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CHAPTER I.
Hampton, of Placer.
It was not an uncommon tragedy of
the west. If slightest chronicle of it
survive, it must be discovered among
the musty and nearly forgotten rec
ords of the Eighteenth regiment of in
fantry. Yet the tale Is worth telling now,
when such days are past and gone.
There were 16 of them when, like so
many hunted rabbits, they were first
securely trapped among the frowning
rocks, and forced relentlessly back
ward from off the narrow trail until
the precipitous canyon walls finally
halted their disorganized flight, and
from sheer necessity compelled a rally
in hopeless battle. Sixteen, ten - in
fantrymen from old Fort Bethune, un
der command of Syd. "Wyman, a gray
headed sergeant of 30 years' continu
ous service in the regulars, two cow
punchers from the "XL." ranch, a
stranger who had joined them unin
vited at the ford over the Bear Water,
together with, old Gillis, the post
trader, and his silent chit of a girl.
Sixteen but that was three days be
fore, and in the meanwhile not a few
of those speeding Sioux bullets had
found softer billet than the limestone
rocks. Six of the soldiers, four al
ready dead, two dying, lay out
stretched in ghastly silence where they
fell.
Then the taciturn Gillis gave sud
den utterance to a sobbing cry, and a j
burst of red spurted across his white
beard as he reeled backward, knock
ing the girl prostrate when he fell.
Kight remained, one helpless, one a
mere lass of 15. It was the morning j
cf the third day.
The beginning of the affair had burst
upon them so suddenly that no two in
that stricken company would have
told the Kanie tale. None among them
had anticipated trouble.
In all the fancied security of un
questioned peace these chance travelers-
had slowly toiled along the steep
trail loading toward the foothills.
Gillis and the girl, as well as the two
cattP -herders', were on horseback; the J
remainder soberly trudged forward on I
foot, with puns slung to their shoul- J
ders. Wyman was somewhat in ad-
vanc-e. walking beside the stranger,
the hitter a man of uncertain age,
smoothly shaven, quietly dressed in
garments bespeaking an eastern tailor,
a bit grizzled of hair along the tern- '
pies, and possessing a pair of cool,
gray ryes. He had introduced himself
by the name of Hampton, but had vol
unteered no further information, nor j
was it customary in that country to
question impertinently.
Hampton, through the medium of ;
easy conversation, early discovered in
the sergeant an intelligent mind, pos- :
sessing some knowledge of literature. !
They had been discussing books with
rare enthusiasm, and the former had :
drawn from the concealment of an
inner pocket a diminutive copy of "The
Merchant of Venice," from which he j
was reading aloud a disputed passage, j
when the faint trail they followed sud- !
denly dipped into the yawning mouth I
of a black canyon. It was a narrow, )
gloomy, contracted gorge, a mere gash
between those towering hills shadow
ing its depths on either hand. A swift
mountain stream, noisy and clear as I
crystal, dashed from rock to rock close i
beside the more northern wall, while
the Ill-defined pathway, strewn' with
bowlders and guarded by underbrush,
clung to the opposite side, where low
scrub trees partially obscured the
view.
I All was silent as death when they
entered, yet they had barely advanced
a short hundred paces when those ap
parently bare rocks In front flamed
red, the narrow defile echoed to wild
screeches and became Instantly crowd
ed with weird, leaping figures. It was
like a plunge from heaven into hell.
Blaine and Endicott sank at the first
fire, while Wyman's stricken arm
dripped blood. Indeed, under that
sudden shock, he fell, and was barely
rescued by the prompt action of the
man beside him. Dropping the opened
book, and firing madly to left and
right with a revolver which appeared
to spring into his hand as by magic,
the latter coolly dragged the fainting
soldier across the more exposed space,
until the two found partial security
among a mass of loosened rocks litter
ing the base of the precipice. The
others who survived that first scorch
ing discharge also raced toward this
same shelter, impelled thereto by the
unerring instinct of border fighting,
and flinging themselves flat behind
protecting bowlders, began responding
to the hot fire rained upon them.
Scattered and hurried as these first
volleys were, they proved sufficient to
check the howling demons in the open.
