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diff --git a/old/1239.txt b/old/1239.txt deleted file mode 100644 index eb86e42..0000000 --- a/old/1239.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11256 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Spirit of the Border, by Zane Grey - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Spirit of the Border - A Romance of the Early Settlers in the Ohio Valley - -Author: Zane Grey - -Release Date: September 11, 2004 [EBook #1239] -Last Updated: October 18, 2017 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SPIRIT OF THE BORDER *** - - - - -This etext was prepared by Bruce Metcalf of Chattanooga, TN. - - - - - -THE SPIRIT OF THE BORDER -A ROMANCE OF THE EARLY SETTLERS IN THE OHIO VALLEY - -BY ZANE GREY - -1906 - - - -To my brother - -With many fond recollections of days spent in the solitude of the -forests where only can be satisfied that wild fever of freedom of -which this book tells; where to hear the whirr of a wild duck in his -rapid flight is joy; where the quiet of an autumn afternoon swells -the heart, and where one may watch the fragrant wood-smoke curl from -the campfire, and see the stars peep over dark, wooded hills as -twilight deepens, and know a happiness that dwells in the wilderness -alone. - - - -Introduction - -The author does not intend to apologize for what many readers may -call the "brutality" of the story; but rather to explain that its -wild spirit is true to the life of the Western border as it was -known only a little more than one hundred years ago. - -The writer is the fortunate possessor of historical material of -undoubted truth and interest. It is the long-lost journal of Colonel -Ebenezer Zane, one of the most prominent of the hunter-pioneer, who -labored in the settlement of the Western country. - -The story of that tragic period deserves a higher place in -historical literature than it has thus far been given, and this -unquestionably because of a lack of authentic data regarding the -conquering of the wilderness. Considering how many years the -pioneers struggled on the border of this country, the history of -their efforts is meager and obscure. - -If the years at the close of the eighteenth and the beginning of the -nineteenth century were full of stirring adventure on the part of -the colonists along the Atlantic coast, how crowded must they have -been for the almost forgotten pioneers who daringly invaded the -trackless wilds! None there was to chronicle the fight of these -sturdy, travelers toward the setting sun. The story of their stormy -lives, of their heroism, and of their sacrifice for the benefit of -future generations is too little known. - -It is to a better understanding of those days that the author has -labored to draw from his ancestor's notes a new and striking -portrayal of the frontier; one which shall paint the fever of -freedom, that powerful impulse which lured so many to unmarked -graves; one which shall show his work, his love, the effect of the -causes which rendered his life so hard, and surely one which does -not forget the wronged Indian. - -The frontier in 1777 produced white men so savage as to be men in -name only. These outcasts and renegades lived among the savages, and -during thirty years harassed the border, perpetrating all manner of -fiendish cruelties upon the settlers. They were no less cruel to the -redmen whom they ruled, and at the height of their bloody careers -made futile the Moravian missionaries' long labors, and destroyed -the beautiful hamlet of the Christian Indians, called Gnaddenhutten, -or Village of Peace. - -And while the border produced such outlaws so did it produce hunters -Eke Boone, the Zanes, the McCollochs, and Wetzel, that strange, -silent man whose deeds are still whispered in the country where he -once roamed in his insatiate pursuit of savages and renegades, and -who was purely a product of the times. Civilization could not have -brought forth a man like Wetzel. Great revolutions, great crises, -great moments come, and produce the men to deal with them. - -The border needed Wetzel. The settlers would have needed many more -years in which to make permanent homes had it not been for him. He -was never a pioneer; but always a hunter after Indians. When not on -the track of the savage foe, he was in the settlement, with his keen -eye and ear ever alert for signs of the enemy. To the superstitious -Indians he was a shadow; a spirit of the border, which breathed -menace from the dark forests. To the settlers he was the right arm -of defense, a fitting leader for those few implacable and unerring -frontiersmen who made the settlement of the West a possibility. - -And if this story of one of his relentless pursuits shows the man as -he truly was, loved by pioneers, respected and feared by redmen, and -hated by renegades; if it softens a little the ruthless name history -accords him, the writer will have been well repaid. - -Z. G. - - - -The Spirit of the Border - - - -Chapter I. - -"Nell, I'm growing powerful fond of you." - -"So you must be, Master Joe, if often telling makes it true." - -The girl spoke simply, and with an absence of that roguishness which -was characteristic of her. Playful words, arch smiles, and a touch -of coquetry had seemed natural to Nell; but now her grave tone and -her almost wistful glance disconcerted Joe. - -During all the long journey over the mountains she had been gay and -bright, while now, when they were about to part, perhaps never to -meet again, she showed him the deeper and more earnest side of her -character. It checked his boldness as nothing else had done. -Suddenly there came to him the real meaning of a woman's love when -she bestows it without reservation. Silenced by the thought that he -had not understood her at all, and the knowledge that he had been -half in sport, he gazed out over the wild country before them. - -The scene impressed its quietness upon the young couple and brought -more forcibly to their minds the fact that they were at the gateway -of the unknown West; that somewhere beyond this rude frontier -settlement, out there in those unbroken forests stretching dark and -silent before them, was to be their future home. - -From the high bank where they stood the land sloped and narrowed -gradually until it ended in a sharp point which marked the last bit -of land between the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. Here these -swift streams merged and formed the broad Ohio. The new-born river, -even here at its beginning proud and swelling as if already certain -of its far-away grandeur, swept majestically round a wide curve and -apparently lost itself in the forest foliage. - -On the narrow point of land commanding a view of the rivers stood a -long, low structure enclosed by a stockade fence, on the four -corners of which were little box-shaped houses that bulged out as if -trying to see what was going on beneath. The massive timbers used in -the construction of this fort, the square, compact form, and the -small, dark holes cut into the walls, gave the structure a -threatening, impregnable aspect. - -Below Nell and Joe, on the bank, were many log cabins. The yellow -clay which filled the chinks between the logs gave these a peculiar -striped appearance. There was life and bustle in the vicinity of -these dwellings, in sharp contrast with the still grandeur of the -neighboring forests. There were canvas-covered wagons around which -curly-headed youngsters were playing. Several horses were grazing on -the short grass, and six red and white oxen munched at the hay that -had been thrown to them. The smoke of many fires curled upward, and -near the blaze hovered ruddy-faced women who stirred the contents of -steaming kettles. One man swung an axe with a vigorous sweep, and -the clean, sharp strokes rang on the air; another hammered stakes -into the ground on which to hang a kettle. Before a large cabin a -fur-trader was exhibiting his wares to three Indians. A second -redskin was carrying a pack of pelts from a canoe drawn up on the -river bank. A small group of persons stood near; some were -indifferent, and others gazed curiously at the savages. Two children -peeped from behind their mother's skirts as if half-curious, -half-frightened. - -From this scene, the significance of which had just dawned on him, -Joe turned his eyes again to his companion. It was a sweet face he -saw; one that was sedate, but had a promise of innumerable smiles. -The blue eyes could not long hide flashes of merriment. The girl -turned, and the two young people looked at each other. Her eyes -softened with a woman's gentleness as they rested upon him, for, -broad of shoulder, and lithe and strong as a deer stalker, he was -good to look at. - -"Listen," she said. "We have known each other only three weeks. -Since you joined our wagon-train, and have been so kind to me and so -helpful to make that long, rough ride endurable, you have won my -regard. I--I cannot say more, even if I would. You told me you ran -away from your Virginian home to seek adventure on the frontier, and -that you knew no one in all this wild country. You even said you -could not, or would not, work at farming. Perhaps my sister and I -are as unfitted as you for this life; but we must cling to our uncle -because he is the only relative we have. He has come out here to -join the Moravians, and to preach the gospel to these Indians. We -shall share his life, and help him all we can. You have been telling -me you--you cared for me, and now that we are about to part I--I -don't know what to say to you--unless it is: Give up this intention -of yours to seek adventure, and come with us. It seems to me you -need not hunt for excitement here; it will come unsought." - -"I wish I were Jim," said he, suddenly. - -"Who is Jim?" - -"My brother." - -"Tell me of him." - -"There's nothing much to tell. He and I are all that are left of our -people, as are you and Kate of yours. Jim's a preacher, and the best -fellow--oh! I cared a lot for Jim." - -"Then, why did you leave him?" - -"I was tired of Williamsburg--I quarreled with a fellow, and hurt -him. Besides, I wanted to see the West; I'd like to hunt deer and -bear and fight Indians. Oh, I'm not much good." - -"Was Jim the only one you cared for?" asked Nell, smiling. She was -surprised to find him grave. - -"Yes, except my horse and dog, and I had to leave them behind," -answered Joe, bowing his head a little. - -"You'd like to be Jim because he's a preacher, and could help uncle -convert the Indians?" - -"Yes, partly that, but mostly because--somehow--something you've -said or done has made me care for you in a different way, and I'd -like to be worthy of you." - -"I don't think I can believe it, when you say you are 'no good,'" -she replied. - -"Nell," he cried, and suddenly grasped her hand. - -She wrenched herself free, and leaped away from him. Her face was -bright now, and the promise of smiles was made good. - -"Behave yourself, sir." She tossed her head with a familiar backward -motion to throw the chestnut hair from her face, and looked at him -with eyes veiled slightly under their lashes. "You will go with Kate -and me?" - -Before he could answer, a cry from some one on the plain below -attracted their attention. They turned and saw another wagon-train -pulling into the settlement. The children were shooting and running -alongside the weary oxen; men and women went forward expectantly. - -"That must be the train uncle expected. Let us go down," said Nell. - -Joe did not answer; but followed her down the path. When they gained -a clump of willows near the cabins he bent forward and took her -hand. She saw the reckless gleam in his eyes. - -"Don't. They'll see," she whispered. - -"If that's the only reason you have, I reckon I don't care," said -Joe. - -"What do you mean? I didn't say--I didn't tell--oh! let me go!" -implored Nell. - -She tried to release the hand Joe had grasped in his broad palm, but -in vain; the more she struggled the firmer was his hold. A frown -wrinkled her brow and her eyes sparkled with spirit. She saw the -fur-trader's wife looking out of the window, and remembered laughing -and telling the good woman she did not like this young man; it was, -perhaps, because she feared those sharp eyes that she resented his -audacity. She opened her mouth to rebuke him; but no words came. Joe -had bent his head and softly closed her lips with his own. - -For the single instant during which Nell stood transfixed, as if -with surprise, and looking up at Joe, she was dumb. Usually the girl -was ready with sharp or saucy words and impulsive in her movements; -but now the bewilderment of being kissed, particularly within view -of the trader's wife, confused her. Then she heard voices, and as -Joe turned away with a smile on his face, the unusual warmth in her -heart was followed by an angry throbbing. - -Joe's tall figure stood out distinctly as he leisurely strolled -toward the incoming wagon-train without looking backward. Flashing -after him a glance that boded wordy trouble in the future, she ran -into the cabin. - -As she entered the door it seemed certain the grizzled frontiersman -sitting on the bench outside had grinned knowingly at her, and -winked as if to say he would keep her secret. Mrs. Wentz, the -fur-trader's wife, was seated by the open window which faced the -fort; she was a large woman, strong of feature, and with that calm -placidity of expression common to people who have lived long in -sparsely populated districts. Nell glanced furtively at her and -thought she detected the shadow of a smile in the gray eyes. - -"I saw you and your sweetheart makin' love behind the willow," Mrs. -Wentz said in a matter-of-fact voice. "I don't see why you need hide -to do it. We folks out here like to see the young people sparkin'. -Your young man is a fine-appearin' chap. I felt certain you was -sweethearts, for all you allowed you'd known him only a few days. -Lize Davis said she saw he was sweet on you. I like his face. Jake, -my man, says as how he'll make a good husband for you, and he'll -take to the frontier like a duck does to water. I'm sorry you'll not -tarry here awhile. We don't see many lasses, especially any as -pretty as you, and you'll find it more quiet and lonesome the -farther West you get. Jake knows all about Fort Henry, and Jeff -Lynn, the hunter outside, he knows Eb and Jack Zane, and Wetzel, and -all those Fort Henry men. You'll be gettin' married out there, won't -you?" - -"You are--quite wrong," said Nell, who all the while Mrs. Wentz was -speaking grew rosier and rosier. "We're not anything---" - -Then Nell hesitated and finally ceased speaking. She saw that -denials or explanations were futile; the simple woman had seen the -kiss, and formed her own conclusions. During the few days Nell had -spent at Fort Pitt, she had come to understand that the dwellers on -the frontier took everything as a matter of course. She had seen -them manifest a certain pleasure; but neither surprise, concern, nor -any of the quick impulses so common among other people. And this was -another lesson Nell took to heart. She realized that she was -entering upon a life absolutely different from her former one, and -the thought caused her to shrink from the ordeal. Yet all the -suggestions regarding her future home; the stories told about -Indians, renegades, and of the wild border-life, fascinated her. -These people who had settled in this wild region were simple, honest -and brave; they accepted what came as facts not to be questioned, -and believed what looked true. Evidently the fur-trader's wife and -her female neighbors had settled in their minds the relation in -which the girl stood to Joe. - -This latter reflection heightened Nell's resentment toward her -lover. She stood with her face turned away from Mrs. Wentz; the -little frown deepened, and she nervously tapped her foot on the -floor. - -"Where is my sister?" she presently asked. - -"She went to see the wagon-train come in. Everybody's out there." - -Nell deliberated a moment and then went into the open air. She saw a -number of canvas-covered wagons drawn up in front of the cabins; the -vehicles were dusty and the wheels encrusted with yellow mud. The -grizzled frontiersman who had smiled at Nell stood leaning on his -gun, talking to three men, whose travel-stained and worn homespun -clothes suggested a long and toilsome journey. There was the bustle -of excitement incident to the arrival of strangers; to the quick -exchange of greetings, the unloading of wagons and unharnessing of -horses and oxen. - -Nell looked here and there for her sister. Finally she saw her -standing near her uncle while he conversed with one of the -teamsters. The girl did not approach them; but glanced quickly -around in search of some one else. At length she saw Joe unloading -goods from one of the wagons; his back was turned toward her, but -she at once recognized the challenge conveyed by the broad -shoulders. She saw no other person; gave heed to nothing save what -was to her, righteous indignation. - -Hearing her footsteps, the young man turned, glancing at her -admiringly, said: - -"Good evening, Miss." - -Nell had not expected such a matter-of-fact greeting from Joe. There -was not the slightest trace of repentance in his calm face, and he -placidly continued his labor. - -"Aren't you sorry you--you treated me so?" burst out Nell. - -His coolness was exasperating. Instead of the contrition and apology -she had expected, and which was her due, he evidently intended to -tease her, as he had done so often. - -The young man dropped a blanket and stared. - -"I don't understand," he said, gravely. "I never saw you before." - -This was too much for quick-tempered Nell. She had had some vague -idea of forgiving him, after he had sued sufficiently for pardon; -but now, forgetting her good intentions in the belief that he was -making sport of her when he should have pleaded for forgiveness, she -swiftly raised her hand and slapped him smartly. - -The red blood flamed to the young man's face; as he staggered -backward with his hand to his cheek, she heard a smothered -exclamation behind her, and then the quick, joyous barking of a dog. - -When Nell turned she was amazed to see Joe standing beside the -wagon, while a big white dog was leaping upon him. Suddenly she felt -faint. Bewildered, she looked from Joe to the man she had just -struck; but could not say which was the man who professed to love -her. - -"Jim! So you followed me!" cried Joe, starting forward and flinging -his arms around the other. - -"Yes, Joe, and right glad I am to find you," answered the young man, -while a peculiar expression of pleasure came over his face. - -"It's good to see you again! And here's my old dog Mose! But how on -earth did you know? Where did you strike my trail? What are you -going to do out here on the frontier? Tell me all. What happened -after I left---" - -Then Joe saw Nell standing nearby, pale and distressed, and he felt -something was amiss. He glanced quickly from her to his brother; she -seemed to be dazed, and Jim looked grave. - -"What the deuce--? Nell, this is my brother Jim, the one I told you -about. Jim, this is my friend, Miss Wells." - -"I am happy to meet Miss Wells," said Jim, with a smile, "even -though she did slap my face for nothing." - -"Slapped you? What for?" Then the truth dawned on Joe, and he -laughed until the tears came into his eyes. "She took you for me! -Ha, ha, ha! Oh, this is great!" - -Nell's face was now rosy red and moisture glistened in her eyes; but -she tried bravely to stand her ground. Humiliation had taken the -place of anger. - -"I--I--am sorry, Mr. Downs. I did take you for him. He--he has -insulted me." Then she turned and ran into the cabin. - - - -Chapter II. - -Joe and Jim were singularly alike. They were nearly the same size, -very tall, but so heavily built as to appear of medium height, while -their grey eyes and, indeed, every feature of their clean-cut faces -corresponded so exactly as to proclaim them brothers. - -"Already up to your old tricks?" asked Jim, with his hand on Joe's -shoulder, as they both watched Nell's flight. - -"I'm really fond of her, Jim, and didn't mean to hurt her feelings. -But tell me about yourself; what made you come West?" - -"To teach the Indians, and I was, no doubt, strongly influenced by -your being here." - -"You're going to do as you ever have--make some sacrifice. You are -always devoting yourself; if not to me, to some other. Now it's your -life you're giving up. To try to convert the redskins and influence -me for good is in both cases impossible. How often have I said there -wasn't any good in me! My desire is to kill Indians, not preach to -them, Jim. I'm glad to see you; but I wish you hadn't come. This -wild frontier is no place for a preacher." - -"I think it is," said Jim, quietly. - -"What of Rose--the girl you were to marry?" - -Joe glanced quickly at his brother. Jim's face paled slightly as he -turned away. - -"I'll speak once more of her, and then, never again," he answered. -"You knew Rose better than I did. Once you tried to tell me she was -too fond of admiration, and I rebuked you; but now I see that your -wider experience of women had taught you things I could not then -understand. She was untrue. When you left Williamsburg, apparently -because you had gambled with Jewett and afterward fought him, I was -not misled. You made the game of cards a pretense; you sought it -simply as an opportunity to wreak your vengeance on him for his -villainy toward me. Well, it's all over now. Though you cruelly beat -and left him disfigured for life, he will live, and you are saved -from murder, thank God! When I learned of your departure I yearned -to follow. Then I met a preacher who spoke of having intended to go -West with a Mr. Wells, of the Moravian Mission. I immediately said I -would go in his place, and here I am. I'm fortunate in that I have -found both him and you." - -"I'm sorry I didn't kill Jewett; I certainly meant to. Anyway, -there's some comfort in knowing I left my mark on him. He was a -sneaking, cold-blooded fellow, with his white hair and pale face, -and always fawning round the girls. I hated him, and gave it to him -good." Joe spoke musingly and complacently as though it was a -trivial thing to compass the killing of a man. - -"Well, Jim, you're here now, and there's no help for it. We'll go -along with this Moravian preacher and his nieces. If you haven't any -great regrets for the past, why, all may be well yet. I can see that -the border is the place for me. But now, Jim, for once in your life -take a word of advice from me. We're out on the frontier, where -every man looks after himself. Your being a minister won't protect -you here where every man wears a knife and a tomahawk, and where -most of them are desperadoes. Cut out that soft voice and most of -your gentle ways, and be a little more like your brother. Be as kind -as you like, and preach all you want to; but when some of these -buckskin-legged frontiermen try to walk all over you, as they will, -take your own part in a way you have never taken it before. I had my -lesson the first few days out with that wagon-train. It was a case -of four fights; but I'm all right now." - -"Joe, I won't run, if that's what you mean," answered Jim, with a -laugh. "Yes, I understand that a new life begins here, and I am -content. If I can find my work in it, and remain with you, I shall -be happy." - -"Ah! old Mose! I'm glad to see you," Joe cried to the big dog who -came nosing round him. "You've brought this old fellow; did you -bring the horses?" - -"Look behind the wagon." - -With the dog bounding before him, Joe did as he was directed, and -there found two horses tethered side by side. Little wonder that his -eyes gleamed with delight. One was jet-black; the other iron-gray -and in every line the clean-limbed animals showed the thoroughbred. -The black threw up his slim head and whinnied, with affection -clearly shining in his soft, dark eyes as he recognized his master. - -"Lance, old fellow, how did I ever leave you!" murmured Joe, as he -threw his arm over the arched neck. Mose stood by looking up, and -wagging his tail in token of happiness at the reunion of the three -old friends. There were tears in Joe's eyes when, with a last -affectionate caress, he turned away from his pet. - -"Come, Jim, I'll take you to Mr. Wells." - -They stated across the little square, while Mose went back under the -wagon; but at a word from Joe he bounded after them, trotting -contentedly at their heels. Half way to the cabins a big, raw-boned -teamster, singing in a drunken voice, came staggering toward them. -Evidently he had just left the group of people who had gathered near -the Indians. - -"I didn't expect to see drunkenness out here," said Jim, in a low -tone. - -"There's lots of it. I saw that fellow yesterday when he couldn't -walk. Wentz told me he was a bad customer." - -The teamster, his red face bathed in perspiration, and his sleeves -rolled up, showing brown, knotty arms, lurched toward them. As they -met he aimed a kick at the dog; but Mose leaped nimbly aside, -avoiding the heavy boot. He did not growl, nor show his teeth; but -the great white head sank forward a little, and the lithe body -crouched for a spring. - -"Don't touch that dog; he'll tear your leg off!" Joe cried sharply. - -"Say, pard, cum an' hev' a drink," replied the teamster, with a -friendly leer. - -"I don't drink," answered Joe, curtly, and moved on. - -The teamster growled something of which only the word "parson" was -intelligible to the brothers. Joe stopped and looked back. His gray -eyes seemed to contract; they did not flash, but shaded and lost -their warmth. Jim saw the change, and, knowing what it signified, -took Joe's arm as he gently urged him away. The teamster's shrill -voice could be heard until they entered the fur-trader's cabin. - -An old man with long, white hair flowing from beneath his -wide-brimmed hat, sat near the door holding one of Mrs. Wentz's -children on his knee. His face was deep-lined and serious; but -kindness shone from his mild blue eyes. - -"Mr. Wells, this is my brother James. He is a preacher, and has come -in place of the man you expected from Williamsburg." - -The old minister arose, and extended his hand, gazing earnestly at -the new-comer meanwhile. Evidently he approved of what he saw in his -quick scrutiny of the other's face, for his lips were wreathed with -a smile of welcome. - -"Mr. Downs, I am glad to meet you, and to know you will go with me. -I thank God I shall take into the wilderness one who is young enough -to carry on the work when my days are done." - -"I will make it my duty to help you in whatsoever way lies in my -power," answered Jim, earnestly. - -"We have a great work before us. I have heard many scoffers who -claim that it is worse than folly to try to teach these fierce -savages Christianity; but I know it can be done, and my heart is in -the work. I have no fear; yet I would not conceal from you, young -man, that the danger of going among these hostile Indians must be -great." - -"I will not hesitate because of that. My sympathy is with the -redman. I have had an opportunity of studying Indian nature and -believe the race inherently noble. He has been driven to make war, -and I want to help him into other paths." - -Joe left the two ministers talking earnestly and turned toward Mrs. -Wentz. The fur-trader's wife was glowing with pleasure. She held in -her hand several rude trinkets, and was explaining to her listener, -a young woman, that the toys were for the children, having been -brought all the way from Williamsburg. - -"Kate, where's Nell?" Joe asked of the girl. - -"She went on an errand for Mrs. Wentz." - -Kate Wells was the opposite of her sister. Her motions were slow, -easy and consistent with her large, full, form. Her brown eyes and -hair contrasted sharply with Nell's. The greatest difference in the -sisters lay in that Nell's face was sparkling and full of the fire -of her eager young life, while Kate's was calm, like the unruffled -surface of a deep lake. - -"That's Jim, my brother. We're going with you," said Joe. - -"Are you? I'm glad," answered the girl, looking at the handsome -earnest face of the young minister. - -"Your brother's like you for all the world," whispered Mrs. Wentz. - -"He does look like you," said Kate, with her slow smile. - -"Which means you think, or hope, that that is all," retorted Joe -laughingly. "Well, Kate, there the resemblance ends, thank God for -Jim!" - -He spoke in a sad, bitter tone which caused both women to look at -him wonderingly. Joe had to them ever been full of surprises; never -until then had they seen evidences of sadness in his face. A -moment's silence ensued. Mrs. Wentz gazed lovingly at the children -who were playing with the trinkets; while Kate mused over the young -man's remark, and began studying his, half-averted face. She felt -warmly drawn to him by the strange expression in the glance he had -given his brother. The tenderness in his eyes did not harmonize with -much of this wild and reckless boy's behavior. To Kate he had always -seemed so bold, so cold, so different from other men, and yet here -was proof that Master Joe loved his brother. - -The murmured conversation of the two ministers was interrupted by a -low cry from outside the cabin. A loud, coarse laugh followed, and -then a husky voice: - -"Hol' on, my purty lass."' - -Joe took two long strides, and was on the door-step. He saw Nell -struggling violently in the grasp of the half-drunken teamster. - -"I'll jes' hev' to kiss this lassie fer luck," he said in a tone of -good humor. - -At the same instant Joe saw three loungers laughing, and a fourth, -the grizzled frontiersman, starting forward with a yell. - -"Let me go!" cried Nell. - -Just when the teamster had pulled her close to him, and was bending -his red, moist face to hers, two brown, sinewy hands grasped his -neck with an angry clutch. Deprived thus of breath, his mouth -opened, his tongue protruded; his eyes seemed starting from their -sockets, and his arms beat the air. Then he was lifted and flung -with a crash against the cabin wall. Falling, he lay in a heap on -the grass, while the blood flowed from a cut on his temple. - -"What's this?" cried a man, authoritatively. He had come swiftly up, -and arrived at the scene where stood the grizzled frontiersman. - -"It was purty handy, Wentz. I couldn't hev' did better myself, and I -was comin' for that purpose," said the frontiersman. "Leffler was -tryin' to kiss the lass. He's been drunk fer two days. That little -girl's sweetheart kin handle himself some, now you take my word on -it." - -"I'll agree Leff's bad when he's drinkin'," answered the fur-trader, -and to Joe he added, "He's liable to look you up when he comes -around." - -"Tell him if I am here when he gets sober, I'll kill him," Joe cried -in a sharp voice. His gaze rested once more on the fallen teamster, -and again an odd contraction of his eyes was noticeable. The glance -was cutting, as if with the flash of cold gray steel. "Nell, I'm -sorry I wasn't round sooner," he said, apologetically, as if it was -owing to his neglect the affair had happened. - -As they entered the cabin Nell stole a glance at him. This was the -third time he had injured a man because of her. She had on several -occasions seen that cold, steely glare in his eyes, and it had -always frightened her. It was gone, however, before they were inside -the building. He said something which she did not hear distinctly, -and his calm voice allayed her excitement. She had been angry with -him; but now she realized that her resentment had disappeared. He -had spoken so kindly after the outburst. Had he not shown that he -considered himself her protector and lover? A strange emotion, sweet -and subtle as the taste of wine, thrilled her, while a sense of fear -because of his strength was mingled with her pride in it. Any other -girl would have been only too glad to have such a champion; she -would, too, hereafter, for he was a man of whom to be proud. - -"Look here, Nell, you haven't spoken to me," Joe cried suddenly, -seeming to understand that she had not even heard what he said, so -engrossed had she been with her reflections. "Are you mad with me -yet?" he continued. "Why, Nell, I'm in--I love you!" - -Evidently Joe thought such fact a sufficient reason for any act on -his part. His tender tone conquered Nell, and she turned to him with -flushed cheeks and glad eyes. - -"I wasn't angry at all," she whispered, and then, eluding the arm he -extended, she ran into the other room. - - - -Chapter III. - -Joe lounged in the doorway of the cabin, thoughtfully contemplating -two quiet figures that were lying in the shade of a maple tree. One -he recognized as the Indian with whom Jim had spent an earnest hour -that morning; the red son of the woods was wrapped in slumber. He -had placed under his head a many-hued homespun shirt which the young -preacher had given him; but while asleep his head had rolled off -this improvised pillow, and the bright garment lay free, attracting -the eye. Certainly it had led to the train of thought which had -found lodgment in Joe's fertile brain. - -The other sleeper was a short, stout man whom Joe had seen several -times before. This last fellow did not appear to be well-balanced in -his mind, and was the butt of the settlers' jokes, while the -children called him "Loorey." He, like the Indian, was sleeping off -the effects of the previous night's dissipation. - -During a few moments Joe regarded the recumbent figures with an -expression on his face which told that he thought in them were great -possibilities for sport. With one quick glance around he disappeared -within the cabin, and when he showed himself at the door, surveying -the village square with mirthful eyes, he held in his hand a small -basket of Indian design. It was made of twisted grass, and simply -contained several bits of soft, chalky stone such as the Indians -used for painting, which collection Joe had discovered among the -fur-trader's wares. - -He glanced around once more, and saw that all those in sight were -busy with their work. He gave the short man a push, and chuckled -when there was no response other than a lazy grunt. Joe took the -Indians' gaudy shirt, and, lifting Loorey, slipped it around him, -shoved the latter's arms through the sleeves, and buttoned it in -front. He streaked the round face with red and white paint, and -then, dexterously extracting the eagle plume from the Indian's -head-dress, stuck it in Loorey's thick shock of hair. It was all -done in a moment, after which Joe replaced the basket, and went down -to the river. - -Several times that morning he had visited the rude wharf where Jeff -Lynn, the grizzled old frontiersman, busied himself with -preparations for the raft-journey down the Ohio. Lynn had been -employed to guide the missionary's party to Fort Henry, and, as the -brothers had acquainted him with their intention of accompanying the -travelers, he had constructed a raft for them and their horses. - -Joe laughed when he saw the dozen two-foot logs fastened together, -upon which a rude shack had been erected for shelter. This slight -protection from sun and storm was all the brothers would have on -their long journey. - -Joe noted, however, that the larger raft had been prepared with some -thought for the comfort of the girls. The floor of the little hut -was raised so that the waves which broke over the logs could not -reach it. Taking a peep into the structure, Joe was pleased to see -that Nell and Kate would be comfortable, even during a storm. A -buffalo robe and two red blankets gave to the interior a cozy, warm -look. He observed that some of the girls' luggage was already on -board. - -"When'll we be off?" he inquired. - -"Sun-up," answered Lynn, briefly. - -"I'm glad of that. I like to be on the go in the early morning," -said Joe, cheerfully. - -"Most folks from over Eastways ain't in a hurry to tackle the -river," replied Lynn, eyeing Joe sharply. - -"It's a beautiful river, and I'd like to sail on it from here to -where it ends, and then come back to go again," Joe replied, warmly. - -"In a hurry to be a-goin'? I'll allow you'll see some slim red -devils, with feathers in their hair, slipping among the trees along -the bank, and mebbe you'll hear the ping which's made when whistlin' -lead hits. Perhaps you'll want to be back here by termorrer -sundown." - -"Not I," said Joe, with his short, cool laugh. - -The old frontiersman slowly finished his task of coiling up a rope -of wet cowhide, and then, producing a dirty pipe, he took a live -ember from the fire and placed it on the bowl. He sucked slowly at -the pipe-stem, and soon puffed out a great cloud of smoke. Sitting -on a log, he deliberately surveyed the robust shoulders and long, -heavy limbs of the young man, with a keen appreciation of their -symmetry and strength. Agility, endurance and courage were more to a -borderman than all else; a new-comer on the frontier was always -"sized-up" with reference to these "points," and respected in -proportion to the measure in which he possessed them. - -Old Jeff Lynn, riverman, hunter, frontiersman, puffed slowly at his -pipe while he mused thus to himself: "Mebbe I'm wrong in takin' a -likin' to this youngster so sudden. Mebbe it's because I'm fond of -his sunny-haired lass, an' ag'in mebbe it's because I'm gettin' old -an' likes young folks better'n I onct did. Anyway, I'm kinder -thinkin, if this young feller gits worked out, say fer about twenty -pounds less, he'll lick a whole raft-load of wild-cats." - -Joe walked to and fro on the logs, ascertained how the raft was put -together, and took a pull on the long, clumsy steering-oar. At -length he seated himself beside Lynn. He was eager to ask questions; -to know about the rafts, the river, the forest, the -Indians--everything in connection with this wild life; but already -he had learned that questioning these frontiersmen is a sure means -of closing their lips. - -"Ever handle the long rifle?" asked Lynn, after a silence. - -"Yes," answered Joe, simply. - -"Ever shoot anythin'?" the frontiersman questioned, when he had -taken four or five puffs at his pipe. - -"Squirrels." - -"Good practice, shootin' squirrels," observed Jeff, after another -silence, long enough to allow Joe to talk if he was so inclined. -"Kin ye hit one--say, a hundred yards?" - -"Yes, but not every time in the head," returned Joe. There was an -apologetic tone in his answer. - -Another interval followed in which neither spoke. Jeff was slowly -pursuing his line of thought. After Joe's last remark he returned -his pipe to his pocket and brought out a tobacco-pouch. He tore off -a large portion of the weed and thrust it into his mouth. Then he -held out the little buckskin sack to Joe. - -"Hev' a chaw," he said. - -To offer tobacco to anyone was absolutely a borderman's guarantee of -friendliness toward that person. - -Jeff expectorated half a dozen times, each time coming a little -nearer the stone he was aiming at, some five yards distant. Possibly -this was the borderman's way of oiling up his conversational -machinery. At all events, he commenced to talk. - -"Yer brother's goin' to preach out here, ain't he? Preachin' is all -right, I'll allow; but I'm kinder doubtful about preachin' to -redskins. Howsumever, I've knowed Injuns who are good fellows, and -there's no tellin'. What are ye goin' in fer--farmin'?" - -"No, I wouldn't make a good farmer." - -"Jest cum out kinder wild like, eh?" rejoined Jeff, knowingly. - -"I wanted to come West because I was tired of tame life. I love the -forest; I want to fish and hunt; and I think I'd like to--to see -Indians." - -"I kinder thought so," said the old frontiersman, nodding his head -as though he perfectly understood Joe's case. "Well, lad, where -you're goin' seein' Injuns ain't a matter of choice. You has to see -'em, and fight 'em, too. We've had bad times for years out here on -the border, and I'm thinkin' wuss is comin'. Did ye ever hear the -name Girty?" - -"Yes; he's a renegade." - -"He's a traitor, and Jim and George Girty, his brothers, are p'isin -rattlesnake Injuns. Simon Girty's bad enough; but Jim's the wust. -He's now wusser'n a full-blooded Delaware. He's all the time on the -lookout to capture white wimen to take to his Injun teepee. Simon -Girty and his pals, McKee and Elliott, deserted from that thar fort -right afore yer eyes. They're now livin' among the redskins down -Fort Henry way, raisin' as much hell fer the settlers as they kin." - -"Is Fort Henry near the Indian towns?" asked Joe. - -"There's Delawares, Shawnees and Hurons all along the Ohio below -Fort Henry." - -"Where is the Moravian Mission located?" - -"Why, lad, the Village of Peace, as the Injuns call it, is right in -the midst of that Injun country. I 'spect it's a matter of a hundred -miles below and cross-country a little from Fort Henry." - -"The fort must be an important point, is it not?" - -"Wal, I guess so. It's the last place on the river," answered Lynn, -with a grim smile. "There's only a stockade there, an' a handful of -men. The Injuns hev swarmed down on it time and ag'in, but they hev -never burned it. Only such men as Colonel Zane, his brother Jack, -and Wetzel could hev kept that fort standin' all these bloody years. -Eb Zane's got but a few men, yet he kin handle 'em some, an' with -such scouts as Jack Zane and Wetzel, he allus knows what's goin' on -among the Injuns." - -"I've heard of Colonel Zane. He was an officer under Lord Dunmore. -The hunters here speak often of Jack Zane and Wetzel. What are -they?" - -"Jack Zane is a hunter an' guide. I knowed him well a few years -back. He's a quiet, mild chap; but a streak of chain-lightnin' when -he's riled. Wetzel is an Injun-killer. Some people say as how he's -crazy over scalp-huntin'; but I reckon that's not so. I've seen him -a few times. He don't hang round the settlement 'cept when the -Injuns are up, an' nobody sees him much. At home he sets round -silent-like, an' then mebbe next mornin' he'll be gone, an' won't -show up fer days or weeks. But all the frontier knows of his deeds. -Fer instance, I've hearn of settlers gettin' up in the mornin' an' -findin' a couple of dead and scalped Injuns right in front of their -cabins. No one knowed who killed 'em, but everybody says 'Wetzel.' -He's allus warnin' the settlers when they need to flee to the fort, -and sure he's right every time, because when these men go back to -their cabins they find nothin' but ashes. There couldn't be any -farmin' done out there but fer Wetzel." - -"What does he look like?" questioned Joe, much interested. - -"Wetzel stands straight as the oak over thar. He'd hev' to go -sideways to git his shoulders in that door, but he's as light of -foot an' fast as a deer. An' his eyes--why, lad, ye kin hardly look -into 'em. If you ever see Wetzel you'll know him to onct." - -"I want to see him," Joe spoke quickly, his eyes lighting with an -eager flash. "He must be a great fighter." - -"Is he? Lew Wetzel is the heftiest of 'em all, an' we hev some as -kin fight out here. I was down the river a few years ago and joined -a party to go out an' hunt up some redskins as had been reported. -Wetzel was with us. We soon struck Injun sign, and then come on to a -lot of the pesky varmints. We was all fer goin' home, because we had -a small force. When we started to go we finds Wetzel sittin' -calm-like on a log. We said: 'Ain't ye goin' home?' and he replied, -'I cum out to find redskins, an' now as we've found 'em, I'm not -goin' to run away.' An' we left him settin' thar. Oh, Wetzel is a -fighter!" - -"I hope I shall see him," said Joe once more, the warm light, which -made him look so boyish, still glowing in his face. - -"Mebbe ye'll git to; and sure ye'll see redskins, an' not tame ones, -nuther." - -At this moment the sound of excited voices near the cabins broke in -on the conversation. Joe saw several persons run toward the large -cabin and disappear behind it. He smiled as he thought perhaps the -commotion had been caused by the awakening of the Indian brave. - -Rising to his feet, Joe went toward the cabin, and soon saw the -cause of the excitement. A small crowd of men and women, all -laughing and talking, surrounded the Indian brave and the little -stout fellow. Joe heard some one groan, and then a deep, guttural -voice: - -"Paleface--big steal--ugh! Injun mad--heap mad--kill paleface." - -After elbowing his way into the group, Joe saw the Indian holding -Loorey with one hand, while he poked him on the ribs with the other. -The captive's face was the picture of dismay; even the streaks of -paint did not hide his look of fear and bewilderment. The poor -half-witted fellow was so badly frightened that he could only groan. - -"Silvertip scalp paleface. Ugh!" growled the savage, giving Loorey -another blow on the side. This time he bent over in pain. The -bystanders were divided in feeling; the men laughed, while the women -murmured sympathetically. - -"This's not a bit funny," muttered Joe, as he pushed his way nearly -to the middle of the crowd. Then he stretched out a long arm that, -bare and brawny, looked as though it might have been a blacksmith's, -and grasped the Indian's sinewy wrist with a force that made him -loosen his hold on Loorey instantly. - -"I stole the shirt--fun--joke," said Joe. "Scalp me if you want to -scalp anyone." - -The Indian looked quickly at the powerful form before him. With a -twist he slipped his arm from Joe's grasp. - -"Big paleface heap fun--all squaw play," he said, scornfully. There -was a menace in his somber eyes as he turned abruptly and left the -group. - -"I'm afraid you've made an enemy," said Jake Wentz to Joe. "An -Indian never forgets an insult, and that's how he regarded your -joke. Silvertip has been friendly here because he sells us his -pelts. He's a Shawnee chief. There he goes through the willows!" - -By this time Jim and Mr. Wells, Mrs. Wentz and the girls had joined -the group. They all watched Silvertip get into his canoe and paddle -away. - -"A bad sign," said Wentz, and then, turning to Jeff Lynn, who joined -the party at that moment, he briefly explained the circumstances. - -"Never did like Silver. He's a crafty redskin, an' not to be -trusted," replied Jeff. - -"He has turned round and is looking back," Nell said quickly. - -"So he has," observed the fur-trader. - -The Indian was now several hundred yards down the swift river, and -for an instant had ceased paddling. The sun shone brightly on his -eagle plumes. He remained motionless for a moment, and even at such -a distance the dark, changeless face could be discerned. He lifted -his hand and shook it menacingly. - -"If ye don't hear from that redskin ag'in Jeff Lynn don't know -nothin'," calmly said the old frontiersman. - - - -Chapter IV. - -As the rafts drifted with the current the voyagers saw the settlers -on the landing-place diminish until they had faded from indistinct -figures to mere black specks against the green background. Then came -the last wave of a white scarf, faintly in the distance, and at -length the dark outline of the fort was all that remained to their -regretful gaze. Quickly that, too, disappeared behind the green -hill, which, with its bold front, forces the river to take a wide -turn. - -The Ohio, winding in its course between high, wooded bluffs, rolled -on and on into the wilderness. - -Beautiful as was the ever-changing scenery, rugged gray-faced cliffs -on one side contrasting with green-clad hills on the other, there -hovered over land and water something more striking than beauty. -Above all hung a still atmosphere of calmness--of loneliness. - -And this penetrating solitude marred somewhat the pleasure which -might have been found in the picturesque scenery, and caused the -voyagers, to whom this country was new, to take less interest in the -gaily-feathered birds and stealthy animals that were to be seen on -the way. By the forms of wild life along the banks of the river, -this strange intruder on their peace was regarded with attention. -The birds and beasts evinced little fear of the floating rafts. The -sandhill crane, stalking along the shore, lifted his long neck as -the unfamiliar thing came floating by, and then stood still and -silent as a statue until the rafts disappeared from view. -Blue-herons feeding along the bars, saw the unusual spectacle, and, -uttering surprised "booms," they spread wide wings and lumbered away -along the shore. The crows circled above the voyagers, cawing in not -unfriendly excitement. Smaller birds alighted on the raised poles, -and several--a robin, a catbird and a little brown wren--ventured -with hesitating boldness to peck at the crumbs the girls threw to -them. Deer waded knee-deep in the shallow water, and, lifting their -heads, instantly became motionless and absorbed. Occasionally a -buffalo appeared on a level stretch of bank, and, tossing his huge -head, seemed inclined to resent the coming of this stranger into his -domain. - -All day the rafts drifted steadily and swiftly down the river, -presenting to the little party ever-varying pictures of densely -wooded hills, of jutting, broken cliffs with scant evergreen growth; -of long reaches of sandy bar that glistened golden in the sunlight, -and over all the flight and call of wildfowl, the flitting of -woodland songsters, and now and then the whistle and bellow of the -horned watchers in the forest. - -The intense blue of the vault above began to pale, and low down in -the west a few fleecy clouds, gorgeously golden for a fleeting -instant, then crimson-crowned for another, shaded and darkened as -the setting sun sank behind the hills. Presently the red rays -disappeared, a pink glow suffused the heavens, and at last, as gray -twilight stole down over the hill-tops, the crescent moon peeped -above the wooded fringe of the western bluffs. - -"Hard an' fast she is," sang out Jeff Lynn, as he fastened the rope -to a tree at the head of a small island. "All off now, and' we'll -hev' supper. Thar's a fine spring under yon curly birch, an' I -fetched along a leg of deer-meat. Hungry, little 'un?" - -He had worked hard all day steering the rafts, yet Nell had seen him -smiling at her many times during the journey, and he had found time -before the early start to arrange for her a comfortable seat. There -was now a solicitude in the frontiersman's voice that touched her. - -"I am famished," she replied, with her bright smile. "I am afraid I -could eat a whole deer." - -They all climbed the sandy slope, and found themselves on the summit -of an oval island, with a pretty glade in the middle surrounded by -birches. Bill, the second raftsman, a stolid, silent man, at once -swung his axe upon a log of driftwood. Mr. Wells and Jim walked to -and fro under the birches, and Kate and Nell sat on the grass -watching with great interest the old helmsman as he came up from the -river, his brown hands and face shining from the scrubbing he had -given them. Soon he had a fire cheerfully blazing, and after laying -out the few utensils, he addressed himself to Joe: - -"I'll tell ye right here, lad, good venison kin be spoiled by bad -cuttin' and cookin'. You're slicin' it too thick. See--thar! Now -salt good, an' keep outen the flame; on the red coals is best." - -With a sharpened stick Jeff held the thin slices over the fire for a -few moments. Then he laid them aside on some clean white-oak chips -Bill's axe had provided. The simple meal of meat, bread, and -afterward a drink of the cold spring water, was keenly relished by -the hungry voyagers. When it had been eaten, Jeff threw a log on the -fire and remarked: - -"Seein' as how we won't be in redskin territory fer awhile yit, we -kin hev a fire. I'll allow ye'll all be chilly and damp from -river-mist afore long, so toast yerselves good." - -"How far have we come to-day?" inquired Mr. Wells, his mind always -intent on reaching the scene of his cherished undertaking. - -"'Bout thirty-odd mile, I reckon. Not much on a trip, thet's sartin, -but we'll pick up termorrer. We've some quicker water, an' the rafts -hev to go separate." - -"How quiet!" exclaimed Kate, suddenly breaking the silence that -followed the frontiersman's answer. - -"Beautiful!" impetuously said Nell, looking up at Joe. A quick flash -from his gray eyes answered her; he did not speak; indeed he had -said little to her since the start, but his glance showed her how -glad he was that she felt the sweetness and content of this wild -land. - -"I was never in a wilderness before," broke in the earnest voice of -the young minister. "I feel an almost overpowering sense of -loneliness. I want to get near to you all; I feel lost. Yet it is -grand, sublime!" - -"Here is the promised land--the fruitful life--Nature as it was -created by God," replied the old minister, impressively. - -"Tell us a story," said Nell to the old frontiersman, as he once -more joined the circle round the fire. - -"So, little 'un, ye want a story?" queried Jeff, taking up a live -coal and placing it in the bowl of his pipe. He took off his -coon-skin cap and carefully laid it aside. His weather-beaten face -beamed in answer to the girl's request. He drew a long and audible -pull at his black pipe, and send forth slowly a cloud of white -smoke. Deliberately poking the fire with a stick, as if stirring -into life dead embers of the past, he sucked again at his pipe, and -emitted a great puff of smoke that completely enveloped the grizzled -head. From out that white cloud came his drawling voice. - -"Ye've seen thet big curly birch over thar--thet 'un as bends kind -of sorrowful like. Wal, it used to stand straight an' proud. I've -knowed thet tree all the years I've navigated this river, an' it -seems natural like to me thet it now droops dyin', fer it shades the -grave of as young, an' sweet, an' purty a lass as yerself, Miss -Nell. Rivermen called this island George's Island, 'cause Washington -onct camped here; but of late years the name's got changed, an' the -men say suthin' like this: 'We'll try an' make Milly's birch afore -sundown,' jest as Bill and me hev done to-day. Some years agone I -was comin' up from Fort Henry, an' had on board my slow old scow a -lass named Milly--we never learned her other name. She come to me at -the fort, an' tells as how her folks hed been killed by Injuns, an' -she wanted to git back to Pitt to meet her sweetheart. I was ag'in -her comin' all along, an' fust off I said 'No.' But when I seen -tears in her blue eyes, an' she puts her little hand on mine, I jest -wilted, an' says to Jim Blair, 'She goes.' Wal, jest as might hev -been expected--an' fact is I looked fer it--we wus tackled by -redskins. Somehow, Jim Girty got wind of us hevin' a lass aboard, -an' he ketched up with us jest below here. It's a bad place, called -Shawnee Rock, an' I'll show it to ye termorrer. The renegade, with -his red devils, attacked us thar, an' we had a time gittin' away. -Milly wus shot. She lived fer awhile, a couple of days, an' all the -time wus so patient, an' sweet, an' brave with thet renegade's -bullet in her--fer he shot her when he seen he couldn't capture -her--thet thar wusn't a blame man of us who wouldn't hev died to -grant her prayer, which wus that she could live to onct more see her -lover." - -There was a long silence, during which the old frontiersman sat -gazing into the fire with sad eyes. - -"We couldn't do nuthin', an' we buried her thar under thet birch, -where she smiled her last sad, sweet smile, an' died. Ever since -then the river has been eatn' away at this island. It's only half as -big as it wus onct, an' another flood will take away this sand-bar, -these few birches--an' Milly's grave." - -The old frontiersman's story affected all his listeners. The elder -minister bowed his head and prayed that no such fate might overtake -his nieces. The young minister looked again, as he had many times -that day, at Nell's winsome face. The girls cast grave glances at -the drooping birch, and their bright tears glistened in the -fire-glow. Once more Joe's eyes glinted with that steely flash, and -as he gazed out over the wide, darkening expanse of water his face -grew cold and rigid. - -"I'll allow I might hev told a more cheerful story, an' I'll do so -next time; but I wanted ye all, particular the lasses, to know -somethin' of the kind of country ye're goin' into. The frontier -needs women; but jist yit it deals hard with them. An' Jim Girty, -with more of his kind, ain't dead yit." - -"Why don't some one kill him?" was Joe's sharp question. - -"Easier said than done, lad. Jim Girty is a white traitor, but he's -a cunnin' an' fierce redskin in his ways an' life. He knows the -woods as a crow does, an' keeps outer sight 'cept when he's least -expected. Then ag'in, he's got Simon Girty, his brother, an' almost -the whole redskin tribe behind him. Injuns stick close to a white -man that has turned ag'inst his own people, an' Jim Girty hain't -ever been ketched. Howsumever, I heard last trip thet he'd been -tryin' some of his tricks round Fort Henry, an' thet Wetzel is on -his trail. Wal, if it's so thet Lew Wetzel is arter him, I wouldn't -give a pinch o' powder fer the white-redskin's chances of a long -life." - -No one spoke, and Jeff, after knocking the ashes from his pipe, went -down to the raft, returning shortly afterward with his blanket. This -he laid down and rolled himself in it. Presently from under his -coon-skin cap came the words: - -"Wal, I've turned in, an' I advise ye all to do the same." - -All save Joe and Nell acted on Jeff's suggestion. For a long time -the young couple sat close together on the bank, gazing at the -moonlight on the river. - -The night was perfect. A cool wind fanned the dying embers of the -fire and softly stirred the leaves. Earlier in the evening a single -frog had voiced his protest against the loneliness; but now his -dismal croak was no longer heard. A snipe, belated in his feeding, -ran along the sandy shore uttering his tweet-tweet, and his little -cry, breaking in so softly on the silence, seemed only to make more -deeply felt the great vast stillness of the night. - -Joe's arm was around Nell. She had demurred at first, but he gave no -heed to her slight resistance, and finally her head rested against -his shoulder. There was no need of words. - -Joe had a pleasurable sense of her nearness, and there was a delight -in the fragrance of her hair as it waved against his cheek; but just -then love was not uppermost in his mind. All day he had been silent -under the force of an emotion which he could not analyze. Some -power, some feeling in which the thought of Nell had no share, was -drawing him with irresistible strength. Nell had just begun to -surrender to him in the sweetness of her passion; and yet even with -that knowledge knocking reproachfully at his heart, he could not -help being absorbed in the shimmering water, in the dark reflection -of the trees, the gloom and shadow of the forest. - -Presently he felt her form relax in his arms; then her soft regular -breathing told him she had fallen asleep and he laughed low to -himself. How she would pout on the morrow when he teased her about -it! Then, realizing that she was tired with her long day's journey, -he reproached himself for keeping her from the needed rest, and -instantly decided to carry her to the raft. Yet such was the novelty -of the situation that he yielded to its charm, and did not go at -once. The moonlight found bright threads in her wavy hair; it shone -caressingly on her quiet face, and tried to steal under the downcast -lashes. - -Joe made a movement to rise with her, when she muttered indistinctly -as if speaking to some one. He remembered then she had once told him -that she talked in her sleep, and how greatly it annoyed her. He -might hear something more with which to tease her; so he listened. - -"Yes--uncle--I will go--Kate, we must--go. . ." - -Another interval of silence, then more murmurings. He distinguished -his own name, and presently she called clearly, as if answering some -inward questioner. - -"I--love him--yes--I love Joe--he has mastered me. Yet I wish he -were--like Jim--Jim who looked at me--so--with his deep eyes--and -I. . . ." - -Joe lifted her as if she were a baby, and carrying her down to the -raft, gently laid her by her sleeping sister. - -The innocent words which he should not have heard were like a blow. -What she would never have acknowledged in her waking hours had been -revealed in her dreams. He recalled the glance of Jim's eyes as it -had rested on Nell many times that day, and now these things were -most significant. - -He found at the end of the island a great, mossy stone. On this he -climbed, and sat where the moonlight streamed upon him. Gradually -that cold bitterness died out from his face, as it passed from his -heart, and once more he became engrossed in the silver sheen on the -water, the lapping of the waves on the pebbly beach, and in that -speaking, mysterious silence of the woods. - - * * * - -When the first faint rays of red streaked over the eastern -hill-tops, and the river mist arose from the water in a vapory -cloud, Jeff Lynn rolled out of his blanket, stretched his long -limbs, and gave a hearty call to the morning. His cheerful welcome -awakened all the voyagers except Joe, who had spent the night in -watching and the early morning in fishing. - -"Wal, I'll be darned," ejaculated Jeff as he saw Joe. "Up afore me, -an' ketched a string of fish." - -"What are they?" asked Joe, holding up several bronze-backed fish. - -"Bass--black bass, an' thet big feller is a lammin' hefty 'un. How'd -ye ketch 'em?" - -"I fished for them." - -"Wal, so it 'pears," growled Jeff, once more reluctantly yielding to -his admiration for the lad. "How'd ye wake up so early?" - -"I stayed up all night. I saw three deer swim from the mainland, but -nothing else came around." - -"Try yer hand at cleanin' 'em fer breakfast," continued Jeff, -beginning to busy himself with preparations for that meal. "Wal, -wal, if he ain't surprisin'! He'll do somethin' out here on the -frontier, sure as I'm a born sinner," he muttered to himself, -wagging his head in his quaint manner. - -Breakfast over, Jeff transferred the horses to the smaller raft, -which he had cut loose from his own, and, giving a few directions to -Bill, started down-stream with Mr. Wells and the girls. - -The rafts remained close together for a while, but as the current -quickened and was more skillfully taken advantage of by Jeff, the -larger raft gained considerable headway, gradually widening the gap -between the two. - -All day they drifted. From time to time Joe and Jim waved their -hands to the girls; but the greater portion of their attention was -given to quieting the horses. Mose, Joe's big white dog, retired in -disgust to the hut, where he watched and dozed by turns. He did not -fancy this kind of voyaging. Bill strained his sturdy arms all day -on the steering-oar. - -About the middle of the afternoon Joe observed that the hills grew -more rugged and precipitous, and the river ran faster. He kept a -constant lookout for the wall of rock which marked the point of -danger. When the sun had disappeared behind the hills, he saw ahead -a gray rock protruding from the green foliage. It was ponderous, -overhanging, and seemed to frown down on the river. This was Shawnee -Rock. Joe looked long at the cliff, and wondered if there was now an -Indian scout hidden behind the pines that skirted the edge. -Prominent on the top of the bluff a large, dead tree projected its -hoary, twisted branches. - -Bill evidently saw the landmark, for he stopped in his monotonous -walk to and fro across the raft, and pushing his oar amidships he -looked ahead for the other raft. The figure of the tall frontiersman -could be plainly seen as he labored at the helm. - -The raft disappeared round a bend, and as it did so Joe saw a white -scarf waved by Nell. - -Bill worked the clumsy craft over toward the right shore where the -current was more rapid. He pushed with all his strength, and when -the oar had reached its widest sweep, he lifted it and ran back -across the raft for another push. Joe scanned the river ahead. He -saw no rapids; only rougher water whirling over some rocks. They -were where the channel narrowed and ran close to the right-hand -bank. Under a willow-flanked ledge was a sand-bar. To Joe there -seemed nothing hazardous in drifting through this pass. - -"Bad place ahead," said Bill, observing Joe's survey of the river. - -"It doesn't look so," replied Joe. - -"A raft ain't a boat. We could pole a boat. You has to hev water to -float logs, an' the river's run out considerable. I'm only afeerd -fer the horses. If we hit or drag, they might plunge around a bit." - -When the raft passed into the head of the bend it struck the rocks -several times, but finally gained the channel safely, and everything -seemed propitious for an easy passage. - -But, greatly to Bill's surprise, the wide craft was caught directly -in the channel, and swung round so that the steering-oar pointed -toward the opposite shore. The water roared a foot deep over the -logs. - -"Hold hard on the horses!" yelled Bill. "Somethin's wrong. I never -seen a snag here." - -The straining mass of logs, insecurely fastened together, rolled and -then pitched loose again, but the short delay had been fatal to the -steering apparatus. - -Joe would have found keen enjoyment in the situation, had it not -been for his horse, Lance. The thoroughbred was difficult to hold. -As Bill was making strenuous efforts to get in a lucky stroke of the -oar, he failed to see a long length of grapevine floating like a -brown snake of the water below. In the excitement they heeded not -the barking of Mose. Nor did they see the grapevine straighten and -become taut just as they drifted upon it; but they felt the raft -strike and hold on some submerged object. It creaked and groaned and -the foamy water surged, gurgling, between the logs. - -Jim's mare snorted with terror, and rearing high, pulled her halter -loose and plunged into the river. But Jim still held her, at risk of -being drawn overboard. - -"Let go! She'll drag you in!" yelled Joe, grasping him with his free -hand. Lance trembled violently and strained at the rope, which his -master held with a strong grip. - -CRACK! - -The stinging report of a rifle rang out above the splashing of the -water. - -Without a cry, Bill's grasp on the oar loosened; he fell over it -limply, his head striking the almost submerged log. A dark-red fluid -colored the water; then his body slipped over the oar and into the -river, where it sank. - -"My God! Shot!" cried Jim, in horrified tones. - -He saw a puff of white smoke rising above the willows. Then the -branches parted, revealing the dark forms of several Indian -warriors. From the rifle in the foremost savage's hand a slight veil -of smoke rose. With the leap of a panther the redskin sprang from -the strip of sand to the raft. - -"Hold, Jim! Drop that ax! We're caught!" cried Joe. - -"It's that Indian from the fort!" gasped Jim. - -The stalwart warrior was indeed Silvertip. But how changed! Stripped -of the blanket he had worn at the settlement, now standing naked but -for his buckskin breech-cloth, with his perfectly proportioned form -disclosed in all its sinewy beauty, and on his swarthy, evil face an -expression of savage scorn, he surely looked a warrior and a chief. - -He drew his tomahawk and flashed a dark glance at Joe. For a moment -he steadily regarded the young man; but if he expected to see fear -in the latter's face he was mistaken, for the look was returned -coolly. - -"Paleface steal shirt," he said in his deep voice. "Fool paleface -play--Silvertip no forget." - - - -Chapter V. - -Silvertip turned to his braves, and giving a brief command, sprang -from the raft. The warriors closed in around the brothers; two -grasping each by the arms, and the remaining Indian taking care of -the horse. The captives were then led ashore, where Silvertip -awaited them. - -When the horse was clear of the raft, which task necessitated -considerable labor on the part of the Indians, the chief seized the -grapevine, that was now plainly in sight, and severed it with one -blow of his tomahawk. The raft dashed forward with a lurch and -drifted downstream. - -In the clear water Joe could see the cunning trap which had caused -the death of Bill, and insured the captivity of himself and his -brother. The crafty savages had trimmed a six-inch sapling and -anchored it under the water. They weighted the heavy end, leaving -the other pointing upstream. To this last had been tied the -grapevine. When the drifting raft reached the sapling, the Indians -concealed in the willows pulled hard on the improvised rope; the end -of the sapling stuck up like a hook, and the aft was caught and -held. The killing of the helmsman showed the Indians' foresight; -even had the raft drifted on downstream the brothers would have been -helpless on a craft they could not manage. After all, Joe thought, -he had not been so far wrong when he half fancied that an Indian lay -behind Shawnee Rock, and he marveled at this clever trick which had -so easily effected their capture. - -But he had little time to look around at the scene of action. There -was a moment only in which to study the river to learn if the -unfortunate raftsman's body had appeared. It was not to be seen. The -river ran swiftly and hid all evidence of the tragedy under its -smooth surface. When the brave who had gone back to the raft for the -goods joined his companion the two hurried Joe up the bank after the -others. - -Once upon level ground Joe saw before him an open forest. On the -border of this the Indians stopped long enough to bind the -prisoners' wrists with thongs of deerhide. While two of the braves -performed this office, Silvertip leaned against a tree and took no -notice of the brothers. When they were thus securely tied one of -their captors addressed the chief, who at once led the way westward -through the forest. The savages followed in single file, with Joe -and Jim in the middle of the line. The last Indian tried to mount -Lance; but the thoroughbred would have none of him, and after -several efforts the savage was compelled to desist. Mose trotted -reluctantly along behind the horse. - -Although the chief preserved a dignified mien, his braves were -disposed to be gay. They were in high glee over their feat of -capturing the palefaces, and kept up an incessant jabbering. One -Indian, who walked directly behind Joe, continually prodded him with -the stock of a rifle; and whenever Joe turned, the brawny redskin -grinned as he grunted, "Ugh!" Joe observed that this huge savage had -a broad face of rather a lighter shade of red than his companions. -Perhaps he intended those rifle-prods in friendliness, for although -they certainly amused him, he would allow no one else to touch Joe; -but it would have been more pleasing had he shown his friendship in -a gentle manner. This Indian carried Joe's pack, much to his own -delight, especially as his companions evinced an envious curiosity. -The big fellow would not, however, allow them to touch it. - -"He's a cheerful brute," remarked Joe to Jim. - -"Ugh!" grunted the big Indian, jamming Joe with his rifle-stock. - -Joe took heed to the warning and spoke no more. He gave all his -attention to the course over which he was being taken. Here was his -first opportunity to learn something of Indians and their woodcraft. -It occurred to him that his captors would not have been so gay and -careless had they not believed themselves safe from pursuit, and he -concluded they were leisurely conducting him to one of the Indian -towns. He watched the supple figure before him, wondering at the -quick step, light as the fall of a leaf, and tried to walk as -softly. He found, however, that where the Indian readily avoided the -sticks and brush, he was unable to move without snapping twigs. Now -and then he would look up and study the lay of the land ahead; and -as he came nearer to certain rocks and trees he scrutinized them -closely, in order to remember their shape and general appearance. He -believed he was blazing out in his mind this woodland trail, so that -should fortune favor him and he contrive to escape, he would be able -to find his way back to the river. Also, he was enjoying the wild -scenery. - -This forest would have appeared beautiful, even to one indifferent -to such charms, and Joe was far from that. Every moment he felt -steal stronger over him a subtle influence which