ared to shrivel
up.

"Oh, come, Murphy; speak up, man; I know you're in here."

That terror of the unknown instantly vanished. This was the familiar
language of the world, and, however the fellow came to be there, it was
assuredly a man who spoke. With a gurgling oath at his own folly,
Murphy's anger flared violently forth into disjointed speech, the
deadly gun yet clasped ready for instant action.

"Who--the hell--are ye?" he blurted out.

The visitor laughed, the bushes rustling as he pushed toward the sound
of the voice. "It's all right, old boy. Gave ye quite a scare, I
reckon."

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.