Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 134, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 June 1913 — MOLLY McDONALD A TALE OF THE FRONTIER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MOLLY McDONALD A TALE OF THE FRONTIER

By RANDALL PARRISH

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M SYNOPSIS.

Major McDonald, commanding an army post year Fort Dodge, seeks a man to Intercept his daughter, Molly, who Is headed for the post. An Indian outbreak Is threatened. Sergeant ‘‘Brick" Hamlin meets the stage tn which Molly Is traveling. They are attacked by Indians, and Hamlin and Molly escape in the darkness. Hamlin tells Molly he was discharged from the Confederate service in disgrace and at the close ofwhe war enlisted in the regular ariny. He suspects one Captain LeFevre of being responsible for his disgrace. Troops appear and under escort of Lieut. Gaskins Molly starts to join her father. Haprflin leaves to rejoin his regiment. He returns to Fort Dodge after a summer of fighting Indians, and finds Molly there. Shots are heard tn the night. Hamlin rushes out, sees what he believgfc is the figure of Molly hiding in the darkness and falls over the body of Lieutenant Gaskins, who accuses Hamlin of shooting him. The sergeant is proven innocent. He sees Molly in company with Mrs. Dupon* whom he recognizes as a former sweetheart, who threw him over for LeFevre. Mrs. Dupont tells Hamlin LeFevre forced her to send him a lying note. Hamlin declares he has been looking for LeFevre to force him to clear his record. Later he overhears Dupont and a soldier hatching up a money-making plot. Molly seeks an interview with Hamlin. She says her father seems to be in the power of Mrs. Dupont, who claims to be a daughter of McDonald's sister. Molly disappears and Hamlin sets out to trace her. McDonald is ordered to Fort Ripley. Hamlin discovers that the man who left on the stage under the name of McDonald was not the major. He finds McDonald's murdered body. Hamlin takes Wasson, a guide, and two troopers and goes In pursuit of the murderers, who had robbed McDonald of $30,000 paymaster's money. He suspects Dupont. Conners, soldier accomplice of Dupont, is found murdered. Hamlin's party is caught In a fierce blizzard while heading for the Cimmaron. One man dies from cold and another almost succumbs. Wasson is shot as they come in sight of the Cimmaron. Heroic work Hamlin resuscitates Carroll, his remaining trooper. Hamlin discovers a log cabin hidden under a bluff, occupied by Hughes, a cow thief, who is laying for LeFevre, who cheated him in a cattle deal. His description identifies LeFevre and Dupont as one and the same. Hughes shot Wasson mistaking him for one of LeFevre’s party. Hamlin decides to wait at the cabin until the storm abates before attempting to take up the trail of LeFevre, who is carrying Molly to the Indiana’ camp. .j

’CHAPTER XXlX.—Continued. The cowman, muffled to the ears In a buffalo coat, plunged profanely into the drift, slamming the door behind him. Hamlin hastily glanced over the few articles piled in readiness on the bench —ammunition, blankets, food — paying no heed to Carroll’s muttering of discontent. By the time Hughes returned, he had everything strapped for the saddles. He thrust the cowman’s rifle under his own flap, but handed the latter a revolver, staring straight into his eyes as he did so, “I reckon you and I have got enough in common in this chase to play square,” he said grimly. “We’re both out after Le Fevre, ain’t we?” “You bet.” “All right, then; here’s your gun. If you try any trickery, Hughes, I’d advise that you get me the first shot, for if you miss you’ll never have another.” The man drew the sleeve of his coat over his lips, his eyes shifting before the Sergeant’s steady gaze. “I ain’t thet sort,” he muttered uneasily. “Yer don’t need to think thet o’ me.” “Maybe not,” and Hamlin swung into the saddle carelessly. “Only I thought I’d tell you beforehand what would happen if you attempt any fool gun play. Take the lead, you know the trail.”

Carroll, supporting hlipself by the table, crept across to the door and watched them, reckless as to the entering cold. The glare of the white snow revealed clearly the outlines of the disappearing horsemen, as they rode cautiously down the bank. ' The thin fringe of shore ice broke under the weight of the ponies’ hoofs, as the rideam forced them forward into the icy water. A moment later the two crept up the sharp incline of the opposite shore, appearing distinct against the sky as they attained the summit. Hamlin waved his hand, and then, on a lope, the figures vanished into the gloom. Crying, and swearing at his helplessness, the deserted soldier closed the door, and crept back shivering into his blankets. Hughes turned his horse’s head to the southwest, and rode steadily forward, the buffalo overcoat giving him a shaggy, grotesque appearance in the spectral light reflected from the snow. Without a word Hamlin followed, a pace behind. Their route lay for the first few miles across a comparatively level plateau, over which the fierce wind of the late storm had swept with such violence as to leave the surface packed flrm. The night shut them in silently, giving to thsir immediate surroundings a mournful loneliness most depressing. There were no shadows, only the dull snowgleam across which they passed like