he could not -define. Half unconsciously he tried to analyze it, but it baffled -him. He could no more explain what fascinated him than he could -understand what caused the melancholy quiet which hung over the -glades and hollows. He had pictured a real forest so differently -from this. Here was a long lane paved with springy moss and fenced -by bright-green sassafras; there a secluded dale, dotted with -pale-blue blossoms, over which the giant cottonwoods leaned their -heads, jealously guarding the delicate flowers from the sun. Beech -trees, growing close in clanny groups, spread their straight limbs -gracefully; the white birches gleamed like silver wherever a stray -sunbeam stole through the foliage, and the oaks, monarchs of the -forest, rose over all, dark, rugged, and kingly. - -Joe soon understood why the party traveled through such open forest. -The chief, seeming hardly to deviate from his direct course, kept -clear of broken ground, matted thickets and tangled windfalls. Joe -got a glimpse of dark ravines and heard the music of tumbling -waters; he saw gray cliffs grown over with vines, and full of holes -and crevices; steep ridges, covered with dense patches of briar and -hazel, rising in the way. Yet the Shawnee always found an easy path. - -The sun went down behind the foliage in the west, and shadows -appeared low in the glens; then the trees faded into an indistinct -mass; a purple shade settled down over the forest, and night brought -the party to a halt. - -The Indians selected a sheltered spot under the lee of a knoll, at -the base of which ran a little brook. Here in this inclosed space -were the remains of a camp-fire. Evidently the Indians had halted -there that same day, for the logs still smouldered. While one brave -fanned the embers, another took from a neighboring branch a haunch -of deer meat. A blaze was soon coaxed from the dull coals, more fuel -was added, and presently a cheerful fire shone on the circle of -dusky forms. - -It was a picture which Joe had seen in many a boyish dream; now that -he was a part of it he did not dwell on the hopelessness of the -situation, nor of the hostile chief whose enmity he had incurred. -Almost, it seemed, he was glad of this chance to watch the Indians -and listen to them. He had been kept apart from Jim, and it appeared -to Joe that their captors treated his brother with a contempt which -they did not show him. Silvertip had, no doubt, informed them that -Jim had been on his way to teach the Indians of the white man's God. - -Jim sat with drooping head; his face was sad, and evidently he took -the most disheartening view of his capture. When he had eaten the -slice of venison given him he lay down with his back to the fire. - -Silvertip, in these surroundings, showed his real character. He had -appeared friendly in the settlement; but now he was the relentless -savage, a son of the wilds, free as an eagle. His dignity as a chief -kept him aloof from his braves. He had taken no notice of the -prisoners since the capture. He remained silent, steadily regarding -the fire with his somber eyes. At length, glancing at the big -Indian, he motioned toward the prisoners and with a single word -stretched himself on the leaves. - -Joe noted the same changelessness of expression in the other dark -faces as he had seen in Silvertip's. It struck him forcibly. When -they spoke in their soft, guttural tones, or burst into a low, not -unmusical laughter, or sat gazing stolidly into the fire, their -faces seemed always the same, inscrutable, like the depths of the -forest now hidden in night. One thing Joe felt rather than -saw--these savages were fierce and untamable. He was sorry for Jim, -because, as he believed, it would be as easy to teach the panther -gentleness toward his prey as to instill into one of these wild -creatures a belief in Christ. - -The braves manifested keen pleasure in anticipation as to what they -would get out of the pack, which the Indian now opened. Time and -again the big brave placed his broad hand on the shoulder of a -comrade Indian and pushed him backward. - -Finally the pack was opened. It contained a few articles of wearing -apparel, a pair of boots, and a pipe and pouch of tobacco. The big -Indian kept the latter articles, grunting with satisfaction, and -threw the boots and clothes to the others. Immediately there was a -scramble. One brave, after a struggle with another, got possession -of both boots. He at once slipped off his moccasins and drew on the -white man's foot-coverings. He strutted around in them a few -moments, but his proud manner soon changed to disgust. - -Cowhide had none of the soft, yielding qualities of buckskin, and -hurt the Indian's feet. Sitting down, he pulled one off, not without -difficulty, for the boots were wet; but he could not remove the -other. He hesitated a moment, being aware of the subdued merriment -of his comrades, and then held up his foot to the nearest one. This -chanced to be the big Indian, who evidently had a keen sense of -humor. Taking hold of the boot with both hands, he dragged the -luckless brave entirely around the camp-fire. The fun, however, was -not to be all one-sided. The big Indian gave a more strenuous pull, -and the boot came off suddenly. Unprepared for this, he lost his -balance and fell down the bank almost into the creek. He held on to -the boot, nevertheless, and getting up, threw it into the fire. - -The braves quieted down after that, and soon lapsed into slumber, -leaving the big fellow, to whom the chief had addressed his brief -command, acting, as guard. Observing Joe watching him as he puffed -on his new pipe, he grinned, and spoke in broken English that was -intelligible, and much of a surprise to the young man. - -"Paleface--tobac'--heap good." - -Then, seeing that Joe made no effort to follow his brother's -initiative, for Jim was fast asleep, he pointed to the recumbent -figures and spoke again. - -"Ugh! Paleface sleep--Injun wigwams--near setting sun." - -On the following morning Joe was awakened by the pain in his legs, -which had been bound all night. He was glad when the bonds were cut -and the party took up its westward march. - -The Indians, though somewhat quieter, displayed the same -carelessness: they did not hurry, nor use particular caution, but -selected the most open paths through the forest. They even halted -while one of their number crept up on a herd of browsing deer. About -noon the leader stopped to drink from a spring; his braves followed -suit and permitted the white prisoners to quench their thirst. - -When they were about to start again the single note of a bird far -away in the woods sounded clearly on the quiet air. Joe would not -have given heed to it had he been less attentive. He instantly -associated this peculiar bird-note with the sudden stiffening of -Silvertip's body and his attitude of intense listening. Low -exclamations came from the braves as they bent to catch the lightest -sound. Presently, above the murmur of the gentle fall of water over -the stones, rose that musical note once more. It was made by a bird, -Joe thought, and yet, judged by the actions of the Indians, how -potent with meaning beyond that of the simple melody of the woodland -songster! He turned, half expecting to see somewhere in the -tree-tops the bird which had wrought so sudden a change in his -captors. As he did so from close at hand came the same call, now -louder, but identical with the one that had deceived him. It was an -answering signal, and had been given by Silvertip. - -It flashed into Joe's mind that other savages were in the forest; -they had run across the Shawnees' trail, and were thus communicating -with them. Soon dark figures could be discerned against the patches -of green thicket; they came nearer and nearer, and now entered the -open glade where Silvertip stood with his warriors. - -Joe counted twelve, and noted that they differed from his captors. -He had only time to see that this difference consisted in the -head-dress, and in the color and quantity of paint on their bodies, -when his gaze was attracted and riveted to the foremost figures. - -The first was that of a very tall and stately chief, toward whom -Silvertip now advanced with every show of respect. In this Indian's -commanding stature, in his reddish-bronze face, stern and powerful, -there were readable the characteristics of a king. In his deep-set -eyes, gleaming from under a ponderous brow; in his mastiff-like jaw; -in every feature of his haughty face were visible all the high -intelligence, the consciousness of past valor, and the power and -authority that denote a great chieftain. - -The second figure was equally striking for the remarkable contrast -it afforded to the chief's. Despite the gaudy garments, the paint, -the fringed and beaded buckskin leggins--all the Indian -accouterments and garments which bedecked this person, he would have -been known anywhere as a white man. His skin was burned to a dark -bronze, but it had not the red tinge which characterizes the Indian. -This white man had, indeed, a strange physiognomy. The forehead was -narrow and sloped backward from the brow, denoting animal instincts. -The eyes were close together, yellowish-brown in color, and had a -peculiar vibrating movement, as though they were hung on a pivot, -like a compass-needle. The nose was long and hooked, and the mouth -set in a thin, cruel line. There was in the man's aspect an -extraordinary combination of ignorance, vanity, cunning and -ferocity. - -While the two chiefs held a short consultation, this -savage-appearing white man addressed the brothers. - -"Who're you, an' where you goin'?" he asked gruffly, confronting -Jim. - -"My name is Downs. I am a preacher, and was on my way to the -Moravian Mission to preach to the Indians. You are a white man; will -you help us?" - -If Jim expected the information would please his interrogator, he -was mistaken. - -"So you're one of 'em? Yes, I'll do suthin' fer you when I git back -from this hunt. I'll cut your heart out, chop it up, an' feed it to -the buzzards," he said fiercely, concluding his threat by striking -Jim a cruel blow on the head. - -Joe paled deathly white at this cowardly action, and his eyes, as -they met the gaze of the ruffian, contracted with their -characteristic steely glow, as if some powerful force within the -depths of his being were at white heat and only this pale flash came -to the surface. - -"You ain't a preacher?" questioned the man, meeting something in -Joe's glance that had been absent from Jim's. - -Joe made no answer, and regarded questioner steadily. - -"Ever see me afore? Ever hear of Jim Girty?" he asked boastfully. - -"Before you spoke I knew you were Girty," answered Joe quietly. - -"How d'you know? Ain't you afeared?" - -"Of what?" - -"Me--me?" - -Joe laughed in the renegades face. - -"How'd you knew me?" growled Girty. "I'll see thet you hev cause to -remember me after this." - -"I figured there was only one so-called white man in these woods who -is coward enough to strike a man whose hands are tied." - -"Boy, ye're too free with your tongue. I'll shet off your wind." -Girty's hand was raised, but it never reached Joe's neck. - -The big Indian had an hour or more previous cut Joe's bonds, but he -still retained the thong which was left attached to Joe's left -wrist. This allowed the young man free use of his right arm, which, -badly swollen or not, he brought into quick action. - -When the renegade reached toward him Joe knocked up the hand, and, -instead of striking, he grasped the hooked nose with all the -powerful grip of his fingers. Girty uttered a frightful curse; he -writhed with pain, but could not free himself from the vise-like -clutch. He drew his tomahawk and with a scream aimed a vicious blow -at Joe. He missed his aim, however, for Silvertip had intervened and -turned the course of the keen hatchet. But the weapon struck Joe a -glancing blow, inflicting a painful, though not dangerous wound. - -The renegade's nose was skinned and bleeding profusely. He was -frantic with fury, and tried to get at Joe; but Silvertip remained -in front of his captive until some of the braves led Girty into the -forest, where the tall chief had already disappeared. - -The nose-pulling incident added to the gayety of the Shawnees, who -evidently were pleased with Girty's discomfiture. They jabbered -among themselves and nodded approvingly at Joe, until a few words -spoken by Silvertip produced a sudden change. - -What the words were Joe could not understand, but to him they -sounded like French. He smiled at the absurdity of imagining he had -heard a savage speak a foreign language. At any rate, whatever had -been said was trenchant with meaning. The Indians changed from gay -to grave; they picked up their weapons and looked keenly on every -side; the big Indian at once retied Joe, and then all crowded round -the chief. - -"Did you hear what Silvertip said, and did you notice the effect it -had?" whispered Jim, taking advantage of the moment. - -"It sounded like French, but of course it wasn't," replied Joe. - -"It was French. 'Le Vent de la Mort.'" - -"By Jove, that's it. What does it mean?" asked Joe, who was not a -scholar. - -"The Wind of Death." - -"That's English, but I can't apply it here. Can you?" - -"No doubt it is some Indian omen." - -The hurried consultation over, Silvertip tied Joe's horse and dog to -the trees, and once more led the way; this time he avoided the open -forest and kept on low ground. For a long time he traveled in the -bed of the brook, wading when the water was shallow, and always -stepping where there was the least possibility of leaving a -footprint. Not a word was spoken. If either of the brothers made the -lightest splash in the water, or tumbled a stone into the brook, the -Indian behind rapped him on the head with a tomahawk handle. - -At certain places, indicated by the care which Silvertip exercised -in walking, the Indian in front of the captives turned and pointed -where they were to step. They were hiding the trail. Silvertip -hurried them over the stony places; went more slowly through the -water, and picked his way carefully over the soft ground it became -necessary to cross. At times he stopped, remaining motionless many -seconds. - -This vigilance continued all the afternoon. The sun sank; twilight -spread its gray mantle, and soon black night enveloped the forest. -The Indians halted, but made no fire; they sat close together on a -stony ridge, silent and watchful. - -Joe pondered deeply over this behavior. Did the Shawnees fear -pursuit? What had that Indian chief told Silvertip? To Joe it seemed -that they acted as if believing foes were on all sides. Though they -hid their tracks, it was, apparently, not the fear of pursuit alone -which made them cautious. - -Joe reviewed the afternoon's march and dwelt upon the possible -meaning of the cat-like steps, the careful brushing aside of -branches, the roving eyes, suspicious and gloomy, the eager -watchfulness of the advance as well as to the rear, and always the -strained effort to listen, all of which gave him the impression of -some grave, unseen danger. - -And now as he lay on the hard ground, nearly exhausted by the long -march and suffering from the throbbing wound, his courage lessened -somewhat, and he shivered with dread. The quiet and gloom of the -forest; these fierce, wild creatures, free in the heart of their own -wilderness yet menaced by a foe, and that strange French phrase -which kept recurring in his mind--all had the effect of conjuring up -giant shadows in Joe's fanciful mind. During all his life, until -this moment, he had never feared anything; now he was afraid of the -darkness. The spectral trees spread long arms overhead, and phantom -forms stalked abroad; somewhere out in that dense gloom stirred this -mysterious foe--the "Wind of Death." - -Nevertheless, he finally slept. In the dull-gray light of early -morning the Indians once more took up the line of march toward the -west. They marched all that day, and at dark halted to eat and rest. -Silvertip and another Indian stood watch. - -Some time before morning Joe suddenly awoke. The night was dark, yet -it was lighter than when he had fallen asleep. A pale, crescent moon -shown dimly through the murky clouds. There was neither movement of -the air nor the chirp of an insect. Absolute silence prevailed. - -Joe saw the Indian guard leaning against a tree, asleep. Silvertip -was gone. The captive raised his head and looked around for the -chief. There were only four Indians left, three on the ground and -one against the tree. - -He saw something shining near him. He looked more closely, and made -out the object to be an eagle plume Silvertip had worn, in his -head-dress. It lay on the ground near the tree. Joe made some slight -noise which awakened the guard. The Indian never moved a muscle; but -his eyes roved everywhere. He, too, noticed the absence of the -chief. - -At this moment from out of the depths of the woods came a swelling -sigh, like the moan of the night wind. It rose and died away, -leaving the silence apparently all the deeper. - -A shudder ran over Joe's frame. Fascinated, he watched the guard. -The Indian uttered a low gasp; his eyes started and glared wildly; -he rose very slowly to his full height and stood waiting, listening. -The dark hand which held the tomahawk trembled so that little glints -of moonlight glanced from the bright steel. - -From far back in the forest-deeps came that same low moaning: - -"Um-m-mm-woo-o-o-o!" - -It rose from a faint murmur and swelled to a deep moan, soft but -clear, and ended in a wail like that of a lost soul. - -The break it made in that dead silence was awful. Joe's blood seemed -to have curdled and frozen; a cold sweat oozed from his skin, and it -was as if a clammy hand clutched at his heart. He tried to persuade -himself that the fear displayed by the savage was only superstition, -and that that moan was but the sigh of the night wind. - -The Indian sentinel stood as if paralyzed an instant after that -weird cry, and then, swift as a flash, and as noiseless, he was gone -into the gloomy forest. He had fled without awakening his -companions. - -Once more the moaning cry arose and swelled mournfully on the still -night air. It was close at hand! - -"The Wind of Death," whispered Joe. - -He was shaken and unnerved by the events of the past two days, and -dazed from his wound. His strength deserted him, and he lost -consciousness. - - - -Chapter VI. - -One evening, several day previous to the capture of the brothers, a -solitary hunter stopped before a deserted log cabin which stood on -the bank of a stream fifty miles or more inland from the Ohio River. -It was rapidly growing dark; a fine, drizzling rain had set in, and -a rising wind gave promise of a stormy night. - -Although the hunter seemed familiar with his surroundings, he moved -cautiously, and hesitated as if debating whether he should seek the -protection of this lonely hut, or remain all night under dripping -trees. Feeling of his hunting frock, he found that it was damp and -slippery. This fact evidently decided him in favor of the cabin, for -he stooped his tall figure and went in. It was pitch dark inside; -but having been there before, the absence of a light did not trouble -him. He readily found the ladder leading to the loft, ascended it, -and lay down to sleep. - -During the night a noise awakened him. For a moment he heard nothing -except the fall of the rain. Then came the hum of voices, followed -by the soft tread of moccasined feet. He knew there was an Indian -town ten miles across the country, and believed some warriors, -belated on a hunting trip, had sought the cabin for shelter. - -The hunter lay perfectly quiet, awaiting developments. If the -Indians had flint and steel, and struck a light, he was almost -certain to be discovered. He listened to their low conversation, and -understood from the language that they were Delawares. - -A moment later he heard the rustling of leaves and twigs, -accompanied by the metallic click of steel against some hard -substance. The noise was repeated, and then followed by a hissing -sound, which he knew to be the burning of a powder on a piece of dry -wood, after which rays of light filtered through cracks of the -unstable floor of the loft. - -The man placed his eye to one of these crevices, and counted eleven -Indians, all young braves, with the exception of the chief. The -Indians had been hunting; they had haunches of deer and buffalo -tongues, together with several packs of hides. Some of them busied -themselves drying their weapons; others sat down listlessly, plainly -showing their weariness, and two worked over the smouldering fire. -The damp leaves and twigs burned faintly, yet there was enough to -cause the hunter fear that he might be discovered. He believed he -had not much to worry about from the young braves, but the hawk-eyed -chief was dangerous. - -And he was right. Presently the stalwart chief heard, or saw, a drop -of water fall from the loft. It came from the hunter's wet coat. -Almost any one save an Indian scout would have fancied this came -from the roof. As the chief's gaze roamed everywhere over the -interior of the cabin his expression was plainly distrustful. His -eye searched the wet clay floor, but hardly could have discovered -anything there, because the hunter's moccasined tracks had been -obliterated by the footprints of the Indians. The chief's suspicions -seemed to be allayed. - -But in truth this chief, with the wonderful sagacity natural to -Indians, had observed matters which totally escaped the young -braves, and, like a wily old fox, he waited to see which cub would -prove the keenest. Not one of them, however, noted anything unusual. -They sat around the fire, ate their meat and parched corn, and -chatted volubly. - -The chief arose and, walking to the ladder, ran his hand along one -of the rungs. - -"Ugh!" he exclaimed. - -Instantly he was surrounded by ten eager, bright-eyed braves. He -extended his open palm; it was smeared with wet clay like that under -his feet. Simultaneously with their muttered exclamations the braves -grasped their weapons. They knew there was a foe above them. It was -a paleface, for an Indian would have revealed himself. - -The hunter, seeing he was discovered, acted with the unerring -judgment and lightning-like rapidity of one long accustomed to -perilous situations. Drawing his tomahawk and noiselessly stepping -to the hole in the loft, he leaped into the midst of the astounded -Indians. - -Rising from the floor like the rebound of a rubber ball, his long -arm with the glittering hatchet made a wide sweep, and the young -braves scattered like frightened sheep. - -He made a dash for the door and, incredible as it may seem, his -movements were so quick he would have escaped from their very midst -without a scratch but for one unforeseen circumstance. The clay -floor was wet and slippery; his feet were hardly in motion before -they slipped from under him and he fell headlong. - -With loud yells of triumph the band jumped upon him. There was a -convulsive, heaving motion of the struggling mass, one frightful cry -of agony, and then hoarse commands. Three of the braves ran to their -packs, from which they took cords of buckskin. So exceedingly -powerful was the hunter that six Indians were required to hold him -while the others tied his hands and feet. Then, with grunts and -chuckles of satisfaction, they threw him into a corner of the cabin. - -Two of the braves had been hurt in the brief struggle, one having a -badly wrenched shoulder and the other a broken arm. So much for the -hunter's power in that single moment of action. - -The loft was searched, and found to be empty. Then the excitement -died away, and the braves settled themselves down for the night. The -injured ones bore their hurts with characteristic stoicism; if they -did not sleep, both remained quiet and not a sigh escaped them. - -The wind changed during the night, the storm abated, and when -daylight came the sky was cloudless. The first rays of the sun shone -in the open door, lighting up the interior of the cabin. - -A sleepy Indian who had acted as guard stretched his limbs and -yawned. He looked for the prisoner, and saw him sitting up in the -corner. One arm was free, and the other nearly so. He had almost -untied the thongs which bound him; a few moments more and he would -have been free. - -"Ugh!" exclaimed the young brave, awakening his chief and pointing -to the hunter. - -The chief glanced at his prisoner; then looked more closely, and -with one spring was on his feet, a drawn tomahawk in his hand. A -short, shrill yell issued from his lips. Roused by that clarion -call, the young braves jumped up, trembling in eager excitement. The -chief's summons had been the sharp war-cry of the Delawares. - -He manifested as intense emotion as could possibly have been -betrayed by a matured, experienced chieftain, and pointing to the -hunter, he spoke a single word. - - * * * - -At noonday the Indians entered the fields of corn which marked the -outskirts of the Delaware encampment. - -"Kol-loo--kol-loo--kol-loo." - -The long signal, heralding the return of the party with important -news, pealed throughout the quiet valley; and scarcely had the -echoes died away when from the village came answering shouts. - -Once beyond the aisles of waving corn the hunter saw over the -shoulders of his captors the home of the redmen. A grassy plain, -sloping gradually from the woody hill to a winding stream, was -brightly beautiful with chestnut trees and long, well-formed lines -of lodges. Many-hued blankets hung fluttering in the sun, and rising -lazily were curling columns of blue smoke. The scene was picturesque -and reposeful; the vivid hues suggesting the Indians love of color -and ornament; the absence of life and stir, his languorous habit of -sleeping away the hot noonday hours. - -The loud whoops, however, changed the quiet encampment into a scene -of animation. Children ran from the wigwams, maidens and braves -dashed here and there, squaws awakened from their slumber, and many -a doughty warrior rose from his rest in the shade. French fur -traders came curiously from their lodges, and renegades hurriedly -left their blankets, roused to instant action by the well-known -summons. - -The hunter, led down the lane toward the approaching crowd, -presented a calm and fearless demeanor. When the Indians surrounded -him one prolonged, furious yell rent the air, and then followed an -extraordinary demonstration of fierce delight. The young brave's -staccato yell, the maiden's scream, the old squaw's screech, and the -deep war-cry of the warriors intermingled in a fearful discordance. - -Often had this hunter heard the name which the Indian called him; he -had been there before, a prisoner; he had run the gauntlet down the -lane; he had been bound to a stake in front of the lodge where his -captors were now leading him. He knew the chief, Wingenund, sachem -of the Delawares. Since that time, now five years ago, when -Wingenund had tortured him, they had been bitterest foes. - -If the hunter heard the hoarse cries, or the words hissed into his -ears; if he saw the fiery glances of hatred, and sudden giving way -to ungovernable rage, unusual to the Indian nature; if he felt in -their fierce exultation the hopelessness of succor or mercy, he gave -not the slightest sign. - -"Atelang! Atelang! Atelang!" rang out the strange Indian name. - -The French traders, like real savages, ran along with the -procession, their feathers waving, their paint shining, their faces -expressive of as much excitement as the Indians' as they cried aloud -in their native tongue: - -"Le Vent de la Mort! Le Vent de la Mort! La Vent de la Mort!" - -The hunter, while yet some paces distant, saw the lofty figure of -the chieftain standing in front of his principal men. Well he knew -them all. There were the crafty Pipe, and his savage comrade, the -Half King; there was Shingiss, who wore on his forehead a scar--the -mark of the hunter's bullet; there were Kotoxen, the Lynx, and -Misseppa, the Source, and Winstonah, the War-cloud, chiefs of -sagacity and renown. Three renegades completed the circle; and these -three traitors represented a power which had for ten years left an -awful, bloody trail over the country. Simon Girty, the so-called -White Indian, with his keen, authoritative face turned expectantly; -Elliott, the Tory deserter, from Fort Pitt, a wiry, spider-like -little man; and last, the gaunt and gaudily arrayed form of the -demon of the frontier--Jim Girty. - -The procession halted before this group, and two brawny braves -pushed the hunter forward. Simon Girty's face betrayed satisfaction; -Elliott's shifty eyes snapped, and the dark, repulsive face of the -other Girty exhibited an exultant joy. These desperadoes had feared -this hunter. - -Wingenund, with a majestic wave of his arm, silenced the yelling -horde of frenzied savages and stepped before the captive. - -The deadly foes were once again face to face. The chieftain's lofty -figure and dark, sleek head, now bare of plumes, towered over the -other Indians, but he was not obliged to lower his gaze in order to -look straight into the hunter's eyes. - -Verily this hunter merited the respect which shone in the great -chieftain's glance. Like a mountain-ash he stood, straight and -strong, his magnificent frame tapering wedge-like from his broad -shoulders. The bulging line of his thick neck, the deep chest, the -knotty contour of his bared forearm, and the full curves of his -legs--all denoted a wonderful muscular development. - -The power expressed in this man's body seemed intensified in his -features. His face was white and cold, his jaw square and set; his -coal-black eyes glittered with almost a superhuman fire. And his -hair, darker than the wing of a crow, fell far below his shoulders; -matted and tangled as it was, still it hung to his waist, and had it -been combed out, must have reached his knees. - -One long moment Wingenund stood facing his foe, and then over the -multitude and through the valley rolled his sonorous voice: - -"Deathwind dies at dawn!" - -The hunter was tied to a tree and left in view of the Indian -populace. The children ran fearfully by; the braves gazed long at -the great foe of their race; the warriors passed in gloomy silence. -The savages' tricks of torture, all their diabolical ingenuity of -inflicting pain was suppressed, awaiting the hour of sunrise when -this hated Long Knife was to die. - -Only one person offered an insult to the prisoner; he was a man of -his own color. Jim Girty stopped before him, his yellowish eyes -lighted by a tigerish glare, his lips curled in a snarl, and from -between them issuing the odor of the fir traders' vile rum. - -"You'll soon be feed fer the buzzards," he croaked, in his hoarse -voice. He had so often strewed the plains with human flesh for the -carrion birds that the thought had a deep fascination for him. "D'ye -hear, scalp-hunter? Feed for buzzards!" He deliberately spat in the -hunter's face. "D'ye hear?" he repeated. - -There was no answer save that which glittered in the hunter's eye. -But the renegade could not read it because he did not meet that -flaming glance. Wild horses could not have dragged him to face this -man had he been free. Even now a chill crept over Girty. For a -moment he was enthralled by a mysterious fear, half paralyzed by a -foreshadowing of what would be this hunter's vengeance. Then he -shook off his craven fear. He was free; the hunter's doom was sure. -His sharp face was again wreathed in a savage leer, and he spat once -more on the prisoner. - -His fierce impetuosity took him a step too far. The hunter's arms -and waist were fastened, but his feet were free. His powerful leg -was raised suddenly; his foot struck Girty in the pit of the -stomach. The renegade dropped limp and gasping. The braves carried -him away, his gaudy feathers trailing, his long arms hanging -inertly, and his face distorted with agony. - -The maidens of the tribe, however, showed for the prisoner an -interest that had in it something of veiled sympathy. Indian girls -were always fascinated by white men. Many records of Indian maidens' -kindness, of love, of heroism for white prisoners brighten the dark -pages of frontier history. These girls walked past the hunter, -averting their eyes when within his range of vision, but stealing -many a sidelong glance at his impressive face and noble proportions. -One of them, particularly, attracted the hunter's eye. - -This was because, as she came by with her companions, while they all -turned away, she looked at him with her soft, dark eyes. She was a -young girl, whose delicate beauty bloomed fresh and sweet as that of -a wild rose. Her costume, fringed, beaded, and exquisitely wrought -with fanciful design, betrayed her rank, she was Wingenund's -daughter. The hunter had seen her when she was a child, and he -recognized her now. He knew that the beauty of Aola, of Whispering -Winds Among the Leaves, had been sung from the Ohio to the Great -Lakes. - -Often she passed him that afternoon. At sunset, as the braves untied -him and led him away, he once more caught the full, intense gaze of -her lovely eyes. - -That night as he lay securely bound in the corner of a lodge, and -the long hours wore slowly away, he strained at his stout bonds, and -in his mind revolved different plans of escape. It was not in this -man's nature to despair; while he had life he would fight. From time -to time he expanded his muscles, striving to loosen the wet buckskin -thongs. - -The dark hours slowly passed, no sound coming to him save the -distant bark of a dog and the monotonous tread of his guard; a dim -grayness pervaded the lodge. Dawn was close at hand--his hour was -nearly come. - -Suddenly his hearing, trained to a most acute sensibility, caught a -faint sound, almost inaudible. It came from without on the other -side of the lodge. There it was again, a slight tearing sound, such -as is caused by a knife when it cuts through soft material. - -Some one was slitting the wall of the lodge. - -The hunter rolled noiselessly over and over until he lay against the -skins. In the dim grayness he saw a bright blade moving carefully -upward through the deer-hide. Then a long knife was pushed into the -opening; a small, brown hand grasped the hilt. Another little hand -followed and felt of the wall and floor, reaching out with groping -fingers. - -The, hunter rolled again so that his back was against the wall and -his wrists in front of the opening. He felt the little hand on his -arm; then it slipped down to his wrists. The contact of cold steel -set a tremor of joy through his heart. The pressure of his bonds -relaxed, ceased; his arms were free. He turned to find the -long-bladed knife on the ground. The little hands were gone. - -In a tinkling he rose unbound, armed, desperate. In another second -an Indian warrior lay upon the ground in his death-throes, while a -fleeing form vanished in the gray morning mist. - - - -Chapter VII. - -Joe felt the heavy lethargy rise from him like the removal of a -blanket; his eyes became clear, and he saw the trees and the forest -gloom; slowly he realized his actual position. - -He was a prisoner, lying helpless among his sleeping captors. -Silvertip and the guard had fled into the woods, frightened by the -appalling moan which they believed sounded their death-knell. And -Joe believed he might have fled himself had he been free. What could -have caused that sound? He fought off the numbing chill that once -again began to creep over him. He was wide-awake now; his head was -clear, and he resolved to retain his senses. He told himself there -could be nothing supernatural in that wind, or wail, or whatever it -was, which had risen murmuring from out the forest-depths. - -Yet, despite his reasoning, Joe could not allay his fears. That -thrilling cry haunted him. The frantic flight of an Indian -brave--nay, of a cunning, experienced chief--was not to be lightly -considered. The savages were at home in these untracked wilds. -Trained from infancy to scent danger and to fight when they had an -equal chance they surely would not run without good cause. - -Joe knew that something moved under those dark trees. He