Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1911-08-30
CHAPTER 10
Tho Scene Of Traqedy.

tHo oCono OF Tragedy.
Whatever might be the nature Of
the tragedy 1t would be over with long
before this. and those moving black
spots away yonder to the west. that
he had discerned from the bluff. were
undoubtedly the departing raiders.
There 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. perchance. women had been In
the party. in which case they would
nave 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 traversed
nliy half mile before coming upon
any evidence Of fght-here the pur-
sNers had apparently come up with
ene wagons, and circled out upon
either side. From their ponies tracks
fhere must have been a dozen In the
oand. Perhaps hundred yards furth-
or along lay two dead ponies. Keith
examined them closely-both had
peen ridden with saddles, the marks
OF the cinches plainly visible. Evil
nently one OF the wagon mules had
also dropped in the traces here. and
mad been dragged along by his mates.
vust beyond came sudden depression
IN the prairie down which the wagons
mad plunged SO heavily as to break
one or the axles; the wheel lay a few
yards away. and. somewhat to the
right. there lay the wreck OF the wag-
On itself, two dead mules still In the
traces. the vehicle stripped of con-
tehts and charred by fire. hundred
feet further along was the other
wagon. its tongue broken. the canvaa
top ripped open, while between the
TWO were scattered odds and ends of
wearing apparel and provisions, with
q pile OF boxes smoking grimly. The
remaining mules were gone. and no
'eemolance OF life remained anywhere
Keith dropped his reins over his
.horse's head. and. with Winchester
cooked and ready. advanced eau
tiously.
Death from violence had long since
become almost a commonplace occur
renee to Keith, yet now he shrank for
an instant an his eyes perceived the
inquire OF a man lying motionless
across the broken wagon tongue The
grizzled hair and beard were streaked
with blood. the face almost unrecog.
nizable. while the hands yet grasped
a bent and shattered rifle. Evidently
the man had died fighting. beaten
down by overwhelming numbers after
expending his last shot. Then those
nends had scalped and left him where
ne 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 q
widc circle. even scanning the stretch
OF gravel under the river bank before
ne could fully satisfy himself theme
were no others in the party. II seem.
ed Impossible that these two travelling
alone wrHdld have ventured upon such
trip ID the face OF known Indian
hostility Yet they must have done
30. and once again his lips muttered.
OF all the blame foolsi"
suddenly he halted, staring about
over the prairie. obsessed by n nov
thought. an aroused suspicion. There
mad appeared merely the hoof.nrints
OF the one horse alongside of the fec.
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.
er shod, yet both had borne saddles
More than this they had been spur.
red. the blood marks still plainly via.
tble, and one Of them was branded
ae remembered II now. a star and ar.
Fow What could all this portend9
Was II possible this attack was M
indian affair after all? Was the dia.
nguTing OF bodies. tho scalping. mere
~ done to make II appear the act NJ
sayages? Driven TO investigation nv
this suspicion. he passed again ovor
the trampled ground. marking This
time every separate indentation ev.
cry faintest imprint Of hoof or foot
There was no impression OF a mecca.
Elm 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 aot savage war
The knowledge seemed to scar
Keith's brain With Gre. and he sprang
20 Lis feet. hands clinched and eyes
blAring lie could have believed this
Of Indians, II was according to their
nature. their method Of warfare; but
the cowardliness Of Il. the atrocity OF
the act. as perpetrated by men OF his
own race. instantly aroused within
him a desire for vengeance He
wanted 70 run the fellows down. to
ciscOvez their identity without
thinking Of personal danger he ran
forward on their trail. which led dl.
pertly westward. along the line of