Murphy 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
it, old feller, to be dropped in on in this unceremonious way? But it
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."
The stranger came forward without further hesitation. The night was
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!"
"What is it, man?"
"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."