The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-04-10

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~brusquely, you came in last night
with M troop, did you not?"
Eyes, sir"
Had you ever met Lieutenant Gas
kins before?"
Once; he pulled me out of a bad
scrape with a bunch of Indians out on
the trail a few months ago."
1.-THE same affair / spoke to you
about" commented Mcdonald quietly.
The attack on the stage"
The Colonel nodded, without remov-
hg his eyes from the ~Sergeant's face.
eyes, l know about that" he said.
And that was the only occasion of
your meeting?"
Yes, sir"
"Well, Sergeant Hamlin, l purpose
being perfectly frank with you. There
are two or three matters not easily
explained about this affair. | am sat
listed of your innocence; that you
were not directly concerned in the
shooting of Lieutenant Gaskins. Men
of your troop state that you were in
"a loCho WHICH, Nv pllOIo NClC hlCub
and the wound was not made by a
service revolver, but by a much small
er weapon. Yet there are circum-
stances which puzzle us, but which,
nc doubt, you al explain. Two shots
had been fired from your revolver"
and he pushed the weapon across the
table.
q rode ahead of the troop in march
yesterday" Hamlin explained, land
fired twice at a jack-rabbit. / must
have neglected to replace the cart
ridges. Private Stone was with me-"
why did you submit to arrest so
easily, without any attempt to clear
yourself?"
The Sergeant's gray eyes smiled,
but his response was quietly respect
full.
81 was condemned before l really
knew what had occurred, sir. The
sentry, the Sergeant Of the guard,
and the Lieutenant all insisted that l
was guilty. They permitted me no
opportunity to explain. l thought it
just as we'll to remain quiet, and let
the affair straighten itself out"
yet your action threw us complete
ly off the TRAIL" broke in Mcdonald
impatiently. at permitted the really
guilty parties to escape. Did you see
any one?"
BLACK smudges merely, Major, ap-
parently running toward the ravine.
My eyes were blinded, leaping from a
lighted ROOM"
Mcdonald leaned forward eagerly,
one hand tapping the table.
WAS n Of them a woman?" he
questioned sharply.
Hamlin's heart leaped into his
throat, but he held himself motionless.
"They were indistinguishable. sir;
mere shadows. Have you reason to
suspect there may have been a woman
involved?"
The Major leaned back in his chair,
but the commandant, after a glance at
his officer, answered.:
"The pistol used was a small one,
such as a oma might carry, and
there are marks of a woman's shoe
plainly visible at the edge Of the ra.
vine. Lieutenant Gaskins was alone
when he left the officers club five min
utes before the firing began. You are
sure you have never had any contro.
versy with this of1cer?"
Perfectly sure, sir. We have never
met except on the n occasion al.
ready referred to, and then scarcely
a dozen words were exchanged"
"How then, Sergeant" and the Col.
onel spoke very soberly, do you ac-
count for his denouncing you as his
assassin?
II presumed he was Influenced by
my arrest, sir; that the shock had af-
fected his BRAIN"
THAT superstition will hardly a
swer. The Lieutenant is not severely
wounded, and this morning appears to
be perfectly rational. Yet he insists
you committed the assault; even re-
fers to you by name"
The accused man pressed one hand
TO his forehead In bewilderment.
"He still insists l shot him?"
Eyes; to be frank, he's rather bitter
about 1t, and no facts we have brought
to bear have any apparent weight. He
swears he recognized your face in the
flare Of the first discharge"
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