It has never been Indian nature to
face unprotected the aim of the white
men, and those dark figures, which
only a moment before thronged the
narrow gorge, leaping crazily in the
riot of apparent victory, suddenly
melted from sight, slinking down Into
leafy coverts beside the stream or into
Doles among the rocks, like so many
vanishing prairie dogs. Now and then
. .inwr brown arm might incautious
ly project across the gleaming surface
of a rock, or a mop of coarse, black
hair appear above the edge of a gully,
either Incident resulting in a quick
interchange of fire. That was all; yet
the experienced frontiersmen knew
that eyes as keen as those of any wild
animal of the jungle were watching
murderously their slightest movement.
Wyman, now reclining in agony
against the base of the overhanging
cliff, directed the movements of his
little command calmly and with sober
military judgment. Little by little, un
der protection of the rifles of the three
civilians, the uninjured infantrymen
crept cautiously about, rolling loosened
bowlders forward into position, until
they finally succeeded in thus erecting
a rude barricade between them and the
enemy. The wounded who could be
reached were laboriously drawn back
within this improvised shelter, and
when the black shadows of the night
finally shut down, all remaining alive
were once more clustered together,
the injured lying moaning and ghastly
beneath the overhanging shelf of rock,
and the girl, who possessed all the pa
tient stoicism of frontier training, rest
ing In silence, her widely opened eyes
on those far-off stars peeping above
the brink of the chasm, her head pil
lowed on old Gillis knee.
Twice during the long night volun
teers sought vainly to pierce those
mm
r
Hampton Fired Madly Right and Left.
lines of savage watchers. A long,
wailing cry of agony from out the
thick darkness told the fate of their
first messenger, while Casey, of the I
'"XL," crept slowly, painfully back,
with an Indian bullet embedded deep
in his shoulder. Just before the com
ing of dawn, Hampton, without utter
ing a word, calmly turned up the collar
of his tightly buttoned coat, so as
better to conceal the white collar he
wore, gripped his revolver between his
teeth, and crept like some wriggling
snake among the black rocks and
through the dense underbrush in
search after water. By some miracle
of divine mercy he was permitted to
pass unscathed, and came crawling
back, a dozen hastily filled canteens
dangling across his shoulders. It was
like nectar to those parched, feverish
throats; but of food barely a mouth
ful a piece remained in the haver
sacks. The second day dragged onward, its
hours bringing no change for the bet
ter, no relief, no slightest ray of hope.
The hot sun scorched them pitilessly,
and two of the wounded died delirious.
From dawn to dark there came no
slackening of the savage watchfulness
which held the survivors helpless be
hind their coverts. The merest up
lifting of a head, the slightest move
ment of a hand, was sufficient to dem
onstrate how sharp were those savage
eyes.
Another long, black night followed,
during which, for an hour or so in
turn, the weary defenders slept, toss
ing uneasily, and disturbed by fearful
dreams. Then gray and solemn, amid
the lingering shadows of darkness,
dawned the third dread day of un
equal conflict. All understood that it
was destined to be their last on this
earth unless help came.
For two days Wyman had scarcely
stirred from where he lay bolstered
against the rock. Sometimes he be
came delirious from fever, uttering in
coherent phrases, or swearing in piti
ful weakness. Again he would par
tially arouse to his old sense of sol
dierly duty, and assume intelligent
command. Now he twisted painfully
about upon his side, and, with clouded
eyes, sought to discern what man was
lying next him. The face was hidden
so that all he could clearly distinguish
was the fact that this man was not
clothed as a soldier..
"Is that you, Hampton?" he ques
tioned, his voice barely audible.
The person thus addressed, who was
lying flat upon his "back, gazing si
lently upward at the rocky front of
the cliff, turned cautiously over upon
his elbow before venturing reply.
"Yes; what is it, sergeant? It looks
to be a beauty of a morning way up
yonder."
There was a hearty, cheery ring to
his clear voice which left the pain
racked old soldier envious.
"My God!" he growled savagely.
" 'TIs likely to be the last any of us
will ever see. Wasn't it -ou I heard
whistling just now? One might Im
agine this was to be a wedding, rather
than a funeral."
"And why not, Wyman? Didn't you
know they employed music at both
functions nowadays? Besides, it Is not
every man who is permitted to assist
at his own obsequies the very unique
ness of such a situation rather appeals
to my sense of humor."
The sergeant, his teeth clinched
tightly to repress the pain racking
him, stifled his resentment with an
evident effort. "You may be less
light-hearted when you learn that the
last of our ammunition Is already In
the guns," he remarked, stiffly.
