The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-06-02

With these facts before him the ot1l-
Ger went to work. But by the end of
a month he had been able to unearth
nothing further, except that John Drift
had been seen talking to various busi-
ness men in different parts of the town
on the same morning as when he
squared accounts with the smelter peo-
pie.
And now his daughter, Flora, became
impatient at the seeming incompetence
OF the officer. He might have been an
expert" the best in the West, and all
that; but in her eyes, he did not begin
to know his business. So, she made
up her mind to see what aid she could
lend in finding out the mysterious MUIR
derer. She persuaded him not only to
secure the services Of Barking Wolf
again but also to send off for famous
Navajo trailer named Bloodhound.
And then sister and brother packed a
horse with bedding and provisions,
gave the Indians as good mounts as
their own, and started for the Mogol-
Ions.
The third sunset out found them
making camp at the foot of Deer Ridge
By dawn the trailers had gorged them
selves to roundness with white mans
grub" and were climbing the slope
afoot, closely followed by Flora and
her brother. Barking Wolf pointed
out the place where the body had been
found; and in his native tongue he ac-
curately described to Bloodhound the
position in which it lay. He pointed
out, also, the single trail made by the
cattleman, together with numerous
minor details too finely drawn for civil
lied minds. And the search for signs
began.
Work at first was slow and difficult
on account of the ground having prev
iousy been tramped by the sheriff and
his deputies. But as the bucks circed
wider and wider, they quickened their
steps into shutting trot, and, finally,
into run. Bloodhound led the way,
working faster and faster until they
had gone some distance beyond the
limit Of Barking VOLTS former search.
All at once Flora saw the bucks stou
suddenly about 200 yards away on the
north slope of the ridge. Bloodhound
stopped and picked up something from
a clump of low brush He and Bark
ing Wolf stood looking at it curiously
Putting whip to their horses, Flora
and Dick dashed eagerly forward.
Me find something!" exclaimed
Bloodhound, holding out a red object
as they galloped up. Don't know
what him is; never saw before"
Flora took it from the buck with
trembling hand. 1t was a red silk CAP
Of very peculiar style, made without a
visor and lined with white satin, and
on the inside band a blur of gilt let.
tiers spelled Denver" A stain just
above was all that remained of what
had probably been the firms name
Flora and Dick looked at each other
in establishment. A red silk cap out
in those wilds What could it mean
Was it a clew! If not, what was II
doing there?
"Oh, said Flora. IF we could only
make out the name of the firm
But in vain they held the cap up t.
the sun and looked at the blur from
different positions, and brought thei
mining glasses to bear. The perspira
ton from the wearers head had hope
lessly erased everything except the on
word. Denver" The strangest fact o
all, however, was that the Indian
could even now, find no yestige of
track, either of horse or man, though
they continued their search for tw,
whole days, and examined every foo
of ground, every rock, within radiu
of a quarter of a mile.
Flora would have gladly remained a
long as the provisions held out, bu
the bucks positively refused to wor,
smother day. They declared the ridg
to be haunted. THAT why" explaine
Bloodhound, we no find trail Dea
mems ghosts kill John Drift and brin
him here for hide him When ghos
walk it make no track" So the part
returned TO the Drift mining camp.
A letter from the officer in Denve
awaited them. lie had discovered moth
ing new; believed the case to be hope
S less. Dick believed so himself. BE
sides, his duties as foreman were press
ing. He could do nothing more a
present.
But Flora, far from being discourag
ed, was more determined than evel
Only one idea filled her mind-to fin
F the owner of that red silk cap-and t
Denver she hied, taking care that n
one except her brother should knov
what was in the wind. Even the ex
pert working on the case must not b
aware of her presence in the city, s
she engaged lodgings at a privat
: house and took the precaution neye