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.
