thinking of personal danger, he ran forward on their trail, which led
directly westward, along the line of cottonwoods. These served to conceal
his own movements, yet for the moment, burning with passion, he was
utterly without caution, without slightest sense of peril. He must know
who was guilty of such a crime; he felt capable of killing them even as he
would venomous snakes. It was a perfectly plain trail to follow, for the
fugitives, apparently convinced of safety, and confident their cowardly
deed would be charged to Indian raiders, had made no particular effort at
concealment, but had ridden away at a gallop, their horses' hoofs digging
deeply into the soft turf. On this retreat they had followed closely along
the river bank, aiming for the ford, and almost before he realized it
Keith was himself at the water's edge where the trail abruptly ended,
staring vaguely across toward the opposite shore. Even as he stood there,
realizing the futility of further pursuit amid the maze of sand dunes
opposite, the sharp reports of two rifles reached him, spurts of smoke
rose from the farther bank, and a bullet chugged into the ground at his
feet, while another sang shrilly overhead.

These shots, although neither came sufficiently near to be alarming,
served to send Keith to cover. Cool-headed 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 situation, and decided upon his own action. 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 remained 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