"I suspected as much." And the
speaker lifted himself on one elbow to
peer down the line of recumbent fig
ures. "To be perfectly frank with
you, sergeant, the stuff has held out
considerably longer than I believed it
would, judging from the way those
'dough boys' of yours kept popping at
every shadow in front of them. It's
a marvel to me, the mutton-heads they
take into the army. Oh, now, you
needn't scowl at me like that, Wy
man; I've worn the blue, and seen
some service where a fellow needed tc
be a man to sport the uniform. Be
sides, I'm not Indifferent, old chap,
and just so long as there remained
any work worth attending to in this
skirmishing affair. I did it, didn't I?
But I tell you, man there is mighty lit
tle good trying to buck against Fate,
and when Luck once finally lets go of
a victim, he's bound to drop straight
to the bottom before he stops. That's
the sum and substance of all my
philosophy, old fellow, consequently I
never kick simply because things hap
pen to go wrong. What's the use?
They'll go wrong just the same. Con
sequently, upheld by my acquired
philosophy, I'm merely holding back
one shot for myself, as a sort of grand
finale to this fandango, and another for
that little girl out yonder."
These words were uttered slowly,
the least touch of a lazy drawl appar
ent In the low voice, yet there was an
earnest simplicity pervading the
speech which somehow gave it im
pressiveness. The man meant exactly
what he said, beyond the possibility of
a doubt. The old soldier, accustomed
to every form of border eccentricity,
gazed at him with disapproval.
"Either you're the coolest devil I've
met during CO years of soldiering," he
commented, doubtfully, "or else the
craziest. Who are you, anyhow? I
half believe you inisht be Bob Hamp
ton, of riacer."
The other smiled grimly. "You have
the name tolerably correct, old fellow;
likewise that delightful spot so lately
honored by my residence. In brief,
you have succeeded in calling the
turn perfectly, so far as your limited
information extends. In strict confi
dence I propose now to impart to you
what has hitherto remained a pro
found secret. Upon special request of
a number of influential citizens of
Flacer, including the city marshal and
other officials, expressed in mass
meeting, I have decided upon desert
ing that sagebrush metropolis to its
just fate, and plan to add the influ
ence of my presence to the future de
velopment of Glencaid. I learn that
the climate there is more salubrious,
more conducive to long living, the citi
zens of Placer being peculiarly excit
able and careless with their fire
arms." The sergeant had been listening
with open mouth. "The hell you say!"
he finally ejaculated.
"The undefiled truth, every word of
it. No wonder you are shocked. A
fine state of affairs, isn't it, when a
plain-spoken, pleasant-mannered gen
tleman, such as I surely am, a uni
versity graduate, by all the gods, the
nephew of a United States senator,
and acknowledged to be the greatest
exponent of scientific poker in this ter
ritory, should be obliged to hastily
change his chosen place of abode be
cause of the threat of an ignorant and
depraved mob. Ever have a rope dan
gled in front of your eyes, sergeant,
and a gun-barrel biting into. your cheek
at the same time? Accept my word
for it, the experience Is trying on the
nerves. Ran a perfectly square game,
too, and those ducks knew it; but
there's no true sporting spirit left in
this territory any more. However,
spilled milk is never worth sobbing
over, and Fate always contrives to
play the final hand in any game, and
stocks the cards to win."
"A breath of good, honest prayer
would serve better than anything
ejse," groaned the sergeant, soberly.
The gray eyes resting thoughtfully
on the old soldier's haggard face be
came Instantly grave and earnest.
"Sincerely I wish I might aid you
with one," the man admitted, "but I
fear, old fellow, any prayer coming
from my lips would never ascend very
far. However, I might try the com
fort of a hymn, and you will remember
this one, which, no doubt, you have
helped to sing back in God's country."
There was a moment's hushed
pause, during which a rifle cracked
sharply out in the ravine; then the
reckless fellow, his head partially sup
ported against the protecting bowlder,
lifted up a full, rich barytone in rendi
tion of that hymn of Christian faith
"Nearer, my God, to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!
E'en though It be a cross
That ralseth me.
Still all ray sons shall be.
Nearer, my God. to Thee!
Nearer to Thee,"
Glazed and wearied eyes glanced
cautiously toward the singer around
the edges of protecting rocks; fingers
loosened their grasp upon the rifle bar
rels; smoke-begrimed cheeks became
moist; while Hps, a moment before
profaned by oaths, grew silent and
trembling. Out in front a "vengeful
brave sent his bullet v c.. ig Just
above the singer's h'1 sharp
fragments of rock dislodged falling in
a shower upon his upturned face; but
the fearless rascal sang serenely on
to the end, without a quaver.
