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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 1908)
BOB HAMPTON <j of PLACER j By JtAMALlPARMSN AUTHOR Of mmaum/uM OQPYfiKMTi?C-6SY3C,'-ftC;.UQG gCV. SYNOPSIS. A detachment of the Eighteenth in fantry from Fort Bethune trapped by Indians in a narrow gorge. Among them is a stranger who introduces himself by the name of Hampton, also Gillis the post trader, and his daughter. Gillis and a majority of the soldiers are killed dur ing a three days* siege. Hampton and the girl only escape from the Indians. They fall exhausted on the plains. A company of the Seventh cavalry. Lieut. Brant in command, find them. Hampton and the girl stop at the Miners’ Home in Glencaid. Mrs. Duffy, proprietress. Hamp ton talks the future over with Miss Gil lis—the Kid. She shows him her moth er’s picture and tells him what she can of her parentage and life. They decide she shall live with Mrs. Herndon. Xaida the Kid—runs away from Mrs. Herndon’s and rejoins Hampton. He induces her to go back, and to have nothing more to do with him. Hampton plays his last game of cards. He announces to Red Slavin that he has quit, and then leaves Glen caid. Miss Phoebe Spencer arrives in Glencaid to teach its first school. Miss Spencer meets Xaida, Rev. Wynkoop, etc. She hoards at Mrs. Herndon’s. Naida and Lieut. Brant again meet with out his knowing who she is. She informs him of the coming Bachelor club ball in honor of Miss Spencer. Lieut. Brant meets Silent Murphy. Custer’s scout. He reports trouble brewing among the Sioux. Social difficulties arise at the Bachelor club's ball among the admirers of Miss Spencer. Lieut. Brant meets Miss Spen cer but she is not his acquaintance of the day before. She tells him of Xaida, and he accidentally meets her again as. lie is returning to the ballroom with a fan for Miss Spencer. Brant accompanies Xaida home from the dance. On the way she informs him as to who she is. and that she is to meet Hampton. Brant and Hampton meet. Hampton informs the lieutenant that his attentions to Xaida must cease, and proclaims an authority over her that justifies the statement. Brant tells Hampton of the presence of Silent Murphy, and the fact that Red Slavin receives government messages for him. Miss Spencer called on Bob Hamp ton. Tells him of a red-faced stranger mistaking her for Xaida. Brant inter views Red Slavin. Finds that he is an ex trooper in the Seventh cavalry. It was Slavin’s and Murphy's testimony that more than ten years before had convicted Robert Nolan, then a captain in the Sev enth, of the murder of Maj. Brant, Sr. Hampton attempts to force a confession from Slavin. Slavin insists it is Murphy he wants, and Murphy has left. In a sniffle Slavin is killed by a knife thrust. Hampton surrenders to Buck Mason, marshal. Mob atti rnpts to capture him. Mason and his prisoner escape to a hill and defend themselves. CHAPTER XX (Continued). 41 All I saw was the crowd blocking the doorway. I knew they had caught me lying on Slavin. with my hand grasping the knife-hiltf and, somehow, I couldn’t think of anything just then* but hor: to get out of there into the open. I’ve seen vigilantes turn loose before, and knew what was likely to happen!” “Sure. Recognize anybody in that first bunch?” “Big Jim, the bartender, was the onlv one I knew: he had a bung-start er in his hand." Mason nodded thoughtfully, his mouth puckered. ‘‘It's him. and half a dozen other fellers of the same stripe, who are kickin’ up all this fra cas. The most of ’em are yonder now. an' if it wusn't fer leavin’ a pris oner unprotected, darn me if I wudif’t like to mosey right down thar an' pound a little hoss sense into that bunch o' cattle. Thet's 'bout the only thing ye kin do fer a plum fool, so long as the law won't let ye kill him." “I'm really sorry that you got mixed up in this, Buck," said Hampton, ‘‘for it locks to me about nine chances out of ten against either of us getting away from here unhurt." “Oh, I don’t know. It's bin my ex perience thet there's allers chances if you only keep yer eyes skinned. If we kin only manage to hold 'em back till after dark we maybe might creep away through the bush to take a hand in this little game. Anyhow, it's up to us to play it out to the limit. Bless my eyes, if those lads ain’t a-comin’ up right now!” n uau-uvitcu inca ncic oiai ling iu climb the hillside, fallowing a dim trail through the tangled underbrush. Mason stepped up to the ore dump where he could see better, and watch ed their movements closely. “Hi, there!” he called, his voice harsh and strident. "You fellers are not invited to this picnic, an' there'll be somethin’ doin' if you push along any higher.” The little bunch halted instantly just without the edge of the heavy timber, turning their faces up toward the speaker. “Now, see here, Buck,” answered one, taking a single step ahead of the others, and hollowing his hand as a trumpet to speak through, “it don't look to us fellers as if this affair was any of your funeral, nohow, and we've come 'long ahead of the others just on purpose to give you a fair show to pull out of it afore the real trouble begins. Sabe?" “Is thet so?” The little marshal was too far away for them to perceive how his teeth set beneath the bristly mustache. “You bet! Tile boys don't consider thet it's hardly the square deal your takin’ up agin 'em in this way. They 'lccted you marshal of this vere camp, hut it warn’t expected you'd ever take no sides ’long with murderers. Thet’s too stiff fer us to abide by. So come on down, Buck, an’ leave us to at tend to the cuss.” “If you mean Hampton, he’s my prisoner. 