The Quinlan Mirror. (Quinlan, Okla.), Vol. 5, No. 49, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 20, 1908 Page: 4 of 6
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boTMpW ,
of PLACER
8y Mm/A PAMHS!/AUTHOR OfJ-
'mmm&mnc mwnm
| topy*K rr/9ot/tYA<!jr:atm tro.
SYN0P8I3.
A detachment of the Eighteenth In-
Xantry from Kort Bethuno trapped by
Jnuiuus in n narrow gorge. Among (hem
l h itranc-r who Introduces hlmnclf by
the name of Hampton, iiIho (illlls the
po«t trader, and his (laught«r. OIIIIh and
a majority of the soldlflra ar«. killed dur-
ing a three day*' iilegi-. Hampton and
tne girl only uociipo from the Indians.
They full oxhauBted on the plains. A
company of the Seventh cavalry, Lieut.
''on" and, tlnd them. Hampton
and the girl stop at the Miners' Home In
tliencnld, Mrs. Duffy, proprietress. Hamp-
ton talks the future over with MIsh <J11-
11s—the Kid. She shows him her moth-
er s picture and tolls him what she can
of her parentage und life. They decide
she shall live with Mi-h Herndon. Nalda
the Kid—runs away from Mrs. Herndon's
and retolns Hampton. He Induces her to
and to have nothing more to do
with him, Hampton plays his last game
®i J*"1*; "e announces to Red SUvIn
that lie has milt, and then leaves (jlen-
caid. Miss Phoebe Spencer arrives In
Gleneald to teach Its first school. Miss
Spencer meets Nalda, Ilev. Wynkoop,
etc. Shi; hoards tit Mrs. Herndon's.
Nalda and f.leut. Brnnt again meet with-
out his knowing who she Is. She Informs
him of the coming Bachelor dub ball In
honor of MIhh IJept. Itrant,
meets Silent Murphy, Ouster's scout. He
reports trouble brewing among the Ploux.
Social difficulties arise at the Bachelor
clubs hall among the admirers of Miss
Spencer. Lieut. Brant meets Miss Spen-
cer but she is not. IiIr acquaintance of the
day before. She tells him of Nalda, and
he Accidentally meets her again as he Is
returning to the ballroom with a fan for
Miss Spencer. Brant accompanies Nuldn
home from the dunce. On the way she
Informs him as to who she is, and that
ahe Is to meet Hampton. llnint and
Hampton meet. Hampton Informs the
lieutenant that his attentions to Nalda
must cease, and proclaims an authority
over her that justifies the statement.
Brant tells Hampton of the presence of
Blent Murphy, and the fact ihat Red
Blavin receives government messunt's for
him. Miss Spencer called on Boh Hump-
.n'. Telia him of a red-faced stranger
mistaking her for Nalda. Brant Inter-
views Red Blavin.
CHAPTER XIX.—Continued.
"I suspected as much," Hampton
went on, coolly. "Indeed. I should
have felt hurt had you been Indiffer-
ent upon such an occasion. It does
credit to your heart, Slavin. Come
now, keep your eyes on me! I was
about to gratify your curiosity, and, In
the firs' place, I came to Inquire solic-
itously regarding the state of your
health during my absence, and inci-
dentally to ask why you are exhibit
Ing so great an Interest in Miss Nalda
OIllls."
Slavin straightened up, his great
hands clinching nervously, drops of
perspiration appearing on his red for-
head. "1 don't understand your damn-
ed fun."
Hampton's lips smiled unpleasantly.
"Slavin, you greatly discourage me.
The last time I was here you exhibit-
ed so fine a sense of humor that I was
really quite proud of you. Yet, truly,
1 thluk you do understand this joke.
Your memory can scarcely be falling
at your age.—Make another motion
like that and you die right there! You
know me.—However, as you seem to
shy over my first question, I'll honor
you with a second—Where's Silent
Murphy?"
"You devil!" Slavin roared, "what
do you mean?"
With revolver hand resting on the
table, the muzzle pointing at the gl
ant'r heart, Hampton leaned forward
utter. remorseless now, and keeu as
an Indian on the trail.
"Do you know who 1 am?"
The horror in Slavln's eyes had
changed to sullenneas, but he nodded
silently.
"How do you know?"
There was no reply, although the
thick lips appeared to move.
"Answer me, you red sneak! Do
you think I am here to be played
with? Answer!"
Slavin gulped down something
which seemed threatening to choke
him, but he durst not lift a fiand to
wipe the sweat from hie face. "If—
If I didn't have this beard on you
might guess. I thought you knew me
all the time."
