Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 149, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 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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SYNOPSIS. • Major McDonald, commanding an army post near 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 In 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 of the war enlisted In the regular army. 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, Hamlin leaves to rejoin his regiment. He returns to _ Fort Dodge after a summer of fighting Indians, and finds Molly there. Lieutenant Gaskins accuses Hamlin es shooting him. The sergeant is proven Innocent. He sees Molly In company with Mrs. Dupont, whom he recognises as a former sweetheart, whc threw him over for LeFevre. Later he overhears Dupont and a soldier hatching up a money-making plot. Molly tells Hamlin 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 finds McDonald’s murdered body. He 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 Cimmaron. Hamlin discovers a log cabin hidden under" a bluff, occupied by Hughes, a cow thief, who is laying for T* Ferre, who cheated him in a cattle deal. His description identifies LeFevre and Dupont as one and the same. Hughes ehet Wasson mistaking him for one of LeFevre’sl party. Hamlin and Hughes take up the trail of LeFevre, who is carrying Mollv to the Indian’s camp. Two' days out they sight the fugitives. A fight ensues in which Hughes is shot by ar, Indian. Dying, he makes a desperate attempt to shoot LeFevre, but hits Hamlin, while the latter Is disarming Le Fevre. TieFevre escapes, believing Hamlin and Molly dead. Molly tells Hamlin that her father was implicated In the plot to steal the paymaster’s money. Hamlin confesses his love for Molly and finds that it is reciprocated. Molly declares her father was forced into the robbers’ plot. They* meet an advance troop of Custer's command, starting on a winter campaign against the Indians. Hamlin remains as guide. The winter camp of Black Kettle Is discovered. Custer plans an attack. Indians are surprised end defeated In a desperate fight. Hamlin Is sent with report to Sheridan. CHAPTER XXXVlll.—Continued. At the Cimarron the half-frozen Indian collapsed, falling from his saddle into the 6now utterly exhausted. Staggering himself like a drunken man, the Sergeant dragged the nerveless body into a crevice of the blufT out of the wild sweep of the wind, trampled aside the snow into a wall of shelter, built a hasty fire, and poured hot coffee between the shivering lips. With the earliest gray of another dawn, the white man caught the strongest pony, and rode on alone. He never knew the story of those hours — only that his trail led straight into the north. He rode erect at first, then leaning forward dinging to the mane; now and then he staggered along on foot dragging his pony by the rein. Once he stopped to eat, breaking the Tee in a creek for water. It began to

■now, the thick fall of flakes blotting out the horizon, leaving him to stumble blindly through the murk. Then darkneßs ’came, wrapping him in a cloak of silence in the midst of that unspeakable desert. His limbs stiffened, bis brain reeled from intense fatigue. He dragged himself back into the saddle, pressing the pony into a slow trot. Suddenly out of the wall of gloom sprang the yellow lights of Camp Supply. Beneath these winking eyea of guidance there burst the red glare of a fire. Even as he saw It the pony fell, but the exhausted man had forgotten now everything but duty. The knowledge that be had won the