'Will you promise to let me take him down to Cheyenne fer trial?” “Wal, I reckon not, old man. We kin give him a trial well 'nougta here in Glencaid,” roared another voice from one of the group, which was ap parently growing restless' over the de lay. “Cut we ain't inclined to do you no harm onless ye ram in too far. So come on down, Buck, throw up yer cards; we’ve got all the aces, an' ye can t bluff this whole durn camp.” Mason spat into the dump contemp tuously, his hands thrust into his pock ets. ‘‘You're a fine-lookin' lot o' law abidin’ citizens, you are! Blamed if you ain't. This yere man. Bob Hamp ton, is my prisoner, an' I’ll take him to Cheyenne if I have ter brain every tough in Glencaid to do it. Thet's me. gents.” “Oh, come off; you can't run your notions agin the whole blame moral sentiment of this camp.” "Moral sentiment! I'm backin’ up the law, not moral sentiment, ye cross eyed beer-slinger, an’ if ye try edgin' up ther another step I'll plug you with this '45.' ” There was a minute of hesitancy while the men below conferred, the of discharged sojers,” he growled, “an’ they know their biz all right. I reck on them fellers is pretty sure to git one of us yit; anyhow, they’ve got U3 cooped. Say, Bob, thet lad crawling yonder ought to be in reach, an' it's our bounden duty not to let the boys git too gay.” Hampton tried the shot suggested, elevating considerable to overcome dis tance. There was a yell and a swift skurrying backward which caused Ma son to laugh, although neither knew whether this result arose from fright or wound. “ ’Bliged ter teach ’em manners onct in awhile, or they'll imbibe a fool no tion they kin come right 'long up yere without no invite. 'Taint fer long, no how, ’less ail them guys are ijuts.” Hampton turned his head and look ed soberly into the freckled face, im pressed by the speaker's grave tone." “Why?” “Fire, my boy, fire. The wind's dead right fer it; thet brush will burn like so much tinder, an' with this big wall o’ rock back of us, it will be hell here, ali right. Some of 'em are bound to think of it pretty blame soon, an’ then. Bob, I reckon you an' I will I hev' to take to the open on the jump.” Hampton's eyes hardened. God, how' he desired to live just then, to uncover that fleeing Murphy and wring from him the whole truth which had been eluding him all these years! CHAPTER XXI. “She Loves Ms; She Loves Me Not.” It was no claim of military duty which compelled Brant to relinquish Miss Spencer so promptly at the ho tel door, but rather a desire to escape her ceaseless chatter and gain retire ment where he could reflect in quiet over the revelations of Hampton. In this quest he rode slowly up the val ley of the Bear Water, through the bright sunshine, the rare beauty of the scene scarcely leaving the slight “Hi, There!” He Called, “You Fellers Ain’t Invited to This Picnic.” marshal looking contemptuously down upon them, his revolver gleaming om inously in the light. “Oh, come on. Buck, show a little hoss sense,” the leader sang out. “We’ve got every feller in camp along with us, an’ there ain’t no show fer the two o' ye to hold out against that sort of an outfit.” Mason smiled and patted the barrel of his Colt. “Oh. go to blazes! When I want any advice, Jimmie. I'll send fer ye.” Some one fired, the ball digging up the soft earth at'the marshal's feet, and flinging it in a blinding cloud into Hampton's eyes. Mason’s answer was a sudden fusilade, which sent the crowd flying helter-skelter into the un derbrush. One among them stagger ed and half fell, yet succeeded in dragging himself out of sight. “Great Scott, if I don’t believe I winged James!” the shooter remarked cheerfully, reaching back into his pocket for more cartridges. "Maybe them boys will be a bit more keerful if they once onderstand they’re up agin the real thing. Well, perhaps I better skin down, fer I reckon it's liable ter be rifles next.” It was rifles next, and the “winging” of Big Jim, however it may have in spired caution, also developed fresh animosity in the hearts of his fol lowers, and brought forth evidences of discipline in their approach. Peering across the sheltering dump pile, the