Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-03-30

never seen before. CouviuceI tnat ne
had taken the wrong turn, he tried
another. but with the same result.
Night was coming on rapidly, and it
was almost dark before he again found
himself in a def1le which was familiar
to him. Even then it was no easy mat
ter to keep on the right track, for the
moon had not yet risen, and the high
cliffs on either side made the obscurity
more profound. Weighed down with
his burden and weary from his exer-
tions, he stumbled along, keeping up
his heart by the reflection that every
step brought him nearer to Lucy, and
that he carried with him enough to in
sure them food for the remainder of
their journey.
He had now come to the mouth of
the very defile in which he had left
them. Even in the darkness he could
recognize the outlines of the cliffs
which bounded it. They must. he re-
| fected, be awaiting him anxiously, foi
! he had been absent nearly five hours
/ In the gladness of his heart he put hit
hands to his mouth and made the gleI
reecho to loud halo as u signal thai
he was coming. He paused and listened
for an answer. None came save hin
own cry, which clattered up the dreary
silent ravines, and was borne back *
his ears in countless repetitions. Agar
he shouted, even louder than before
and again no whisper came back from
the friends whom he had left such
short time ago. a vague, nameless
dread came over him, and he hurried
onward frantically, dropping the pre-
cious food in his agitation.
When he turned the corner, he came
full in sight of the spot where the fire
had been lit There was still a glow
ing pile of wood-ashes there, but it had
evidently not been tended since his de
parture The same dead silence stih
reigned all round. With his fears
changed to convictions, he hurried on
There was no living creature near the
remains of the fire; animals, man
maiden, all were gone. 1t was only
too clear that some sudden and terrible
disaster had occurred during his alb
seneca disaster which had embraced
them all and yet had left no traces be
hind it.
Bew:ldered and stunned by this
blow, jefferson Hope felt his head spin
round, and had to lean upon his rifle to
save himself from falling. He was es
sentially man Of action, however, and
speedily recovered from his temporary
impotence. Selling a half-consumed
piece of wood from the smoulderine
fire, he blew it into flame, and pro
ceeded with its help to examine the
little camp. The ground was all
stamped down by the feet of horses
showing that large party of mounted
mon had overtaken the fugitives, and
t,.e direction of their tracks proved
that they had afterward turned back
to Salt Lake City. Had they carried
back both of his companions with
them? jefferson Hope had almost per
suaded himself that they must have
done SO, when his eye fell upon an OBJ
ject which made every nerve of his
body tingle within him. A little way
on one side of the camp was low.
lying head of reddish soil, which had
assuredly not been there before. There
was no mistaking it for anything buta
newly-dug grave. AS the young hunter
approached it. he perceived that stick
had been planted on it, with sheet OF
paper stuck in the cleft fork of it. The
inscription upon the paper was brief,
but to the point: