Arizona republican., 1922-05-16
Youth and
the w est
Chapter v.
POINTING TO A TRAGEDY
BY REMY THIENPoNT

They came upon the birds of prey
and these flew up in a panic. They
found the body a hundred feet Or so
from the road, near some grease
wood bushes. The sight sickened
them. George got on his knees and
turned up the mans face. The hor-
ribIe expression on il, probably
caused by intense dying pains, ter
rified them. 1t was nobody they
knew. OF this they were -mmt oi-
ately certain: they had never seen
the man before. They stood there,
looking at each other, not knowing
what to do. Neither one of them
had ever come in such close contact
with death, and they began to be
filled with inordinate fright. They
suddenly felt a keen desire to be
away from the place, to be among
friends. among living beings. They
were about to start for the camp to
give the alarm. when they heard
a horses steps. This frightened them
the more, but they We're reassured
when they saw it was Joe Perrel,
the aimless settler from the Paradise
valley. The latter stopped abruptly
as he saw them IN the middle of
the road, with an unusual expression
of welcome on their faces They
showed him the dead mans body, ex
planned how they had found it, and
urged him to go back to the Mas
Alto" and notify the sheriff.
They stayed and stood watch over
the body, at some distance at first;
the buzzards disappointedly describ-
ing distorted circles above them.
They found themselves on the very
verge of that abysmal awe and de-
spair which comes over one when
nature, in a seemingly brutal and
cruel manner gives birth to the dis
tressing realization that ones life is
apparently of infinitesimal import
ance, in the infinite order of things.
They drew closer to the body,
sympathetic emotion growing in
their hearts; an emotional sympathy
for a stricken mate, from the inner
depths of two kindred souls. And
thus, in such communion with one
who was no more, We're these two
who had tasted of life's bountiful
gifts. who were now confronted with
one of life's grewsome phases, We're
they were found by the small group
from the MAS Alto
They answered the many and ex-
cited questions. entered into the dis
cussion as to what was best to do,
then silently walked back to her
home.
Their disturbed souls made them
cuddle close together as they sat on
the improvised porch of her parents
desert home, watching the rising
moon. Her head resting on his Shout
der her wandering thoughts vaguely
perceived acute heart tortureS in an
obscure future as those dear to her
would be borne away. And he, mys-
teriously aware of the depressing
thoughts invading her mind, felt the
hitherto dormant manhood manifest
itself in his whole being. felt a sooth-
ing torrent leave his young heart
and flow into her young heart, tor
| rent of soothing assurances that. as
well as striving to make her happy
always he would share her griefs
and sorrows until the very end. Thus
they remained their ruffled souls en-
twined in each other, until from her
parents bedroom they heard her
father kindly ask if she had not bet
ter come in. And they parted with
a simple hand shake which conveyed
more than the most chaste kiss.
which meant much more than the
most loving embrace.
THE ARREST
When he reached the illfated spot
again glaring automobile lights told
him that the sheriff's party was there.
AS he came upon them hush fell
on the scene, and he saw Joe nod at
the sheriff's questioning look
Georges gun was demanded of him,
and he was rudely told that he was
going to be taken to town. Needless
to his excited objections. they hud-
died him in the back seat of one OF
the cars, and the lugubrious pro-
cession started. An inspiring
sight it was. the big, soft gray auto
hearse slowly winding its way in the
moonlight, its headlights throwing
two blatant beams on the placid
desert. As if resenting such intru-
sion upon his domain, the coyote,
that strange desert hound, let out It's
heart -rending howl, so full Of bitterly
plaintiye and soul-stirring sounds,
which seldom fail to revive mems
atavistic superstitions. Georges
heart sank as he neared his little
cottage He unconsciously rose at
the sight of it, and tremendous
realization that he was deprived OF
his liberty came over him as the
heavy hand of the deputed guard
brought him down.
The next morning the autopsy re-
vealed that the man had been killed
by a steel -jacketed bullet. 1t had
entered the body through the right
breast, traversed the right lung and
lodged itself in the spinal column.
Death had not been instantaneous,
hemorrhage having brought it about.
The extracted bullet proved to be
of the same caliber as those in
Georges gun, and they kept him in
Jail.
1t was in vain that lone, who had
hurried down when she learned of the
arrest. tried to see him. She en-
treated, implored and arraigned, but
the jailer. thus instructed as a meas
ure of precaution, even refused to
deliver a note of faith and encour-
agement. So, down hearted, her in
dignation turning into deep despair,
she started out. she knew not where
to Her love was too staunch for her