had no idea -what. It might be the fretting night wind, or a stealthy, prowling, -soft-footed beast, or a savage alien to these wild Indians, and -wilder than they by far. The chirp of a bird awoke the stillness. -Night had given way to morning. Welcoming the light that was chasing -away the gloom, Joe raised his head with a deep sigh of relief. As -he did so he saw a bush move; then a shadow seemed to sink into the -ground. He had seen an object lighter than the trees, darker than -the gray background. Again, that strange sense of the nearness of -something thrilled him. - -Moments, passed--to him long as hours. He saw a tall fern waver and -tremble. A rabbit, or perhaps a snake, had brushed it. Other ferns -moved, their tops agitated, perhaps, by a faint breeze. No; that -wavering line came straight toward him; it could not be the wind; it -marked the course of a creeping, noiseless thing. It must be a -panther crawling nearer and nearer. - -Joe opened his lips to awaken his captors, but could not speak; it -was as if his heart had stopped beating. Twenty feet away the ferns -were parted to disclose a white, gleaming face, with eyes that -seemingly glittered. Brawny shoulders were upraised, and then a -tall, powerful man stood revealed. Lightly he stepped over the -leaves into the little glade. He bent over the sleeping Indians. -Once, twice, three times a long blade swung high. One brave -shuddered another gave a sobbing gasp, and the third moved two -fingers--thus they passed from life to death. - -"Wetzel!" cried Joe. - -"I reckon so," said the deliverer, his deep, calm voice contrasting -strangely with what might have been expected from his aspect. Then, -seeing Joe's head covered with blood, he continued: "Able to get -up?" - -"I'm not hurt," answered Joe, rising when his bonds had been cut. - -"Brothers, I reckon?" Wetzel said, bending over Jim. - -"Yes, we're brothers. Wake up, Jim, wake up! We're saved!" - -"What? Who's that?" cried Jim, sitting up and staring at Wetzel. - -"This man has saved our lives! See, Jim, the Indians are dead! And, -Jim, it's Wetzel, the hunter. You remember, Jeff Lynn said I'd know -him if I ever saw him and---" - -"What happened to Jeff?" inquired Wetzel, interrupting. He had -turned from Jim's grateful face. - -"Jeff was on the first raft, and for all we know he is now safe at -Fort Henry. Our steersman was shot, and we were captured." - -"Has the Shawnee anythin' ag'inst you boys?" - -"Why, yes, I guess so. I played a joke on him--took his shirt and -put it on another fellow." - -"Might jes' as well kick an' Injun. What has he ag'in you?" - -"I don't know. Perhaps he did not like my talk to him," answered -Jim. "I am a preacher, and have come west to teach the gospel to the -Indians." - -"They're good Injuns now," said Wetzel, pointing to the prostrate -figures. - -"How did you find us?" eagerly asked Joe. - -"Run acrost yer trail two days back." - -"And you've been following us?" - -The hunter nodded. - -"Did you see anything of another band of Indians? A tall chief and -Jim Girty were among them." - -"They've been arter me fer two days. I was followin' you when -Silvertip got wind of Girty an' his Delawares. The big chief was -Wingenund. I seen you pull Girty's nose. Arter the Delawares went I -turned loose yer dog an' horse an' lit out on yer trail.'' - -"Where are the Delawares now?" - -"I reckon there nosin' my back trail. We must be gittin'. -Silvertip'll soon hev a lot of Injuns here." - -Joe intended to ask the hunter about what had frightened the -Indians, but despite his eager desire for information, he refrained -from doing so. - -"Girty nigh did fer you," remarked Wetzel, examining Joe's wound. -"He's in a bad humor. He got kicked a few days back, and then hed -the skin pulled offen his nose. Somebody'll hev to suffer. Wal, you -fellers grab yer rifles, an' we'll be startin' fer the fort." - -Joe shuddered as he leaned over one of the dusky forms to detach -powder and bullet horn. He had never seen a dead Indian, and the -tense face, the sightless, vacant eyes made him shrink. He shuddered -again when he saw the hunter scalp his victims. He shuddered the -third time when he saw Wetzel pick up Silvertip's beautiful white -eagle plume, dabble it in a pool of blood, and stick it in the bark -of a tree. Bereft of its graceful beauty, drooping with its gory -burden, the long leather was a deadly message. It had been -Silvertip's pride; it was now a challenge, a menace to the Shawnee -chief. - -"Come," said Wetzel, leading the way into the forest. - - * * * - -Shortly after daylight on the second day following the release of -the Downs brothers the hunter brushed through a thicket of alder and -said: "Thar's Fort Henry." - -The boys were on the summit of a mountain from which the land sloped -in a long incline of rolling ridges and gentle valleys like a green, -billowy sea, until it rose again abruptly into a peak higher still -than the one upon which they stood. The broad Ohio, glistening in -the sun, lay at the base of the mountain. - -Upon the bluff overlooking the river, and under the brow of the -mountain, lay the frontier fort. In the clear atmosphere it stood -out in bold relief. A small, low structure surrounded by a high -stockade fence was all, and yet it did not seem unworthy of its -fame. Those watchful, forbidding loopholes, the blackened walls and -timbers, told the history of ten long, bloody years. The whole -effect was one of menace, as if the fort sent out a defiance to the -wilderness, and meant to protect the few dozen log cabins clustered -on the hillside. - -"How will we ever get across that big river?" asked Jim, -practically. - -"Wade--swim," answered the hunter, laconically, and began the -descent of the ridge. An hour's rapid walking brought the three to -the river. Depositing his rifle in a clump of willows, and directing -the boys to do the same with their guns, the hunter splashed into -the water. His companions followed him into the shallow water, and -waded a hundred yards, which brought them near the island that they -now perceived hid the fort. The hunter swam the remaining distance, -and, climbing the bank, looked back for the boys. They were close -behind him. Then he strode across the island, perhaps a quarter of a -mile wide. - -"We've a long swim here," said Wetzel, waving his hand toward the -main channel of the river. "Good fer it?" he inquired of Joe, since -Jim had not received any injuries during the short captivity and -consequently showed more endurance. - -"Good for anything," answered Joe, with that coolness Wetzel had -been quick to observe in him. - -The hunter cast a sharp glance at the lad's haggard face, his -bruised temple, and his hair matted with blood. In that look he read -Joe thoroughly. Had the young man known the result of that scrutiny, -he would have been pleased as well as puzzled, for the hunter had -said to himself: "A brave lad, an' the border fever's on him." - -"Swim close to me," said Wetzel, and he plunged into the river. The -task was accomplished without accident. - -"See the big cabin, thar, on the hillside? Thar's Colonel Zane in -the door," said Wetzel. - -As they neared the building several men joined the one who had been -pointed out as the colonel. It was evident the boys were the subject -of their conversation. Presently Zane left the group and came toward -them. The brothers saw a handsome, stalwart man, in the prime of -life. - -"Well, Lew, what luck?" he said to Wetzel. - -"Not much. I treed five Injuns, an' two got away," answered the -hunter as he walked toward the fort. - -"Lads, welcome to Fort Henry," said Colonel Zane, a smile lighting -his dark face. "The others of your party arrived safely. They -certainly will be overjoyed to see you." - -"Colonel Zane, I had a letter from my uncle to you," replied Jim; -"but the Indians took that and everything else we had with us." - -"Never mind the letter. I knew your uncle, and your father, too. -Come into the house and change those wet clothes. And you, my lad, -have got an ugly knock on the head. Who gave you that?" - -"Jim Girty." - -"What?" exclaimed the colonel. - -"Jim Girty did that. He was with a party of Delawares who ran across -us. They were searching for Wetzel." - -"Girty with the Delawares! The devil's to pay now. And you say -hunting Wetzel? I must learn more about this. It looks bad. But tell -me, how did Girty come to strike you?" - -"I pulled his nose." - -"You did? Good! Good!" cried Colonel Zane, heartily. "By George, -that's great! Tell me--but wait until you are more comfortable. Your -packs came safely on Jeff's raft, and you will find them inside." - -As Joe followed the colonel he heard one of the other men say: - -"Like as two peas in a pod." - -Farther on he saw an Indian standing a little apart from the others. -Hearing Joe's slight exclamation of surprise, he turned, disclosing -a fine, manly countenance, characterized by calm dignity. The Indian -read the boy's thought. - -"Ugh! Me friend," he said in English. - -"That's my Shawnee guide, Tomepomehala. He's a good fellow, although -Jonathan and Wetzel declare the only good Indian is a dead one. Come -right in here. There are your packs, and you'll find water outside -the door." - -Thus saying, Colonel Zane led the brothers into a small room, -brought out their packs, and left them. He came back presently with -a couple of soft towels. - -"Now you lads fix up a bit; then come out and meet my family and -tell us all about your adventure. By that time dinner will be -ready." - -"Geminy! Don't that towel remind you of home?" said Joe, when the -colonel had gone. "From the looks of things, Colonel Zane means to -have comfort here in the wilderness. He struck me as being a fine -man." - -The boys were indeed glad to change the few articles of clothing the -Indians had left them, and when they were shaved and dressed they -presented an entirely different appearance. Once more they were twin -brothers, in costume and feature. Joe contrived, by brushing his -hair down on his forehead, to conceal the discolored bump. - -"I think I saw a charming girl," observed Joe. - -"Suppose you did--what then?" asked Jim, severely. - -"Why--nothing--see here, mayn't I admire a pretty girl if I want?" - -"No, you may not. Joe, will nothing ever cure you? I should think -the thought of Miss Wells---" - -"Look here, Jim; she don't care--at least, it's very little she -cares. And I'm--I'm not worthy of her." - -"Turn around here and face me," said the young minister sharply. - -Joe turned and looked in his brother's eyes. - -"Have you trifled with her, as you have with so many others? Tell -me. I know you don't lie." - -"No." - -"Then what do you mean?" - -"Nothing much, Jim, except I'm really not worthy of her. I'm no -good, you know, and she ought to get a fellow like--like you." - -"Absurd! You ought to be ashamed of yourself." - -"Never mind me. See here; don't you admire her?" - -"Why--why, yes," stammered Jim, flushing a dark, guilty red at the -direct question. "Who could help admiring her?" - -"That's what I thought. And I know she admires you for qualities -which I lack. Nell's like a tender vine just beginning to creep -around and cling to something strong. She cares for me; but her love -is like the vine. It may hurt her a little to tear that love away, -but it won't kill her; and in the end it will be best for her. You -need a good wife. What could I do with a woman? Go in and win her, -Jim." - -"Joe, you're sacrificing yourself again for me," cried Jim, white to -the lips. "It's wrong to yourself and wrong to her. I tell you---" - -"Enough!" Joe's voice cut in cold and sharp. "Usually you influence -me; but sometimes you can't; I say this: Nell will drift into your -arms as surely as the leaf falls. It will not hurt her--will be best -for her. Remember, she is yours for the winning." - -"You do not say whether that will hurt you," whispered Jim. - -"Come--we'll find Colonel Zane," said Joe, opening the door. - -They went out in the hallway which opened into the yard as well as -the larger room through which the colonel had first conducted them. -As Jim, who was in advance, passed into this apartment a trim figure -entered from the yard. It was Nell, and she ran directly against -him. Her face was flushed, her eyes were beaming with gladness, and -she seemed the incarnation of girlish joy. - -"Oh, Joe," was all she whispered. But the happiness and welcome in -that whisper could never have been better expressed in longer -speech. Then slightly, ever so slightly, she tilted her sweet face -up to his. - -It all happened with the quickness of thought. In a single instant -Jim saw the radiant face, the outstretched hands, and heard the glad -whisper. He knew that she had a again mistaken him for Joe; but for -his life he could not draw back his head. He had kissed her, and -even as his lips thrilled with her tremulous caress he flushed with -the shame of his deceit. - -"You're mistaken again--I'm Jim," he whispered. - -For a moment they stood staring into each other's eyes, slowly -awakening to what had really happened, slowly conscious of a sweet, -alluring power. Then Colonel Zane's cheery voice rang in their ears. - -"Ah, here's Nellie and your brother! Now, lads, tell me which is -which?' - -"That's Jim, and I'm Joe," answered the latter. He appeared not to -notice his brother, and his greeting to Nell was natural and hearty. -For the moment she drew the attention of the others from them. - -Joe found himself listening to the congratulations of a number of -people. Among the many names he remembered were those of Mrs. Zane, -Silas Zane, and Major McColloch. Then he found himself gazing at the -most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life. - -"My only sister, Mrs. Alfred Clarke--once Betty Zane, and the -heroine of Fort Henry," said Colonel Zane proudly, with his arm -around the slender, dark-eyed girl. - -"I would brave the Indians and the wilderness again for this -pleasure," replied Joe gallantly, as he bowed low over the little -hand she cordially extended. - -"Bess, is dinner ready?" inquired Colonel Zane of his comely wife. -She nodded her head, and the colonel led the way into the adjoining -room. "I know you boys must be hungry as bears." - -During the meal Colonel Zane questioned his guests about their -journey, and as to the treatment they had received at the hands of -the Indians. He smiled at the young minister's earnestness in regard -to the conversion of the redmen, and he laughed outright when Joe -said "he guessed he came to the frontier because it was too slow at -home." - -"I am sure your desire for excitement will soon be satisfied, if -indeed it be not so already," remarked the colonel. "But as to the -realization of your brother's hopes I am not so sanguine. -Undoubtedly the Moravian missionaries have accomplished wonders with -the Indians. Not long ago I visited the Village of Peace--the Indian -name for the mission--and was struck by the friendliness and -industry which prevailed there. Truly it was a village of peace. Yet -it is almost to early to be certain of permanent success of this -work. The Indian's nature is one hard to understand. He is naturally -roving and restless, which, however, may be owing to his habit of -moving from place to place in search of good hunting grounds. I -believe--though I must confess I haven't seen any pioneers who share -my belief--that the savage has a beautiful side to his character. I -know of many noble deeds done by them, and I believe, if they are -honestly dealt with, they will return good for good. There are bad -ones, of course; but the French traders, and men like the Girtys, -have caused most of this long war. Jonathan and Wetzel tell me the -Shawnees and Chippewas have taken the warpath again. Then the fact -that the Girtys are with the Delawares is reason for alarm. We have -been comparatively quiet here of late. Did you boys learn to what -tribe your captors belong? Did Wetzel say?" - -"He did not; he spoke little, but I will say he was exceedingly -active," answered Joe, with a smile. - -"To have seen Wetzel fight Indians is something you are not likely -to forget," said Colonel Zane grimly. "Now, tell me, how did those -Indians wear their scalp-lock?" - -"Their heads were shaved closely, with the exception of a little -place on top. The remaining hair was twisted into a tuft, tied -tightly, and into this had been thrust a couple of painted pins. -When Wetzel scalped the Indians the pins fell out. I picked one up, -and found it to be bone." - -"You will make a woodsman, that's certain," replied Colonel Zane. -"The Indians were Shawnee on the warpath. Well, we will not borrow -trouble, for when it comes in the shape of redskins it usually comes -quickly. Mr. Wells seemed anxious to resume the journey down the -river; but I shall try to persuade him to remain with us awhile. -Indeed, I am sorry I cannot keep you all here at Fort Henry, and -more especially the girls. On the border we need young people, and, -while I do not want to frighten the women, I fear there will be more -than Indians fighting for them." - -"I hope not; but we have come prepared for anything," said Kate, -with a quiet smile. "Our home was with uncle, and when he announced -his intention of going west we decided our duty was to go with him." - -"You were right, and I hope you will find a happy home," rejoined -Colonel Zane. "If life among the Indians, proves to be too hard, we -shall welcome you here. Betty, show the girls your pets and Indian -trinkets. I am going to take the boys to Silas' cabin to see Mr. -Wells, and then show them over the fort." - -As they went out Joe saw the Indian guide standing in exactly the -same position as when they entered the building. - -"Can't that Indian move?" he asked curiously. - -"He can cover one hundred miles in a day, when he wants to," replied -Colonel Zane. "He is resting now. An Indian will often stand or sit -in one position for many hours." - -"He's a fine-looking chap," remarked Joe, and then to himself: "but -I don't like him. I guess I'm prejudiced." - -"You'll learn to like Tome, as we call him." - -"Colonel Zane, I want a light for my pipe. I haven't had a smoke -since the day we were captured. That blamed redskin took my tobacco. -It's lucky I had some in my other pack. I'd like to meet him again; -also Silvertip and that brute Girty." - -"My lad, don't make such wishes," said Colonel Zane, earnestly. "You -were indeed fortunate to escape, and I can well understand your -feelings. There is nothing I should like better than to see Girty -over the sights of my rifle; but I never hunt after danger, and to -look for Girty is to court death." - -"But Wetzel---" - -"Ah, my lad, I know Wetzel goes alone in the woods; but then, he is -different from other men. Before you leave I will tell you all about -him." - -Colonel Zane went around the corner of the cabin and returned with a -live coal on a chip of wood, which Joe placed in the bowl of his -pipe, and because of the strong breeze stepped close to the cabin -wall. Being a keen observer, he noticed many small, round holes in -the logs. They were so near together that the timbers had an odd, -speckled appearance, and there was hardly a place where he could -have put his thumb without covering a hole. At first he thought they -were made by a worm or bird peculiar to that region; but finally lie -concluded that they were bullet-holes. He thrust his knife blade -into one, and out rolled a leaden ball. - -"I'd like to have been here when these were made," he said. - -"Well, at the time I wished I was back on the Potomac," replied -Colonel Zane. - -They found the old missionary on the doorstep of the adjacent cabin. -He appeared discouraged when Colonel Zane interrogated him, and said -that he was impatient because of the delay. - -"Mr. Wells, is it not possible that you underrate the danger of your -enterprise?" - -"I fear naught but the Lord," answered the old man. - -"Do you not fear for those with you?" went on the colonel earnestly. -"I am heart and soul with you in your work, but want to impress upon -you that the time is not propitious. It is a long journey to the -village, and the way is beset with dangers of which you have no -idea. Will you not remain here with me for a few weeks, or, at -least, until my scouts report?" - -"I thank you; but go I will." - -"Then let me entreat you to remain here a few days, so that I may -send my brother Jonathan and Wetzel with you. If any can guide you -safely to the Village of Peace it will be they." - -At this moment Joe saw two men approaching from the fort, and -recognized one of them as Wetzel. He doubted not that the other was -Lord Dunmore's famous guide and hunter, Jonathan Zane. In features -he resembled the colonel, and was as tall as Wetzel, although not so -muscular or wide of chest. - -Joe felt the same thrill he had experienced while watching the -frontiersmen at Fort Pitt. Wetzel and Jonathan spoke a word to -Colonel Zane and then stepped aside. The hunters stood lithe and -erect, with the easy, graceful poise of Indians. - -"We'll take two canoes, day after to-morrow," said Jonathan, -decisively, to Colonel Zane. "Have you a rifle for Wetzel? The -Delawares got his." - -Colonel Zane pondered over the question; rifles were not scarce at -the fort, but a weapon that Wetzel would use was hard to find. - -"The hunter may have my rifle," said the old missionary. "I have no -use for a weapon with which to destroy God's creatures. My brother -was a frontiersman; he left this rifle to me. I remember hearing him -say once that if a man knew exactly the weight of lead and powder -needed, it would shoot absolutely true." - -He went into the cabin, and presently came out with a long object -wrapped in linsey cloths. Unwinding the coverings, he brought to -view a rifle, the proportions of which caused Jonathan's eyes to -glisten, and brought an exclamation from Colonel Zane. Wetzel -balanced the gun in his hands. It was fully six feet long; the -barrel was large, and the dark steel finely polished; the stock was -black walnut, ornamented with silver trimmings. Using Jonathan's -powder-flask and bullet-pouch, Wetzel proceeded to load the weapon. -He poured out a quantity of powder into the palm of his hand, -performing the action quickly and dexterously, but was so slow while -measuring it that Joe wondered if he were counting the grains. Next -he selected a bullet out of a dozen which Jonathan held toward him. -He examined it carefully and tried it in the muzzle of the rifle. -Evidently it did not please him, for he took another. Finally he -scraped a bullet with his knife, and placing it in the center of a -small linsey rag, deftly forced it down. He adjusted the flint, -dropped a few grains of powder in the pan, and then looked around -for a mark at which to shoot. - -Joe observed that the hunters and Colonel Zane were as serious -regarding the work as if at that moment some important issue -depended upon the accuracy of the rifle. - -"There, Lew; there's a good shot. It's pretty far, even for you, -when you don't know the gun," said Colonel Zane, pointing toward the -river. - -Joe saw the end of a log, about the size of a man's head, sticking -out of the water, perhaps an hundred and fifty yards distant. He -thought to hit it would be a fine shot; but was amazed when he heard -Colonel Zane say to several men who had joined the group that Wetzel -intended to shoot at a turtle on the log. By straining his eyes Joe -succeeded in distinguishing a small lump, which he concluded was the -turtle. - -Wetzel took a step forward; the long, black rifle was raised with a -stately sweep. The instant it reached a level a thread of flame -burst forth, followed by a peculiarly clear, ringing report. - -"Did he hit?" asked Colonel Zane, eagerly as a boy. - -"I allow he did," answered Jonathan. - -"I'll go and see," said Joe. He ran down the bank, along the beach, -and stepped on the log. He saw a turtle about the size of an -ordinary saucer. Picking it up, he saw a bullet-hole in the shell -near the middle. The bullet had gone through the turtle, and it was -quite dead. Joe carried it to the waiting group. - -"I allowed so," declared Jonathan. - -Wetzel examined the turtle, and turning to the old missionary, said: - -"Your brother spoke the truth, an' I thank you fer the rifle." - - - -Chapter VIII. - -"So you want to know all about Wetzel?" inquired Colonel Zane of -Joe, when, having left Jim and Mr. Wells, they returned to the -cabin. - -"I am immensely interested in him," replied Joe. - -"Well, I don't think there's anything singular in that. I know -Wetzel better, perhaps, than any man living; but have seldom talked -about him. He doesn't like it. He is by birth a Virginian; I should -say, forty years old. We were boys together, and and I am a little -beyond that age. He was like any of the lads, except that he -excelled us all in strength and agility. When he was nearly eighteen -years old a band if Indians--Delawares, I think--crossed the border -on a marauding expedition far into Virginia. They burned the old -Wetzel homestead and murdered the father, mother, two sisters, and a -baby brother. The terrible shock nearly killed Lewis, who for a time -was very ill. When he recovered he went in search of his brothers, -Martin and John Wetzel, who were hunting, and brought them back to -their desolated home. Over the ashes of the home and the graves of -the loved ones the brothers swore sleepless and eternal vengeance. -The elder brothers have been devoted all these twenty years and more -to the killing of Indians; but Lewis has been the great foe of the -redman. You have already seen an example of his deeds, and will hear -of more. His name is a household word on the border. Scores of times -he has saved, actually saved, this fort and settlement. His -knowledge of savage ways surpasses by far Boone's, Major -McColloch's, Jonathan's, or any of the hunters'." - -"Then hunting Indians is his sole occupation?" - -"He lives for that purpose alone. He is very seldom in the -settlement. Sometimes he stays here a few days, especially if he is -needed; but usually he roams the forests." - -"What did Jeff Lynn mean when he said that some people think Wetzel -is crazy?" - -"There are many who think the man mad; but I do not. When the -passion for Indian hunting comes upon him he is fierce, almost -frenzied, yet perfectly sane. While here he is quiet, seldom speaks -except when spoken to, and is taciturn with strangers. He often -comes to my cabin and sits beside the fire for hours. I think he -finds pleasure in the conversation and laughter of friends. He is -fond of the children, and would do anything for my sister Betty." - -"His life must be lonely and sad," remarked Joe. - -"The life of any borderman is that; but Wetzel's is particularly -so." - -"What is he called by the Indians?" - -"They call him Atelang, or, in English, Deathwind." - -"By George! That's what Silvertip said in French--'Le Vent de la -Mort.'" - -"Yes; you have it right. A French fur trader gave Wetzel that name -years ago, and it has clung to him. The Indians say the Deathwind -blows through the forest whenever Wetzel stalks on their trail." - -"Colonel Zane, don't you think me superstitious," whispered Joe, -leaning toward the colonel, "but I heard that wind blow through the -forest." - -"What!" ejaculated Colonel Zane. He saw that Joe was in earnest, for -the remembrance of the moan had more than once paled his cheek and -caused beads of perspiration to collect on his brow. - -Joe related the circumstances of that night, and at the end of his -narrative Colonel Zane sat silent and thoughtful. - -"You don't really think it was Wetzel who moaned?" he asked, at -length. - -"No, I don't," replied Joe quickly; "but, Colonel Zane, I heard that -moan as plainly as I can hear your voice. I heard it twice. Now, -what was it?" - -"Jonathan said the same thing to me once. He had been out hunting -with Wetzel; they separated, and during the night Jonathan heard the -wind. The next day he ran across a dead Indian. He believes Wetzel -makes the noise, and so do the hunters; but I think it is simply the -moan of the night wind through the trees. I have heard it at times, -when my very blood seemingly ran cold." - -"I tried to think it was the wind soughing through the pines, but am -afraid I didn't succeed very well. Anyhow, I knew Wetzel instantly, -just as Jeff Lynn said I would. He killed those Indians in an -instant, and he must have an iron arm." - -"Wetzel excels in strength and speed any man, red or white, on the -frontier. He can run away from Jonathan, who is as swift as an -Indian. He's stronger than any of the other men. I remember one day -old Hugh Bennet's wagon wheels stuck in a bog down by the creek. -Hugh tried, as several others did, to move the wheels; but they -couldn't be made to budge. Along came Wetzel, pushed away the men, -and lifted the wagon unaided. It would take hours to tell you about -him. In brief, among all the border scouts and hunters Wetzel stands -alone. No wonder the Indians fear him. He is as swift as an eagle, -strong as mountain-ash, keen as a fox, and absolutely tireless and -implacable." - -"How long have you been here, Colonel Zane?" - -"More than twelve years, and it has been one long fight." - -"I'm afraid I'm too late for the fun," said Joe, with his quiet -laugh. - -"Not by about twelve more years," answered Colonel Zane, studying -the expression on Joe's face. "When I came out here years ago I had -the same adventurous spirit which I see in you. It has been -considerably quelled, however. I have seen many a daring young -fellow get the border fever, and with it his death. Let me advise -you to learn the ways of the hunters; to watch some one skilled in -woodcraft. Perhaps Wetzel himself will take you in hand. I don't -mind saying that he spoke of you to me in a tone I never heard Lew -use before." - -"He did?" questioned Joe, eagerly, flushing with pleasure. "Do you -think he'd take me out? Dare I ask him?" - -"Don't be impatient. Perhaps I can arrange it. Come over here now to -Metzar's place. I want to make you acquainted with him. These boys -have all been cutting timber; they've just come in for dinner. Be -easy and quiet with them; then you'll get on." - -Colonel Zane introduced Joe to five sturdy boys and left him in -their company. Joe sat down on a log outside a cabin and leisurely -surveyed the young men. They all looked about the same: strong -without being heavy, light-haired and bronze-faced. In their turn -they carefully judged Joe. A newcomer from the East was always -regarded with some doubt. If they expected to hear Joe talk much -they were mistaken. He appeared good-natured, but not too friendly. - -"Fine weather we're havin'," said Dick Metzar. - -"Fine," agreed Joe, laconically. - -"Like frontier life?" - -"Sure." - -A silence ensued after this breaking of the ice. The boys were -awaiting their turn at a little wooden bench upon which stood a -bucket of water and a basin. - -"Hear ye got ketched by some Shawnees?" remarked another youth, as -he rolled up his shirt-sleeves. They all looked at Joe now. It was -not improbably their estimate of him would be greatly influenced by -the way he answered this question. - -"Yes; was captive for three days." - -"Did ye knock any redskins over?" This question was artfully put to -draw Joe out. Above all things, the bordermen detested boastfulness; -tried on Joe the ruse failed signally. - -"I was scared speechless most of the time," answered Joe, with his -pleasant smile. - -"By gosh, I don't blame ye!" burst out Will Metzar. "I hed that -experience onct, an' onct's enough." - -The boys laughed and looked in a more friendly manner at Joe. Though -he said he had been frightened, his cool and careless manner belied -his words. In Joe's low voice and clear, gray eye there was -something potent and magnetic, which subtly influenced those with -whom he came in contact. - -While his new friends were at dinner Joe strolled over to where -Colonel Zane sat on the doorstep of his home. - -"How did you get on with the boys?" inquired the colonel. - -"All right, I hope. Say, Colonel Zane, I'd like to talk to your -Indian guide." - -Colonel Zane spoke a few words in the Indian language to the guide, -who left his post and came over to them. The colonel then had a -short conversation with him, at the conclusion of which he pointed -toward Joe. - -"How do--shake," said Tome, extending his hand. - -Joe smiled, and returned the friendly hand-pressure. - -"Shawnee--ketch'um?" asked the Indian, in his fairly intelligible -English. - -Joe nodded his head, while Colonel Zane spoke once more in Shawnee, -explaining the cause of Silvertip's emnity. - -"Shawnee--chief--one--bad--Injun," replied Tome, seriously. -"Silvertip--mad--thunder-mad. Ketch'um paleface--scalp'um sure." - -After giving this warning the chief returned to his former position -near the corner of the cabin. - -"He can talk in English fairly well, much better than the Shawnee -brave who talked with me the other day," observed Joe. - -"Some of the Indians speak the language almost fluently," said -Colonel Zane. "You could hardly have distinguished Logan's speech -from a white man's. Corn-planter uses good English, as also does my -brother's wife, a Wyandot girl." - -"Did your brother marry an Indian?" and Joe plainly showed his -surprise. - -"Indeed he did, and a most beautiful girl she is. I'll tell you -Isaac's story some time. He was a captive among the Wyandots for ten -years. The chief's daughter, Myeerah, loved him, kept him from being -tortured, and finally saved him from the stake." - -"Well, that floors me," said Joe; "yet I don't see why it should. -I'm just surprised. Where is your brother now?" - -"He lives with the tribe. He and Myeerah are working hard for peace. -We are now on more friendly terms with the great Wyandots, or -Hurons, as we call them, than ever before." - -"Who is this big man coming from the the fort?" asked Joe, suddenly -observing a stalwart frontiersman approaching. - -"Major Sam McColloch. You have met him. He's the man who jumped his -horse from yonder bluff." - -"Jonathan and he have the same look, the same swing," observed Joe, -as he ran his eye over the major. His faded buckskin costume, -beaded, fringed, and laced, was similar to that of the colonel's -brother. Powder-flask and bullet-pouch were made from cow-horns and -slung around his neck on deerhide strings. The hunting coat was -unlaced, exposing, under the long, fringed borders, a tunic of the -same well-tanned, but finer and softer, material. As he walked, the -flaps of his coat fell back, showing a belt containing two knives, -sheathed in heavy buckskin, and a bright tomahawk. He carried a long -rifle in the hollow of his arm. - -"These hunters have the same kind of buckskin suits," continued Joe; -"still, it doesn't seem to me the clothes make the resemblance to -each other. The way these men stand, walk and act is what strikes me -particularly, as in the case of Wetzel." - -"I know what you mean. The flashing eye, the erect poise of -expectation, and the springy step--those, my lad, come from a life -spent in the woods. Well, it's a grand way to live." - -"Colonel, my horse is laid up," said Major McColloch, coming to the -steps. He bowed pleasantly to Joe. - -"So you are going to Short Creek? You can have one of my horses; but -first come inside and we'll talk over you expedition." - -The afternoon passed uneventfully for Joe. His brother and Mr. Wells -were absorbed in plans for their future work, and Nell and Kate were -resting; therefore he was forced to find such amusement or -occupation as was possible in or near the stockade. - - - -Chapter IX. - -Joe went to bed that night with a promise to himself to rise early -next morning, for he had been invited to take part in a "raising," -which term meant that a new cabin was to be erected, and such task -was ever an event in the lives of the settlers. - -The following morning Joe rose early, dressing himself in a complete -buckskin suit, for which he had exchanged his good garments of -cloth. Never before had he felt so comfortable. He wanted to hop, -skip and jump. The soft, undressed buckskin was as warm and smooth -as silk-plush; the weight so light, the moccasins so well-fitting -and springy, that he had to put himself under considerable restraint -to keep from capering about like a frolicsome colt. - -The possession of this buckskin outfit, and the rifle and -accouterments which went with the bargain, marked the last stage in -Joe's surrender to the border fever. The silent, shaded glens, the -mystery of the woods, the breath of this wild, free life claimed him -from this moment entirely and forever. - -He met the others, however, with a serene face, showing no trace of -the emotion which welled up strongly from his heart. Nell glanced -shyly at him; Kate playfully voiced her admiration; Jim met him with -a brotherly ridicule which bespoke his affection as well as his -amusement; but Colonel Zane, having once yielded to the same -burning, riotous craving for freedom which now stirred in the boy's -heart, understood, and felt warmly drawn toward the lad. He said -nothing, though as he watched Joe his eyes were grave and kind. In -his long frontier life, where many a day measured the life and fire -of ordinary years, he had seen lad after lad go down before this -forest fever. It was well, he thought, because the freedom of the -soil depended on these wild, light-footed boys; yet it always made -him sad. How many youths, his brother among them, lay under the -fragrant pine-needle carpet of the forest, in their last earthly -sleep! - -The "raising" brought out all the settlement--the women to look on -and gossip, while the children played; the men to bend their backs -in the moving of the heavy timbers. They celebrated the erection of -a new cabin as a noteworthy event. As a social function it had a -prominent place in the settlers' short list of pleasures. - -Joe watched the proceeding with the same pleasure and surprise he -had felt in everything pertaining to border life. - -To him this log-raising appeared the hardest kind of labor. Yet it -was plain these hardy men, these low-voiced women, and merry -children regarded the work as something far more significant than -the mere building of a cabin. After a while he understood the -meaning of the scene. A kindred spirit, the spirit of the pioneer, -drew them all into one large family. This was another cabin; another -home; another advance toward the conquering of the wilderness, for -which these brave men and women were giving their lives. In the -bright-eyed children's glee, when they clapped their little hands at -the mounting logs, Joe saw the progress, the march of civilization. - -"Well, I'm sorry you're to leave us to-night," remarked Colonel Zane -to Joe, as the young man came over to where he, his wife, and sister -watched the work. "Jonathan said all was ready for your departure at -sundown." - -"Do we travel by night?" - -"Indeed, yes, my lad. There are Indians everywhere on the river. I -think, however, with Jack and Lew handling the paddles, you will -slip by safely. The plan is to keep along the south shore all night; -then cross over at a place called Girty's Point, where you are to -remain in hiding during daylight. From there you paddle up Yellow -Creek; then portage across country to the head of the Tuscarwawas. -Another night's journey will then bring you to the Village of -Peace." - -Jim and Mr. Wells, with his nieces, joined the party now, and all -stood watching as the last logs were put in place. - -"Colonel Zane, my first log-raising is an education to me," said the -young minister, in his earnest manner. "This scene is so full of -life. I never saw such goodwill among laboring men. Look at that -brawny-armed giant standing on the topmost log. How he whistles as -he swings his ax! Mr. Wells, does it not impress you?" - -"The pioneers must be brothers because of their isolation and peril; -to be brothers means to love one another; to love one another is to -love God. What you see in this fraternity is God. And I want to see -this same beautiful feeling among the Indians." - -"I have seen it," said Colonel Zane, to the old missionary. "When I -came out here alone twelve years ago the Indians were peaceable. If -the pioneers had paid for land, as I paid Cornplanter, there would -never have been a border war. But no; the settlers must grasp every -acre they could. Then the Indians rebelled; then the Girtys and -their allies spread discontent, and now the border is a bloody -warpath." - -"Have the Jesuit missionaries accomplished anything with these war -tribes?" inquired Jim. - -"No; their work has been chiefly among the Indians near Detroit and -northward. The Hurons, Delawares, Shawnees and other western tribes -have been demoralized by the French traders' rum, and incited to -fierce hatred by Girty and his renegades. Your work at Gnaddenhutten -must be among these hostile tribes, and it is surely a hazardous -undertaking." - -"My life is God's," murmured the old minister. No fear could assail -his steadfast faith. - -"Jim, it strikes me you'd be more likely to impress these Indians -Colonel Zane spoke of if you'd get a suit like mine and wear a knife -and tomahawk," interposed Joe, cheerfully. "Then, if you couldn't -convert, you could scalp them." - -"Well, well, let us hope for the best," said Colonel Zane, when the -laughter had subsided. "We'll go over to dinner now. Come, all of -you. Jonathan, bring Wetzel. Betty, make him come, if you can." - -As the party slowly wended its way toward the colonel's cabin Jim -and Nell found themselves side by side. They had not exchanged a -word since the evening previous, when Jim had kissed her. Unable to -look at each other now, and finding speech difficult, they walked in -embarrassed silence. - -"Doesn't Joe look splendid in his hunting suit?" asked Jim, -presently. - -"I hadn't noticed. Yes; he looks well," replied Nell, carelessly. -She was too indifferent to be natural. - -"Are you angry with him?" - -"Certainly not." - -Jim was always simple and frank in his relations with women. He had -none of his brother's fluency of speech, with neither confidence, -boldness nor understanding of the intricate mazes of a woman's -moods. - -"But--you are angry with--me?" he whispered. - -Nell flushed to her temples, yet she did not raise her eyes nor -reply. - -"It was a terrible thing for me to do," went on Jim, hesitatingly. -"I don't know why I took advantage--of--of your mistaking me for -Joe. If you only hadn't held up your mouth. No--I don't mean -that--of course you didn't. But--well, I couldn't help it. I'm -guilty. I have thought of little else. Some wonderful feeling has -possessed me ever since--since---" - -"What has Joe been saying about me?" demanded Nell, her eyes burning -like opals. - -"Why, hardly anything," answered Jim, haltingly. "I took him to task -about--about what I considered might be wrong to you. Joe has never -been very careful of young ladies' feelings, and I thought--well, it -was none of my business. He said he honestly cared for you, that you -had taught him how unworthy he was of a good woman. But he's wrong -there. Joe is wild and reckless, yet his heart is a well of gold. He -is a diamond in the rough. Just now he is possessed by wild notions -of hunting Indians and roaming through the forests; but he'll come -round all right. I wish I could tell you how much he has done for -me, how much I love him, how I know him! He can be made worthy of -any woman. He will outgrow this fiery, daring spirit, and -then--won't you help him?" - -"I will, if he will let me," softly whispered Nell, irresistibly -drawn by the strong, earnest love thrilling in his voice. - - - -Chapter X. - -Once more out under the blue-black vault of heaven, with its myriads -of twinkling stars, the voyagers resumed their westward journey. -Whispered farewells of new but sincere friends lingered in their -ears. Now the great looming bulk of the fort above them faded into -the obscure darkness, leaving a feeling as if a protector had -gone--perhaps forever. Admonished to absolute silence by the stern -guides, who seemed indeed to have embarked upon a dark and deadly -mission, the voyagers lay back in the canoes and thought and -listened. The water eddied with soft gurgles in the wake of the -racing canoes; but that musical sound was all they heard. The -paddles might have been shadows, for all the splash they made; they -cut the water swiftly and noiselessly. Onward the frail barks glided -into black space, side by side, close under the overhanging willows. -Long moments passed into long hours, as the guides paddled -tirelessly as if their sinews were cords of steel. - -With gray dawn came the careful landing of the canoes, a cold -breakfast eaten under cover of a willow thicket, and the beginning -of a long day while they were lying hidden from the keen eyes of -Indian scouts, waiting for the friendly mantle of night. - -The hours dragged until once more the canoes were launched, this -time not on the broad Ohio, but on a stream that mirrored no shining -stars as it flowed still and somber under the dense foliage. - -The voyagers spoke not, nor whispered, nor scarcely moved, so -menacing had become the slow, listening caution of Wetzel and Zane. -Snapping of twigs somewhere in the inscrutable darkness delayed them -for long moments. Any movement the air might resound with the -horrible Indian war-whoop. Every second was heavy with fear. How -marvelous that these scouts, penetrating the wilderness of gloom, -glided on surely, silently, safely! Instinct, or the eyes of the -lynx, guide their course. But another dark night wore on to the -tardy dawn, and each of its fearful hours numbered miles past and -gone. - -The sun was rising in ruddy glory when Wetzel ran his canoe into the -bank just ahead of a sharp bend in the stream. - -"Do we get out here?" asked Jim, seeing Jonathan turn his canoe -toward Wetzel's. - -"The village lies yonder, around the bend," answered the guide. -"Wetzel cannot go there, so I'll take you all in my canoe." - -"There's no room; I'll wait," replied Joe, quietly. Jim noted his -look--a strange, steady glance it was--and then saw him fix his eyes -upon Nell, watching her until the canoe passed around the -green-bordered bend in the stream. - -Unmistakable signs of an Indian town were now evident. Dozens of -graceful birchen canoes lay upon the well-cleared banks; a log -bridge spanned the stream; above the slight ridge of rising ground -could be seen the poles of Indian teepees. - -As the canoe grated upon the sandy beach a little Indian boy, who -was playing in the shallow water, raised his head and smiled. - -"That's an Indian boy," whispered Kate. - -"The dear little fellow!" exclaimed Nell. - -The boy came running up to them, when they were landed, with -pleasure and confidence shining in his dusky eyes. Save for tiny -buckskin breeches, he was naked, and his shiny skin gleamed -gold-bronze in the sunlight. He was a singularly handsome child. - -"Me--Benny," he lisped in English, holding up his little hand to -Nell. - -The action was as loving and trusting as any that could have been -manifested by a white child. Jonathan Zane stared with a curious -light in his dark eyes; Mr. Wells and Jim looked as though they -doubted the evidence of their own sight. Here, even in an Indian -boy, was incontestable proof that the savage nature could be tamed -and civilized. - -With a tender exclamation Nell bent over the child and kissed him. - -Jonathan Zane swung his canoe up-stream for the purpose of bringing -Joe. The trim little bark slipped out of sight round the bend. -Presently its gray, curved nose peeped from behind the willows; then -the canoe swept into view again. There was only one person in it, -and that the guide. - -"Where is my brother?" asked Jim, in amazement. - -"Gone," answered Zane, quietly. - -"Gone! What do you mean? Gone? Perhaps you have missed the spot -where you left him." - -"They're both gone." - -Nell and Jim gazed at each other with slowly whitening faces. - -"Come, I'll take you up to the village," said Zane, getting out of -his canoe. All noticed that he was careful to take his weapons with -him. - -"Can't you tell us what it means--this disappearance?" asked Jim, -his voice low and anxious. - -"They're gone, canoe and all. I knew Wetzel was going, but I didn't -calkilate on the lad. Mebbe he followed Wetzel, mebbe he didn't," -answered the taciturn guide, and he spoke no more. - -In his keen expectation and wonder as to what the village would be -like, Jim momentarily forgot his brother's disappearance, and when -he arrived at the top of the bank he surveyed the scene with -eagerness. What he saw was more imposing than the Village of Peace -which he had conjured up in his imagination. Confronting him was a -level plain, in the center of which stood a wide, low structure -surrounded by log cabins, and these in turn encircled by Indian -teepees. A number of large trees, mostly full-foliaged maples, -shaded the clearing. The settlement swarmed with Indians. A few -shrill halloes uttered by the first observers of the newcomers -brought braves, maidens and children trooping toward the party with -friendly curiosity. - -Jonathan Zane stepped before a cabin adjoining the large structure, -and called in at the open door. A short, stoop-shouldered white man, -clad in faded linsey, appeared on the threshold. His serious, lined -face had the unmistakable benevolent aspect peculiar to most -teachers of the gospel. - -"Mr. Zeisberger, I've fetched a party from Fort Henry," said Zane, -indicating those he had guided. Then, without another word, never -turning his dark face to the right or left, he hurried down the lane -through the throng of Indians. - -Jim remembered, as he saw the guide vanish over the bank of the -creek, that he had heard Colonel Zane say that Jonathan, as well as -Wetzel, hated the sight of an Indian. No doubt long years of war and -bloodshed had rendered these two great hunters callous. To them -there could be no discrimination--an Indian was an Indian. - -"Mr. Wells, welcome to the Village of Peace!" exclaimed Mr. -Zeisberger, wringing the old missionary's hand. "The years have not -been so long but that I remember you." - -"Happy, indeed, am I to get here, after all these dark, dangerous -journeys," returned Mr. Wells. "I have brought my nieces, Nell and -Kate, who were children when you left Williamsburg, and this young -man, James Downs, a minister of God, and earnest in his hope for our -work." - -"A glorious work it is! Welcome, young ladies, to our peaceful -village. And, young man, I greet you with heartfelt thankfulness. We -need young men. Come in, all of your, and share my cabin. I'll have -your luggage brought up. I have lived in this hut alone. With some -little labor, and the magic touch women bring to the making of a -home, we can be most comfortable here." - -Mr. Zeisberger gave his own room to the girls, assuring them with a -smile that it was the most luxurious in the village. The apartment -contained a chair, a table, and a bed of Indian blankets and buffalo -robes. A few pegs driven in the chinks between the logs completed -the furnishings. Sparse as were the comforts, they appealed warmly -to the girls, who, weary from their voyage, lay down to rest. - -"I am not fatigued," said Mr. Wells, to his old friend. "I want to -hear all about your work, what you have done, and what you hope to -do." - -"We have met with wonderful success, far beyond our wildest dreams," -responded Mr. Zeisberger. "Certainly we have been blessed of God." - -Then the missionary began a long, detailed account of the Moravian -Mission's efforts among the western tribes. The work lay chiefly -among the Delawares, a noble nation of redmen, intelligent, and -wonderfully susceptible to the teaching of the gospel. Among the -eastern Delawares, living on the other side of the Allegheny -Mountains, the missionaries had succeeded in converting many; and it -was chiefly through the western explorations of Frederick Post that -his Church decided the Indians of the west could as well be taught -to lead Christian lives. The first attempt to convert the western -redmen took place upon the upper Allegheny, where many Indians, -including Allemewi, a blind Delaware chief, accepted the faith. The -mission decided, however, it would be best to move farther west, -where the Delawares had migrated and were more numerous. - -In April, 1770, more than ten years before, sixteen canoes, filled -with converted Indians and missionaries, drifted down the Allegheny -to Fort Pitt; thence down the Ohio to the Big Beaver; up that stream -and far into the Ohio wilderness. - -Upon a tributary of the Muskingong, called the Tuscarwawas, a -settlement was founded. Near and far the news was circulated. Redmen -from all tribes came flocking to the new colony. Chiefs and -warriors, squaws and maidens, were attracted by the new doctrine of -the converted Indians. They were astonished at the missionaries' -teachings. Many doubted, some were converted, all listened. Great -excitement prevailed when old Glickhican, one of the wisest chiefs -of the Turtle tribe of the Delawares, became a convert to the -palefaces' religion. - -The interest widened, and in a few years a beautiful, prosperous -town arose, which was called Village of Peace. The Indians of the -warlike tribes bestowed the appropriate name. The vast forests were -rich in every variety of game; the deep, swift streams were teeming -with fish. Meat and grain in abundance, buckskin for clothing, and -soft furs for winter garments were to be had for little labor. At -first only a few wigwams were erected. Soon a large log structure -was thrown up and used as a church. Then followed a school, a mill, -and a workshop. The verdant fields were cultivated and surrounded by -rail fences. Horses and cattle grazed with the timid deer on the -grassy plains. - -The Village of Peace blossomed as a rose. The reports of the love -and happiness existing in this converted community spread from mouth -to mouth, from town to town, with the result that inquisitive -savages journeyed from all points to see this haven. Peaceful and -hostile Indians were alike amazed at the change in their brethren. -The good-fellowship and industry of the converts had a widespread -and wonderful influence. More, perhaps, than any other thing, the -great fields of waving corn, the hills covered with horses and -cattle, those evidences of abundance, impressed the visitors with -the well-being of the Christians. Bands of traveling Indians, -whether friendly or otherwise, were treated with hospitality, and -never sent away empty-handed. They were asked to partake of the -abundance and solicited to come again. - -A feature by no means insignificant in the popularity of the village -was the church bell. The Indians loved music, and this bell charmed -them. On still nights the savages in distant towns could hear at -dusk the deep-toned, mellow notes of the bell summoning the -worshipers to the evening service. Its ringing clang, so strange, so -sweet, so solemn, breaking the vast dead wilderness quiet, haunted -the savage ear as though it were a call from a woodland god. - -"You have arrived most opportunely," continued Mr. Zeisberger. "Mr. -Edwards and Mr. Young are working to establish other missionary -posts. Heckewelder is here now in the interest of this branching -out." - -"How long will it take me to learn the Delaware language?" inquired -Jim. - -"Not long. You do not, however, need to speak the Indian tongue, for -we have excellent interpreters." - -"We heard much at Fort Pitt and Fort Henry about the danger, as well -as uselessness, of our venture," Jim continued. "The frontiersmen -declared that every rod of the way was beset with savage foes, and -that, even in the unlikely event of our arriving safely at the -Village of Peace, we would then be hemmed in by fierce, vengeful -tribes." - -"Hostile savages abound here, of course; but we do not fear them. We -invite them. Our work is to convert the wicked, to teach them to -lead good, useful lives. We will succeed." - -Jim could not help warming to the minister for his unswervable -faith, his earnest belief that the work of God could not fail; -nevertheless, while he felt no fear and intended to put all his -heart in the work, he remembered with disquietude Colonel Zane's -warnings. He thought of the wonderful precaution and eternal -vigilance of Jonathan and Wetzel--men of all men who most understood -Indian craft and cunning. It might well be possible that these good -missionaries, wrapped up in saving the souls of these children of -the forest, so full of God's teachings as to have little mind for -aught else, had no knowledge of the Indian nature beyond what the -narrow scope of their work invited. If what these frontiersmen -asserted was true, then the ministers' zeal had struck them blind. - -Jim had a growing idea of the way in which the savages could be best -taught. He resolved to go slowly; to study the redmen's natures; not -to preach one word of the gospel to them until he had mastered their -language and could convey to their simple minds the real truth. He -would make Christianity as clear to them as were the deer-trails on -the moss and leaves of the forest. - -"Ah, here you are. I hope you have rested well," said Mr. -Zeisberger, when at the conclusion of this long recital Nell and -Kate came into the room. - -"Thank you, we feel much better," answered Kate. The girls certainly -looked refreshed. The substitution of clean gowns for their former -travel-stained garments made a change that called forth the -minister's surprise and admiration. - -"My! My! Won't Edwards and Young beg me to keep them here now!" he -exclaimed, his pleased eyes resting on Nell's piquant beauty and -Kate's noble proportions and rich coloring. "Come; I will show you -over the Village of Peace." - -"Are all these Indians Christians?" asked Jim. - -"No, indeed. These Indians you see here, and out yonder under the -shade, though they are friendly, are not Christians. Our converts -employ themselves in the fields or shops. Come; take a peep in here. -This is where we preach in the evenings and during inclement -weather. On pleasant days we use the maple grove yonder." - -Jim and the others looked in at the door of the large log structure. -They saw an immense room, the floor covered with benches, and a -raised platform at one end. A few windows let in the light. Spacious -and barn-like was this apartment; but undoubtedly, seen through the -beaming eyes of the missionary, it was a grand amphitheater for -worship. The hard-packed clay floor was velvet carpet; the rude -seats soft as eiderdown; the platform with its white-oak cross, an -altar of marble and gold. - -"This is one of our shops," said Mr. Zeisberger, leading them to a -cabin. "Here we make brooms, harness for the horses, farming -implements--everything useful that we can. We have a forge here. -Behold an Indian blacksmith!" - -The interior of the large cabin presented a scene of bustling -activity. Twenty or more Indians bent their backs in earnest -employment. In one corner a savage stood holding a piece of red-hot -iron on an anvil, while a brawny brave wielded a sledge-hammer. The -sparks flew; the anvil rang. In another corner a circle of braves -sat around a pile of dried grass and flags. They were twisting and -fashioning these materials into baskets. At a bench three Indian -carpenters were pounding and sawing. Young braves ran back and -forth, carrying pails, rough-hewn boards and blocks of wood. - -Instantly struck by two things, Jim voiced his curiosity: - -"Why do these Indians all wear long hair, smooth and shiny, without -adornment?" - -"They are Christians. They wear neither headdress, war-bonnet, nor -scalp-lock," replied Mr. Zeisberger, with unconscious pride. - -"I did not expect to see a blacksmith's anvil out here in the -wilderness. Where did you procure these tools?" - -"We have been years getting them here. Some came by way of the Ohio -River; others overland from Detroit. That anvil has a history. It -was lost once, and lay for years in the woods, until some Indians -found it again. It is called the Ringing Stone, and Indians come -from miles around to see and hear it." - -The missionary pointed out wide fields of corn, now growing yellow, -and hillsides doted with browsing cattle, droves of sturdy-limbed -horses, and pens of fat, grunting pigs--all of which attested to the -growing prosperity of the Village of Peace. - -On the way back to the cabin, while the others listened to and -questioned Mr. Zeisberger, Jim was silent and thoughtful, for his -thoughts reverted to his brother. - -Later, as he walked with Nell by the golden-fringed stream, he spoke -of Joe. - -"Joe wanted so much to hunt with Wetzel. He will come back; surely -he will return to us when he has satisfied his wild craving for -adventure. Do you not think so?" - -There was an eagerness that was almost pleading in Jim's voice. What -he so much hoped for--that no harm had befallen Joe, and that he -would return--he doubted. He needed the encouragement of his hope. - -"Never," answered Nell, solemnly. - -"Oh, why--why do you say that?" - -"I saw him look at you--a strange, intent glance. He gazed long at -me as we separated. Oh! I can feel his eyes. No; he will never come -back." - -"Nell, Nell, you do not mean he went away deliberately--because, oh! -I cannot say it." - -"For no reason, except that the wilderness called him more than love -for you or--me." - -"No, no," returned Jim, his face white. "You do not understand. He -really loved you--I know it. He loved me, too. Ah, how well! He has -gone because--I can't tell you." - -"Oh, Jim, I hope--he loved--me," sobbed Nell, bursting into tears. -"His coldness--his neglect those--last few days--hurt me--so. If he -cared--as you say--I won't be--so--miserable." - -"We are both right--you when you say he will never return, and I -when I say he loved us both," said Jim sadly, as the bitter -certainty forced itself into his mind. - -As she sobbed softly, and he gazed with set, stern face into the -darkening forest, the deep, mellow notes of the church bell pealed -out. So thrilled, so startled were they by this melody wondrously -breaking the twilight stillness, that they gazed mutely at each -other. Then they remembered. It was the missionary's bell summoning -the Christian Indians to the evening service. - - - -Chapter XI. - -The, sultry, drowsy, summer days passed with no untoward event to -mar their slumbering tranquillity. Life for the newcomers to the -Village of Peace brought a content, the like of which they had never -dreamed of. Mr. Wells at once began active work among the Indians, -preaching to them through an interpreter; Nell and Kate, in hours -apart from household duties, busied themselves brightening their new -abode, and Jim entered upon the task of acquainting himself with the -modes and habits of the redmen. Truly, the young people might have -found perfect happiness in this new and novel life, if only Joe had -returned. His disappearance and subsequent absence furnished a theme -for many talks and many a quiet hour of dreamy sadness. The -fascination of his personality had been so impelling that long after -it was withdrawn a charm lingered around everything which reminded -them of him; a subtle and sweet memory, with perverse and half -bitter persistence, returned hauntingly. No trace of Joe had been -seen by any of the friendly Indian runners. He was gone into the -mazes of deep-shadowed forests, where to hunt for him would be like -striving to trail the flight of a swallow. Two of those he had left -behind always remembered him, and in their thoughts followed him in -his wanderings. - -Jim settled down to his study of Indians with single-heartedness of -purpose. He spent part of every morning with the interpreters, with -whose assistance he rapidly acquired the Delaware language. He went -freely among the Indians, endeavoring to win their good-will. There -were always fifty to an hundred visiting Indians at the village; -sometimes, when the missionaries had advertised a special meeting, -there were assembled in the shady maple grove as many as five -hundred savages. Jim had, therefore, opportunities to practice his -offices of friendliness. - -Fortunately for him, he at once succeeded in establishing himself in -the good graces of Glickhican, the converted Delaware chief. The -wise old Indian was of inestimable value to Jim. Early in their -acquaintance he evinced an earnest regard for the young minister, -and talked with him for hours. - -From Glickhican Jim learned the real nature of the redmen. The -Indian's love of freedom and honor, his hatred of subjection and -deceit, as explained by the good old man, recalled to Jim Colonel -Zane's estimate of the savage character. Surely, as the colonel had -said, the Indians had reason for their hatred of the pioneers. -Truly, they were a blighted race. - -Seldom had the rights of the redmen been thought of. The settler -pushed onward, plodding, as it were, behind his plow with a rifle. -He regarded the Indian as little better than a beast; he was easier -to kill than to tame. How little the settler knew the proud -independence, the wisdom, the stainless chastity of honor, which -belonged so truly to many Indian chiefs! - -The redmen were driven like hounded deer into the untrodden wilds. -From freemen of the forests, from owners of the great boundless -plains, they passed to stern, enduring fugitives on their own lands. -Small wonder that they became cruel where once they had been gentle! -Stratagem and cunning, the night assault, the daylight ambush took -the place of their one-time open warfare. Their chivalrous courage, -that sublime inheritance from ancestors who had never known the -paleface foe, degenerated into a savage ferocity. - -Interesting as was this history to Jim, he cared more for -Glickhican's rich portrayal of the redmen's domestic life, for the -beautiful poetry of his tradition and legends. He heard with delight -the exquisite fanciful Indian lore. From these romantic legends, -beautiful poems, and marvelous myths he hoped to get ideas of the -Indian's religion. Sweet and simple as childless dreams were these -quaint tales--tales of how the woodland fairies dwelt in -fern-carpeted dells; how at sunrise they came out to kiss open the -flowers; how the forest walks were spirit-haunted paths; how the -leaves whispered poetry to the winds; how the rocks harbored Indian -gods and masters who watched over their chosen ones. - -Glickhican wound up his long discourses by declaring he had never -lied in the whole course of his seventy years, had never stolen, -never betrayed, never murdered, never killed, save in self-defence. -Gazing at the chief's fine features, now calm, yet showing traces of -past storms, Jim believed he spoke the truth. - -When the young minister came, however, to study the hostile Indians -that flocked to the village, any conclusive delineation of -character, or any satisfactory analysis of their mental state in -regard to the paleface religion, eluded him. Their passive, silent, -sphinx-like secretiveness was baffling. Glickhican had taught him -how to propitiate the friendly braves, and with these he was -successful. Little he learned, however, from the unfriendly ones. -When making gifts to these redmen he could never be certain that his -offerings were appreciated. The jewels and gold he had brought west -with him went to the French traders, who in exchange gave him -trinkets, baubles, bracelets and weapons. Jim made hundreds of -presents. Boldly going up to befeathered and befringed chieftains, -he offered them knives, hatchets, or strings of silvery beads. -Sometimes his kindly offerings were repelled with a haughty stare; -at other times they would be accepted coldly, suspiciously, as if -the gifts brought some unknown obligation. - -For a white man it was a never-to-be-forgotten experience to see -eight or ten of these grim, slowly stepping forest kings, arrayed in -all the rich splendor of their costume, stalking among the teepees -of the Village of Peace. Somehow, such a procession always made Jim -shiver. The singing, praying and preaching they heard unmoved. No -emotion was visible on their bronzed faces; nothing changed their -unalterable mien. Had they not moved, or gazed with burning eyes, -they would have been statues. When these chieftains looked at the -converted Indians, some of whom were braves of their nations, the -contempt in their glances betrayed that they now regarded these -Christian Indians as belonging to an alien race. - -Among the chiefs Glickhican pointed out to Jim were Wingenund, the -Delaware; Tellane, the Half-King; Shingiss and Kotoxen--all of the -Wolf tribe of the Delawares. - -Glickhican was careful to explain that the Delaware nation had been -divided into the Wolf and Turtle tribes, the former warlike people, -and the latter peaceable. Few of the Wolf tribe had gone over to the -new faith, and those who had were scorned. Wingenund, the great -power of the Delawares--indeed, the greatest of all the western -tribes--maintained a neutral attitude toward the Village of Peace. -But it was well known that his right-hand war-chiefs, Pipe and -Wishtonah, remained coldly opposed. - -Jim turned all he had learned over and over in his mind, trying to -construct part of it to fit into a sermon that would be different -from any the Indians had ever heard. He did not want to preach far -over their heads. If possible, he desired to keep to their -ideals--for he deemed them more beautiful than his own--and to -conduct his teaching along the simple lines of their belief, so that -when he stimulated and developed their minds he could pass from what -they knew to the unknown Christianity of the white man. - -His first address to the Indians was made one day during the -indisposition of Mr. Wells--who had been over-working himself--and -the absence of the other missionaries. He did not consider himself -at all ready for preaching, and confined his efforts to simple, -earnest talk, a recital of the thoughts he had assimilated while -living here among the Indians. - -Amazement would not have described the state of his feelings when he -learned that he had made a powerful impression. The converts were -loud in his praise; the unbelievers silent and thoughtful. In spite -of himself, long before he had been prepared, he was launched on his -teaching. Every day he was called upon to speak; every day one -savage, at least, was convinced; every day the throng of interested -Indians was augmented. The elder missionaries were quite overcome -with joy; they pressed him day after day to speak, until at length -he alone preached during the afternoon service. - -The news flew apace; the Village of Peace entertained more redmen -than ever before. Day by day the faith gained a stronger foothold. A -kind of religious trance affected some of the converted Indians, and -this greatly influenced the doubting ones. Many of them half -believed the Great Manitou had come. - -Heckewelder, the acknowledged leader of the western Moravian -Mission, visited the village at this time, and, struck by the young -missionary's success, arranged a three days' religious festival. -Indian runners were employed to carry invitations to all the tribes. -The Wyandots in the west, the Shawnees in the south, and the -Delawares in the north were especially requested to come. No -deception was practiced to lure the distant savages to the Village -of Peace. They were asked to come, partake of the feasts, and listen -to the white man's teaching. - - - -Chapter XII. - -"The Groves Were God's First Temples." - -From dawn until noon on Sunday bands of Indians arrived at the -Village of Peace. Hundreds of canoes glided down the swift stream -and bumped their prows into the pebbly beach. Groups of mounted -warriors rode out of the forests into the clearing; squaws with -papooses, maidens carrying wicker baskets, and children playing with -rude toys, came trooping along the bridle-paths. - -Gifts were presented during the morning, after which the visitors -were feasted. In the afternoon all assembled in the grove to hear -the preaching. - -The maple grove wherein the service was to be conducted might have -been intended by Nature for just such a purpose as it now fulfilled. -These trees were large, spreading, and situated far apart. Mossy -stones and the thick carpet of grass afforded seats for