It was already becoming dusk when they swept down into a little nest of

green trees and grass. It appeared so suddenly, and was such an

unexpected oasis amid that surrounding wilderness, that Hampton gave

vent to a sudden exclamation of delight. But that was all. Instantly

he perceived numerous dark forms leaping from out the shrubbery, and he

wheeled his horses to the left, lashing them into a rapid run. It was

all over in a moment--a sputtering of rifles, a wild medley of cries, a

glimpse of savage figures, and the two were tearing down the rocks, the

din of pursuit dying away behind them. The band were evidently all on

foot, yet Hampton continued to press his mount at a swift pace, taking

turn after turn about the sharp hills, confident that the hard earth

would leave no trace of their passage.

Then suddenly the horse he rode sank like a log, but his tight grip

upon the rein of the other landed him on his feet. Murphy laughed, in

fiendish merriment; but Hampton looked down on the dead horse, noting

the stream of blood oozing out from behind the shoulder. A stray Sioux

bullet had found its mark, but the gallant animal had struggled on

until it dropped lifeless; and the brave man it had borne so long and

so well bent down and stroked tenderly the unconscious head. Then he

shifted the provisions to the back of the other horse, grasped the

loose rein once more in his left hand, and started forward on foot.




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024