Hampton stared at him, still puz
sled. "I have certainly seen you some-
where. I thought that from the first.
Where was It?"
"I was In D Troop, Seventh cav-
alry."
"D Troop? Brant's troop?"
The big gambler nodded. "That's
how I knew you, Captain," he said,
speaking with greater ease, "but I
never had no reason to say anything
about It round here. You was allers
decent 'nough ter me."
"Possibly"—and it was plainly evi-
dent from his quiet tone Hampton had
steadied from his first surprise,—"the
boot was on the other leg, and you
had some good reason not to say any-
thing."
Slavin did not. answer, but he wet
his lips with his tongue, his eyes on
the window.
"Who is the fellow Murphy?"
"He was corporal in that same
troop, sir." The ex-cavalryman drop-
ped insensibly into his old form of
speech. " He knew you too, and we
talked it over, and decided to keep
still, because it was none of our affair
anyhow."
"Where is he nowV
"He left last night with army dis-
patches for Cheyenne."
Hampton's eyes hardened percepti-
bly, and his fingers closed more tight-
ly about the butt of his revolver. "You
11*, Slavhi! The last message did not
roach here until thU morning. That
fellow is hiding somewhere in this
camp, and the two of you have been
trying to get at the girl. Now, damn
you, what is your llttl^ game?"
The big gambler was thinking hard-
er theu, perhaps, than he had ever
thought In his life before. He knew
Hampton would kill him if he needed
to do so, but ho likewise realized.that
he was not likely to fire until ho had
gained the Information he was seek-
ing. If he only knew how much Infor-
mation the other possessed it would
be easy enough. As he did not. he
must wield his weapon blindly.
"You're makln' a devil of a fuss
over little or nothln'," he growled,
simulating a tone of disgust. "I ain't
never hed no quarrel with ye, except-
in* for the way ye managed ter skin
me at the table 'bout two years ago.
I don't give two screeches in hell for
who you are; an' besides, I reckon you
ain't the only ex-convict a-ranging Da-
kota either fer the matter o' that. No
more does Murphy. We ain't no
bloomln' detectives, an' we ain't buck-
In' In no business o' yourn; ye kin just
bet your sweet life on thet."
"Where is Murphy, then? I wish to
see the fellow."
"I told you he'd gone. Maybe he
didn't git away till this mornin', but
he's gone now all right. What In
thunder do ye want o' him? I reckon
I kin tell ye all that Murphy knows."
For a breathless moment neither
spoke, Hampton fingering his gun ner-
a more pitiful sight, but there was no
mercy In the eyes of the man watch-
ing him.
"Speak, you cringing bound!"
Slavin gripped his great hands to-
gether convulsively, hia throat swell-
ing beneath Its read beard. He knew
there was no way of escape. "I—1
had to do it! My God, Captain, I had
to do It!"
"Why?"
"I had to, I tell you. Oh, you devil,
you fiend! I'm not the one you're af-
ter—It's Murphy!"
For a single moment Hampton star-
ed at the cringing figure. Then sud-
denly he rose to his feet In decision.
"Stand up! Lift up your hands flrot,
you fool. Now unbuckle your gun-
belt with your left hand—your left, I
said! Drop it on the floor."
There was an unusual sound behind,
such as a rat might have made, and
Hampton glanced aside apprehensive-
ly. In that single second Slavin was
upon him, grasping bis plBtol-arm at
the wrist, and striving with h^ry
hand to get a death-grip about his
throat. Twice Hampton's left drove
straight out Into that red, gloating
face, and then the glant'8 crushing
weight bore him backward. He fought
savagely, silently, his slender figure
like Bteel, but Slavin got his grip at
last, and with giant strength began to
crunch hla victim within his vise-like
arms. There was a moment of su-
perhuman strain, their breathing
mere sobs of exhaustion. . Then Slavin
slipped, and Hampton succeeded In
wriggling partially free from his death
grip. It was scarcely an instant, yet
It served; for as he bent aside, swing-
hls burly opponent with him, someone
struck a vicious blow at his back; but
the descending knife, missing Its
tally Ignoring these, Hampton thrust
himself recklessly through the crowd.
Half way down the broad steps Buck
Mason faced him, in Bhlrt sleeves, his
head uncovered, an ugly "45" in his
uplifted hand. Just an instant the
eyes of the two m<m met, neither
doubted the grim purpose of the other.
"You've got ter do it, Bob," an-
nounced the marshall, shortly, "dead
er alive."
