The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1894-04-26

was almost dark before he again found
himself in defile 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.
/ lie 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-
Elected, be awaiting him anxiously, for
he had been absent nearly five hours.
In the gladness of his heart he put his
hands to his mouth and made the glen
reccho to loud halo as a signal that
he was coming. lie paused and listened
for an answer None came save his
own cry, which clattered up the dreary,
silent ravines, and was borne back TO
his ears in countless repetitions. Again
he shouted. even louder than before,
and again no whisper came back from
the friends whom he had left such q
short time ago. A vague, nameless
dread came over him, and he hurried
onward frantcally 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 glow
ing pile of wood-ashcs there. but it had
evidently not been tended since his de-
parture. The same dead silence still
reigncd all round. With his fears
changed to convictions, he buried on.
} There was no living creature near the
remains of the fire. animals, man,
maiden, all were gone. II was only
too clear that some sudden and terrible
disaster had occurred during his ali
seneca disaster which had embraced
them all and yet had left no traces be
hind it,
Bcw:ldcred and stunned by thi,
blow. jefferson Hope felt his head spin
round. and had to lean upon his rifle I,
save himself from falling. He was es
scntially a man of action, however, and
speedily recovered from his temporary
impotence. Selling a half-consuned
piece of wood from the smouldering
fire. he blew it into flame, and pro
ceeded with its help to examine the
little camp. The ground was al
stamped down by the feet of horses
showing that large party of mounted
men had overtaken the fugitives, anC
the direction of their tracks proved
that they had afterward turned bach
To salt Lake City. Had they carried
back both of his companions will
them? jefferson Hope had almost per
suaded himself that they must have
done 50, when his eye fell upon an OBJ
jcct which made every nerve of hi
body tingle within him. A little wa
on one side of the camp was a low
!. lying head of reddish soil. which haC
assuredly not been there before. Their,
was no MISLEADING it for anything buti
newly-dug grave. As the young hunte
, approached it, he perceived that a sticl
, had been planted on it, with sheet o
paper stuck in the cleft fork of it. Tn
, inscription upon the paper was brief
-, but 10 the point:
.'''''''' ''''.'..''. '''... '''.'' ''.'.''''''~f
= JOHN FERRIER