"Mistake it for a death song likely,"
he remarked dryly, while the last
clear, lingering note, reechoed by the
cliff, died reluctantly away in softened
cadence. "Beautiful old song, ser
geant, and I trust hearing it again has
done you good. Sang it once in a
church way back in New England.
But what Is the trouble? Did you call
me for some special reason?"
"Yes," came the almost gruff re
sponse; for Wyman, the fever steal
ing back upon him, felt half ashamed
of his unshed tears. "That is, pro
vided you retain sufficient sense to
listen. Old Gillis was shot over an
hour ago, yonder behind that big
bowlder, and his girl sits there still
holding his head in her lap. She'll get
hit also unless somebody pulls her out
of there, and she's doing no good to
Gillis he's dead."
Hampton's clear-cut, expressive face
became graver, all trace of reckless
ness gone from it. He lifted his head
cautiously, peering over his rock cover
toward where he remembered earlier
in the fight Gillis had sought refuge.
HI
CHAPTER II.
Old Gillis' Girl.
Guided by the unerring Instinct of
an old Indian fighter, Gillis, during
that first mad retreat, had discovered
temporary shelter behind one of the
largest bowlders. It was a trifle in
advance of those later rolled into posi
tion by the soldiers, but was of a size
and shape which should have afforded
ample protection for two, and doubt
less would have done so had it not
been for the firing from the cliff op
posite. Even then it was a deflected
bullet, glancing from off the polished
surface of the rock, which found lodg
ment in the sturdy old fighter's brain.
The girl had caught him as he fell, had
wasted all her treasured store of wa
ter in a vain effort to cleanse the blood
from his features, and now sat there,
pillowing his head upon her knee, al
though the old man was stone dead
with the first touch of the ball. That
had occurred fully an hour before, but
she continued in the same posture, a
grave, pathetic figure, her face sobered
and careworn beyond her years, her
eyes dry and staring, one brown hand
grasping unconsciously the old man's
useless rifle. She would scarcely have
been esteemed attractive even under
much happier circumstances and as
sisted by dress, yet there was some-
1 thing in the independent poise of her
! head, the steady fixedness of her pos
ture, which served to interest Hamp
ton as he now watched her curiously.
"Fighting blood," he muttered ad
miringly to himself. "Might fail to
develop in;o very much of a society
bell, but likely to prove valuable out
here."
She was rather a slender slip of a j
thing, a trifle tco tall for her years, j
perhaps, yet with no lack of develop
ment apparent in the slim, rounded
figure. Her coarse home-made dress
of dark calico fitted her sadly, while
her rumpled hair, from which the
broad-brimmed hat had fallen, pos
sessed a reddish copper tinge where
it was touched by the sun. Mr. Hamp
ton's survey did not increase his de
sire for more intimate acquaintance-
mm
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.7 L
"If I Select Your Bullet Rather Than
the Rocks, What Then?"
ship, yet he recognized anew her un
doubted claim upon him.
"Suppose I might just as well drop
out that way as any other," he reflect
ed, thoughtfully. "It's all in the game."
Lying flat upon his stomach, both
arms extended, he slowly forced him
self beyond his bowlder into the open.
There was no great distance to be
traversed, and a considerable portion
of the way was somewhat protected
by low bushes. Hampton took few
chances of those spying eyes above,
never uplifting his head the smallest
fraction of an inch, but reaching for
ward with blindly groping hands,
caught hold upon any projecting root
or stone which enabled him to drag
his body an inch farther. Twice they
fired directly down at him from the
opposite summit, and once a 'fleck of
sharp rock, chipped by a glancing bul
let, embedded itself in his cheek, dye
ing the whole side of his face crimson.
But not once did he pause or glance
aside; nor did the girl look up from
the imploring face of her dead. As he
crept silently in, sheltering himself
next to the body of the dead man, she
perceived his presence for the first
time, and shrank back as if in dread.
"What are. you doing? Why why
did you come here?" she questioned, a
falter In her voice; and he noticed that
her eyes were dark and large, yielding
a marked Impress of beauty to her
face.
"I was unwilling to leave you here
alone," he answered, quietly, "and hope
to discover some means for getting
you safely back beside the others."
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"ft
