The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1911-11-30
vaguely across toward the opposite


the sharp reports of two rifles reach
ed him, spurts of smoke rose from the
farther bank. and bullet chugged
into the ground at his feet, while an
other sang shrilly overhead.
These shots, although neither came
sufficiently near to be alarming, serv-
ed to send Keith to cover Coolhead-
ed and alert now, his first mad rage
dissipated, he scanned the opposite
bank cautiously, but could nowhere
discover any evidence of life. Little
by little he comprehended the situa-
ton, and decided upon his own ac-
ton. The fugitives were aware of his
presence, and would prevent his
crossing the stream, yet they were
not at all liable to return to this side
and thus reveal their identity. To
attempt any further advance would be
madness, but he felt perfectly secure
from molestation SO long as he re-
manned quietly on the north shore.
Those shots were merely a warning
to keep back; the very fact that the
men firing kept concealed was proof
positive that they simply wished to be
left alone They were not afraid OF
what he knew now, only DESTROYS OF
not being seen Confident as to this,
he retreated openly, without making
the slightest effort to conceal his
movements, until he had regained the
scene of murder In evidence of the
truth of his theory no further shots
| were fired, and although he watched
that opposite sand bank carefully, not
the slightest movement revealed the
presence of others. That every mo-
ton he made was being observed by
keen eyes he had no doubt, but this
knowledge did not disconcert him,
now that he felt convinced fear Of re-
! vealment would keep his watchers at
a safe distance Whoever they might
be they were evidently more anxious
to escape discovery than he was fear
full Of attack. and possessed no desire
to take his life, unless 1t became
| necessary to prevent recognition.
They still had every reason to believe
their attack on the wagons would be
credited to hostile Indians, and would
consider it far safer to remain con-
cealed, and thus harbor this SUPPOSE
/ ton They could not suspect that
Keith had already stumbled upon the
truth, and was determined to verify
it.
Secure in this conception of the sit
uation, yet still keeping a wary eye
about to guard against any treachery,
the plainsman, discovering a spade in
the nearest wagon, hastily dug hole
in the sand, wrapped the dead bodies
in blankets, and deposited them there
| in, piling above the mound the char
red remains of boxes as some slight
protection against prowling wolves.
He searched the clothing Of the men,
few letters which were slipped into
his pockets to be read later, some or
| binary trinkets hardly worth preserv-
ing except that they might assist in
identifying the victims, and, about the
neck Of the elder man, a rather pc
culiar locket, containing a portrait
painted on ivory. Keith was a long
time opening this, the spring being
very 'ingeniously concealed, but upon
features of a woman of middle age,
a strong mature face of marked re-
fnement, exceedingly attractive still,
with. smiling dark eyes. and a perfect
wealth of reddish brown hair He
held the locket open in his hand for
several minutes, wondering WHO she
could be, and what possible connec-
ton she could have held with the
dead Something about that face
smiling up into his own held peculiar
fascination for him, gripping him with
strange feeling of familiarity touch
ing some dim memory which failed
to respond. Surely he had never seen
the original, for she was not one to
be easily forgotten, and yet eyes.
hair, expression. combined to remind
him of some one whom he had seen
but could not bring definitely to mind
There were no names on the locket,
no marks of Identification of any kind,
yet realizing the sacredness of it,
Keith slipped the fragile gold chain
about his neck, and securely hid the
trinket beneath his shirt.
1t was noon by this time, the sun
high overhead, and his horse, with
dangling rein, still nibbling daintily
at the short grass. There was no rea-
son for his lingering longer. He swept
his gaze the length and breadth of the
desolate valley, and across the river
over the sand hills. All alike appear
ed deserted, not moving thing being
visible between the bluffs and the
stream. Still he had the unpleasant
feeling of being watched, and it made
him restless and eager to be away
The earlier gust of anger. the spirit
of revenge, had left him, but it had
merely changed into a logged resolu-
ton to discover the perpetrators of
this outrage and bring them to justice
for the crime. The face In the locket
seemed to ask 1t Of him, and his ma
ture urged response. But he could
hope to accomplish nothing more
here, and the plainsman swung him
self into the saddle. He turned his
horses head eastward, and rode
away. From the deeply rutted trail
he looked back to where the fire still
~, he lot ~ <h,x