Hp.mpton never hesitated. "I'm sor-
ry I met you. I don't want to get
anybody else mixed up In this fuss.
If you'll promise me a chance for my
life, Buck, I'll throw up my handB.
But I prefer a bullet to a mob."
The little marshal was sandy-haired,
freckle-faced, and all nerve. The
crowd jammed within the Occidental
had already turned and were surging
toward the door. Hampton knew from
long experience what this meant;
th< e were the quickly inflamed co-
horts of Judge Lynch—they would act
first, and reflect later. His square,
jaws set like a trap.
"All right, Bob," said the marshal.
"You're my prisoner, and there'll be
one hell of a fight afore them lads
git ye. There's a chance left—leg it
after me."
Just as the mob surged out of the
Occidental, cursing and struggling,
the two sprang forward and dashed
into the narrow space between the
livery stable and the hotel. Moffat
chanced to be in the passageway, and
pausing to ask no questions, Mason
promptly landed that gentleman on
the back of his head In a pile of dis-
carded tin cans, and kicked viciously
at a yellow dog which ventured to
snap at them as they swept past. Be-
hind arose a volley of curses, tlve thud
of feet, an occasional voice roaring
□
□
The One Hundred and
Seventy-Sixth Anniversary
of Washington's Birth
mark, sunk instead deep into Slavln's out orders, and a sharp spat of re-
breast.
Hampton saw the flash of a blade, a
portion of an arm, and then the
clutching fingers of Slavin swept him
down. He reached out blindly as he
fell, his hand closing about the de-
serted knife-hilt. The two crashed
down together upon the floor, the
force of the fall driving the blade
home to the gambler's heart.
CHAPTER XX.
The Cohorts of Judge Lynch,
Hampton staggered blindly to his
volver shots. One ball plugged Into
the siding of the hotel, and a second
threw a spit of sand into their lower-
ed faces, but neither man glanced
back. They were running for their
lives now, racing for a fair chance to
turn at bay and fight, their sole hope
the pteep, rugged hill In their front.
Hampton began to understand the
purpose of his companion, the quick,
unerring instinct which had led him
to select the one suitable spot where
the successful waging of battle
against such odds was possible—the
deserted dump of the Shasta mine.
With every nerve strained to the
George Washington was born on
the banks of the Potomac, in West-
moreland county, Virginia, on Febru
ary 22, 1732.
At the age of 16 he was a good sur-
veyor and at 19 ho was adjutant of
one of the Virginia militia districts,
with the rank of major.
At the age of 21 he was selected by
Gov. Dinwiddle of Virginia as a
"person o' distinction," under orders
of the British government, to de-
mand zz explanation of the French,
who were forming settlements in the
northwest and in the Mississippi valley.
At the age of 23 he was commis-
sioned as colonel in the British array,
and from that time, when as a "soldier
of the king" he became distinguished
delivered over to the vestry on
ruary 27, 1773, the construction hav-
lng been beeun January 1, 1767. Col
Washington was one of the first ves-
trymen of the church, and on the
day that it waB turned over by the
builders he purchased pew No. S
for the sum of £36 10 shillings, agree-
ing also to pay an annual rental oC
£5 for the same.
The church waa consecrated by
Bishop Claggett of Maryland on June
14, 1814. This ancient and historic
edifice is still used as a place of wor-
ship. It Is kept open every week day.
and Is annually visited by thousand*.
A small admission fee is charged for
the purpose of defraying the expense
of keeping it open to the public. In
„ - ~vwI',hO * * W UIO puuuc. Ail
on the field, until he took leave of ■ the rear of and on the south side im
!«i
jjl
I--.
- - - Msfzh **
one *
through the tangled underbrush, and
"Where It 8ilent Murphyl
vously, his eyes lingering on that bru-
tal face.
"SlaWn," he said at last, his voice
hard, metallic. "I've figured it out,
and I do know you now, you lying
brute. You are the fellow who swore
you saw me throw away the gun that
did the shooting, and that afterwards
you picked it up."
There was the spirit of murder in
his eyes, and the gambler cowered
back before them, trembling like a
child.
"I—I only swore to the last part,
Captain," he muttered, his voice
scarcely audible. "I—I never said 1
saw you throw—"
"And I swore," went on Hampton,
"that 1 would kill you on sight. You
lying whelp, are you ready to die?"
Slavln's face was drawn and gray,
the perspiration standing in beads
upon his forehead, but he could neith-
er speak nor think, fascinated by
those remorseless eyes, which seemed
to burn their way down into his very
soul.
