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This flock was known to be grazing in a side draell up from Grass Valley, where the brush afforded soood water and a little feed Before Jean reached his destination he heard a shot It was not a rifle shot, which fact caused Jean a little concern Evarts and Bernardino had rifles, but, to his knowledge, no small arms Jean rode up on one of the black-brushed conical hills that rose on the south side of Grass Valley, and from there he took a sharp survey of the country At first he made out only cattle, and bare es and hills But presently up toward the head of the valley he descried a bunch of horsee He could not tell their nu mass seemed to Jean to be instinct with life, mystery, nize horses, let alone riders They were ht, then turned his horse downhill again, and rode on his quest A nuht around Grass Valley at any time What then did it portend now? Jean experienced a little shock of uneasy dread that was a new sensation for hith to turn into the drahere the caht of it he heard a hoarse shout Young Evarts appeared running frantically out of the brush Jean urged his horse into a run and soon covered the distance between them Evarts appeared beside himself with terror

"Boy! what's the matter?" queried Jean, as he dis quickly from Evarts's white face to the caasped the boy, wringing his hands and pointing

Jean ran the few re rods to the sheep camp He saw the little teepee, a burned-out fire, a half-finished round, dead, with a bullet hole in his ghastly face Near hiun is that?" demanded Jean, as he picked it up

"Ber-nardino's," replied Evarts, huskily "He--he jest got it--the other day"

"Did he shoot himself accidentally?"

"Oh no! No! He didn't do it--atall"

"Who did, then?"

"The -they did it," panted Evarts

"Did you knoho they were?"