spectres, the only sound the crunching of (heir horses’ hoofs on the crust. The Sergeant, staring about, felt that he had never looked upon a more depressing spectacle than this gloomy landscape, desolate and wind-swept, still overarched with low-lying storm clouds, black and ominous, They advanced thus for two hours, making no attempt to force their animals, and scarcely exchanging a word, both meh watchful of the snow underfoot in search of a possible trail, when the character of the country began to change. The level plain broke -into a series of ridges of irregular formation, all evidently heading toward some more southern valley. In the depressions the snow lay banked in deep rifts, and, after plunging desperately through two of these, unable to judge correctly in the dim light where to ride, Hughes turned more to the south, skirting along the bare slope of a ridge, trusting some turn lower down would yield them the necessary westerning. “It’s over the ponies’ heads down thar, Sergeant,” he said, pointing sideways into the dark hollow, “an’ we’re bound to strike a cross-ridge afore we come to the bluffs.” “What bluffs? The Canadian?" "Yep; it’s badly broken kentry a long ways west o’ yere. Bad lands mostly, an’ a. hell o’ a place for cattle to hide out.” “Hughes, do you know where Black Kettle’s camp is?"--“Well, no, not exactly. Las’ the Cheyennes was settled ’bout opposite the mouth o’ Buffalo creek, an’ thar ’re down thar somewhar now. Thar's one thing sure—they ain’t any east o’ thet. As we ain’t hit no trail, I reckon as how Le Fevre’s outfit must hev drifted further then 1 calc’lated.”

“I thought so at the time,” commented the other, quietly. "However, we will have to make the circle, and,

if the country out yonder is as you describe, they will be no better off. They’ll have to follow the ridges to get through. We may get a glimpse when daylight comes.” They rode on steadily, keeping down below the crest of the hills, yet picking a passage where the snow had been swept clear. The slipperiness of the Incline made their progress slow, as they dared not risk the breaking of a horse’s, leg in that wilderness, and the faint glimmer was most confusing. The wind had ceased, the calm was impressive after the wild tumult, but the cold seemed to strengthen as the dawn advanced, viciously biting the exposed faces of the men. The straining ponies were white with frost. In the gray of a cheerless dawn they reached the first line of bluffs, and drew rein just below the summit, where they could look off across the lower ridges to the westward. It was a wild, desolate scene, the dull gray sky overhead, the black and white shading below. Mile on mile the picture unrolled to the horizon, the vista widening slowly as the light increased, bringing forth the details of barren, wind-swept ridges and shallow valleys choked with snow. Not a tree, not a shrub, not even • a rock

broke the dead monotony. All was loneliness and silence. The snow lay gleaming and untrampled, except as here and there a dull brown patch of dead grass darkened the side of a hill. Hamlin shadowed his eyes with gloved hands, studying intently inch by inch the wide domain. Suddenly he arose

In his stirrups, bending eagerly torward. 1 • "By heaven! There they are, Hughes," he exclaimed, feeling the hot blood course through his veins. “See, on the Incline of that third ridge. There Is a shadow there, and they are not moving. Here; draw In back of me; now you can see. It looks as though they had a horse down.” * Hughes stared long in the direction indicated; his eyes narrowed into mere slits. “Ah! that’s it,’\he said at last. “Horse broke a leg; shot it jest (hen — 1 seen the flash. Now they’re goin’ on. See! One fellow climbin’ up behind ’nother, an’ the horse left lyin’ thar on the snow." “How many people do you make out?” and Hamlin’s voice shook a little. “There’s four, ain’t there?” At that distance the fugitives looked like mere black dots. It could scarcely be determined that they moved, and yet their outlines were distinct against the background of white snow, while the two watchers possessed the trained vision of the plains. Hughes answered after a deliberate Inspection, without so much as turning his head.

“Thar’s four; leastwise thar was four hosses, and two —the Injuns likely—are ridin’ double. Thar animals are 'bout played, It looks ter me—just able ter crawl. Ain’t had no fodder is ’bout the size o’ It. We ought to be able ter head thet bunch off ’fore they git to the Canadian at thet rate o’ travel—hey. Sergeant?” Hamlin’s eyes followed the long sweep of the cross-ridge, studying its trend, and the direction of the intervening valleys. Once down on the other, slope all this extensive view would be hidden; they would have to ride blindly, guessing at the particular swale along which those others were advancing. To come to the summit again would surely expose them to those keen Indian eyes. They would be searching the trail ahead ceaselessly, noting every object along the crests of the ridges. However, If the passage around was not blocked with snow, they ought to attain the junction in ample time. With twice as far to travel, their ponies were strong and fit and should win out against Le Fevre’s starved beasts. He waved his gloved hand.

