mercy; Murphy bit and clawed, and Hampton could only dash in upon him in the effort to force him back.  He worked his way, inch by inch, to his feet, his slender figure rigid as steel, and closed in upon the other; but Murphy writhed out of his grasp, as a snake might.  The younger man realized now to the full his peril, and his hand slipped down to the gun upon his hip.  There was a sudden glint in the faint starlight as he struck, and the stunned maniac went down quivering, and lay motionless on the hard ground.  For a moment the other remained standing over him, the heavy revolver poised, but the prostrate figure lay still, and the conqueror slipped his weapon back into its leather sheath with a sigh of relief.

The noise of their struggle must have carried far through that solemn stillness, and no one could guess how near at hand might be bands of prowling savages.  Yet no sound came to his strained ears except the soft soughing of the night wind through the trees, and the rustling of grass beneath the tread of the horses.  With the quick decision of one long accustomed to meet emergencies, Hampton unbuckled the lariat from one of the led animals, and bound Murphy’s hands and limbs securely.

As he worked he thought rapidly.  He comprehended the extreme desperation of their present situation.  While the revolver blow might possibly restore Murphy to a degree of sanity, it was far more probable that he would awaken violent.  Yet he could not deliberately leave this man to meet a fate of horror in the wilderness.  Which way should they turn?  Enough food, if used sparingly, might remain to permit of a hasty retreat to Cheyenne, and there would be comparatively little danger in that direction.  All visible signs indicated that the scattered Indian bands were rapidly consolidating to the northward, closing in on those troops scouting the Yellowstone, with determination to give early battle.  Granting that the stream they were now on should prove to be the Tongue, then the direct route toward where Custer was supposed to be would be northwest, leading ever deeper into the lonely wilderness, and toward more imminent peril.  Then, at the end of that uncertain journey, they might easily miss Custer’s column.  That which would have been quickly decided had he been alone became a most serious problem when considered in connection with the insane, helpless scout.  But then, there were the despatches!  They must be of vital importance to have required the sending of Murphy forth on so dangerous a ride; other lives, ay, the result of the entire campaign, might depend upon their early delivery.  Hampton had been a soldier, the spirit of the service was still with him, and that thought brought him to final decision.  Unless they were halted by Sioux bullets, they would push on toward the Big Horn, and Custer should have the papers.