the -congregation. - -Heckewelder--a tall, spare, and kindly appearing man--directed the -arranging of the congregation. He placed the converted Indians just -behind the knoll upon which the presiding minister was to stand. In -a half circle facing the knoll he seated the chieftains and -important personages of the various tribes. He then made a short -address in the Indian language, speaking of the work of the mission, -what wonders it had accomplished, what more good work it hoped to -do, and concluded by introducing the young missionary. - -While Heckewelder spoke, Jim, who stood just behind, employed the -few moments in running his eye over the multitude. The sight which -met his gaze was one he thought he would never forget. An -involuntary word escaped him. - -"Magnificent!" he exclaimed. - -The shady glade had been transformed into a theater, from which -gazed a thousand dark, still faces. A thousand eagle plumes waved, -and ten thousand bright-hued feathers quivered in the soft breeze. -The fantastically dressed scalps presented a contrast to the smooth, -unadorned heads of the converted redmen. These proud plumes and -defiant feathers told the difference between savage and Christian. - -In front of the knoll sat fifty chiefs, attentive and dignified. -Representatives of every tribe as far west as the Scioto River were -numbered in that circle. There were chiefs renowned for war, for -cunning, for valor, for wisdom. Their stately presence gave the -meeting tenfold importance. Could these chiefs be interested, moved, -the whole western world of Indians might be civilized. - -Hepote, a Maumee chief, of whom it was said he had never listened to -words of the paleface, had the central position in this circle. On -his right and left, respectively, sat Shaushoto and Pipe, implacable -foes of all white men. The latter's aspect did not belie his -reputation. His copper-colored, repulsive visage compelled fear; it -breathed vindictiveness and malignity. A singular action of his was -that he always, in what must have been his arrogant vanity, turned -his profile to those who watched him, and it was a remarkable one; -it sloped in an oblique line from the top of his forehead to his -protruding chin, resembling somewhat the carved bowl of his pipe, -which was of flint and a famed inheritance from his ancestors. From -it he took his name. One solitary eagle plume, its tip stained -vermilion, stuck from his scalp-lock. It slated backward on a line -with his profile. - -Among all these chiefs, striking as they were, the figure of -Wingenund, the Delaware, stood out alone. - -His position was at the extreme left of the circle, where he leaned -against a maple. A long, black mantle, trimmed with spotless white, -enveloped him. One bronzed arm, circled by a heavy bracelet of gold, -held the mantle close about his lofty form. His headdress, which -trailed to the ground, was exceedingly beautiful. The eagle plumes -were of uniform length and pure white, except the black-pointed -tips. - -At his feet sat his daughter, Whispering Winds. Her maidens were -gathered round her. She raised her soft, black eyes, shining with a -wondrous light of surprise and expectation, to the young -missionary's face. - -Beyond the circle the Indians were massed together, even beyond the -limits of the glade. Under the trees on every side sat warriors -astride their steeds; some lounged on the green turf; many reclined -in the branches of low-spreading maples. - -As Jim looked out over the sea of faces he started in surprise. The -sudden glance of fiery eyes had impelled his gaze. He recognized -Silvertip, the Shawnee chief. The Indian sat motionless on a -powerful black horse. Jim started again, for the horse was Joe's -thoroughbred, Lance. But Jim had no further time to think of Joe's -enemy, for Heckewelder stepped back. - -Jim took the vacated seat, and, with a far-reaching, resonant voice -began his discourse to the Indians. - -"Chieftains, warriors, maidens, children of the forest, listen, and -your ears shall hear no lie. I am come from where the sun rises to -tell you of the Great Spirit of the white man. - -"Many, many moons ago, as many as blades of grass grow on yonder -plain, the Great Spirit of whom I shall speak created the world. He -made the sparkling lakes and swift rivers, the boundless plains and -tangled forests, over which He caused the sun to shine and the rain -to fall. He gave life to the kingly elk, the graceful deer, the -rolling bison, the bear, the fox--all the beasts and birds and -fishes. But He was not content; for nothing He made was perfect in -His sight. He created the white man in His own image, and from this -first man's rib He created his mate--a woman. He turned them free in -a beautiful forest. - -"Life was fair in the beautiful forest. The sun shone always, the -birds sang, the waters flowed with music, the flowers cast sweet -fragrance on the air. In this forest, where fruit bloomed always, -was one tree, the Tree of Life, the apple of which they must not -eat. In all this beautiful forest of abundance this apple alone was -forbidden them. - -"Now evil was born with woman. A serpent tempted her to eat of the -apple of Life, and she tempted the man to eat. For their sin the -Great Spirit commanded the serpent to crawl forever on his belly, -and He drove them from the beautiful forest. The punishment for -their sin was to be visited on their children's children, always, -until the end of time. The two went afar into the dark forest, to -learn to live as best they might. From them all tribes descended. -The world is wide. A warrior might run all his days and not reach -the setting sun, where tribes of yellow-skins live. He might travel -half his days toward the south-wind, where tribes of black-skins -abound. People of all colors inhabited the world. They lived in -hatred toward one another. They shed each other's blood; they stole -each other's lands, gold, and women. They sinned. - -"Many moons ago the Great Spirit sorrowed to see His chosen tribe, -the palefaces, living in ignorance and sin. He sent His only Son to -redeem them, and said if they would listen and believe, and teach -the other tribes, He would forgive their sin and welcome them to the -beautiful forest. - -"That was moons and moons ago, when the paleface killed his brother -for gold and lands, and beat his women slaves to make them plant his -corn. The Son of the Great Spirit lifted the cloud from the -palefaces' eyes, and they saw and learned. So pleased was the Great -Spirit that He made the palefaces wiser and wiser, and master of the -world. He bid them go afar to teach the ignorant tribes. - -"To teach you is why the young paleface journeyed from the rising -sun. He wants no lands or power. He has given all that he had. He -walks among you without gun or knife. He can gain nothing but the -happiness of opening the redmen's eyes. - -"The Great Spirit of whom I teach and the Great Manitou, your idol, -are the same; the happy hunting ground of the Indian and the -beautiful forest of the paleface are the same; the paleface and the -redman are the same. There is but one Great Spirit, that is God; but -one eternal home, that is heaven; but one human being, that is man. - -"The Indian knows the habits of the beaver; he can follow the paths -of the forests; he can guide his canoe through the foaming rapids; -he is honest, he is brave, he is great; but he is not wise. His -wisdom is clouded with the original sin. He lives in idleness; he -paints his face; he makes his squaw labor for him, instead of -laboring for her; he kills his brothers. He worships the trees and -rocks. If he were wise he would not make gods of the swift arrow and -bounding canoe; of the flowering ash and the flaming flint. For -these things have not life. In his dreams he sees his arrow speed to -the reeling deer; in his dreams he sees his canoe shoot over the -crest of shining waves; and in his mind he gives them life. When his -eyes are opened he will see they have no spirit. The spirit is in -his own heart. It guides the arrow to the running deer, and steers -the canoe over the swirling current. The spirit makes him find the -untrodden paths, and do brave deeds, and love his children and his -honor. It makes him meet his foe face to face, and if he is to die -it gives him strength to die--a man. The spirit is what makes him -different from the arrow, the canoe, the mountain, and all the birds -and beasts. For it is born of the Great Spirit, the creator of all. -Him you must worship. - -"Redmen, this worship is understanding your spirit and teaching it -to do good deeds. It is called Christianity. Christianity is love. -If you will love the Great Spirit you will love your wives, your -children, your brothers, your friends, your foes--you will love the -palefaces. No more will you idle in winter and wage wars in summer. -You will wear your knife and tomahawk only when you hunt for meat. -You will be kind, gentle, loving, virtuous--you will have grown -wise. When your days are done you will meet all your loved ones in -the beautiful forest. There, where the flowers bloom, the fruits -ripen always, where the pleasant water glides and the summer winds -whisper sweetly, there peace will dwell forever. - -"Comrades, be wise, think earnestly. Forget the wicked paleface; for -there are many wicked palefaces. They sell the serpent firewater; -they lie and steal and kill. These palefaces' eyes are still -clouded. If they do not open they will never see the beautiful -forest. You have much to forgive, but those who forgive please the -Great Spirit; you must give yourselves to love, but those who love -are loved; you must work, but those who work are happy. - -"Behold the Village of Peace! Once it contained few; now there are -many. Where once the dark forest shaded the land, see the cabins, -the farms, the horses, the cattle! Field on field of waving, golden -grain shine there under your eyes. The earth has blossomed -abundance. Idling and fighting made not these rich harvests. Belief -made love; love made wise eyes; wise eyes saw, and lo! there came -plenty. - -"The proof of love is happiness. These Christian Indians are happy. -They are at peace with the redman and the paleface. They till the -fields and work in the shops. In days to come cabins and farms and -fields of corn will be theirs. They will bring up their children, -not to hide in the forest to slay, but to walk hand in hand with the -palefaces as equals. - -"Oh, open your ears! God speaks to you; peace awaits you! Cast the -bitterness from your hearts; it is the serpent-poison. While you -hate, God shuts His eyes. You are great on the trail, in the -council, in war; now be great in forgiveness. Forgive the palefaces -who have robbed you of your lands. Then will come peace. If you do -not forgive, the war will go on; you will lose lands and homes, to -find unmarked graves under the forest leaves. Revenge is sweet; but -it is not wise. The price of revenge is blood and life. Root it out -of your hearts. Love these Christian Indians; love the missionaries -as they love you; love all living creatures. Your days are but few; -therefore, cease the the strife. Let us say, 'Brothers, that is -God's word, His law; that is love; that is Christianity!' If you -will say from your heart, brother, you are a Christian. - -"Brothers, the paleface teacher beseeches you. Think not of this -long, bloody war, of your dishonored dead, of your silenced wigwams, -of your nameless graves, of your homeless children. Think of the -future. One word from you will make peace over all this broad land. -The paleface must honor a Christian. He can steal no Christian's -land. All the palefaces, as many as the stars of the great white -path, dare not invade the Village of Peace. For God smiles here. -Listen to His words: 'Come unto me all that are weary and heavy -laden, and I will give you rest.'" - -Over the multitude brooded an impressive, solemn silence. Then an -aged Delaware chief rose, with a mien of profound thought, and -slowly paced before the circle of chiefs. Presently he stopped, -turned to the awaiting Indians, and spoke: - -"Netawatwees is almost persuaded to be a Christian." He resumed his -seat. - -Another interval of penetrating quiet ensued. At length a -venerable-looking chieftain got up: - -"White Eyes hears the rumbling thunder in his ears. The smoke blows -from his eyes. White Eyes is the oldest chief of the Lenni-Lenape. -His days are many; they are full; they draw near the evening of his -life; he rejoices that wisdom is come before his sun is set. - -"White Eyes believes the young White Father. The ways of the Great -Spirit are many as the fluttering leaves; they are strange and -secret as the flight of a loon; White Eyes believes the redman's -happy hunting grounds need not be forgotten to love the palefaces' -God. As a young brave pants and puzzles over his first trail, so the -grown warrior feels in his understanding of his God. He gropes -blindly through dark ravines. - -"White Eyes speaks few words to-day, for he is learning wisdom; he -bids his people hearken to the voice of the White Father. War is -wrong; peace is best. Love is the way to peace. The paleface -advances one step nearer his God. He labors for his home; he keeps -the peace; he asks but little; he frees his women. That is well. -White Eyes has spoken." - -The old chief slowly advanced toward the Christian Indians. He laid -aside his knife and tomahawk, and then his eagle plumes and -war-bonnet. Bareheaded, he seated himself among the converted -redmen. They began chanting in low, murmuring tones. - -Amid the breathless silence that followed this act of such great -significance, Wingenund advanced toward the knoll with slow, stately -step. His dark eye swept the glade with lightning scorn; his glance -alone revealed the passion that swayed him. - -"Wingenund's ears are keen; they have heard a feather fall in the -storm; now they hear a soft-voiced thrush. Wingenund thunders to his -people, to his friends, to the chiefs of other tribes: 'Do not bury -the hatchet!' The young White Father's tongue runs smooth like the -gliding brook; it sings as the thrush calls its mate. Listen; but -wait, wait! Let time prove his beautiful tale; let the moons go by -over the Village of Peace. - -"Wingenund does not flaunt his wisdom. He has grown old among his -warriors; he loves them; he fears for them. The dream of the -palefaces' beautiful forest glimmers as the rainbow glows over the -laughing falls of the river. The dream of the paleface is too -beautiful to come true. In the days of long ago, when Wingenund's -forefathers heard not the paleface's ax, they lived in love and -happiness such as the young White Father dreams may come again. They -waged no wars. A white dove sat in every wigwam. The lands were -theirs and they were rich. The paleface came with his leaden death, -his burning firewater, his ringing ax, and the glory of the redmen -faded forever. - -"Wingenund seeks not to inflame his braves to anger. He is sick of -blood-spilling--not from fear; for Wingenund cannot feel fear. But -he asks his people to wait. Remember, the gifts of the paleface ever -contained a poisoned arrow. Wingenund's heart is sore. The day of -the redman is gone. His sun is setting. Wingenund feels already the -gray shades of evening." - -He stopped one long moment as if to gather breath for his final -charge to his listeners. Then with a magnificent gesture he -thundered: - -"Is the Delaware a fool? When Wingenund can cross unarmed to the Big -Water he shall change his mind. When Deathwind ceases to blow his -bloody trail over the fallen leaves Wingenund will believe." - - - -Chapter XIII. - -As the summer waned, each succeeding day, with its melancholy calm, -its changing lights and shades, its cool, damp evening winds, -growing more and more suggestive of autumn, the little colony of -white people in the Village of Peace led busy, eventful lives. - -Upwards of fifty Indians, several of them important chiefs, had -become converted since the young missionary began preaching. -Heckewelder declared that this was a wonderful showing, and if it -could be kept up would result in gaining a hold on the Indian tribes -which might not be shaken. Heckewelder had succeeded in interesting -the savages west of the Village of Peace to the extent of permitting -him to establish missionary posts in two other localities--one near -Goshhocking, a Delaware town; and one on the Muskingong, the -principal river running through central Ohio. He had, with his -helpers, Young and Edwards, journeyed from time to time to these -points, preaching, making gifts, and soliciting help from chiefs. - -The most interesting feature, perhaps, of the varied life of the -missionary party was a rivalry between Young and Edwards for the -elder Miss Wells. Usually Nell's attractiveness appealed more to men -than Kate's; however, in this instance, although the sober teachers -of the gospel admired Nell's winsome beauty, they fell in love with -Kate. The missionaries were both under forty, and good, honest men, -devoted to the work which had engrossed them for years. Although -they were ardent lovers, certainly they were not picturesque. Two -homelier men could hardly have been found. Moreover, the sacrifice -of their lives to missionary work had taken them far from the -companionship of women of their own race, so that they lacked the -ease of manner which women like to see in men. Young and Edwards -were awkward, almost uncouth. Embarrassment would not have done -justice to their state of feeling while basking in the shine of -Kate's quiet smile. They were happy, foolish, and speechless. - -If Kate shared in the merriment of the others--Heckewelder could not -conceal his, and Nell did not try very hard to hide hers--she never -allowed a suspicion of it to escape. She kept the easy, even tenor -of her life, always kind and gracious in her quaint way, and -precisely the same to both her lovers. No doubt she well knew that -each possessed, under all his rough exterior, a heart of gold. - -One day the genial Heckewelder lost, or pretended to lose, his -patience. - -"Say, you worthy gentlemen are becoming ornamental instead of -useful. All this changing of coats, trimming of mustaches, and -eloquent sighing doesn't seem to have affected the young lady. I've -a notion to send you both to Maumee town, one hundred miles away. -This young lady is charming, I admit, but if she is to keep on -seriously hindering the work of the Moravian Mission I must object. -As for that matter, I might try conclusions myself. I'm as young as -either of you, and, I flatter myself, much handsomer. You'll have a -dangerous rival presently. Settle it! You can't both have her; -settle it!" - -This outburst from their usually kind leader placed the earnest but -awkward gentlemen in a terrible plight. - -On the afternoon following the crisis Heckewelder took Mr. Wells to -one of the Indian shops, and Jim and Nell went canoeing. Young and -Edwards, after conferring for one long, trying hour, determined on -settling the question. - -Young was a pale, slight man, very homely except when he smiled. His -smile not only broke up the plainness of his face, but seemed to -chase away a serious shadow, allowing his kindly, gentle spirit to -shine through. He was nervous, and had a timid manner. Edwards was -his opposite, being a man of robust frame, with a heavy face, and a -manner that would have suggested self-confidence in another man. - -They were true and tried friends. - -"Dave, I couldn't ask her," said Young, trembling at the very -thought. "Besides, there's no hope for me. I know it. That's why I'm -afraid, why I don't want to ask her. What'd such a glorious creature -see in a poor, puny little thing like me?" - -"George, you're not over-handsome," admitted Dave, shaking his head. -"But you can never tell about women. Sometimes they like even -little, insignificant fellows. Don't be too scared about asking her. -Besides, it will make it easier for me. You might tell her about -me--you know, sort of feel her out, so I'd---" - -Dave's voice failed him here; but he had said enough, and that was -most discouraging to poor George. Dave was so busy screwing up his -courage that he forgot all about his friend. - -"No; I couldn't," gasped George, falling into a chair. He was -ghastly pale. "I couldn't ask her to accept me, let alone do another -man's wooing. She thinks more of you. She'll accept you." - -"You really think so?" whispered Dave, nervously. - -"I know she will. You're such a fine, big figure of a man. She'll -take you, and I'll be glad. This fever and fretting has about -finished me. When she's yours I'll not be so bad. I'll be happy in -your happiness. But, Dave, you'll let me see her occasionally, won't -you? Go! Hurry--get it over!" - -"Yes; we must have it over," replied Dave, getting up with a brave, -effort. Truly, if he carried that determined front to his lady-love -he would look like a masterful lover. But when he got to the door he -did not at all resemble a conqueror. - -"You're sure she--cares for me?" asked Dave, for the hundredth time. -This time, as always, his friend was faithful and convincing. - -"I know she does. Go--hurry. I tell you I can't stand this any -longer," cried George, pushing Dave out of the door. - -"You won't go--first?" whispered Dave, clinging to the door. - -"I won't go at all. I couldn't ask her--I don't want her--go! Get -out!" - -Dave started reluctantly toward the adjoining cabin, from the open -window of which came the song of the young woman who was responsible -for all this trouble. George flung himself on his bed. What a relief -to feel it was all over! He lay there with eves shut for hours, as -it seemed. After a time Dave came in. George leaped to his feet and -saw his friend stumbling over a chair. Somehow, Dave did not look as -usual. He seemed changed, or shrunken, and his face wore a -discomfited, miserable expression. - -"Well?" cried George, sharply. Even to his highly excited -imagination this did not seem the proper condition for a victorious -lover. - -"She refused--refused me," faltered Dave. "She was very sweet and -kind; said something about being my sister--I don't remember just -what--but she wouldn't have me." - -"What did you say to her?" whispered George, a paralyzing hope -almost rendering him speechless. - -"I--I told her everything I could think of," replied Dave, -despondently; "even what you said." - -"What I said? Dave, what did you tell her I said?" - -"Why, you know--about she cared for me--that you were sure of it, -and that you didn't want her---" - -"Jackass!" roared George, rising out of his meekness like a lion -roused from slumber. - -"Didn't you--say so?" inquired Dave, weakly. - -"No! No! No! Idiot!" - -As one possessed, George rushed out of the cabin, and a moment later -stood disheveled and frantic before Kate. - -"Did that fool say I didn't love you?" he demanded. - -Kate looked up, startled; but as an understanding of George's wild -aspect and wilder words dawned upon her, she resumed her usual calm -demeanor. Looking again to see if this passionate young man was -indeed George, she turned her face as she said: - -"If you mean Mr. Edwards, yes; I believe he did say as much. Indeed, -from his manner, he seemed to have monopolized all the love near the -Village of Peace." - -"But it's not true. I do love you. I love you to distraction. I have -loved you ever since I first saw you. I told Dave that. Heckewelder -knows it; even the Indians know it," cried George, protesting -vehemently against the disparaging allusion to his affections. He -did not realize he was making a most impassioned declaration of -love. When he was quite out of breath he sat down and wiped his -moist brow. - -A pink bloom tinged Kate's cheeks, and her eyes glowed with a happy -light; but George never saw these womanly evidences of pleasure. - -"Of course I know you don't care for me---" - -"Did Mr. Edwards tell you so?" asked Kate, glancing up quickly. - -"Why, yes, he has often said he thought that. Indeed, he always -seemed to regard himself as the fortunate object of your affections. -I always believed he was." - -"But it wasn't true." - -"What?" - -"It's not true." - -"What's not true?" - -"Oh--about my--not caring." - -"Kate!" cried George, quite overcome with rapture. He fell over two -chairs getting to her; but he succeeded, and fell on his knees to -kiss her hand. - -"Foolish boy! It has been you all the time," whispered Kate, with -her quiet smile. - - * * * - -"Look here, Downs; come to the door. See there," said Heckewelder to -Jim. - -Somewhat surprised at Heckewelder's grave tone, Jim got up from the -supper-table and looked out of the door. He saw two tall Indians -pacing to and fro under the maples. It was still early twilight and -light enough to see clearly. One Indian was almost naked; the lithe, -graceful symmetry of his dark figure standing out in sharp contrast -to the gaunt, gaudily-costumed form of the other. - -"Silvertip! Girty!" exclaimed Jim, in a low voice. - -"Girty I knew, of course; but I was not sure the other was the -Shawnee who captured you and your brother," replied Heckewelder, -drawing Jim into another room. - -"What do they mean by loitering around the village? Inquired Jim, -apprehensively. Whenever he heard Girty's name mentioned, or even -thought of him, he remembered with a shudder the renegade's allusion -to the buzzards. Jim never saw one of these carrion birds soaring -overhead but his thoughts instantly reverted to the frontier ruffian -and his horrible craving. - -"I don't know," answered Heckewelder. "Girty has been here several -times of late. I saw him conferring with Pipe at Goshhocking. I hope -there's no deviltry afoot. Pipe is a relentless enemy of all -Christians, and Girty is a fiend, a hyena. I think, perhaps, it will -be well for you and the girls to stay indoors while Girty and -Silvertip are in the village." - -That evening the entire missionary party were gathered in Mr. Wells' -room. Heckewelder told stories of Indian life; Nell sang several -songs, and Kate told many amusing things said and done by the little -Indian boys in her class at the school. Thus the evening passed -pleasantly for all. - -"So next Wednesday I am to perform the great ceremony," remarked -Heckewelder, laying his hand kindly on Young's knee. "We'll -celebrate the first white wedding in the Village of Peace." - -Young looked shyly down at his boots; Edwards crossed one leg over -the other, and coughed loudly to hide his embarrassment. Kate wore, -as usual, her pensive smile; Nell's eyes twinkled, and she was about -to speak, when Heckewelder's quizzical glance in her direction made -her lips mute. - -"I hope I'll have another wedding on my hands soon," he said -placidly. - -This ordinary remark had an extraordinary effect. Nell turned with -burning cheeks and looked out of the window. Jim frowned fiercely -and bit his lips. Edwards began to laugh, and even Mr. Wells' -serious face lapsed into a smile. - -"I mean I've picked out a nice little Delaware squaw for Dave," said -Heckewelder, seeing his badinage had somehow gone amiss. - -"Oh-h!" suddenly cried Nell, in shuddering tones. - -They all gazed at her in amazement. Every vestige of color had -receded from her face, leaving it marblelike. Her eves were fixed in -startled horror. Suddenly she relaxed her grasp on the windowsill -and fell back limp and senseless. - -Heckewelder ran to the door to look out, while the others bent over -the unconscious girl, endeavoring to revive her. Presently a -fluttering breath and a quivering of her dark lashes noted a return -of suspended life. Then her beautiful eyes opened wide to gaze with -wonder and fear into the grave faces bent so anxiously over her. - -"Nell, dearest, you are safe. What was it? What frightened you so?" -said Kate, tenderly. - -"Oh, it was fearful!" gasped Nell, sitting up. She clung to her -sister with one hand, while the other grasped Jim's sleeve. - -"I was looking out into the dark, when suddenly I beheld a face, a -terrible face!" cried Nell. Those who watched her marveled at the -shrinking, awful fear in her eyes. "It was right by the window. I -could have touched it. Such a greedy, wolfish face, with a long, -hooked nose! The eyes, oh! the eyes! I'll never forget them. They -made me sick; they paralyzed me. It wasn't an Indian's face. It -belonged to that white man, that awful white man! I never saw him -before; but I knew him." - -"Girty!" said Heckewelder, who had come in with his quiet step. "He -looked in at the window. Calm yourself, Nellie. The renegade has -gone." - -The incident worried them all at the time, and made Nell nervous for -several days; but as Girty had disappeared, and nothing more was -heard of him, gradually they forgot. Kate's wedding day dawned with -all the little party well and happy. Early in the afternoon Jim and -Nell, accompanied by Kate and her lover, started out into the woods -just beyond the clearing for the purpose of gathering wild flowers -to decorate the cabin. - -"We are both thinking of--him," Jim said, after he and Nell had -walked some little way in silence. - -"Yes," answered Nell, simply. - -"I hope--I pray Joe comes back, but if he doesn't--Nell--won't you -care a little for me?" - -He received no answer. But Nell turned her face away. - -"We both loved him. If he's gone forever our very love for him -should bring us together. I know--I know he would have wished that." - -"Jim, don't speak of love to me now," she whispered. Then she turned -to the others. "Come quickly; here are great clusters of wild -clematis and goldenrod. How lovely! Let us gather a quantity." - -The young men had almost buried the girls under huge masses of the -beautiful flowers, when the soft tread of moccasined feet caused -them all to turn in surprise. Six savages stood waist-deep in the -bushes, where they had lain concealed. Fierce, painted visages -scowled from behind leveled rifles. - -"Don't yell!" cried a hoarse voice in English. Following the voice -came a snapping of twigs, and then two other figures came into view. -They were Girty and Silvertip. - -"Don't yell, er I'll leave you layin' here fer the buzzards," said -the renegade. He stepped forward and grasped Young, at the same time -speaking in the Indian language and pointing to a nearby tree. -Strange to relate, the renegade apparently wanted no bloodshed. -While one of the savages began to tie Young to the tree, Girty -turned his gaze on the girls. His little, yellow eyes glinted; he -stroked his chin with a bony hand, and his dark, repulsive face was -wreathed in a terrible, meaning smile. - -"I've been layin' fer you," he croaked, eyeing Nell. "Ye're the -purtiest lass, 'ceptin' mebbe Bet Zane, I ever seed on the border. I -got cheated outen her, but I've got you; arter I feed yer Injun -preacher to ther buzzards mebbe ye'll larn to love me." - -Nell gazed one instant into the monster's face. Her terror-stricken -eyes were piteous to behold. She tried to speak; but her voice -failed. Then, like stricken bird, she fell on the grass. - - - -Chapter XIV. - -Not many miles from the Village of Peace rose an irregular chain of -hills, the first faint indications of the grand Appalachian Mountain -system. These ridges were thickly wooded with white oak, poplar and -hickory, among which a sentinel pine reared here and there its -evergreen head. There were clefts in the hills, passes lined by -gray-stoned cliffs, below which ran clear brooks, tumbling over -rocks in a hurry to meet their majestic father, the Ohio. - -One of these valleys, so narrow that the sun seldom brightened the -merry brook, made a deep cut in the rocks. The head of this valley -tapered until the walls nearly met; it seemed to lose itself in the -shade of fern-faced cliffs, shadowed as they were by fir trees -leaning over the brink, as though to search for secrets of the -ravine. So deep and dark and cool was this sequestered nook that -here late summer had not dislodged early spring. Everywhere was a -soft, fresh, bright green. The old gray cliffs were festooned with -ferns, lichens and moss. Under a great, shelving rock, damp and -stained by the copper-colored water dripping down its side, was a -dewy dell into which the sunshine had never peeped. Here the swift -brook tarried lovingly, making a wide turn under the cliff, as -though loth to leave this quiet nook, and then leaped once more to -enthusiasm in its murmuring flight. - -Life abounded in this wild, beautiful, almost inaccessible spot. -Little brown and yellow birds flitted among the trees; thrushes ran -along the leaf-strewn ground; orioles sang their melancholy notes; -robins and flickers darted beneath the spreading branches. Squirrels -scurried over the leaves like little whirlwinds, and leaped daringly -from the swinging branches or barked noisily from woody perches. -Rabbits hopped inquisitively here and there while nibbling at the -tender shoots of sassafras and laurel. - -Along this flower-skirted stream a tall young man, carrying a rifle -cautiously stepped, peering into the branches overhead. A gray flash -shot along a limb of a white oak; then the bushy tail of a squirrel -flitted into a well-protected notch, from whence, no doubt, a keen -little eye watched the hunter's every movement. - -The rifle was raised; then lowered. The hunter walked around the -tree. Presently up in the tree top, snug under a knotty limb, he -spied a little ball of gray fur. Grasping a branch of underbush, he -shook it vigorously. The thrashing sound worried the gray squirrel, -for he slipped from his retreat and stuck his nose over the limb. -CRACK! With a scratching and tearing of bark the squirrel loosened -his hold and then fell; alighting with a thump. As the hunter picked -up his quarry a streak of sunshine glinting through the tree top -brightened his face. - -The hunter was Joe. - -He was satisfied now, for after stowing the squirrel in the pocket -of his hunting coat he shouldered his rifle and went back up the -ravine. Presently a dull roar sounded above the babble of the brook. -It grew louder as he threaded his way carefully over the stones. -Spots of white foam flecked the brook. Passing under the gray, -stained cliff, Joe turned around a rocky corner, and came to an -abrupt end of the ravine. A waterfall marked the spot where the -brook entered. The water was brown as it took the leap, light green -when it thinned out; and below, as it dashed on the stones, it -became a beautiful, sheeny white. - -Upon a flat rock, so near the cascade that spray flew over him, sat -another hunter. The roaring falls drowned all other sounds, yet the -man roused from his dreamy contemplation of the waterfall when Joe -rounded the corner. - -"I heerd four shots," he said, as Joe came up. - -"Yes; I got a squirrel for every shot." - -Wetzel led the way along a narrow foot trail which gradually wound -toward the top of the ravine. This path emerged presently, some -distance above the falls, on the brink of a bluff. It ran along the -edge of the precipice a few yards, then took a course back into -densely wooded thickets. Just before stepping out on the open cliff -Wetzel paused and peered keenly on all sides. There was no living -thing to be seen; the silence was the deep, unbroken calm of the -wilderness. - -Wetzel stepped to the bluff and looked over. The stony wall opposite -was only thirty feet away, and somewhat lower. From Wetzel's action -it appeared as if he intended to leap the fissure. In truth, many a -band of Indians pursuing the hunter into this rocky fastness had -come out on the bluff, and, marveling at what they thought Wetzel's -prowess, believed he had made a wonderful leap, thus eluding them. -But he had never attempted that leap, first, because he knew it was -well-nigh impossible, and secondly, there had never been any -necessity for such risk. - -Any one leaning over this cliff would have observed, perhaps ten -feet below, a narrow ledge projecting from the face of the rock. He -would have imagined if he were to drop on that ledge there would be -no way to get off and he would be in a worse predicament. - -Without a moment's hesitation Wetzel swung himself over the ledge. -Joe followed suit. At one end of this lower ledge grew a hardy shrub -of the ironwood species, and above