besieged were able to perceive the dark figures cautiously advancing through the protecting brush; they sped out widely until their two flanks were close in against the wall of rock, and then the deadly rifles began to spit spitefully, the balls casting up the soft dirt in clouds or flattening against the stones. The two men crouched lower, hugging their pile of slag, unable to perceive even a stray assailant within range of their ready revolvers. "This whole blame country is full est impress on his mind, so busy was it. and so preoccupied. He no longer had any doubt that Hampton had util ized his advantageous position, as well as his remarkable powers of pleasing, to ensnare the susceptible heart of this young, confiding girl. While the man had advanced no direct claim, he had said enough to make perfectly clear the close intimacy of their re lation and the existence of a definite understanding between them. With this recognized as a fact, was he jus tified in endeavoring to win NaidaGil lis for himself? That the girl would find continued happiness with such a man as Hampton he did not for a mo ment believe possible; that she had been deliberately deceived regarding his true character he felt no doubt. That the girl was morally so far above him as to make his very touch a profanation, and at the unbidden thought of it, the soldier vowed to op pose such an unholy consummation. Nor did he, even then, utterly despair of winning, for he recalled afresh the intimacy of their few past meetings, his face brightened in memory of this and that brief word or shy glance. All the world loves a lover, and all the fairies guide him. As the offi cer's eyes glanced up from the dusty road, he perceived just ahead the same steep bank down which he had plunged in his effort at capturing his fleeing tormentor. With the sight there came upon him the desire to loi ter again in the little glen where they had first met, and dream once more of her who had given to the shaded nock both life and beauty. He swung himself from the saddle, tied a loose rein to a scrub oak, and clambered up the bank. With the noiseless step of a plains man he pushed in through the laby rinths of bush, only to halt petrified upon the very edge of that inner bar rier. No figment of imagination, but the glowing reality of flesh and blood, awaited him. She had neither seen nor heard his approach, and'he stop- < ped in perplexity. He had framed a i dozen speeches for her ears, yet now j he could do no more than stand and gaze, his heart in his eyes. And it was a vision to enchain, to hold lips speechless. She was seated with un studied g~ace on the edge of the bank, her hands clasped about one knee, her sweet face sobered by thought, her eyes downcast, the long lashes plain ly outlined against the clear cheeks. To draw back unobserved was impos sible, even had he possessed strength of will sufficient to make the attempt, nor would words of easy greeting come to his relief. He could merely worship silently as before a sacred shrine. It was thus she glanced up ar.d saw him with startled eyes, her hands unclasping, her cheeks rose colorcd. "Lieut. Brant, you here?” she ex c'ltmed, speaking as if bis presence »eemed unreal. “What strange mir acles an idic thought can work!” "Thoughts, I have heard,” he re ! plied, coming toward her with head uncovered, “will sometimes awaken answers through vast distances of time and space. As my thought was with you I may be altogether to blame for thus arousing your own. From the expression of your face, I sup posed you dreaming.” She smiled, her eyes uplifted for a single instant to his own. "It was rather thought just merging into dream, and there are few tilings in life more sweet. I know net whether it is the common gift of all minds, but my day-dreams are almost more to me than my realities.” <t:iu uuw u was im>uus, dreams.” He seated himself comfort ably at her feet. “You would, cause me to believe you a most impractical person. Miss Xaida." “If that were only true, I am sure I should be most happy, for it has been my fortune so far to conjure up only pleasure through day-dreaming —the things I like and long for be come my very own then. But if you mean, as I suspect, that 1 do not en joy the dirt and drudgery of life, then my plea will have to be guilty. Back of what you term practical some one has said there is always a dream, a first conception. In that sense I choose to be a dreamer.” “And not so unwise a choice, if your dreams only tend toward re sults.” He sat looking into her ani mated face, deeply puzzled by both words and actions. "I cannot help noticing that ycu avoid all reference to my meeting with Mr. Hampton. Is this another sign your impractical mind?” “I should say rather the opposite, for I had not even supposed it con cerned me.” "Indeed! That presents a vastly dif ferent view lrom the one given us an hour since. The distinct impression was then conveyed to both oir minds that you were greatly distressed re garding the matter. Is it possible you can have been acting again?" “I? Certainly not!” and she made no attempt to hide her indignation. “What do you mean?" He hesitated an instant in hie re ply, feeling that possibly he was treading upon thin ice. But her eyes commanded a direct answer, and be yielded to them. "We were informed that you expe rienced great anxiety for fear we might quarrel—so great, indeed, that you had confided your troubles to an other.” io wnom: “Miss Spencer. She came to us os tensibly in your name, and as a peace maker." For a moment she sat gazing direct ly at him, then she laughed softly. “Why, how supremely ridiculous: I can hardly believe it true, only your face tells me you certainly are not in play. Lieut. Brant, I have never even dreamed of such a thing. You had informed me that your mission was one of peace, and he pledged me his word not to permit any quarrel. I had utmost confidence in you both." “How, then, did she even know of our meeting?” “I am entirely in the dark, as mys tified as you," she acknowledged, frankly, “for it has certainly never been a habit with me to betray the confidence of ray friends, and 1 learn ed long since not to confide secrets to Miss Spencer." Apparently neither cared to discuss the problem longer, yet he remained silent considering those questions which might decide his fate. “You speak of your confidence in us both,” he said, slowly. “To me the complete trust you repose in Mr. Hampton is scarcely comprehensible. Do you truly believe in his reform?" “Certainly. Don’t you?” The direct return question served to nettle and confuse him. “It is, perhaps, not my place to say, as my future happiness does not directly de pend on the permanence of his reformation. But if his word can be depended upon, your happiness to a very large extent does." She bowed. ‘ I have no doubt you can safely repose confidence in what ever he may have told you regarding me.” “You indorse, then, the claims ha advances?" “You are very insistent: yet I know of no good reason why 1 should not. answer. Without at all knowing the nature of those claims to which you refer. 1 have no hesitancy in say ing that 1 possess such complete con fidence in Bob Hampton as to reply unreservedly yes. But really, Lieut. Brant, I should prefer talking upon some other topic. It is evident that you two gentlemen are not friendly, yet there is no reason why any mis understanding between you should in terfere with our friendship, is there?" (TO UK CONTINUED.) a>Y" e/. H/GG//SCJ i. I CHlNZdZ BANANA CBOWINg m BOW JJSNDS NZJUB IfOJBOZ/Ul/U. The people of the United States consumed over $7,000,000 worth of im ported bananas in the year 1902. Each year the importations are increasing and at the rate of nearly a million dollars per annum in value. The West India Bulletin states that in the height of the season, upwards of 20 steamers per week leave Jamaica alone laden chiefly with bananas for the markets of the United States Comment is unnecessary upon what this trade has done for Jamaica, par ticularly since the decline in the sugar industry. Banana growing is to-day one of the most profitable industries in that island, notwithstanding the fact that tornadoes sometimes destroy whole fields. Further, the indirect in fluence which this trade has had upon tourist travel can not be easily esti mated. The frequent, passage of steam ers lias attracted thousands of people to the W est Indies to spend the win ter. Why should not the Hawaiian islands take some more considerable part in this large and increasing in dustry and commerce? This is a ques tion worthy of careful consideration. This territory possesses soils and climate admirably adapted to the growth of bananas.' It also is free from tornadoes, the grower thus avoid ing the great losses that come to planters in some other countries. A great market, on the Pacific slope of the main land of our own country, is at Hawaii's doors. The banana plant is used in an al most infinite number of ways. Nearly every part of it is put to several uses. To describe these in full would require a small publication in itself. Here only brief mention can be made of some of them. The ripe fruit is known to most northern people simply as an article of dessert—a mere incidental to a well provided table. In tropical coun tries, however, it is a staple article of food, the native population frequently being quite dependent upon it. It is eaten not only raw but cooked in a great variety of ways. The unripe fruit is also cooked, some varieties being better in this way than when ripened. Some varieties are especial ly adapted for drying and in favorable climates may be dried by the sun without resort to artificial means. In this form, they may be used as are other dried fruit now so common in me markets. Banana flour or meal is made by re ducing the dried fruit to a powder. Other secondary products that have been made from bananas are preserved ripe fruit, alcohol, vinegar and wine. The fruit-bud of some varieties is cooked and eaten and is said to be very good. The flowers, fruits and corm or root-stock are said to have medicinal value. The corm is also used as food for stock as is also the part of the fruit stem inside the “trunk." The latter is also used as food by the natives of some tropical countries. The leaves have been used as fod der for stock and Prof. Hilgard states that they contain nearly as much al buminoids as average meadow bay. The fibre of the leaves of the or dinary bananas has long attracted at tention and continues to do so. That of the so-called fibre banana (Musa Textilis), as is well known, is the souce of the Manila hemp of com merce and is one of the most valuable | fibres in the market. The banana fibre while of fair qual ity and adapted to some uses is so in ferior to that of Musa textilis that the former does not find a ready market except when the latter is scarce and the price very high. It then brings only half the price of Manila hemp. It is inferior both in strength and luster. The Hawaiian banana trade had its beginning between 40 and 50 years ago. As early as the year 1864, ac cording to Thrum's Hawaiian Annual, there were 121 bunches of bananas ex ported from these islands. Probablv these were the first of the Chinese variety to be shipped from here, since Hillebrand records that this species of Musa was first brought to us from Tahiti about the year 1S55. in the year 1863 only CO bunches w-ere ex ported. but from this time onward the trade increased slowly until it reached its maximum in the year 1896. In this year the export amounted to 126 - 413 bunches. The next three year’s show a considerable decrease in this export. From that date to the pres ent time there are no figures to show the size of the shipments, for since annexation to the I'nited States the Hawaiian custom house authorities have made no specific classification of bananas sent to the mainland. It is probable, however, that the shipments were light until last year when they increased again. This drop in the Hawaiian trade was no doubt due to the diligence of those interested in the Central American and West Indian fruit trade in extendh,. their trade westward. The Hawaiian product suffered in the market not because of inferiority, for the Chinese variety is considered superior in flavor ^ the Jamaican. The latter, however, can be handled more cheaply because of its hardiness The future development of the banana trade of course cannot be fore seen, but there is no reason to sup pose that the limit of capacity has yet been reached. The figures above show a steady increase in consump tion in America. In the future more of the bananas from the British West Indies will probably find an outlet in L The Chinese Banara. the markets of the Mother Country. It is possible that the public taste may become more discriminating, thus giv ing a stimulus to the trade in the finer varieties. There seems no good reason why the Hawaiian islands should nor now assume a very much larger share in the trade The soil, the climate and proximity to market are all in the! • favor. CITY MEN AS FARMERS. Find Health and Zest If N<.*ning More in the Operation. Great is the debt of gratitude due the man who makes money in trade nr professionally and spends it on farm ing as a fad. says the St. Loris Globe Democrat. He is laughed at by The real yeomanry as one to whom the proper purpose and value, of ready cash are unknown, and who scatters It on fantastic experiments; but the amateur takes his own course and en joys it mere than his critics imagine. A city's most energetic population is recruited from the farms, and the old merchant or practitioner, as a rule, craves the country when he retires. This passion is strong even among those born in cities, and if they want to amuse themselves with little ex travagances on the soil they ought to have sympathetic encouragement. It is seldom that farming is attempted on Monte Cristo principles, but surely it is better to scatter a million on the soil than to sec it lapped up by brok ers in a single night. Occasionally a wizard in selecting and crossing plants comes along and causes the world to marvel by the new varieties he pro duces and the old ones lie improves. Inventors who have never lived out of a city street constantly add to the machinery that places American agri culture far in the lead. Give the city farmer the glad hand. The money he "fools away” is not barren. He finds health and zest, if nothing more, in the operation. Modern Hotels Needed in China. Modern hotels are much needed in China. Ordinary establishments at Tsingtau and elsewhere get five to six dollars gold a guest day. The ac commodations are inadequate and the fare poor.
