The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-03-05

But it WIS So incungruot,s. SO pcrkily smart
and yet So feeble and helpless lying there. so
CHASTITY ludicrous in it, very nppropriatcncss
and inrapari'y to adjust itself to the surround
ing mud-capn. that it affected him with some-
thing more than % sense II its grotosuucnrs-
and h" could only stare at it hlauhIy.
" But YOUR. not looking the right way" the
girl went on shaii!y, look thcrr!'
Cus@ fuiIowcd the direction Of her whip. At
last what might have seemed II coat thrown
car",9-ly ON the ground met his eye. but pres
entity he became aware Of white. rigid. aim
rr--ly clourhcd hand protruding from the nuc-
cid s'cryr: mingled with II in some absurd way
and half hidden 10y tho grass lay what might
have hc"na pair Of Ion trousers but for two
rigid boots that pointed in opposite angles to
the sky. twas dead MAN. So pnlpably dead
that liz" seemed tn have taken nisht from his
very clothcs So impotcnt. feeble and de-
graded by them that the naked subject Of
dssrcting table would have been less insulting
to- humanity The head had fallen back and
was partly hidden in gopher hurrow but the
white, upturnod face and closed eyes had less
Of helpless death in them than those wrctchcd
cnwrHppinss Indeed ono limp hand that lay
across the swollen abdomen lent itself to the
grotcsGucy hidrous suggestion of II gentleman
slrnping of the cNrc.-r- Of II hearty dinner.
Amt he horridY" continued the girl; but
what killed him.
Struggling between n certain fascination at
the girls rold-hloldrd curiosity and horror Of
the murdered man Cas4 hrsitatingly lifted the
helpless head. A BLUSH hole above the right
temple and few brown paint like suots on the
forehead shirt collar. and matted hair proved
the only record.
Turn him over again said the girl mpn-
ticntly, n Ca~s was about to rrlinuuish his
burden. May be- you'll find another wound"
But Cass WAS dinly remembering certain
formaIities that in older Civilizations attend
the discovery OF dead bodies. and postponed II
present inquest.
Perhaps you'd better ride on. Miss. aforc
you get summoned rs n witness. III give
warning at Red Chiefs Crossing. and send the
Coroner down here
Let me 20 with you. she said earnestly. it
ould be- such fun. don't mind being II wit
ness. Or. she added, without needing Casss
look Of establishment. I'll wait here till you
come back.
bu' yo" see Miss II wou'dht seem right
began NasS'
But FOUND MN ilrst' Interrupted the girl
win pout'
StaEE'r"d 10y TINS pr'rmptiIe right sacred to
All miners 'aSs stopped.
VINO Is the coroner Z she asked.
zoe horhspy'
ne ''ll' Rlile man, WHO was nan eaten by
aEIiH|y
res
wen. i""E now! u ridc on ana DrlhS nm
DAN III nun IN nour' lh'rc'
bu' Miss!
on don nina me. never saw anything
Oh TINS klid before ana want u see IL d''
ID" you know fi"rh~hy = asked Caas, UNI
CONSCIOUSLY lrlhr IIrl'a'oi.
No. put l II btlhS hlIh' sac wheeled hcr
morse INT" the road
IN IN" lr'S'h'" "l thlS hNhS energy t"ss
quite forgot the helpless dead Have you
p'ch l"iG IN ines" parts MISS ne asked
About two weeks she answered shortly.
Hood-hy' Just now Look around for the piS-
tol or anything Else yo" can hnd' although /
nave h'rh over INC WhoIe ground twice al
ready
l'''I pun W ""1' Is ,,'' morse spf"nH 'h'o
inc ro"i' "lu'I'i 9h",n'' struggle 'heh 'Ae
regular peat "i h'ol'' ana sho was gone
After five minutes had PASSED. tdsS regretted
that he had not accompanied her: waiting in
such spot was an irNS"me task. Not that
there was anythin. in tn" scene itself to awHk
en- gloomy imaEininG-; the bright truthful
Californian sunshine srohtd Mt any Illusion II
creeping shadows or waving branches. Once
in the rising wind, the empty hat rolled over
''' 80 '' ''' ''''' - ~ '''~''
Tor any further sign token mad proved futile.
ana Cass grew impatient. tie began to hate
himself for having stayed; The would have fled
but Tor shame. Nor was his good humor re-
stored when al the clos" OF weary half hour
two gnlopns ilEur"- emerged from the dusty
horizoh-horhoby and the y""n; glrI.
His vague annoyance Increased as he fancied
that Doth seemed to ignore him, the Coroner
barely acknowledging his pros nee with nod.
Assisted by the young gin. "boe" energy and
enthusiasm evidently ""r%h'rd MN, H"rhshy
raised the body for NOR" careful eNaminn-
ton The dead mans pockets were carefully
searched lew r'i"o, "a 0'I'"r pencil, KNIFE
ana TOBACCO box We're an th'y iouhd. 1t gave
no cue to his identity. suddenly the young
EIil VINO had' with unaha-H"d curiosity, kn"li
BESIDE 'he eNPI'fi"S Official hands oil the Red
'hie'' uttered II cry oil %td'!i''auoh.
Here's som"thng 1t dropped from the
bosom Of his shirt On the ground LooF!'
Sha was holding in tie air. between her
thumb and for'ins"r, a folded biz u wcl-wcrn
Her mark lFI.