Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1913-09-18

on the bench Into his pocket, walked |
over, and picked up the gun.
NOW. Hughes" he said quietly.
TIL talk. and you listen. In my judg-
ment you are a miserable sneaking
cur. and I am going to trust you Just
SO tar as ! can watch you. suppose
J ought to shoot you where you are.
and have done with II. You killed one
OF the best men who ever lived,
friend of mine. Sam Wasson--"
Who"
sam Wasson, a government scout"
Hughes dropped his face into his
hands.
Good Lord! knew hint"
The Sergeant drew n deep breath,
and into his face there came 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 a way. Then you're more use.
full to me just now alive than you
would be dead. My name is Hamlln.
sergeant Seventh Cavalry. and 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 as Dupont"
That's II; that's the name he took
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 lie
Fevre is?"
Hughes stared into the fire. nervous
ly pulling his beard.
wall. I'd say in west yere some
whar along the CimRrron. 'Taint like
ly he had n compass, an the wind
wus from the nor'east. Best they
could 90. the ponies would drift The
tion. o course. storm 'er no storm. an
Gene is some plainsman himself. but
thet blizzard would sheer 'em off all
the same. | reckon they're under the
banks ten nile. er more. up thar. An
soon as there's q 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.
'Shey would have drifted beyond
doubt, farther than Hughes supposed.
probably. as he had been sheltered
from the real violence OF the wind as
II ragged on the open plain. They
might be fifteen, even twenty miles
away, and so completely dr!fted in as
to be undscoverable except through
accident. What course then was best
to pursue? The storm was likely to
continue violent for day. perhaps
two days longer His horses were ex.
hausted. and Carroll helpless. 1t
might not even be safe to leave the
latter alone. Yet II 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 dlfiiculty-but probably they
couldn't cover five miles day through
the snowdrifts. And. even II they
did succeed in getting through In time
to 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
II reckon ] know this kentry wei
'nough." he said lazily. ter give yer
pointer er two. I've rounded up long
horns west O. yere. Them Teller,
amt goin to strike out fer the Cana
dian till after the storm quits. p,
thet time yer ponies is rested up II
better shape than theirs will be, an,
we kin strike cross to the sou west
We're bound either to hit 'em. or rid,
cross thar trail
But the woman!" protested Ham
lin. striding across the floor "Wha
may happen to her In the meanwhile
She Is an Eastern girl unaccus
toned to this life-a-a lady"
Yer don't need worry none 'bou
thet. Ell she's the right kind shell
stan more'n man when she has to