Semi-weekly herald., 1911-05-01
o4APraR u
The sssn. 81 Tragedy.

The Scene % Tragedy.
Whatever might be the nature of
the tragedy 1t wsuid be ever with long
before this. and those moving black
srots away yondsr to tho west, that
be had liscsrned from the bluR. were
undoubtedly the departing raiders.
Thsrs was nothing left for Keith to
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. perchsncs. women had been in
the party. In which case they would
have been borne away prisoners.
Confident that NO hostiles would be
left behind TO observe his movements,
Keith pressed steadily forward, lead.
ing his horse. He had thus trayersed
fully half = mile before coming upon
any evidence Of q hght-hsre the pur-
susrs had apparently come up with
the wagons. and circlsd out upon
either side. From their ponies tracks
there must have been a dozen In the
band. Perhaps a hundred yards furth.
or along lay two dead ponies. Keith
examined then closely-both had
been ridden with saddles, the marks
Of the oinches plainly visible. Eyi.
IDENTIFY one Of the wagon mules had
also dropped in the traces here, and
had been dragged along by his mates.
Just beyond came a sudden depression
in the prairie down which the wagons
haa ui,tnuak
one of the axles; the wheel lay a few
yards away. and. somewhat to the
right. there lay the wreck OF the wax.
en- itself. tive dead mules still In the
traces. the vehicle stripped OF con
tents and charred BY FIRE. hundred
feet further along was the ether
wagon, Its tongue broken. the canvas
top ripped open. while between tho
two were scattered odds and ends OF
wearing apparel and provisions. with
pile Of boxes smoking Ermiy. The
remaining mules we're gone. and no
senblaRce of life remained anywhere.
Keith dropped his reins over his
horses head. and. with Winchester
cooked and ready. advanced eau.
tisusly.
Death from violence had long since
become almost = commonplace occur
renee to Keith. yet now he shrank for
an instant AS his eyes perceived the
fgure OF man lying motionless
across the broken wagon tongue Tho
grizzled hair and beard were streaked
with blood. the face almost unrecog
hizable. while the hands yet Krasped
= bent and shattered rife. Evidently
the man had died fighting, beaten
down by overwhelming numbers after
expending his last shot Then those
fiends had scaiped and left him where
he fell Fifty feet beyond. shot in
the back lay = younger man, doubled
up in = heap. also scalped and dead.
That was all; Keith secuted over
wide circle. even scanning the stretch
Of gravel under the river bank, before
he could fully satisfy himself there
were no others in the party 1t seem
ed Impossible that these tive travelling
alone would have ventured upon such
trip in tho face OF known Indian
hostility. Yet they must have done
50. and once again his lips muttersA:
"ef all the blame foolsi"
Suddenly he halted, staring about
over the prairie. sbsessed by 4 new
thought, an aroused suspicion. There
had appeared merely the hoof prints
Of the one hsrse alongside Of the fee
ing wagons when they first turned
cut from the trail and that horse had
been new1y shod. But there were TIVE
dead ponies lying back yonlsr; neith-
or shed. yet both had borne saddles.
More than this. they had been SUR
red. the blood marks still plainly Wis
ibls. and one Of them was branded;
he remembered II new, . star and ar.
row. What could all this portenlf
Was It possible this attack was ns
Indian affair after ALI Was the dis
figuring Of bodies. the scalDing, mere
ly done 10 make It appsar the act Of
sayaSss! Driven to invsstigation BY
this suspicion. he passed again ever
the trampisl ground. marking this
time every separate inlsatatisa, ev-
cry faintsst inpriat Of hesf or fset.
There was Ne imprsssisn Of q mecca
sin anywhere; every mark remaining
was Of booted feet. The inference
WIS sumcisatly plaintiffs had been
the deed Of white men. not Of red foul
murder. aad net savage war.
The knewlsdgs seemed to scar
Ksfth's brain with hrs. and hs sprang
10 his feet. hands clinchsd and eyes
blazing He could have believed this
Of Indiana. Il WAS according to their
natars. their method OF warfare; bat
the cswardliness Of 1t, the atr0city of
the act. as ps<petratsd by Asn Of his
own race. INSTANTLY aroused within
him = DESIRE fer vengeance. He
wanted 70 run the fellows down, to
discover tAsir Identity. Without
thiAkins of personal danger he ran
forward 81 their trail. which - ii.
rsouy westward. along the lins Of
csttsnwosds These served 70 cen.
cssl his own nsvsmests. yet fer the
moment. burning with passion, he
was utterly without caution, without
slightest sense Of peril. He must
knew whs was guilty Of such 4 crime;
he felt capable Of killing them svss ~
As would Vsnemeus snakes. 1t vas .
perfectly plain tran 70 fslsw. fer the