Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-05-05
CHAPTER III.
THE RANcuR-A SURPRISE.

then, seeing no one, into the dwelling itself,
finding the door uniastened.
In the course of a minute he returned to
his young companion.
ssrhere is no one here, he announced.
.perhaps the late conduct Of the red
skins, of which we were speaking, has
frightened Mr.. Woodbury. away z
Kit shook his head.
s.Mr. Woodbury. has not been here lately,
he asserted. There hasn't teen stroke
of work done on tile place this summer.
tsIIe may have gone away last fall, then,
and not have returned.
The scout again shook lis head
81 fear your former suggestion is the true
one, he remarked.
Namely, that the Indians have killed
| him n
.Yes. The door is full Of bullets, and
| the turf walls are burnt and smoked, in
places, as if the redskins had fired into
| them at short range. | fear Mr.. Woodbury.
has been killed =
elias the house been ravaged.
No. Everything appears as Mr.. Wood
bury would have naturally left il, only In
disordered state The furniture is here, such
as il was, the dishes, the household stuff Of
every descriptions but everything is dirty,
damaged and going to pieces. III tell you
just what think, which is, that somebody
has killed Mr.. Woodbury., and that this
somebody has taken possessi0- "
sis there any sign of this somebody hav
ing been here lately?
Yes. cannot say how ~, but
should say within a day or two, although
the hearth is perfectly cold. There is a pail
Of water in the pantry. part nf "a ham, bag
of corn Il bag Of flour, a dish Of salt, and
various other articles Of food. There is
bed of skins in each room, which LOOK as If
lately occupied,
"This is very singular, commented Ellie,
"Mr. Woodbury. must have strange sue
cessor. Who can he be-!
g think he's red-skin !
"And Why?
Because the lock and bars, which have
been burst from the door, have not been re-
placed. This shows that the occupant is rot
afraid of the red skins
Ellie unused a moment upon this unexpec-
ted condition of affairs, and then asked;
i swell, what shall We dot
Before replying, the scout 10 ked at his
j horse scarchingly, assuring himself that the
animal was very tired.
I "We'll halt here u little while, he then
said "long enough to take bite ourselves
and allow Dolby to do justice to part of that
corn in the pantry"
4 81 shall be glad to rest awhile" observed
e Ellie, as She alighied. 9 ] am very tired !"
n Naturally enough, after all these adven
a lures. But good supper,and good night:
d rest will bring you out again Walk in ant
q make yourself at home Ill just slip Dob
h by into the corral, so that he will not STRAY
!, off in the darkness"
n They made fire, and had coarse bu
n comfortable meal
,e ''Such supper, with our hunger, is bet
ter than feast withoutappetite,' remarked
[e Ellie.
n don't know why we whondn't put up q
u this hotel until morning. observed Kit, a
I'd he looked contentedly about him. True
er The landlord is absent, but we can get alon
Il without him"
81 think the only question is asto whetl
er We can get along NTH him, il he shout
IN chance to return during the night.
Ne I'm answer for that contingency. 0
the whole, think we will do well to sta
Is here until morning. Theirs room for enc
" &c us, and plenty of buffalo robes to mai
he us comfortable"
10 AS he spoke he laid some more wot
lie upon the fire, to light up the interior Of T.
Ills rancho, and a bright body of flames almo
10. instantly Illuminated the scene around hi
| as perfectly as it could have been illumin
Ill. ted by the sun at midday.
civ Look at that = suddenly cried Eiiic,
ey- a startled Whisper, as she laaped to her fe,
what IL tndt
lie. =" What. Where z" demanded the SEQ,
That writing, in red letters, upon t
on wall behind u.s." exclaimed Miss Lyon, I
ae. blood receding frtm her face, while
.rle form shook violently.
ave She pointed to the wall opposite the fl
YOU pace-the wall upon which those rud
flames shone so vividly-and there the sec
ice. beheld several lines of coarse and irr,
ular writing, evidently the work OF
ave human finger, which had again and ag
been dipped in blood
Is. This terrible revelation was as follows
g am attacked, this 10th of March,
can Fleet Foot and dozen others. Alrca
the terribly wounded. Expect to go und
as the door can't hold nut mach longer.
" y, JONI WOODBURY.
am 1t was message from the dead
ven The mystery Of poor Woodbury's
was stood terribly revealed.
10 In his last moments, mortally wound
he had written with his finger, and with
took own blood that fearful message.
idn't Before the scout and his companion CO
J. Withdraw their gaze from that dreadful; !
J. citation, they were further startled by sou
hui that came to their hearing from without
office rancho
was Then their eyes met.
,yas ." hear footsteps, y murmured Ellie.
estly "And voices also = replied Carson.
sness AT the same lustant uog was ~ ~
lnce. snu1ling atthe entrance Vi .he ,ahche
mon the dog began to bark furiously, while
ne il. sound of hurried footsteps arose in from
| ey the door,
The scout and his companion ,
nent- startled.
r Their minds were so full of the teri
midi fate which had overlaken the former o
fresh pant OF the ranchc, poor w: WooupurN
. ex- revealed by that strange wrlunS oh tie nv,
!, dis thai they could thihk Oh mourning ou'
skins.
ling The approaching footsteps became LOT
,urse, VINO can they pcs "ispcieu i.iie'
some dlans T.
The above is all of this story that wi
!? II published in our columns. The cont
where lion Of it from where 1t leaves off here
= -. 10 found nnlu in tho New York Lee