The copper era and Morenci leader., 1912-01-26

the sharp reports or two r1HeS TedCn- ed him, spurts of smoke rose from the farther bank, and a 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. 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- tion, and decided upon his own ac- tion. 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- mafned 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 desirous 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 safe distance. Whoever they might be they were evidently more anxious to escape discovery than be was fear full of attack, and possessed no desire to take his life, unless it 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 cea1ed, and thus harbor this supposi- 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,
 but found little to reward the effort, a few letters which were slipped into his pockets to be read later, some or dinary trinkets hardly worth preserv- ing except that they might assist in identifying the victims, and, about the neck of the elder man, a rather pe- culiar locket, containing a portrait painted on ivory. Keith was a long time opening this, the spring being very ingenious1y concealed, but upon finally succeeding, he looked upon the features of a woman of middle age, a strong mature face of marked re- fnement, exceedingly attractive still, with smiling dar& 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 a 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.
 It 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 req 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 a 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 1t had merely changed into dogged resolu- tion to discover the perpetrators of this outrage and bring them to justice for the crime. The face in the locket seemed to ask it of him, and his na- 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 daenlY rutted trail