"No? Well, then, I will give you, to-
day, just one chance to live—one, you
dog—one. Don't move an eyelash!
Tell me honestly why you have been
trying to get word with the girl, and
you shall go out from here living. Lie
to me about it, .and I am going to
kill you where you sit, as I would a
mad dog. You know me, Slavin—bow
speak!"
So intensely still was it, Hampton
could distinguish the faint ticking of
the watch in his pocket, the hiss of
the breath between the giant's clinch-
ed teeth. No wretch dragged shriek-
ing to the scaffold could have formed
feet, looking down on the motionless
body. For a moment the room ap-
peared to swim before his eyes, and
he clutched at the overturned table
for support. Then, as his senses re-
turned, he perceived the figures of a
number of men jamming the narrow
doorway, and became aware of their
loud, excited voices. Back to his be-
numbed *rain there came with a rush
the whole scene, the desperation of
his present situation. He had been
found alone with the dead man. Those
men, when they camo surging in at-
tracted by the noise of strife, had
found him lying on Slavin. his hand
clutching the knife-hilt. He ran his
eyes over their horrified faces, and
knew instantly they held him the mur-
derer.
The shock of this discovery steadied
him. He realized the meaning, the
dread, terrible meaning, for he knew
the west, its fierce, implacable spirit
of vengeance, its merciless code of
lynch-law. The vigilantes of the min-
ing camps were to him an old story;
more than once he had witnessed
their work, been cognizant of their
power. This was no time to parley or
to hesitate. He grabbed the loaded
revolver lying upon the floor, and
swung Slavln's discarded belt across
his shoulder.
"Stand aside, gentlemen," he com-
manded. "Step back, snd let me
pass!"
They obeyed. He swept them with
watchful eyes, stepped past and slam-
med the door behind him. Men were
already beginning to pour Into the sa-
loon, uncertain yet of the facts, and
shouting questions to each other. To-
tolled up the sharp ascent beyond.
At the summit of the ore dump the
two men flung themselves panting
down, for the first time able to realize
what it all meant. They could per-
ceive the figures of their pursuers
among the shadows of the bushes be-
Ipw, but these were not venturing out
into the open—the first mad, heedless
rush had evidently ended. There were
some cool heads among the mob lead-
ers, and It was highly probable that
negotiations would be tried before
that crowd hurled itself against two
desperate men, armed and entrench-
ed. Both fugitives realized this, and
lay there coolly watchful, their breath
growing more regular, their eyes soft-
ening.
"Whut Is all this fuss about, any-
how?" questioned the marshall, evi-
dently somewhat aggrieved. "I wus
just eatin' dinner when a feller stuck
his head in an" yelled ye'd killed
somebody over at the Occidental."
Hampton turned his face gravely
toward him. "Buck, I don't know
whether you'll believe me or not, but
I guess you never heard me tell a lie,
or knew of my trying to dodge out of
a bad scrape. Besides, I haven't any-
thing to gain now, for I reckon you're
planning to stay with me, guilty or
not guilty, but I did not kill that fel-
low. I don't exactly see how I can
prove it, the way it all happened, but
I give you my wordvas a man, I did,
not kill him."
Mason looked him squarely in the
eyes, his teeth snowing behind his
stiff, closely clipped mustache. Then
he deliberately extended his hand, and
gripped Hampton'3. "Of course I be-
lieve ye. Not that you're any too
blame good, Bob, but you ain't the
kind what pleads the baby act. Who
was the feller?"
"Red Slavin."
"No!" and the hand grip perceptibly
tightened. "Holy Moses, what lngratl
tude! Why, the camp ought to get to-
gether and give ye a vote of thanks,
and instead, here they are trying their
level best to hang you. Cussedest
sorter thing a mob is, anyhow; goes
like a flock o' sheep after a leader,
an' I bet I could name the fellers who
are a-runnln' that crowd. How did
the thing happen?"
Both men were intently observing
the ingathering of their scattered pur-
suers, but Hampton answered gravely,
telling his brief story with careful de-
tail, appreciating the importance of
reposing full confidence In this quiet,
resourceful companion.
"All I really saw of the fellow," he
concluded, "was a band and arm as
they drove In the knife. You can see
there is where It ripped me, and the
unexpected blow of the man's body
knocked me forward, and of course I
fell on Slavin. It may be I drove
the point further in when I came
down, but that was an accident. The
fact Is, Buck, I have every reason to
wish Slavin to live. 1 was just get-
ting out of him some Information I
needed."
