The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1911-12-29
frenzy by the man on horseback; the
pounding Of the ponies hoofs. pune.
tuated by the exultant yells OF the
pursuers. Again he swore:
"of all the blame foolel"
CHAPTER ~
The Scene Of Tragedy.


tne tragedy II would be over with long
before this, and those moving black
spots away yonder TO the west, that
he had discerned from tie bun. were
undoubtedly the departing raiders
There was nothing left for Keith "a
DO except determine the fate OF the
unfortunates, and give their bodies de.
cent burial That any had escaped
or yet lived, was altogether unlikely
unless. perchance, women had been in
the party, in which case they would
have been borne away prisoners.
Confident that no hostiles, would be
LEFT behind 10 observe his movements.
Keith pressed steadily forward. lend.
Ing his horse He had thus traversed
fully half mile before coming upon
any evidence Of fight here the pnr.
huers had apparently come up with
the wagons. and circled out upon
either side. From their ponies tracks
there must have been a dozen In the
band Perhaps a hundred yards furth,
CT along lay two daad nnnlAe I5..I.l,
examined them closely both had
been ridden with saddles. the marks
OF the cinehes plainly visible Evil,
IDENTITY one OF the wagon mules had
also dropped In the traces here, and
bad been dragged along by his mates.
Just beyond came a sudden depression
10 the prairie down which DE Wagons
had plunged 30 heavily as to break
one Of the nxles; the wheel lRy fow
yards away and, somewhat 10 tbe
right, there lay the wreck OF the wae
on itself, two dead mules still in the
traces, the vehicle stripped OF con
tents and charred by IRE, A hundred
feet further along was the oihsr
wagon. It's tongue broken, tie canvas
top ripped opon. while between tho
two were scattered odds aud ends or
wearing apparel and provisions. with
a pile Of boxes smoking grimly. The
remaining mules were gone and no
semblance Of lie remained anywhere.
Keith dropped his reins over hIal
horses head. and, with Winchester
cooked and ready. advanced eau
tlousiy.
Death from violence had long since
become almost commonplace occur. 1
renee 10 Keith. ye, now he sbrank for
an instant as his eyes perceived the /
figure Of man lying mo,lonless
across the broken wagon tongue. The
sFissicd hair and beard were streaked
with blood. the face almost unrerog
nizable, while the hands yet grasped 4
! bent and shattered rinc. Evidently
The man had died fighting, benton
Town by Overwhelming numbers after
rxpendlng his last shot Then those
lends had acalped and left him where
ie fell. Fifty feet beyond. slot In
he back; lay Younger man, doubled
~ IN heap. alHo scalped and dead.
That was NIL; Keith secuted over
vide circle. even scanning the stretch
y gravel under the river bank. before
lie could folly satisfy himself there
we're no others In tho party II seem
q Impossible that these two travelling
lone would have venturod upon such
trip In the face OF known Indian
ostility Yet they must have done
o, and once again his lips muttcred
"of NIL the blame fools,"
Suddenly no halted, staring about
Yer the prairie obsessed by new
bought, an aroused suspicion. There
I'D appeared merely the footprints
the one horse alongside OF the fec
IL wagons when they first turned
VI from the trail, and that horse had
cen newly she'd But there we're two Z
cad ponies lying back yonder: Meth
: shod. yet both had borne saddles
ese than this. they hai been spur.
ID, the blood marks sun plainly Wis.
lie, and one Of them was branded;
: remembered II now, a star and ar
w. What could all this porteBd? !
AS II possible this attack was no
dian AFFAIR after all? Was the dis. y
suring OF bodies. the scalping mere. y
done TO make II appear the act OF
fages? Driven 70 Investigation nv
Is suspicion, he passed again over
e tampled ground. marking this
ne every separate indentation. ey.
: a"'AtN'f iHHAAhN VI HbpL Ut loot
lere WAS no impression Of mecca a
> anywhere; every mark remaining >
rs OF booted feet The Inference ,
ls sufficiently plain this had been q
e deed OF white men, not OF red; foul o
rider. and not savage war. 8
The knowledge seemed to scar y,
'ith's BRAIN with FIRE and he sprang =
his feet. hands clinched and eyes n
lzlng He could have believed this =
Indians. Il was according to their :,
ture, their method of warfare; but -
! cowardliness of Il, the atrocity OF :,
act. as perpetrated by men OF his ~
n race, instantly aroused within :.
n desire for vengeance. He j
ntes TO run tho follows dawn, TO :,
cover their identity, without y,
mixing OF personal danger he ran n,
ward on their trail. which led di. az
tly westward, along the line OF n
tonwoods. These served to cor, ~
I bis own movements. vet for the ~
We mt, burning with passion, he ~
iriltterly without caution, without "a,
eldest sense Of peril. He must V
, swho was guilty OF such crime:
ATT capable of killing them even as
: Juld venemous snakes. II was a