Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1912-06-06
CHAPTER II
The Scene Of Tragedy.


the tragedy it would be over with long |
before this. and those moving blaclr,
spots away yonder to the west. that |
he had discerned from the blum 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
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 traversed
fully half mile before coming upon
any evidence OF a fight-here the pur-
suers had apparently come up with
the wagons. and circled out upon
either side. From their ponies tracks
there must have been a dozen in the
band. Perhaps hundred yards furth-
er along lay two dead ponies. Keith
examined them closely both had
been ridden with saddles. the marks
OF the cinches plainly visible Evil
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
lad plunged so heavily as to break
one OF the axles: the wheel lay 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
/ tents and charred by fire A hundred
+ feet further along was the 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 grmly. The
remaining mules were gone. and no
scmblance 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 he shrank for
an instant as his eyes perceived the
figure OF man lying motionless
across the broken wagon tongue. The
grizzled hair and beard were streaked
with blood. the face almost unrecog
Unable while the hands yet grasped
bent and shattered rife Evidently
the man had died fighting beaten
down by overwhelming numbers after
eXpending his last shot Then those
tends had scalped and left him where
he fell Fifty feet beyond shot in
the back. lay younger man. doubled
Up In n heap. also scalped and dead.
That was all; Keith secuted over a
wide circle. even scanning the stretch
OF gravel under the river bank. before
be could fully satisfy himself there
were no others in the party. II seem
Ell impossible that these two travelling
alone would have ventured upon such
> trip in the face of known Indian
hostility. Yet they must have done
80. and once again his lips muttered
~Oftal the blame fools,"
Suddenly he halted. staring about
ovor the prairie. obsessed by a new
thought. an aroused suspicion. Their,
had appeared merely the footprint.
of the one horse alongside of the flee
ing wagons when they first tur~ ~
out from the trail. and that horse Fac
been newly shod. But there were tw,
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 was branded
he remembered II now n star and al
row What could all this portend
, Was It possible this attack was n
Indian affair after all? Was the dis
figuring of bodies. the scalping mere
u " done TO make II appear the act O
savages? Driven to investigation b
l this suspicion. he passed again owe
i the trampled ground. marking thi
time every separate indentation. e,
cry faintest imprint of hoof or foo
There was no impression OF mocci
sin anywhere; every mark remainin
was of booted feet. The inferenc
e was sufficiently plaintiffs had bee
J. the deed OF white men. not of red; foI
murder. and not savage war.
The knowledge seemed TO sea
Keith's brain with fire. and he spran
- TO his feet. hands clinched and eye
blazing. He could have believed thi
10 of Indians. II was according to thei
n nature. their method of warfare; bt
lie the cowardliness of II. the atrocity {
the act. as perpetrated by men of h
own race. instantly aroused With
him desire for vengeance. II
u wanted to run the fellows down.
discover their Identity. Witho'
thinking of personal danger he ra
Is forward on their trail. which led d
- ,.,,i, eastward along the line