Detective and mystery stories; West (U.S.) -- Fiction
Jim McFann sank back in his chair, livid with rage. In his eyes was the
look of the snarling wild animal--the same look that had flashed there
when he sprang at Lowell in his camp. He motioned that he had nothing
more to say.
Fire Bear's testimony was as brief. He said that he and a company of his
young men--perhaps thirty or forty--all mounted on ponies, had taken a
long ride from the camp where they had been making medicine. The trip
was in connection with the medicine that was being made. Fire Bear and
his young men had ridden by a circuitous route, and had left the
reservation at the Greek Letter Ranch on the same morning that McFann
had found the slain man's body. They had intended riding along the
Dollar Sign road, past Talpers's and the agency, and back to their camp.
But on the big hill between Talpers's and the Greek Letter Ranch they
had found the automobile standing in the road, and a few minutes later
had found the body, just as McFann had described it. They had not seen
any trace of McFann, but had noticed the tracks of a man and pony about
the automobile and the body. The Indians had held a quick consultation,
and, on the advice of Fire Bear, had quit the scene suddenly. It was the
murder of a white man, off the reservation. It was a case for white men
to settle. If the Indians were found there, they might get in trouble.
They had galloped across the prairie to their camp, by the most direct
way, and had not gone on to Talpers's nor to the agency.
Helen expected both men to be freed at once. To her dismay, the judge
announced that both would be held for trial, without bail, following
perfunctory statements from Plenty Buffalo, Walter Lowell, and Sheriff
Tom Redmond, relating to later events in the tragedy. As in a dream
Helen saw some of the spectators starting to leave and Redmond's deputy
beckon to his prisoners, when Walter Lowell rose and asked permission to
address the court in behalf of the Government's ward, Fire Bear.
Lowell, in a few words, explained that further imprisonment probably
would be fatal to Fire Bear. He produced the certificate of the agency
physician, showing that the prisoner had contracted tuberculosis.
"If Fire Bear will give me his word of honor that he will not try to
escape," said the agent, "I will guarantee his appearance on the day set
for his trial."
A murmur ran through the court-room, quickly hushed by the insistent
gavel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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