Brant reached forth his hand cordially. "That's true; you have.
What's more, if you 're able to make the trip, there is no one here who
will attempt to stop you. But now tell me how this thing happened. I
want to know the story before we get in."
For a moment Hampton remained silent, his thoughtful gaze on the
near-by videttes, his hands leaning heavily upon the saddle pommel.
Perhaps he did not remember clearly; possibly he could not instantly
decide just how much of that story to tell. Brant suspected this last
to be his difficulty, and he spoke impulsively.
"Hampton, there has been trouble and misunderstanding between us, but
that's all past and gone now. I sincerely believe in your purpose of
right, and I ask you to trust me. Either of us would give his life if
need were, to be of real service to a little girl back yonder in the
hills. I don't know what you are to her; I don't ask. I know she has
every confidence in you, and that is enough. Now, I want to do what is
right with both of you, and if you have a word to say to me regarding
this matter, I 'll treat it confidentially. This trip with Murphy has
some bearing upon Naida Gillis, has it not?"
"Yes."
"Will you tell me the story?"
The thoughtful gray eyes looked at him long and searchingly. "Brant,
do you love that girl?"
Just as unwaveringly the blue eyes returned the look. "I do. I have
asked her to become my wife."
"And her answer?"
"She said no; that a dead man was between us."
"Is that all you know?"
The younger man bent his head, his face grave and perplexed.
"Practically all."
Hampton wet his dry lips with his tongue, his breath quickening.
"And in that she was right," he said at last, his eyes lowered to the
ground. "I will tell you why. It was the father of Naida Gillis who
was convicted of the murder of Major Brant."
"Oh, my father? Is she Captain Nolan's daughter? But you say
'convicted.' Was there ever any doubt? Do you question his being
guilty?"
Hampton pointed in silence to the hideous creature behind them. "That
man could tell, but he has gone mad."
Brant endeavored to speak, but the words would not come; his brain
seemed paralyzed. Hampton held himself under better control.
"I have confidence, Lieutenant Brant, in your honesty," he began,
gravely, "and I believe you will strive to do whatever is best for her,
if anything should happen to me out yonder. But for the possibility of
my being knocked out, I would n't talk about this, not even to you.
The affair is a long way from being straightened out so as to make a
pleasant story, but I 'll give you all you actually require to know in
order to make it clear to her, provided I shouldn't come back. You
see, she doesn't know very much more than you do--only what I was
obliged to tell to keep her from getting too deeply entangled with you.
Maybe I ought to have given her the full story before I started on this
trip. I 've since wished I had, but you see, I never dreamed it was
going to end here, on the Big Horn; besides, I did n't have the nerve."