Bob Hampton of Placer
Page 166Murphy could now dimly perceive the other advancing through the
intervening willows, and his Colt shot up to the level. "Stop!--ye
take another--step an' I 'll--let drive. Ye tell me--first--who ye be."
The invader paused, but he realized the nervous finger pressing the
trigger and made haste to answer. "It's all right, I tell ye. I 'm
one o' Terry's scouts."
"Ye are? Jist the same--I've heard--yer voice--afore."
"Likely 'nough. I saw service in the Seventh."
Murphy was still a trifle suspicious. "How'd ye git yere? How 'd ye
come ter know--whar I wus?"
The man laughed again. "Sorter hurts yer perfessional feelins, don't
was dead easy, old man. Ye see I happened thro' Cheyenne only a couple
o' hours behind ye, with a bunch o' papers fer the Yellowstone. The
trail's plain enough out this far, and I loped 'long at a pretty fair
hickory, so thet I was up on the bluff yonder, and saw ye go into camp
yere just afore dark. You wus a-keepin' yer eyes skinned across the
Fourche, and naturally didn't expect no callers from them hills behind.
The rest wus nuthin', an' here I am. It's a darn sight pleasanter ter
hev company travellin', ter my notion. Now kin I cum on?"
Murphy reluctantly lowered his Colt, every movement betraying
annoyance. "I reckon. But I 'd--a damn sight--rather risk it--alone."
far too dark to reveal features, but to Murphy's strained vision the
newcomer appeared somewhat slender in build, and of good height.
"Whar'd--ye say ye--wus bound?"
"Mouth o' the Powder. We kin ride tergether fer a night or two."
"Ye kin--do as ye--please, but--I ain't a huntin'--no company,--an' I'm
a'--goin' 'cross now."
He advanced a few strides toward his horses. Then suddenly he gave
vent to a smothered cry, so startling as to cause the stranger to
spring hastily after him.
"Oh! My God! Oh! Look there!"
"There! there! The picture! Don't you see?"
"Naw; I don't see nuthin'. Ye ain't gone cracked, hev ye? Whose
picture?"
"It's there!--O Lord!--it's there! My God! can't ye see?--An' it's his
face--all a-gleamin' with green flames--Holy Mary--an' I ain't seen
it--afore in--fifteen year!"
He seemed suddenly to collapse, and the stranger permitted him to drop
limp to the earth.
"Darn if I kin see anythin', old man, but I 'll scout 'round thar a
bit, jest ter ease yer mind, an' see what I kin skeer up."