Mason nodded, his eyes wandering
from Hampton's expressive face to
the crowd beginning to collect be-
neath the shade of a huge oak a hun-
dred yards below.
"Never carry • knife, do ye?"
"No."
"Thought not; always heard you
fought with a gun. Caught no sight
of the feller after ye got up?"
(TO BB CONTINUED.)
his officers on November 23, 1783.
after having overthrown the royal
government, he was the most impor-
tant factor in the affairs of the new
country.
Ending an eventful and successful
military career, he retired to his
home at Mount Vernon, Va., from
which place in 1784 he wrote to La-
fayette: "I have become a private
citizen on the banks of the Potomac,
*nd under the shadow of my own vine
and fig tree, free from the bustle of
the camp, ... I am solacing myself
with those tranquil enjoyments of
which the soldier who is ever in pur-
suit of fame, the statesman . . . and
the courtier ... can have little con-
ception."
At the time Washington wrote the
quoted words to Lafayette he had no
thought that he would be called as
the president of the republic, the liv-
ing reality of which he had created.
But so, and on the 30th day of April,
1789, having been elected on the
6th day of the same month, ho
took the oath of office In New York
city, having journeyed to that place
from Mount Vernon in his private
carriage.
Washingt' ->rved his eountry as
Its first r tiutive for a period
of eight . *o terms—and de-
clined a . No other presi-
dent since Wasulugu.. has enjoyed
that distinction.
The national government, in con-
junction with the states, has under-
taken to do honor to his mepiory by
making his birthday a national holi-
day and by erecting monuments of
marble pointing skyward, but the
grandest and most expressive tribute
is embraced in the lettering: "First
in War, First in Peace, First in the
Hearts of His Countrymen," as
chiseled on the statue which Btands
an old burial ground, and Bome very
old tablets, antedating the construc-
tion of the church, are still standing,
and are in a remarkable state of pre*
ervation.
The square pew, with open door, on
the right of the pulpit and under the
balcony, is pew No. 5, which was oc-
cupied by Col. Washington when at-
tending services there until the date
of his death; he never changed his
membership from the church. A sil-
ver plate, bearing his autograph, is
on the top of the pew door. Orig.
inally all the pews In the church were
built in a square form, but later, with
the exception of the Washington pew,
were changed ' to the present-day
style of construction.
On the east wall, under the bal-
cony and to the right of the pulpit,
is a memorial tablet placed to the
memory of Gen. Washington.
A similar tablet, placed to the mem-
ory of Gen. Robert E. Lee. occupies
similar space on the wall to the left
of the pulpit. Gen. Lee was a vestry-
man of the church at the commence-
ment of. the civil war, and the p«w
occupied by him .'3 across the aisle
from and a little to the rear of the
Washington pew. This pew Is Indi-
cated by a silver plate showing his
autograph.
Washington received his commis-
fiion In 1755, as a colonel in the British
army, from Gen. Braddock, in the Car-
lyle house, at Alexandria, Va. This
house was erected in 1732 by John 8.
Cariyle on the brow of a hill, and its
base rests on an old fort built In 1615
by Capt. John Smith on one of the oc-
casions when he came up the Poto-
mac to trade with the Indians. Orig-
inally the house was reached by a fine
flight of stone steps from a beautiful
lawn reaching to Fairfax street and
adorned by 16 Lombardy poplars ai*-
Washington', WMI. Dicing 8ur,,y WMhlngton CMy.
on the plaza at the east of the can-
ltol.
Washington was a very enthusias-
tic Mason, and was identified with the
lodge in Alexandria, Va., which was
chartered In 1783 under the Pennsyl-
vania jurisdiction, but In 1788 It
was rechartered as the Alexandria-
Washington lodge, No. 22, and Wash-
ington was named as worshipful mas-
ter in the charter.
Christ church. Alexandria, Va., ivy
nd moss covered, was completed sad
-V—.
ranged in four parallel rows. The
poplars and lawn have long since dis-
appeared, and long ranges of rooms
of the present Braddock house occupy
their site, and the house is only vis-
ible to the public from the eastern or
rear side.
It was also in this house that the
unfortunate expedition against Fbit
Duquesne was arranged by Gen. Bra4-
dock and the governors of Maryland.
New York, North Carolina, Peaassl-
vanla and Vlrgiaia, la 1765.
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Tipton, W. B. The Quinlan Mirror. (Quinlan, Okla.), Vol. 5, No. 49, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 20, 1908, newspaper, February 20, 1908; Quinlan, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc174332/m1/4/: accessed April 25, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.