The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-06-12

through hell an high water ter get
yer man. Thet's how / felt. Well,
just long bout daylight an outfit
showed up. With my eyes half froze
over. an Their storm BLOWN the now
In my face. I couldn't see much-nuth-
In but outlines o. bosses an men.
But thar was four o. 'em, an a big
fellow ahead breakin' trail. Course
! thought 1t was lie Fevre; / want
lookin' fer no one else, an SOC az I
dared, / let drive. He Topped over
dead as a door nail, an then l popped
away a couple o. times at the others.
One fell down. an 1 thought I got
him, but didn't wait to make sure;
just turned and hoofed 1t fer cover,
KNOWN the storm would hide my
trail. I'd got the men l went after,
an just materially didn't give Ell whoop
what became O. the rest. AS ! went
down the bank I heard EN- shootin', so
/ knowed some wus alive yet an 1t
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-
p~reciate Hughes eagerness for re-
venge, 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.
Now, Hughes" he said quietly,
III talk. and you listen. In my judy
ment you are a miserable sneaking
cur, and l am going to trust you just
80 far as l car watch you. / suppose
] ought to shoot you where you are.
and have done with 1t. You killed one
Of the best men who ever lived, q
friend of mine, Sam Wassen-"
"Who?"
Sam WATSON, a government scout.
Hughes dropped his face into his
hands. ,
Good Lord! I 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 vas worth more than
your whole body. But killing you
won't bring Sam back, and besides I
reckon you've told me the straight
story, an his shooting was an acct
dent in a 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. / did not know the mans name
was LIE Fevre until you told me; up
in Kansas he is known al Dupont"
That's It; that's the name he took
when he sold the cattle"
"The officer robbed and killed was
Major Mcdonald, and 1t 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 LIE
Fevre is?"
Hughes stared into the fire, nervous
ly pulling his beard.
wall, I'd 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 thew
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. I 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.
Thet's 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 30 completely drifted in as
to be undiscoverable except through
accident. What course then was best
to pursued The storm was likely to
continue violent for . day. perhaps
two days longer. His horses were ex-
hausted. and Carroll helpless. It
might not even be safe to leave the.
latter alone. Yet II the frozen man.
could be left In the hut to take are
OF himself and the ponies. would there.
be any hope Of success In en- effort to
proceed up the rivsr on footf He
could make Hughes go-that wasn't
the diaculty-but probably they
couldn't cover dve miles . day through
the snowdrifts. And. even u they
did succeed In getting through In time
10 intercept the f~ugitves. 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
hat he was personally safe. seemed
to sense the problem troubling the