“We’ll try it,” he said, shortly; “come on, Hughes." He led off along the steep side of the hill, and forcing his horse into a sharp trot, headed straight out into the white wilderness; Hughe. - without uttering a word, brought down his quirt on his pony’s flank and followed;

CHAPTER XXX. The Fight in the Snow. The slope toward the south had not been swept clear by the wind, and the horses broke through the crust to their knees, occasionally stumbling into hollows where, the drifts were deep. This made progress slow, Although Hamlin pressed forward recklessly, fully aware of what it would mean should the fugitives emerge first, and thus achieve a clear passage to the river. What was going on there to the right, behind the fringe of low hills, could not be conjectured, but to the left the riders could see clearly for a great distance over the desolate, snow-draped land, down to the dark waters of the Canadian-and the shore beyond. It was all a desolate waste, barren of movement, and no smoke bore evidence of any Indian encampment near by. A mile or more to the west the river took a sharp bend, disappearing behind the bluffs, and on the open plain, barely visible against the unsullied mantle of snow, were dark specks, apparently moving, but In erratic fashion. The distance intervening was too great for either man to distinguish exactly what these might be, yet as they plunged onward their keen eyes searched the valley vigilantly through the cold clear air.

"Some of your long-horns, Hughes?” asked the Sergeant finally, pointing as he turned and glanced back. "Quite a bunch of cattle, it looks to me.” "Them thar ain’t cows,” returned the other positively. “Tha’re too closely bunched up. I reckon It’ll be Black Kettle’s pony herd.” "Then his village will He in beyond the big bend th re,” and Hamlin rose in his stirrups, shading his eyes. “The herders haven’t driven them far since the storm broke. You don’t see any smoke, do you?” Hughes shook his head. “You wouldn’t likely see none agdinst the gray sky; them ponies er maybe three miles off, an’ ther camp is likely a mile er so further. Thar’s a big bend thar, as I remember; a sort o’ level spot with bluff all ’(ound, 'cept on the side *o ther river. We hed a cattle corral thar onc’t, durin* a round-up. Most likely that’s whar they are.” "And Le Fevre is heading straight for the spot. Well, he’ll have to come out on this bench first.” "Yep, there sure ain’t no valleys lying between. How many o’ these yere gulch openings have we got past already ?’’ “Three; there’s the fourth just ahead. the one they were traib

Ing through. No doubt about that, to there?** • "Not less them Injuns took to the ridge. They wus sure In the fourth valley when we fust* sighted the outfit back thar. Whatcher'goln’ ter do, Sergeant? Jump ’em a boss-back, an* just pump lead?? Hamlin had thought this over as he rode and already had planned his attack. The opening to the valley along which Le Fevre’s exhausted party were slowly advancing toward them, seemed favorable —it was narrow and badly choked with snow. It offered an ideal place for a surprise and was far enough away from the Indian encampment—if the latter was situated as Hughes in the great bend above —so that no echo of shots would carry that distance, even through the crisp atmosphere. There were two things the Sergeant had determined to accomplish If possible—the rescue t>f Miss Molly uninjured, and the cap ture of Le Fevre. No matter how deeply he despised the man he could not afford' to have him' killed. So far as the Indians were concerned there would be no mercy shown, for If either one escaped he would carry the news to the village. With all this in mind the Sergeant swung out ot the saddle, dropping the rein to the ground, confident that the tired cowpony would remain quiet. His belt was buckled outside the army overcoat, and he drew his revolver, tested it, and slipped it back loosely into the holster. Then he pulled out the rifle from under the flap of the saddle, grimly handling it in his gloved fingers. Hughes, his head sunk into his fur collar, his hot breath steaming in the cold atmosphere, watched him curiously. _ “Lookin’ fer a right smart fight, I reckon,” he said, a trifle uneasily. “Believe me, yer ain’t goin’ ter find thet

fellar no spring chicken. Y He’s some on ther gun play.” "I hope he knows enqugh to quit when he’s cornered," returned the other pleasantly, sweeping his eyes to the opening in the hills, “for I’m aiming to to take him back to Kansas alive.” “The hell ye are!” “That's the plan pardner, and I’ve got reason for it. I knew Le Fevre once, years ago, during the war, and I’ve been some anxious to get my hands on him ever since. He’s worth far more to me alive than dead, just now, Hughes,” his voice hardening, "you’ll bear that fact in mind when the fracas begins. From now on this is my affair, not yours. You understand? You get busy with the two bucks, and leave the white man to me. Come on now —dismount.” Hughes came to the ground with evident reluctance, swearing savagely. “What do yer think I’m yere for,” he demanded roughly, “if it wa’n’t to shoot that cuss?”

Hamlin strode swiftly over, and dropped a band on the shaggy shoulder. "You are here because I ordered you to come with me; because if you hadn’t I would have killed you back there in the shack, you red-handed murderer. Now listen, Hughes. I know what you are —a cattle thief. You and Le Fevre belong to the same outfit, only he was the smarter of the two. I have spared your life for a purpose, and if you fail me now' I’ll shoot you down as I would a dog. Don’t try to threaten me, you cur, for I am not that kind. I am not trusting you; I haven’t from the first, but you are going Into this fight on my side, and under my orders." The two men glared into each other’s eyes, silent, breathing hard, but there was a grim determination about the Sergeant’s set jaw that left Hughes speechless. He grinned weakly, stamping down the snow under foot. Hamlin’s continued silence brought a protest to his lips.

(TO BE CONTINUED.)

Plunged Profanely Into the Drift.

“By Heavens! There They Are, Hughes.”