ild also--see that shoe on the floor, and the
dress hanging over there. The poor devil fought hard."

Kennedy stepped inside, staring about him.

"I reckon likely he wus yere alone," he commented slowly, evidently
thinking it out. "I figure like this--thet he'd heerd rumors o' Injuns
bein' raidin' this way, an' hed sent his fam'ly back ter sum fort
'round yere, but decided fer ter take his own chances. Thar ain't no
waggon round yere, an' no hosses, 'cept thet muel. He'd sure hav' sum
sorter contivance fer ter ride in. Then agin he sorter looks like thet
kind ov a feller ter me--he wudn't do no runnin' hisself, but I reckon
he'd take keer o' his folks. Whut's this yere under the bench?--hell,
a letter." He held it up to the light, in an effort to decipher the
description. "'Herman Slosser, Otterway, Illinoy--ter be held till
called fer.' Thet's it, Cap; thet's his name, I'll bet ye; an' so we
can't be so blamed fur frum this yere Otterway fort. Good Lord! won't
I be glad fer ter see it."

"Do you think it best to stop here?"

"Why not? 'Tain't likely them devils will be back agin. Thar sure
must be somethin' fer us ter eat in the place, an' the Lord kno's we
can't go on as we are. Them gurls be mighty nigh ready ter drop, an'
two o' the hosses has plum giv' out. I'm fer liftin' this body out'r
yere, an' settlin' down fer a few hours enyhow--say till it gits
middling dark."

Undoubtedly this was the sensible view. We would be in far less danger
remaining there under cover than in any attempt to continue our journey
by daylight. Together we carried Slosser's body out, and deposited it
in a thicket behind the cabin, awaiting burial; and then dragged the
dead dog also out of sight. The disorder within was easily remedied,
and, after this had been attended to, the girls were permitted to
enter. Little was said to them, for they had seen enough with their
own eyes to render the situation sufficiently clear, although in truth
both were so wearied with the night ride, and the strain of those hours
of night, as to be practically incapable of feeling any occurrence
deeply. Horror after horror had followed us, until all sense of such
things had become seared and deadened. The mind had reached the limit
of endurance, and refused longer to respond. Even as I repeated
briefly what it was we had discovered, and the conclusions drawn, their
faces expressed only a dull comprehension, and they seemed rather to b