Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-08-31

yards away. and. somewhat to the
right. there lay the wreck OF the was.
on Itself, two dead mules still in the
traces, the vehicle stripped of con.
tents and charred by fire. A hundred
feet further along was tho other
wagon, its tongue broken. the canvas
top ripped open. while between the
two were scattered odds and ends Of
wearing apparel and provisions. with
a pile Of boxes smoking grimly. The
remaining mules were gone. and no
,semblance Of life remained anywhere.
Keith dropped his reins over his
horses head. and. with Winchester
cooked and ready, advanced eau
tiously.
Death from violence had long since
become almost commonplace occur
renee TO Keith. yet now ne shrank for
an instant as his eyes perceived tho
figure Of man lying motionless
across the broken wagon tongue. The
grizzled hair and beard were streaked
with blood, the face almost unrecog-
nizabe, while the hands yet grasped
a bent and shattered rifle. Evidently
the man had died fighting. beaten
down by overwhelming numbers after
expanding his last shot Then those
fends had scalped 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 a
%,
Of gravel under the river bank, before
he could fully satisfy himself there
were no others in tho party. II seem
ed impossible that these two travelling
alone would have veutured upon such
trip in tho face OF known Indian
hostility Yet they must have done
SO, and once again his lips muttered:
"Of all the blame fools"
Suddenly he halted. staring about
over the prairie, obscssed by new
thought. an aroused suspicion. There
had appeared merely the footprints
Of the one horse alongside of the flee
ing wagons when they first turned
out from the trail. and that horse had
been newly shod. But there were two
dead ponies lying back yonder; Meth
err shod, yet both had borne saddles.
More than this, they had been spur
red, the blood marks still plainly WIS.,
ible, and one OF them vas branded:
he remembered II now, a star and ar.
row. What could all this portend.
Was It possible this attack was no
Indian affair after all? Was the dis
figuring Of bodies, the scalping. mere
ly done to make it appear the act OF
savages? Driven TO Investigation by
this suspicion. he passed again over
the trampled ground, marking this
time every separate indentation. ev-
cry faintest imprint OF hoof or foot.
There was no impression Of mecca.
sin anywhere; every mark remaining
was Of booted feet The inference
was sufficiently plaintiffs had been
the deed of white men, not Of red; foul
murder, and not savage war.
The knowledge seemed to scar
Keith's brain with fire. and he sprang
TO his feet, hands clinched and eyes
blazing. He could have believed this
Of Indians, It was according to their
nature, their method Of warfare; but
the cowardliness Of IT, tho atrocity OF
the act, as perpetrated by men of his
own race, instantly aroused within
him desire for vengeance. He
wanted to run the follows down, to
discover their identity Without
thinking Of personal danger he ran
forward ON their trail, which led d.
recty westward, along the line OF
cotton woods. These served to con-
ceal his own movements. vet for the
moment, burning with passion. he
was utterly without caution. without
slightest sense OF peril He must
know who was guilty of such a crime;
he felt capable OF killing them even as
he would venemous snakes. II was a
perfectly plain trail to follow, for tho
fugitives. apparently convinced OF
safety, and confident their cowardly
deed would be charged TO Indian raid.
ers, had made no particular effort at
concealment, but had ridden away at
a gallop. their horses hoofs digging
deeply into the soft turf On this re-.
treat they had followed closely along
the river bank, aiming for the ford.
and almost before he realized It Keith
was himself at the waters edge where
the trail abruptly ended, staring
vaguely across toward the opposite
shore. Even as he stood there, real
izing the futility Of further pursuit
amid the maze of sand duaes opposite,
the sharp reports Of two rifles reach
ed him, spurts of smoke rose from tho
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, sery-
ed to send Keith to cover. Cool-head-
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 &C
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 molestauon 30 long as he re-
tntI hn nrfh