CHAPTER

       I an unpleasant situation
      II “Brick” Hamlin
     III the news at Ripley
      IV the attack
       V the defence of the stage
      VI the condition in the coach
     VII plans foe escape
    VIII A way to the river
      IX across the river
       X the ripening of acquaintance
      XI A remembrance of the past
     XII the parting
    XIII back at fort Dodge
     XIV under arrest
      XV an old acquaintance
     XVI the meeting
    XVII at cross-purposes
   XVIII another message
     XIX A full confession
      XX Molly tells her story
     XXI Molly disappears
    XXII A deepening mystery
   XXIII the dead body
    XXIV in pursuit
     XXV in the blizzard
    XXVI unseen danger
   XXVII Hughes’ story
  XXVIII snowbound
    XXIX the chase
     XXX the fight in the snow
    XXXI the girl and the man
   XXXII words of love
  XXXIII Molly’s story
   XXXIV the advance of Custer
    XXXV the Indian trail
   XXXVI ready to attack
  XXXVII the battle with the Indians
 XXXVIII at camp supply

ILLUSTRATIONS

His fingers gripped the iron top rail, and he slowly pulled
his body up . . . . . . Frontispiece

“No, don’t move!  The stage has been gutted and set on fire”

The two started back at his rather abrupt entrance

His Colt poised for action, he lifted the wooden latch

MOLLY McDONALD

CHAPTER I

AN UNPLEASANT SITUATION

When, late in May, 1868, Major Daniel McDonald, Sixth Infantry, was first assigned to command the new three company post established southwest of Fort Dodge, designed to protect the newly discovered Cimarron trail leading to Santa Fe across the desert, and, purely by courtesy, officially termed Fort Devere, he naturally considered it perfectly safe to invite his only daughter to join him there for her summer vacation.  Indeed, at that time, there was apparently no valid reason why he should deny himself this pleasure.  Except for certain vague rumors regarding uneasiness among the Sioux warriors north of the Platte, the various tribes of the Plains were causing no unusual trouble to military authorities, although, of course, there was no time in the history of that country utterly devoid of peril from young raiders, usually aided and abetted by outcast whites.  However, the Santa Fe route, by this date, had become a well-travelled trail, protected by scattered posts along its entire route, frequently patrolled by troops, and merely considered dangerous for small parties, south of the Cimarron, where roving Comanches in bad humor might be encountered.