it a scrub pine leaned -horizontally out over the ravine. Laying his rifle down, Wetzel -grasped a strong root and cautiously slid over the side. When all of -his body had disappeared, with the exception of his sinewy fingers, -they loosened their hold on the root, grasped the rifle, and dragged -it down out of sight. Quietly, with similar caution, Joe took hold -of the same root, let himself down, and when at full length swung -himself in under the ledge. His feet found a pocket in the cliff. -Letting go of the root, he took his rifle, and in another second was -safe. - -Of all Wetzel's retreats--for he had many--he considered this one -the safest. The cavern under the ledge he had discovered by -accident. One day, being hotly pursued by Shawnees, he had been -headed off on this cliff, and had let himself down on the ledge, -intending to drop from it to the tops of the trees below. Taking -advantage of every little aid, he hung over by means of the shrub, -and was in the act of leaping when he saw that the cliff shelved -under the ledge, while within reach of his feet was the entrance to -a cavern. He found the cave to be small with an opening at the back -into a split in the rock. Evidently the place had been entered from -the rear by bears, who used the hole for winter sleeping quarters. -By crawling on his hands and knees, Wetzel found the rear opening. -Thus he had established a hiding place where it was almost -impossible to locate him. He provisioned his retreat, which he -always entered by the cliff and left by the rear. - -An evidence of Wetzel's strange nature, and of his love for this -wild home, manifested itself when he bound Joe to secrecy. It was -unlikely, even if the young man ever did get safely out of the -wilderness, that any stories he might relate would reveal the -hunter's favorite rendezvous. But Wetzel seriously demanded this -secrecy, as earnestly as if the forest were full of Indians and -white men, all prowling in search of his burrow. - -Joe was in the seventh heaven of delight, and took to the free life -as a wild gosling takes to the water. No place had ever appealed to -him as did this dark, silent hole far up on the side of a steep -cliff. His interest in Wetzel soon passed into a great admiration, -and from that deepened to love. - -This afternoon, when they were satisfied that all was well within -their refuge, Joe laid aside his rifle, and, whistling softly, began -to prepare supper. The back part of the cave permitted him to stand -erect, and was large enough for comparative comfort. There was a -neat, little stone fireplace, and several cooking utensils and -gourds. From time to time Wetzel had brought these things. A pile of -wood and a bundle of pine cones lay in one corner. Haunches of dried -beef, bear and buffalo meat hung from pegs; a bag of parched corn, -another of dried apples lay on a rocky shelf. Nearby hung a -powder-horn filled with salt and pepper. In the cleft back of the -cave was a spring of clear, cold water. - -The wants of woodsmen are few and simple. Joe and Wetzel, with -appetites whetted by their stirring outdoor life, relished the -frugal fare as they could never have enjoyed a feast. As the shadows -of evening entered the cave, they lighted their pipes to partake of -the hunter's sweetest solace, a quiet smoke. - -Strange as it may appear, this lonely, stern Indian-hunter and the -reckless, impulsive boy were admirably suited for companionship. -Wetzel had taken a liking to the young man when he led the brothers -to Fort Henry. Subsequent events strengthened his liking, and now, -many days after, Joe having followed him into the forest, a strong -attachment had been insensibly forged between them. - -Wetzel understood Joe's burning desire to roam the forests; but he -half expected the lad would soon grow tired of this roving life, but -exactly the opposite symptoms were displayed. The hunter had -intended to take his comrade on a hunting trip, and to return with -him, after that was over, to Fort Henry. They had now been in the -woods for weeks and every day in some way had Joe showed his mettle. -Wetzel finally admitted him into the secrets of his most cherished -hiding place. He did not want to hurt the lad's feelings by taking -him back to the settlement; he could not send him back. So the days -wore on swiftly; full of heart-satisfying incident and life, with -man and boy growing closer in an intimacy that was as warm as it was -unusual. - -Two reasons might account for this: First, there is no sane human -being who is not better off for companionship. An exile would find -something of happiness in one who shared his misery. And, secondly, -Joe was a most acceptable comrade, even for a slayer of Indians. -Wedded as Wetzel was to the forest trails, to his lonely life, to -the Nemesis-pursuit he had followed for eighteen long years, he was -still a white man, kind and gentle in his quiet hours, and because -of this, though he knew it not, still capable of affection. He had -never known youth; his manhood had been one pitiless warfare against -his sworn foes; but once in all those years had his sore, cold heart -warmed; and that was toward a woman who was not for him. His life -had held only one purpose--a bloody one. Yet the man had a heart, -and he could not prevent it from responding to another. In his -simple ignorance he rebelled against this affection for anything -other than his forest homes. Man is weak against hate; what can he -avail against love? The dark caverns of Wetzel's great heart opened, -admitting to their gloomy depths this stranger. So now a new love -was born in that cheerless heart, where for so long a lonely inmate, -the ghost of old love, had dwelt in chill seclusion. - -The feeling of comradeship which Wetzel had for Joe was something -altogether new in the hunter's life. True he had hunted with -Jonathan Zane, and accompanied expeditions where he was forced to -sleep with another scout; but a companion, not to say friend, he had -never known. Joe was a boy, wilder than an eagle, yet he was a man. -He was happy and enthusiastic, still his good spirits never jarred -on the hunter; they were restrained. He never asked questions, as -would seem the case in any eager lad; he waited until he was spoken -to. He was apt; he never forgot anything; he had the eye of a born -woodsman, and lastly, perhaps what went far with Wetzel, he was as -strong and supple as a young lynx, and absolutely fearless. - -On this evening Wetzel and Joe followed their usual custom; they -smoked a while before lying down to sleep. Tonight the hunter was -even more silent than usual, and the lad, tired out with his day's -tramp, lay down on a bed of fragrant boughs. - -Wetzel sat there in the gathering gloom while he pulled slowly on -his pipe. The evening was very quiet; the birds had ceased their -twittering; the wind had died away; it was too early for the bay of -a wolf, the wail of a panther, or hoot of an owl; there was simply -perfect silence. - -The lad's deep, even breathing caught Wetzel's ear, and he found -himself meditating, as he had often of late, on this new something -that had crept into his life. For Joe loved him; he could not fail -to see that. The lad had preferred to roam with the lonely -Indian-hunter through the forests, to encounter the perils and -hardships of a wild life, rather than accept the smile of fortune -and of love. Wetzel knew that Colonel Zane had taken a liking to the -boy, and had offered him work and a home; and, also, the hunter -remembered the warm light he had seen in Nell's hazel eyes. Musing -thus, the man felt stir in his heart an emotion so long absent that -it was unfamiliar. The Avenger forgot, for a moment his brooding -plans. He felt strangely softened. When he laid his head on the rude -pillow it was with some sense of gladness that, although he had -always desired a lonely life, and wanted to pass it in the -fulfillment of his vow, his loneliness was now shared by a lad who -loved him. - -Joe was awakened by the merry chirp of a chipmunk that every morning -ran along the seamy side of the opposite wall of the gorge. Getting -up, he went to the back of the cave, where he found Wetzel combing -out his long hair. The lad thrust his hands into the cold pool, and -bathed his face. The water was icy cold, and sent an invigorating -thrill through him. Then he laughed as he took a rude comb Wetzel -handed to him. - -"My scalp is nothing to make an Indian very covetous, is it?" said -he, eyeing in admiration the magnificent black hair that fell over -the hunter's shoulders. - -"It'll grow," answered Wetzel. - -Joe did not wonder at the care Wetzel took of his hair, nor did he -misunderstand the hunter's simple pride. Wetzel was very careful of -his rifle, he was neat and clean about his person, he brushed his -buckskin costume, he polished his knife and tomahawk; but his hair -received more attention than all else. It required much care. When -combed out it reached fully to his knees. Joe had seen him, after he -returned from a long hunt, work patiently for an hour with his -wooden comb, and not stop until every little burr was gone, or -tangle smoothed out. Then he would comb it again in the -morning--this, of course, when time permitted--and twist and tie it -up so as to offer small resistance to his slipping through the -underbush. Joe knew the hunter's simplicity was such, that if he cut -off his hair it would seem he feared the Indians--for that streaming -black hair the Indians had long coveted and sworn to take. It would -make any brave a famous chief, and was the theme of many a savage -war tale. - -After breakfast Wetzel said to Joe: - -"You stay here, an' I'll look round some; mebbe I'll come back soon, -and we'll go out an' kill a buffalo. Injuns sometimes foller up a -buffalo trail, an' I want to be sure none of the varlets are chasin' -that herd we saw to-day." - -Wetzel left the cave by the rear. It took him fifteen minutes to -crawl to the head of the tortuous, stony passage. Lifting the stone -which closed up the aperture, he looked out and listened. Then, -rising, he replaced the stone, and passed down the wooded hillside. - -It was a beautiful morning; the dew glistened on the green leaves, -the sun shone bright and warm, the birds warbled in the trees. The -hunter's moccasins pressed so gently on the moss and leaves that -they made no more sound than the soft foot of a panther. His trained -ear was alert to catch any unfamiliar noise; his keen eyes sought -first the remoter open glades and glens, then bent their gaze on the -mossy bluff beneath his feet. Fox squirrels dashed from before him -into bushy retreats; grouse whirred away into the thickets; startled -deer whistled, and loped off with their white-flags upraised. Wetzel -knew from the action of these denizens of the woods that he was the -only creature, not native to these haunts, who had disturbed them -this morning. Otherwise the deer would not have been grazing, but -lying low in some close thicket; fox squirrels seldom or never were -disturbed by a hunter twice in one day, for after being frightened -these little animals, wilder and shyer than gray squirrels, remained -hidden for hours, and grouse that have been flushed a little while -before, always get up unusually quick, and fly very far before -alighting. - -Wetzel circled back over the hill, took a long survey from a rocky -eminence, and then reconnoitered the lowland for several miles. He -located the herd of buffalo, and satisfying himself there were no -Indians near--for the bison were grazing quietly--he returned to the -cave. A soft whistle into the back door of the rocky home told Joe -that the hunter was waiting. - -"Coast clear?" whispered the lad, thrusting his head out of the -entrance. His gray eyes gleamed brightly, showing his eager spirit. - -The hunter nodded, and, throwing his rifle in the hollow of his arm, -proceeded down the hill. Joe followed closely, endeavoring, as -Wetzel had trained him, to make each step precisely in the hunter's -footprints. The lad had soon learned to step nimbly and softly as a -cat. When half way down the bill Wetzel paused. - -"See anythin'?" he whispered. - -Joe glanced on all sides. Many mistakes had taught him to be -cautious. He had learned from experience that for every woodland -creature he saw, there were ten watching his every move. Just now he -could not see even a little red squirrel. Everywhere were sturdy -hickory and oak trees, thickets and hazelnuts, slender ash saplings, -and, in the open glades, patches of sumach. Rotting trees lay on the -ground, while ferns nodded long, slender heads over the fallen -monarchs. Joe could make out nothing but the colors of the woods, -the gray of the tree trunks, and, in the openings through the -forest-green, the dead purple haze of forests farther on. He smiled, -and, shaking his head at the hunter, by his action admitted failure. - -"Try again. Dead ahead," whispered Wetzel. - -Joe bent a direct gaze on the clump of sassafras one hundred feet -ahead. He searched the open places, the shadows--even the branches. -Then he turned his eyes slowly to the right. Whatever was -discernible to human vision he studied intently. Suddenly his eye -became fixed on a small object protruding from behind a beech tree. -It was pointed, and in color darker than the gray bark of the beech. -It had been a very easy matter to pass over this little thing; but -now that the lad saw it, he knew to what it belonged. - -"That's a buck's ear," he replied. - -Hardly had he finished speaking when Wetzel intentionally snapped a -twig. There was a crash and commotion in the thicket; branches moved -and small saplings waved; then out into the open glade bounded a -large buck with a whistle of alarm. Throwing his rifle to a level, -Joe was trying to cover the bounding deer, when the hunter struck up -his piece. - -"Lad, don't kill fer the sake of killin," he said, quietly. "We have -plenty of venison. We'll go arter a buffalo. I hev a hankerin' fer a -good rump steak." - -Half an hour later, the hunters emerged from the forest into a wide -plain of waving grass. It was a kind of oval valley, encircled by -hills, and had been at one time, perhaps, covered with water. Joe -saw a herd of large animals browsing, like cattle, in a meadow. His -heart beat high, for until that moment the only buffalo he had seen -were the few which stood on the river banks as the raft passed down -the Ohio. He would surely get a shot at one of these huge fellows. - -Wetzel bade Joe do exactly as he did, whereupon he dropped on his -hands and knees and began to crawl through the long grass. This was -easy for the hunter, but very hard for the lad to accomplish. Still, -he managed to keep his comrade in sight, which was a matter for -congratulation, because the man crawled as fast as he walked. At -length, after what to Joe seemed a very long time, the hunter -paused. - -"Are we near enough?" whispered Joe, breathlessly. - -"Nope. We're just circlin' on 'em. The wind's not right, an' I'm -afeered they'll get our scent." - -Wetzel rose carefully and peeped over the top of the grass; then, -dropping on all fours, he resumed the advance. - -He paused again, presently and waited for Joe to come up. - -"See here, young fellar, remember, never hurry unless the bizness -calls fer speed, an' then act like lightnin'." - -Thus admonishing the eager lad, Wetzel continued to crawl. It was -easy for him. Joe wondered how those wide shoulders got between the -weeds and grasses without breaking, or, at least, shaking them. But -so it was. - -"Flat now," whispered Wetzel, putting his broad hand on Joe's back -and pressing him down. "Now's yer time fer good practice. Trail yer -rifle over yer back--if yer careful it won't slide off--an' reach -out far with one arm an' dig yer fingers in deep. Then pull yerself -forrard." - -Wetzel slipped through the grass like a huge buckskin snake. His -long, lithe body wormed its way among the reeds. But for Joe, even -with the advantage of having the hunter's trail to follow, it was -difficult work. The dry reeds broke under him, and the stalks of -saw-grass shook. He worked persistently at it, learning all the -while, and improving with every rod. He was surprised to hear a -swish, followed by a dull blow on the ground. Raising his head, he -looked forward. He saw the hunter wipe his tomahawk on the grass. - -"Snake," whispered Wetzel. - -Joe saw a huge blacksnake squirming in the grass. Its head had been -severed. He caught glimpses of other snakes gliding away, and glossy -round moles darting into their holes. A gray rabbit started off with -a leap. - -"We're near enough," whispered Wetzel, stopping behind a bush. He -rose and surveyed the plain; then motioned Joe to look. - -Joe raised himself on his knees. As his gaze reached the level of -the grassy plain his heart leaped. Not fifty yards away was a great, -shaggy, black buffalo. He was the king of the herd; but ill at ease, -for he pawed the grass and shook his huge head. Near him were -several cows and a half-grown calf. Beyond was the main herd, -extending as far as Joe could see--a great sea of black humps! The -lad breathed hard as he took in the grand sight. - -"Pick out the little fellar--the reddish-brown one--an' plug him -behind the shoulder. Shoot close now, fer if we miss, mebbe I can't -hit one, because I'm not used to shootin' at sich small marks." - -Wetzel's rare smile lighted up his dark face. Probably he could have -shot a fly off the horn of the bull, if one of the big flies or -bees, plainly visible as they swirled around the huge head, had -alighted there. - -Joe slowly raised his rifle. He had covered the calf, and was about -to pull the trigger, when, with a sagacity far beyond his experience -as hunter, he whispered to Wetzel: - -"If I fire they may run toward us." - -"Nope; they'll run away," answered Wetzel, thinking the lad was as -keen as an Indian. - -Joe quickly covered the calf again, and pulled the trigger. -Bellowing loud the big bull dashed off. The herd swung around toward -the west, and soon were galloping off with a lumbering roar. The -shaggy humps bobbed up and down like hot, angry waves on a -storm-blackened sea. - -Upon going forward, Wetzel and Joe found the calf lying dead in the -grass. - -"You might hev did better'n that," remarked the hunter, as he saw -where the bullet had struck. "You went a little too fer back, but -mebbe thet was 'cause the calf stepped as you shot." - - - -Chapter XV. - -So the days passed swiftly, dreamily, each one bringing Joe a keener -delight. In a single month he was as good a woodsman as many -pioneers who had passed years on the border, for he had the -advantage of a teacher whose woodcraft was incomparable. Besides, he -was naturally quick in learning, and with all his interest centered -upon forest lore, it was no wonder he assimilated much of Wetzel's -knowledge. He was ever willing to undertake anything whereby he -might learn. Often when they were miles away in the dense forest, -far from their cave, he asked Wetzel to let him try to lead the way -back to camp. And he never failed once, though many times he got off -a straight course, thereby missing the easy travelling. - -Joe did wonderfully well, but he lacked, as nearly all white men do, -the subtler, intuitive forest-instinct, which makes the Indian as -much at home in the woods as in his teepee. Wetzel had this -developed to a high degree. It was born in him. Years of training, -years of passionate, unrelenting search for Indians, had given him a -knowledge of the wilds that was incomprehensible to white men, and -appalling to his red foes. - -Joe saw how Wetzel used this ability, but what it really was baffled -him. He realized that words were not adequate to explain fully this -great art. Its possession required a marvelously keen vision, an eye -perfectly familiar with every creature, tree, rock, shrub and thing -belonging in the forest; an eye so quick in flight as to detect -instantly the slightest change in nature, or anything unnatural to -that environment. The hearing must be delicate, like that of a deer, -and the finer it is, the keener will be the woodsman. Lastly, there -is the feeling that prompts the old hunter to say: "No game to-day." -It is something in him that speaks when, as he sees a night-hawk -circling low near the ground, he says: "A storm to-morrow." It is -what makes an Indian at home in any wilderness. The clouds may hide -the guiding star; the northing may be lost; there may be no moss on -the trees, or difference in their bark; the ridges may be flat or -lost altogether, and there may be no water-courses; yet the Indian -brave always goes for his teepee, straight as a crow flies. It was -this voice which rightly bade Wetzel, when he was baffled by an -Indian's trail fading among the rocks, to cross, or circle, or -advance in the direction taken by his wily foe. - -Joe had practiced trailing deer and other hoofed game, until he was -true as a hound. Then he began to perfect himself in the art of -following a human being through the forest. Except a few old Indian -trails, which the rain had half obliterated, he had no tracks to -discover save Wetzel's, and these were as hard to find as the airy -course of a grosbeak. On soft ground or marshy grass, which Wetzel -avoided where he could, he left a faint trail, but on a hard -surface, for all the traces he left, he might as well not have gone -over the ground at all. - -Joe's persistence stood him in good stead; he hung on, and the more -he failed, the harder he tried. Often he would slip out of the cave -after Wetzel had gone, and try to find which way he had taken. In -brief, the lad became a fine marksman, a good hunter, and a close, -persevering student of the wilderness. He loved the woods, and all -they contained. He learned the habits of the wild creatures. Each -deer, each squirrel, each grouse that he killed, taught him some -lesson. - -He was always up with the lark to watch the sun rise red and grand -over the eastern hills, and chase away the white mist from the -valleys. Even if he was not hunting, or roaming the woods, if it was -necessary for him to lie low in camp awaiting Wetzel's return, he -was always content. Many hours he idled away lying on his back, with -the west wind blowing softly over him, his eye on the distant hills, -where the cloud shadows swept across with slow, majestic movement, -like huge ships at sea. - -If Wetzel and Joe were far distant from the cave, as was often the -case, they made camp in the open woods, and it was here that Joe's -contentment was fullest. Twilight shades stealing down over the -camp-fire; the cheery glow of red embers; the crackling of dry -stocks; the sweet smell of wood smoke, all had for the lad a subtle, -potent charm. - -The hunter would broil a venison steak, or a partridge, on the -coals. Then they would light their pipes and smoke while twilight -deepened. The oppressive stillness of the early evening hour always -brought to the younger man a sensation of awe. At first he -attributed this to the fact that he was new to this life; however, -as the days passed and the emotion remained, nay, grew stronger, he -concluded it was imparted by this close communion with nature. Deep -solemn, tranquil, the gloaming hour brought him no ordinary fullness -of joy and clearness of perception. - -"Do you ever feel this stillness?" he asked Wetzel one evening, as -they sat near their flickering fire. - -The hunter puffed his pipe, and, like an Indian, seemed to let the -question take deep root. - -"I've scalped redskins every hour in the day, 'ceptin' twilight," he -replied. - -Joe wondered no longer whether the hunter was too hardened to feel -this beautiful tranquillity. That hour which wooed Wetzel from his -implacable pursuit was indeed a bewitching one. - -There was never a time, when Joe lay alone in camp waiting for -Wetzel, that he did not hope the hunter would return with -information of Indians. The man never talked about the savages, and -if he spoke at all it was to tell of some incident of his day's -travel. One evening he came back with a large black fox that he had -killed. - -"What beautiful, glossy fur!" said Joe. "I never saw a black fox -before." - -"I've been layin' fer this fellar some time," replied Wetzel, as he -began his first evening task, that of combing his hair. "Jest back -here in a clump of cottonwoods there's a holler log full of leaves. -Happenin' to see a blacksnake sneakin' round, I thought mebbe he was -up to somethin', so I investigated, an' found a nest full of young -rabbits. I killed the snake, an' arter that took an interest in 'em. -Every time I passed I'd look in at the bunnies, an' each time I seen -signs that some tarnal varmint had been prowlin' round. One day I -missed a bunny, an' next day another; so on until only one was left, -a peart white and gray little scamp. Somethin' was stealin' of 'em, -an' it made me mad. So yistidday an' to-day I watched, an' finally I -plugged this black thief. Yes, he's got a glossy coat; but he's a -bad un fer all his fine looks. These black foxes are bigger, -stronger an' cunniner than red ones. In every litter you'll find a -dark one, the black sheep of the family. Because he grows so much -faster, an' steals all the food from the others, the mother jest -takes him by the nape of the neck an' chucks him out in the world to -shift fer hisself. An' it's a good thing." - -The next day Wetzel told Joe they would go across country to seek -new game fields. Accordingly the two set out, and tramped -industriously until evening. They came upon a country no less -beautiful than the one they had left, though the picturesque cliffs -and rugged hills had given way to a rolling land, the luxuriance of -which was explained by the abundant springs and streams. Forests and -fields were thickly interspersed with bubbling springs, narrow and -deep streams, and here and there a small lake with a running outlet. - -Wetzel had said little concerning this region, but that little was -enough to rouse all Joe's eagerness, for it was to the effect that -they were now in a country much traversed by Indians, especially -runners and hunting parties travelling from north to south. The -hunter explained that through the center of this tract ran a buffalo -road; that the buffalo always picked out the straightest, lowest and -dryest path from one range to another, and the Indians followed -these first pathfinders. - -Joe and Wetzel made camp on the bank of a stream that night, and as -the lad watched the hunter build a hidden camp-fire, he peered -furtively around half expecting to see dark forms scurrying through -the forest. Wetzel was extremely cautious. He stripped pieces of -bark from fallen trees and built a little hut over his firewood. He -rubbed some powder on a piece of punk, and then with flint and steel -dropped two or three sparks on the inflammable substance. Soon he -had a blaze. He arranged the covering so that not a ray of light -escaped. When the flames had subsided, and the wood had burned down -to a glowing bed of red, he threw aside the bark, and broiled the -strips of venison they had brought with them. - -They rested on a bed of boughs which they had cut and arranged -alongside a huge log. For hours Joe lay awake, he could not sleep. -He listened to the breeze rustling the leaves, and shivered at the -thought of the sighing wind he had once heard moan through the -forest. Presently he turned over. The slight noise instantly -awakened Wetzel who lifted his dark face while he listened intently. -He spoke one word: "Sleep," and lay back again on the leaves. Joe -forced himself to be quiet, relaxed all his muscles and soon -slumbered. - -On the morrow Wetzel went out to look over the hunting prospects. -About noon he returned. Joe was surprised to find some slight change -in the hunter. He could not tell what it was. - -"I seen Injun sign," said Wetzel. "There's no tellin' how soon we -may run agin the sneaks. We can't hunt here. Like as not there's -Hurons and Delawares skulkin' round. I think I'd better take you -back to the village." - -"It's all on my account you say that," said Joe. - -"Sure," Wetzel replied. - -"If you were alone what would you do?" - -"I calkilate I'd hunt fer some red-skinned game." - -The supreme moment had come. Joe's heart beat hard. He could not -miss this opportunity; he must stay with the hunter. He looked -closely at Wetzel. - -"I won't go back to the village," he said. - -The hunter stood in his favorite position, leaning on his long -rifle, and made no response. - -"I won't go," continued Joe, earnestly. "Let me stay with you. If at -any time I hamper you, or can not keep the pace, then leave me to -shift for myself; but don't make me go until I weaken. Let me stay." - -Fire and fearlessness spoke in Joe's every word, and his gray eyes -contracted with their peculiar steely flash. Plain it was that, -while he might fail to keep pace with Wetzel, he did not fear this -dangerous country, and, if it must be, would face it alone. - -Wetzel extended his broad hand and gave his comrade's a viselike -squeeze. To allow the lad to remain with him was more than he would -have done for any other person in the world. Far better to keep the -lad under his protection while it was possible, for Joe was taking -that war-trail which had for every hunter, somewhere along its -bloody course, a bullet, a knife, or a tomahawk. Wetzel knew that -Joe was conscious of this inevitable conclusion, for it showed in -his white face, and in the resolve in his big, gray eyes. - -So there, in the shade of a towering oak, the Indian-killer admitted -the boy into his friendship, and into a life which would no longer -be play, but eventful, stirring, hazardous. - -"Wal, lad, stay," he said, with that rare smile which brightened his -dark face like a ray of stray sunshine. "We'll hang round these -diggins a few days. First off, we'll take in the lay of the land. -You go down stream a ways an' scout round some, while I go up, an' -then circle down. Move slow, now, an' don't miss nothin'." - -Joe followed the stream a mile or more. He kept close in the shade -of willows, and never walked across an open glade without first -waiting and watching. He listened to all sounds; but none were -unfamiliar. He closely examined the sand along the stream, and the -moss and leaves under the trees. When he had been separated from -Wetzel several hours, and concluded he would slowly return to camp, -he ran across a well-beaten path winding through the forest. This -was, perhaps, one of the bridle-trails Wetzel had referred to. He -bent over the worn grass with keen scrutiny. - -CRACK! - -The loud report of a heavily charged rifle rang out. Joe felt the -zip of a bullet as it fanned his cheek. With an agile leap he gained -the shelter of a tree, from behind which he peeped to see who had -shot at him. He was just in time to detect the dark form of an -Indian dart behind the foliage an hundred yards down the path. Joe -expected to see other Indians, and to hear more shots, but he was -mistaken. Evidently the savage was alone, for the tree Joe had taken -refuge behind was scarcely large enough to screen his body, which -disadvantage the other Indians would have been quick to note. - -Joe closely watched the place where his assailant had disappeared, -and presently saw a dark hand, then a naked elbow, and finally the -ramrod of a rifle. The savage was reloading. Soon a rifle-barrel -protruded from behind the tree. With his heart beating like a -trip-hammer, and the skin tightening on his face, Joe screened his -body as best he might. The tree was small, but it served as a -partial protection. Rapidly he revolved in his mind plans to outwit -the enemy. The Indian was behind a large oak with a low limb over -which he could fire without exposing his own person to danger. - -"Bang!" The Indian's rifle bellowed; the bullet crumbled the bark -close to Joe's face. The lad yelled loudly, staggered to his knees, -and then fell into the path, where he lay quiet. - -The redskin gave an exultant shout. Seeing that the fallen figure -remained quite motionless he stepped forward, drawing his knife as -he came. He was a young brave, quick and eager in his movements, and -came nimbly up the path to gain his coveted trophy, the paleface's -scalp. - -Suddenly Joe sat up, raised his rifle quickly as thought, and fired -point-blank at the Indian. - -But he missed. - -The redskin stopped aghast when he saw the lad thus seemingly come -back to life. Then, realizing that Joe's aim had been futile, he -bounded forward, brandishing his knife, and uttering infuriated -yells. - -Joe rose to his feet with rifle swung high above his head. - -When the savage was within twenty feet, so near that his dark face, -swollen with fierce passion, could be plainly discerned, a peculiar -whistling noise sounded over Joe's shoulder. It was accompanied, -rather than followed, by a clear, ringing rifleshot. - -The Indian stopped as if he had encountered a heavy shock from a -tree or stone barring his way. Clutching at his breast, he uttered a -weird cry, and sank slowly on the grass. - -Joe ran forward to bend over the prostrate figure. The Indian, a -slender, handsome young brave, had been shot through the breast. He -held his hand tightly over the wound, while bright red blood -trickled between his fingers, flowed down his side, and stained the -grass. - -The brave looked steadily up at Joe. Shot as he was, dying as he -knew himself to be, there was no yielding in the dark eye--only an -unquenchable hatred. Then the eyes glazed; the fingers ceased -twitching. - -Joe was bending over a dead Indian. - -It flashed into his mind, of course, that Wetzel had come up in time -to save his life, but he did not dwell on the thought; he shrank -from this violent death of a human being. But it was from the aspect -of the dead, not from remorse for the deed. His heart beat fast, his -fingers trembled, yet he felt only a strange coldness in all his -being. The savage had tried to kill him, perhaps, even now, had it -not been for the hunter's unerring aim, would have been gloating -over a bloody scalp. - -Joe felt, rather than heard, the approach of some one, and he turned -to see Wetzel coming down the path. - -"He's a lone Shawnee runner," said the hunter, gazing down at the -dead Indian. "He was tryin' to win his eagle plumes. I seen you both -from the hillside." - -"You did!" exclaimed Joe. Then he laughed. "It was lucky for me. I -tried the dodge you taught me, but in my eagerness I missed." - -"Wal, you hadn't no call fer hurry. You worked the trick clever, but -you missed him when there was plenty of time. I had to shoot over -your shoulder, or I'd hev plugged him sooner." - -"Where were you?" asked Joe. - -"Up there by that bit of sumach!" and Wetzel pointed to an open -ridge on a hillside not less than one hundred and fifty yards -distant. - -Joe wondered which of the two bullets, the death-seeking one fired -by the savage, or the life-saving missile from Wetzel's fatal -weapon, had passed nearest to him. - -"Come," said the hunter, after he had scalped the Indian. - -"What's to be done with this savage?" inquired Joe, as Wetzel -started up the path. - -"Let him lay." - -They returned to camp without further incident. While the hunter -busied himself reinforcing their temporary shelter--for the clouds -looked threatening--Joe cut up some buffalo meat, and then went down -to the brook for a gourd of water. He came hurriedly back to where -Wetzel was working, and spoke in a voice which he vainly endeavors -to hold steady: - -"Come quickly. I have seen something which may mean a good deal." - -He led the way down to the brookside. - -"Look!" Joe said, pointing at the water. - -Here the steam was about two feet deep, perhaps twenty wide, and had -just a noticeable current. Shortly before, it had been as clear as a -bright summer sky; it was now tinged with yellow clouds that slowly -floated downstream, each one enlarging and becoming fainter as the -clear water permeated and stained. Grains of sand glided along with -the current, little pieces of bark floated on the surface, and -minnows darted to and fro nibbling at these drifting particles. - -"Deer wouldn't roil the water like that. What does it mean?" asked -Joe. - -"Injuns, an' not