long struggle brought him new strength. He wrenched his feet free from the stirrups, and ran forward, calling to the guard. They met him, and he stood straight before them, every nerve taut—a soldier. “I bring dispatches from Custer,” he said slowly, holding himself firm. “Take me to General Sheridan.” The corporal walked beside him, down the trampled road, questioning eagerly as they passed the line of shacks toward the double log house where the commander was quartered. Hamlin heard, and answered briefly, yet was conscious only of an effort to retain his strength. Once within, he saw only the short, sturdy figure sitting behind a table, the shaggy gHray beard, the stern, questioning eyOh which surveyed him. He stood there straight, motionless, his uniform powdered with snow, 1 his teeth clinched so as not to betray weakness, his face roughened by exposure, grimy with dirt, and disfigured by a week’s growth of beard. Sheridan stared at him, shading his eyes from the glow of the lamp. “You' are from Caster?” ‘‘Yes, sir.” He drew the papers rrom within his overcoat, stepped forward and laid them on the table. Sheridan placed one hand upon»t£em, but did not remove his gaze from Hamlin’s face. ‘‘When did you leave?” “The evening of the 27th, sir. I was sent back with an Osage guide to bring you this report.” “And the guide?” - "He gave out on the Cimarron and I came on iIo»e.” “And Custer? Did he strikd Black Kettle?” “We found his camp on the evening of the 26th, and attacked at daybreak the next morning. There were more Indians with him than we expected to find—between two and three thousand, warriors from all the southern tribes. Their tepees were set iy> for ten miles along the Washita. We caiitured Black Kettle’s village, and destroyed it; took his pony herd, and released a number of white prisoners, including some women and children. There was a sharp fight, and we lost quite a few men; I left too early to learn how many.” . “And ttye command—is it in any danger?” “I think not, sir. General Custer was confident he could retire safely. The Indians were thoroughly whipped, and apparently had no chief under whom they could rally.” The General opened the single sheet of paper, and ran his eyes slowly down the lines of writing. Hamlin, feeling his head reel giddily, reached out silently and grasped the back of a-chair in support. Sheridan glanced up. “General Custer reports Major Elliott as missing and several officers badly wounded.” y “Yes, sir.” “What Indians were engaged, and under what chiefs?” “Mostly Cheyennes, although there were bands of Arapahoes, Kiowas, Comanches, and a few Apaches. Little Rock was in command after Black Kettle was killed—that is of the Cheyennes. Little Raven, and Santanta led the others.” “A fiend, that last. But, Sergeant, you are exhausted. I will talk with you tomorrow. The officer of the day will assign you quarters.” Haiffiin, still clinging to the chair with one hand, lifted the other in salute. “General Sheridan,” he said, striving to control his voice, “General Custer’s last words to me were that I was to tell you who I am. I do not know* what he meant, but he said you would have news far me.” "Indeed!” in surprise, stiffening in his chair. “Yes, sir—my name is Hamlin.” “Hamlin! Hamlin!” the Geiferal repeated the word. “I have no recollection —why, yes, by Gad! You were a Confederate colonel.” “Fourth Texas Infantry.” “That - * It! I have It now; you were court-martialed after the affair at Fisher's Hill, and dismissed from the service—disobedience of orders, or something like that. Wait a minute.” He rapped sharply on the table, and the door behind, leading into the other room, instantly opened to admit the orderly. In the dim light of the single lamp Hamlin saw the short, stocky figure of a soldier, bearded, and immaculately clean. Even as the

fellow’s gloved hand came sharply up to his cap visor, Sheridan snapped out: r% “Orderly, see if you recognize this man.’’ , - Erect, the very impersonation <rf military discipline, the soldier crossed the room, and stared into the unshaven face of the Sergeant. Suddenly his eyes brightened, and he wheeled about as If pn a pivot, again bringing his gloved hand up In salute. “Eet vas Colonel Hamlin, I tink ya,” he said in strong German accent. “I know heem.” The Sergeant gripped his arm, bringing his face about once more. “You are Shultz —Sergeant-Major Shultz!” he erted. “What ever became of you? What is it you know?" “Wait a minute, Hamlin,” said Sheridan quickly, rising to his feet. “I can explain this much better than that Dutchman. He means well enough, but his tongue twists, It seems Custer met you once in the Shenandoah, and later heard of your dismissal from the service. One night he spoke about the affair in my quarters, Shultz was present on duty and overheard. He spoke up like a little man; said he was there when you got your orders, that they were delivered verbally by the sta# officer, and he repeated them for us word for word. He was taken prisoner an hour later, and never heard of your court-martial. Is that it, Shultz?” “Mine Gott, ya; I sa dot alretty," fervently. “He tell you not reconnoi-

sance—charge! I heard eet twice. Gott in Himmel, vat a hell in der pines!” “Hamlin,” continued Sheridan quietly, “there is little enough we can do to right this wrong. There is no way in which that Confederate courf-mar-tlal can be reconvened. But I shall have Shultz’s deposition taken and scattered broadcast. We will clear your name of stain. What became of that cowardly .cur who lied?” Hamlin pressed one Jiand against his throbbing temples, struggling against the faintnes's which threatened mastery. “He —he paid for it, sir,” he managed to say. “He—he died three days ago in Black Kettle’s camp.” “You got him!” “Yes—-I—l got him.” ■— “I have forgotten—what was the coward’s name?” “Eugene Le Fevre, but in Kansas they called him Dupont?* “Dupont! Dupont!” Sheridan struck the table with closed fist. “Good Lord, man! Not husband of that woman who ran off with Lieutenant Gaskins, from Dodge?” “I—l never heard—” The room whirled before him in mist, the faces vanished; he heard an exclamation from Shultz, a sharp command from Sheridan, and then seemed to crumble up on the floor. There was the sharp rustle of a woman’s skirt, a quick, light step, the pressure of an. arm beneath his head. “Quick, orderly, he’s fainted,” it was the General’s voice, sounding afar off. “Get some brandy, Shultz. Here, Miss McDonald, let' me hold the man’s head.” She turned slightly, her soft hand pressing back the hair from Hamlin’s forehead. “No,” she protested firmly, “he is my soldier.” And the Sergeant, looking past the face of the girl he loved saw tears dimming the stern eyes of his commander. THE END.

They Paused to Light a Fire.

"He Is My Soldier."