife came to a
level--a squirt OF fame, a sharp re-
port. and the pony staggered to it's
| knees, and sank, bearing it's helpless
burden with 1t. Dupont let 90 his grip
on the rein, and stood upright, clearly
outlined against the white hillside,
staring back toward the kneeiing Ser
geant, the faint smoke cloud wh!rling
between.
"Aii ~right--damn y~ou-you've got
met" he said sullenly.
Hamlin never moved, except TO snap
out the emptied cartridge.
"Unbutton that coat" he command
ed tersely. Now turn around. No
| shooting iron. hey! That's rather
careless of a gun-man."
He dropped his rifle, and strobe for
ward revolver in hand, glancing curl
ously at the dead Indian as he passed.
A RATA hung to the pommel of a sad,
die. and he paused to shake 1t loose,
uncoiling the thin rope, but with
watchful eyes constantly on his pris-
oner. He felt no fear OF Dupont. now
that he knew the fellow to be un-
armed, and the wounded Indian had
vanished over he ridge. Yet Dupont
was a powerful man, and desperate
enough to accept any chance. Some
thing in the sullen, glowing face con-
fronting him awoke the Sergeant to
caution. He seemed to sense the plan
Of the other, and stopped suddenly,
slipping the rope through his fingers.
He swung the coil about his head.
measuring the distance. every faculty
concentrated on the toss. He had for
gotten Hughes lying in the TO- be-
hind: he neither saw nor heard the
fellow scramble weakly to his knees,
revolver outsretched IN a half-frozen
hand. And Hughes, his eyes already
glazing in death, say only the two fig
ures. In that moment hate triumphed
yer cowardice; he could not distin-
guish which was Dupont, which Ham
lin. In the madness of despair he
cared little-only he would kill some
one before he died. His weapon
wavered frantically as he sought to
aim. the man holding himself up by
one hand. Dupont, facing that way,
saw this apparition, and leaped aside,
stumbling owe the dead pony. Hughes
weapon belched, and Hamlin, the las
so whirling above him in the air,
pitched forward, and came crashing
down into the snow.
It was all the work of an instant. a
wild, confused bit, SO rapidly enacted
as to seem unreal even to the partici.
pants. Hamlin lay ~motionless, bare
ly conscious of living, yet unable to
stir a muscle. Hughes, screaming out
one oath, sank back into a heap, his
frozen fingers still gripping his smok-
ing weapon. Then Dupont rose eau
tiously to his knees, peering forth
across the dead body Of the pony. The
man was unneryed, unable at first to
comprehend what had occurred. He
was saved as by a miracle, and his
great form shook from head to foot.
Then, as his eyes rested on the out
stretched body Of the Sergeant, hate
conquered every other feeling; he
staggered to his feet, picked up the
gun lying in the snow, walked across
and brntally kicked the PROSTATE
form. There was no response, no
movement.
"All l wish is that I'd been the one
to kill YER" he groWled savagely, grin
ming down. Hell of a good shot,
tuOu6n j ICNAOH Tue Diane 1901
meant 1t for me-" He threw the rifle
forward, In readiness. and moved eau.
tiously yer toward Hughes.
"Deader than a door-nail," he NUT.
tered. pressing back the buffalo coat
ard staring CONTEMPORARY down into
the white. staring face. Il wonder how
that coward ever happened to be here
laying out for me, l reckon!"
He Strengthened up and laughed
glancing furtively about.
Some good joke that. The whole
outfit cleaned out, and me twenty
thousand to the good" feeling inside
his coat to make sure. Its there all
right. Well, goodbye, boys, there
don't seem to be nothing here for me
to stay for"
He caught the straying pony and
swung up into the saddle, glanced
about once more at the m~otionlesl