fer away." - -Wetzel returned to the shelter and tore it down. Then he bent the -branch of a beech tree low over the place. He pulled down another -branch over the remains of the camp-fire. These precautions made the -spot less striking. Wetzel knew that an Indian scout never glances -casually; his roving eyes survey the forest, perhaps quickly, but -thoroughly. An unnatural position of bush or log always leads to an -examination. - -This done, the hunter grasped Joe's hand and led him up the knoll. -Making his way behind a well-screened tree, which had been uprooted, -he selected a position where, hidden themselves, they could see the -creek. - -Hardly had Wetzel, admonished Joe to lie perfectly still, when from -a short distance up the stream came the sound of splashing water; -but nothing could be seen above the open glade, as in that direction -willows lined the creek in dense thickets. The noise grew more -audible. - -Suddenly Joe felt a muscular contraction pass over the powerful -frame lying close beside him. It was a convulsive thrill such as -passes through a tiger when he is about to spring upon his quarry. -So subtle and strong was its meaning, so clearly did it convey to -the lad what was coming, that he felt it himself; save that in his -case it was a cold, chill shudder. - -Breathless suspense followed. Then into the open space along the -creek glided a tall Indian warrior. He was knee-deep in the water, -where he waded with low, cautious steps. His garish, befrilled -costume seemed familiar to Joe. He carried a rifle at a low trail, -and passed slowly ahead with evident distrust. The lad believed he -recognized that head, with its tangled black hair, and when he saw -the swarthy, villainous countenance turned full toward him, he -exclaimed: - -"Girty! by---" - -Wetzel's powerful arm forced him so hard against the log that he -could not complete the exclamation; but he could still see. Girty -had not heard that stifled cry, for he continued his slow wading, -and presently his tall, gaudily decorated form passed out of sight. - -Another savage appeared in the open space, and then another. Close -between them walked a white man, with hands bound behind him. The -prisoner and guards disappeared down stream among the willows. - -The splashing continued--grew even louder than before. A warrior -came into view, then another, and another. They walked close -together. Two more followed. They were wading by the side of a raft -made of several logs, upon which were two prostrate figures that -closely resembled human beings. - -Joe was so intent upon the lithe forms of the Indians that he barely -got a glimpse of their floating prize, whatever it might have been. -Bringing up the rear was an athletic warrior, whose broad shoulders, -sinewy arms, and shaved, polished head Joe remembered well. It was -the Shawnee chief, Silvertip. - -When he, too, passed out of sight in the curve of willows, Joe found -himself trembling. He turned eagerly to Wetzel; but instantly -recoiled. - -Terrible, indeed, had been the hunter's transformation. All calmness -of facial expression was gone; he was now stern, somber. An intense -emotion was visible in his white face; his eyes seemed reduced to -two dark shining points, and they emitted so fierce, so piercing a -flash, so deadly a light, that Joe could not bear their glittering -gaze. - -"Three white captives, two of 'em women," uttered the hunter, as if -weighing in his mind the importance of this fact. - -"Were those women on the raft?" questioned Joe, and as Wetzel only -nodded, he continued, "A white man and two women, six warriors, -Silvertip, and that renegade, Jim Girty!" - -Wetzel deigned not to answer Joe's passionate outburst, but -maintained silence and his rigid posture. Joe glanced once more at -the stern face. - -"Considering we'd go after Girty and his redskins if they were -alone, we're pretty likely to go quicker now that they've got white -women prisoners, eh?" and Joe laughed fiercely between his teeth. - -The lad's heart expanded, while along every nerve tingled an -exquisite thrill of excitement. He had yearned for wild, border -life. Here he was in it, with the hunter whose name alone was to the -savages a symbol for all that was terrible. - -Wetzel evidently decided quickly on what was to be done, for in few -words he directed Joe to cut up so much of the buffalo meat as they -could stow in their pockets. Then, bidding the lad to follow, he -turned into the woods, walking rapidly, and stopping now and then -for a brief instant. Soon they emerged from the forest into more -open country. They faced a wide plain skirted on the right by a -long, winding strip of bright green willows which marked the course -of the stream. On the edge of this plain Wetzel broke into a run. He -kept this pace for a distance of an hundred yards, then stopped to -listen intently as he glanced sharply on all sides, after which he -was off again. - -Half way across this plain Joe's wind began to fail, and his -breathing became labored; but he kept close to the hunter's heels. -Once he looked back to see a great wide expanse of waving grass. -They had covered perhaps four miles at a rapid pace, and were -nearing the other side of the plain. The lad felt as if his head was -about to burst; a sharp pain seized upon his side; a blood-red film -obscured his sight. He kept doggedly on, and when utterly exhausted -fell to the ground. - -When, a few minutes later, having recovered his breath, he got up, -they had crossed the plain and were in a grove of beeches. Directly -in front of him ran a swift stream, which was divided at the rocky -head of what appeared to be a wooded island. There was only a slight -ripple and fall of the water, and, after a second glance, it was -evident that the point of land was not an island, but a portion of -the mainland which divided the stream. The branches took almost -opposite courses. - -Joe wondered if they had headed off the Indians. Certainly they had -run fast enough. He was wet with perspiration. He glanced at Wetzel, -who was standing near. The man's broad breast rose and fell a little -faster; that was the only evidence of exertion. The lad had a -painful feeling that he could never keep pace with the hunter, if -this five-mile run was a sample of the speed he would be forced to -maintain. - -"They've got ahead of us, but which crick did they take?" queried -Wetzel, as though debating the question with himself. - -"How do you know they've passed?" - -"We circled," answered Wetzel, as he shook his head and pointed into -the bushes. Joe stepped over and looked into the thicket. He found a -quantity of dead leaves, sticks, and litter thrown aside, exposing -to light a long, hollowed place on the ground. It was what would be -seen after rolling over a log that had lain for a long time. Little -furrows in the ground, holes, mounds, and curious winding passages -showed where grubs and crickets had made their homes. The frightened -insects were now running round wildly. - -"What was here? A log?" - -"A twenty-foot canoe was hid under thet stuff. The Injuns has taken -one of these streams." - -"How can we tell which one?" - -"Mebbe we can't; but we'll try. Grab up a few of them bugs, go below -thet rocky point, an' crawl close to the bank so you can jest peep -over. Be keerful not to show the tip of your head, an' don't knock -nothin' off'en the bank into the water. Watch fer trout. Look -everywheres, an' drop in a bug now and then. I'll do the same fer -the other stream. Then we'll come back here an' talk over what the -fish has to say about the Injuns." - -Joe walked down stream a few paces, and, dropping on his knees, -crawled carefully to the edge of the bank. He slightly parted the -grass so he could peep through, and found himself directly over a -pool with a narrow shoal running out from the opposite bank. The -water was so clear he could see the pebbly bottom in all parts, -except a dark hole near a bend in the shore close by. He did not see -a living thing in the water, not a crawfish, turtle, nor even a -frog. He peered round closely, then flipped in one of the bugs he -had brought along. A shiny yellow fish flared up from the depths of -the deep hole and disappeared with the cricket; but it was a bass or -a pike, not a trout. Wetzel had said there were a few trout living -near the cool springs of these streams. The lad tried again to coax -one to the surface. This time the more fortunate cricket swam and -hopped across the stream to safety. - -When Joe's eyes were thoroughly accustomed to the clear water, with -its deceiving lights and shades, he saw a fish lying snug under the -side of a stone. The lad thought he recognized the snub-nose, the -hooked, wolfish jaw, but he could not get sufficient of a view to -classify him. He crawled to a more advantageous position farther -down stream, and then he peered again through the woods. Yes, sure -enough, he had espied a trout. He well knew those spotted silver -sides, that broad, square tail. Such a monster! In his admiration -for the fellow, and his wish for a hook and line to try conclusions -with him, Joe momentarily forgot his object. Remembering, he tossed -out a big, fat cricket, which alighted on the water just above the -fish. The trout never moved, nor even blinked. The lad tried again, -with no better success. The fish would not rise. Thereupon Joe -returned to the point where he had left Wetzel. - -"I couldn't see nothin' over there," said the hunter, who was -waiting. "Did you see any?' - -"One, and a big fellow." - -"Did he see you?" - -"No." - -"Did he rise to a bug?" - -"No, he didn't; but then maybe he wasn't hungry" answered Joe, who -could not understand what Wetzel was driving at. - -"Tell me exactly what he did." - -"That's just the trouble; he didn't do anything," replied Joe, -thoughtfully. "He just lay low, stifflike, under a stone. He never -batted an eye. But his side-fins quivered like an aspen leaf." - -"Them side-fins tell us the story. Girty, an' his redskins hev took -this branch," said Wetzel, positively. "The other leads to the Huron -towns. Girty's got a place near the Delaware camp somewheres. I've -tried to find it a good many times. He's took more'n one white lass -there, an' nobody ever seen her agin." - -"Fiend! To think of a white woman, maybe a girl like Nell Wells, at -the mercy of those red devils!" - -"Young fellar, don't go wrong. I'll allow Injuns is bad enough; but -I never hearn tell of one abusin' a white woman, as mayhap you mean. -Injuns marry white women sometimes; kill an' scalp 'em often, but -that's all. It's men of our own color, renegades like this Girty, as -do worse'n murder." - -Here was the amazing circumstance of Lewis Wetzel, the acknowledged -unsatiable foe of all redmen, speaking a good word for his enemies. -Joe was so astonished he did not attempt to answer. - -"Here's where they got in the canoe. One more look, an' then we're -off," said Wetzel. He strode up and down the sandy beach; examined -the willows, and scrutinized the sand. Suddenly he bent over and -picked up an object from the water. His sharp eyes had caught the -glint of something white, which, upon being examined, proved to be a -small ivory or bone buckle with a piece broken out. He showed it to -Joe. - -"By heavens! Wetzel, that's a buckle off Nell Well's shoe. I've seen -it too many times to mistake it." - -"I was afeared Girty hed your friends, the sisters, an' mebbe your -brother, too. Jack Zane said the renegade was hangin' round the -village, an' that couldn't be fer no good." - -"Come on. Let's kill the fiend!" cried Joe, white to the lips. - -"I calkilate they're about a mile down stream, makin' camp fer the -night. I know the place. There's a fine spring, an, look! D'ye see -them crows flyin' round thet big oak with the bleached top? Hear -them cawin'? You might think they was chasin' a hawk, or king-birds -were arter 'em, but thet fuss they're makin' is because they see -Injuns." - -"Well?" asked Joe, impatiently. - -"It'll be moonlight a while arter midnight. We'll lay low an' wait, -an' then---" - -The sharp click of his teeth, like the snap of a steel trap, -completed the sentence. Joe said no more, but followed the hunter -into the woods. Stopping near a fallen tree, Wetzel raked up a -bundle of leaves and spread them on the ground. Then he cut a few -spreading branches from a beech, and leaned them against a log. -Bidding the lad crawl in before he took one last look around and -then made his way under the shelter. - -It was yet daylight, which seemed a strange time to creep into this -little nook; but, Joe thought, it was not to sleep, only to wait, -wait, wait for the long hours to pass. He was amazed once more, -because, by the time twilight had given place to darkness, Wetzel -was asleep. The lad said then to himself that he would never again -be surprised at the hunter. He assumed once and for all that Wetzel -was capable of anything. Yet how could he lose himself in slumber? -Feeling, as he must, over the capture of the girls; eager to draw a -bead on the black-hearted renegade; hating Indians with all his soul -and strength, and lying there but a few hours before what he knew -would be a bloody battle, Wetzel calmly went to sleep. Knowing the -hunter to be as bloodthirsty as a tiger, Joe had expected he would -rush to a combat with his foes; but, no, this man, with his keen -sagacity, knew when to creep upon his enemy; he bided that time, -and, while he waited, slept. - -Joe could not close his eyes in slumber. Through the interstices in -the branches he saw the stars come out one by one, the darkness -deepened, and the dim outline of tall trees over the dark hill came -out sharply. The moments dragged, each one an hour. He heard a -whippoorwill call, lonely and dismal; then an owl hoot monotonously. -A stealthy footed animal ran along the log, sniffed at the boughs, -and then scurried away over the dry leaves. By and by the dead -silence of night fell over all. Still Joe lay there wide awake, -listening--his heart on fire. He was about to rescue Nell; to kill -that hawk-nosed renegade; to fight Silvertip to the death. - -The hours passed, but not Joe's passionate eagerness. When at last -he saw the crescent moon gleam silver-white over the black hilltop -he knew the time was nigh, and over him ran thrill on thrill. - - - -Chapter XVI. - -When the waning moon rose high enough to shed a pale light over -forest and field, two dark figures, moving silently from the shade -of the trees, crossed the moonlit patches of ground, out to the open -plain where low on the grass hung silver mists. - -A timber wolf, gray and gaunt, came loping along with lowered nose. -A new scent brought the animal to a standstill. His nose went up, -his fiery eyes scanned the plain. Two men had invaded his domain, -and, with a short, dismal bark, he dashed away. - -Like spectres, gliding swiftly with noiseless tread, the two -vanished. The long grass had swallowed them. - -Deserted once again seemed the plain. It became unutterably lonely. -No stir, no sound, no life; nothing but a wide expanse bathed in -sad, gray light. - -The moon shone steadily; the silver radiance mellowed; the stars -paled before this brighter glory. - -Slowly the night hours wore away. - -On the other side of the plain, near where the adjoining forest -loomed darkling, the tall grass parted to disclose a black form. Was -it only a deceiving shade cast by a leafy branch--only a shadow? -Slowly it sank, and was lost. Once more the gray, unwavering line of -silver-crested grass tufts was unbroken. - -Only the night breeze, wandering caressingly over the grass, might -have told of two dark forms gliding, gliding, gliding so softly, so -surely, so surely toward the forest. Only the moon and the pale -stars had eyes to see these creeping figures. - -Like avengers they moved, on a mission to slay and to save! - -On over the dark line where plain merged into forest they crawled. -No whispering, no hesitating; but a silent, slow, certain progress -showed their purpose. In single file they slipped over the moss, the -leader clearing the path. Inch by inch they advanced. Tedious was -this slow movement, difficult and painful this journey which must -end in lightninglike speed. They rustled no leaf, nor snapped a -twig, nor shook a fern, but passed onward slowly, like the approach -of Death. The seconds passed as minutes; minutes as hours; an entire -hour was spent in advancing twenty feet! - -At last the top of the knoll was reached. The Avenger placed his -hand on his follower's shoulder. The strong pressure was meant to -remind, to warn, to reassure. Then, like a huge snake, the first -glided away. - -He who was left behind raised his head to look into the open place -called the glade of the Beautiful Spring. An oval space lay before -him, exceedingly lovely in the moonlight; a spring, as if a pearl, -gemmed the center. An Indian guard stood statuelike against a stone. -Other savages lay in a row, their polished heads shining. One -slumbering form was bedecked with feathers and frills. Near him lay -an Indian blanket, from the border of which peered two faces, -gleaming white and sad in the pitying moonlight. - -The watcher quivered at the sight of those pale faces; but he must -wait while long moments passed. He must wait for the Avenger to -creep up, silently kill the guard, and release the prisoners without -awakening the savages. If that plan failed, he was to rush into the -glade, and in the excitement make off with one of the captives. - -He lay there waiting, listening, wrought up to the intensest pitch -of fierce passion. Every nerve was alert, every tendon strung, and -every muscle strained ready for the leap. - -Only the faint rustling of leaves, the low swish of swaying -branches, the soft murmur of falling water, and over all the sigh of -the night wind, proved to him that this picture was not an evil -dream. His gaze sought the quiet figures, lingered hopefully on the -captives, menacingly on the sleeping savages, and glowered over the -gaudily arrayed form. His glance sought the upright guard, as he -stood a dark blot against the gray stone. He saw the Indian's plume, -a single feather waving silver-white. Then it became riveted on the -bubbling, refulgent spring. The pool was round, perhaps five feet -across, and shone like a burnished shield. It mirrored the moon, the -twinkling stars, the spectre trees. - -An unaccountable horror suddenly swept over the watching man. His -hair stood straight up; a sensation as of cold stole chillingly over -him. Whether it was the climax of this long night's excitement, or -anticipation of the bloody struggle soon to come, he knew not. Did -this boiling spring, shimmering in the sliver moon-rays, hold in its -murky depths a secret? Did these lonesome, shadowing trees, with -their sad drooping branches, harbor a mystery? If a future tragedy -was to be enacted here in this quiet glade, could the murmuring -water or leaves whisper its portent? No; they were only silent, only -unintelligible with nature's mystery. - -The waiting man cursed himself for a craven coward; he fought back -the benumbing sense; he steeled his heart. Was this his vaunted -willingness to share the Avenger's danger? His strong spirit rose up -in arms; once more he was brave and fierce. - -He fastened a piercing gaze on the plumed guard. The Indian's -lounging posture against the rock was the same as it had been -before, yet now it seemed to have a kind of strained attention. The -savage's head was poised, like that of a listening deer. The wary -Indian scented danger. - -A faint moan breathed low above the sound of gently splashing water -somewhere beyond the glade. - -"Woo-o-oo." - -The guard's figure stiffened, and became rigidly erect; his blanket -slowly slid to his feet. - -"Ah-oo-o," sighed the soft breeze in the tree tops. - -Louder then, with a deep wail, a moan arose out of the dark gray -shadows, swelled thrilling on the still air, and died away -mournfully. - -"Um-m-mmwoo-o-o-o!" - -The sentinel's form melted into the shade. He was gone like a -phantom. - -Another Indian rose quickly, and glanced furtively around the glade. -He bent over a comrade and shook him. Instantly the second Indian -was on his feet. Scarcely had he gained a standing posture when an -object, bounding like a dark ball, shot out of the thicket and -hurled both warriors to the earth. A moonbeam glinted upon something -bright. It flashed again on a swift, sweeping circle. A short, -choking yell aroused the other savages. Up they sprang, alarmed, -confused. - -The shadow-form darted among them. It moved with inconceivable -rapidity; it became a monster. Terrible was the convulsive conflict. -Dull blows, the click of steel, angry shouts, agonized yells, and -thrashing, wrestling sounds mingled together and half drowned by an -awful roar like that of a mad bull. The strife ceased as suddenly as -it had begun. Warriors lay still on the grass; others writhed in -agony. For an instant a fleeting shadow crossed the open lane -leading out of the glade; then it vanished. - -Three savages had sprung toward their rifles. A blinding flash, a -loud report burst from the thicket overhead. The foremost savage -sank lifelessly. The others were intercepted by a giant shadow with -brandished rifle. The watcher on the knoll had entered the glade. He -stood before the stacked rifles and swung his heavy gun. Crash! An -Indian went down before that sweep, but rose again. The savages -backed away from this threatening figure, and circled around it. - -The noise of the other conflict ceased. More savages joined the -three who glided to and fro before their desperate foe. They closed -in upon him, only to be beaten back. One savage threw a glittering -knife, another hurled a stone, a third flung his tomahawk, which -struck fire from the swinging rifle. - -He held them at bay. While they had no firearms he was master of the -situation. With every sweep of his arms he brought the long rifle -down and knocked a flint from the firelock of an enemy's weapon. -Soon the Indians' guns were useless. Slowly then he began to edge -away from the stone, toward the opening where he had seen the -fleeting form vanish. - -His intention was to make a dash for life, for he had heard a noise -behind the rock, and remembered the guard. He saw the savages glance -behind him, and anticipated danger from that direction, but he must -not turn. A second there might be fatal. He backed defiantly along -the rock until he gained its outer edge. But too late! The Indians -glided before him, now behind him; he was surrounded. He turned -around and around, with the ever-circling rifle whirling in the -faces of the baffled foe. - -Once opposite the lane leading from the glade he changed his -tactics, and plunged with fierce impetuosity into the midst of the -painted throng. Then began a fearful conflict. The Indians fell -before the sweep of his powerful arms; but grappled with him from -the ground. He literally plowed his way through the struggling mass, -warding off an hundred vicious blows. Savage after savage he flung -off, until at last he had a clear path before him. Freedom lay -beyond that shiny path. Into it he bounded. - -As he left the glade the plumed guard stepped from behind a tree -near the entrance of the path, and cast his tomahawk. - -A white, glittering flash, it flew after the fleeing runner; its aim -was true. - -Suddenly the moonlight path darkened in the runner's sight; he saw a -million flashing stars; a terrible pain assailed him; he sank -slowly, slowly down; then all was darkness. - - - -Chapter XVII. - -Joe awoke as from a fearsome nightmare. Returning consciousness -brought a vague idea that he had been dreaming of clashing weapons, -of yelling savages, of a conflict in which he had been clutched by -sinewy fingers. An acute pain pulsed through his temples; a bloody -mist glazed his eyes; a sore pressure cramped his arms and legs. -Surely he dreamed this distress, as well as the fight. The red film -cleared from his eyes. His wandering gaze showed the stern reality. - -The bright sun, making the dewdrops glisten on the leaves, lighted -up a tragedy. Near him lay an Indian whose vacant, sightless eyes -were fixed in death. Beyond lay four more savages, the peculiar, -inert position of whose limbs, the formlessness, as it were, as if -they had been thrown from a great height and never moved again, -attested that here, too, life had been extinguished. Joe took in -only one detail--the cloven skull of the nearest--when he turned -away sickened. He remembered it all now. The advance, the rush, the -fight--all returned. He saw again Wetzel's shadowy form darting like -a demon into the whirl of conflict; he heard again that hoarse, -booming roar with which the Avenger accompanied his blows. Joe's -gaze swept the glade, but found no trace of the hunter. - -He saw Silvertip and another Indian bathing a wound on Girty's head. -The renegade groaned and writhed in pain. Near him lay Kate, with -white face and closed eyes. She was unconscious, or dead. Jim sat -crouched under a tree to which he was tied. - -"Joe, are you badly hurt?" asked the latter, in deep solicitude. - -"No, I guess not; I don't know," answered Joe. "Is poor Kate dead?" - -"No, she has fainted." - -"Where's Nell?" - -"Gone," replied Jim, lowering his voice, and glancing at the -Indians. They were too busy trying to bandage Girty's head to pay -any attention to their prisoners. "That whirlwind was Wetzel, wasn't -it?" - -"Yes; how'd you know?" - -"I was awake last night. I had an oppressive feeling, perhaps a -presentiment. Anyway, I couldn't sleep. I heard that wind blow -through the forest, and thought my blood would freeze. The moan is -the same as the night wind, the same soft sigh, only louder and -somehow pregnant with superhuman power. To speak of it in broad -daylight one seems superstitious, but to hear it in the darkness of -this lonely forest, it is fearful! I hope I am not a coward; I -certainly know I was deathly frightened. No wonder I was scared! -Look at these dead Indians, all killed in a moment. I heard the -moan; I saw Silvertip disappear, and the other two savages rise. -Then something huge dropped from the rock; a bright object seemed to -circle round the savages; they uttered one short yell, and sank to -rise no more. Somehow at once I suspected that this shadowy form, -with its lightninglike movements, its glittering hatchet, was -Wetzel. When he plunged into the midst of the other savages I -distinctly recognized him, and saw that he had a bundle, possibly -his coat, wrapped round his left arm, and his right hand held the -glittering tomahawk. I saw him strike that big Indian there, the one -lying with split skull. His wonderful daring and quickness seemed to -make the savages turn at random. He broke through the circle, swung -Nell under his arm, slashed at my bonds as he passed by, and then -was gone as he had come. Not until after you were struck, and -Silvertip came up to me, was I aware my bonds were cut. Wetzel's -hatchet had severed them; it even cut my side, which was bleeding. I -was free to help, to fight, and I did not know it. Fool that I am!" - -"I made an awful mess of my part of the rescue," groaned Joe. "I -wonder if the savages know it was Wetzel." - -"Do they? Well, I rather think so. Did you not hear them scream that -French name? As far as I am able to judge, only two Indians were -killed instantly. The others died during the night. I had to sit -here, tied and helpless, listening as they groaned and called the -name of their slayer, even in their death-throes. Deathwind! They -have named him well." - -"I guess he nearly killed Girty." - -"Evidently, but surely the evil one protects the renegade." - -"Jim Girty's doomed," whispered Joe, earnestly. "He's as good as -dead already. I've lived with Wetzel, and know him. He told me Girty -had murdered a settler, a feeble old man, who lived near Fort Henry -with his son. The hunter has sworn to kill the renegade; but, mind -you, he did not tell me that. I saw it in his eyes. It wouldn't -surprise me to see him jump out of these bushes at any moment. I'm -looking for it. If he knows there are only three left, he'll be -after them like a hound on a trail. Girty must hurry. Where's he -taking you?" - -"To the Delaware town." - -"I don't suppose the chiefs will let any harm befall you; but Kate -and I would be better off dead. If we can only delay the march, -Wetzel will surely return." - -"Hush! Girty's up." - -The renegade staggered to an upright position, and leaned on the -Shawnee's arm. Evidently he had not been seriously injured, only -stunned. Covered with blood from a swollen, gashed lump on his -temple, he certainly presented a savage appearance. - -"Where's the yellow-haired lass?" he demanded, pushing away -Silvertip's friendly arm. He glared around the glade. The Shawnee -addressed him briefly, whereupon he raged to and fro under the tree, -cursing with foam-flecked lips, and actually howling with baffled -rage. His fury was so great that he became suddenly weak, and was -compelled to sit down. - -"She's safe, you villainous renegade!" cried Joe. - -"Hush, Joe! Do not anger him. It can do no good," interposed Jim. - -"Why not? We couldn't be worse off," answered Joe. - -"I'll git her, I'll git her agin," panted Girty. "I'll keep her, an' -she'll love me." - -The spectacle of this perverted wretch speaking as if he had been -cheated out of love was so remarkable, so pitiful, so monstrous, -that for a moment Joe was dumbfounded. - -"Bah! You white-livered murderer!" Joe hissed. He well knew it was -not wise to give way to his passion; but he could not help it. This -beast in human guise, whining for love, maddened him. "Any white -woman on earth would die a thousand deaths and burn for a million -years afterward rather than love you!" - -"I'll see you killed at the stake, beggin' fer mercy, an' be feed -fer buzzards," croaked the renegade. - -"Then kill me now, or you may slip up on one of your cherished -buzzard-feasts," cried Joe, with glinting eye and taunting voice. -"Then go sneaking back to your hole like a hyena, and stay there. -Wetzel is on your trail! He missed you last night; but it was -because of the girl. He's after you, Girty; he'll get you one of -these days, and when he does--My God!---" - -Nothing could be more revolting than that swarthy, evil face turned -pale with fear. Girty's visage was a ghastly, livid white. So -earnest, so intense was Joe's voice, that it seemed to all as if -Wetzel was about to dart into the glade, with his avenging tomahawk -uplifted to wreak an awful vengeance on the abductor. The renegade's -white, craven heart contained no such thing as courage. If he ever -fought it was like a wolf, backed by numbers. The resemblance ceased -here, for even a cornered wolf will show his teeth, and Girty, -driven to bay, would have cringed and cowered. Even now at the -mention of Wetzel's enmity he trembled. - -"I'll shet yer wind," he cried, catching up his tomahawk and making -for Joe. - -Silvertip intervened, and prevented the assault. He led Girty back -to his seat and spoke low, evidently trying to soothe the renegade's -feelings. - -"Silvertip, give me a tomahawk, and let me fight him," implored Joe. - -"Paleface brave--like Injun chief. Paleface Shawnee's prisoner--no -speak more," answered Silvertip, with respect in his voice. - -"Oh, where's Nellie?" - -A grief-stricken whisper caught Jim's ear. He turned to see Kate's -wide, questioning eyes fixed upon him. - -"Nell was rescued." - -"Thank God!" murmured the girl. - -"Come along," shouted Girty, in his harsh voice, as, grasping Kate's -arm, he pulled the girl violently to her feet. Then, picking up his -rifle, he led her into the forest. Silvertip followed with Joe, -while the remaining Indian guarded Jim. - - * * * - -The great council-lodge of the Delawares rang with savage and fiery -eloquence. Wingenund paced slowly before the orators. Wise as he -was, he wanted advice before deciding what was to be done with the -missionary. The brothers had been taken to the chief, who -immediately called a council. The Indians sat in a half circle -around the lodge. The prisoners, with hands bound, guarded by two -brawny braves, stood in one corner gazing with curiosity and -apprehension at this formidable array. Jim knew some of the braves, -but the majority of those who spoke bitterly against the palefaces -had never frequented the Village of Peace. Nearly all were of the -Wolf tribe of Delawares. Jim whispered to Joe, interpreting that -part of the speeches bearing upon the disposal to be made of them. -Two white men, dressed in Indian garb, held prominent positions -before Wingenund. The boys saw a resemblance between one of these -men and Jim Girty, and accordingly concluded he was the famous -renegade, or so-called white Indian, Simon Girty. The other man was -probably Elliott, the Tory, with whom Girty had deserted from Fort -Pitt. Jim Girty was not present. Upon nearing the encampment he had -taken his captive and disappeared in a ravine. - -Shingiss, seldom in favor of drastic measures with prisoners, -eloquently urged initiating the brothers into the tribe. Several -other chiefs were favorably inclined, though not so positive as -Shingiss. Kotoxen was for the death penalty; the implacable Pipe for -nothing less than burning at the stake. Not one was for returning -the missionary to his Christian Indians. Girty and Elliott, though -requested to speak, maintained an ominous silence. - -Wingenund strode with thoughtful mien before his council. He had -heard all his wise chiefs and his fiery warriors. Supreme was his -power. Freedom or death for the captives awaited the wave of his -hand. His impassive face gave not the slightest inkling of what to -expect. Therefore the prisoners were forced to stand there with -throbbing hearts while the chieftain waited the customary dignified -interval before addressing the council. - -"Wingenund has heard the Delaware wise men and warriors. The white -Indian opens not his lips; his silence broods evil for the -palefaces. Pipe wants the blood of the white men; the Shawnee chief -demands the stake. Wingenund says free the white father who harms no -Indian. Wingenund hears no evil in the music of his voice. The white -father's brother should die. Kill the companion of Deathwind!" - -A plaintive murmur, remarkable when coming from an assembly of -stern-browed chiefs, ran round the circle at the mention of the -dread appellation. - -"The white father is free," continued Wingenund. "Let one of my -runners conduct him to the Village of Peace." - -A brave entered and touched Jim on the shoulder. - -Jim shook his head and pointed to Joe. The runner touched Joe. - -"No, no. I am not the missionary," cried Joe, staring aghast at his -brother. "Jim, have you lost your senses?" - -Jim sadly shook his head, and turning to Wingenund made known in a -broken Indian dialect that his brother was the missionary, and would -sacrifice himself, taking this opportunity to practice the -Christianity he had taught. - -"The white father is brave, but he is known," broke in Wingenund's -deep voice, while he pointed to the door of the lodge. "Let him go -back to his Christian Indians." - -The Indian runner cut Joe's bonds, and once more attempted to lead -him from the lodge. Rage and misery shown in the lad's face. He -pushed the runner aside. He exhausted himself trying to explain, to -think of Indian words enough to show he was not the missionary. He -even implored Girty to speak for him. When the renegade sat there -stolidly silent Joe's rage burst out. - -"Curse you all for a lot of ignorant redskins. I am not a -missionary. I am Deathwind's friend. I killed a Delaware. I was the -companion of Le Vent de la Mort!" - -Joe's passionate vehemence, and the truth that spoke from his -flashing eyes compelled the respect, if not the absolute belief of -the Indians. The savages slowly shook their heads. They beheld the -spectacle of two brothers, one a friend, the other an enemy of all -Indians, each willing to go to the stake, to suffer an awful agony, -for love of the other. Chivalrous deeds always stir an Indian's -heart. It was like a redman to die for his brother. The -indifference, the contempt for death, won their admiration. - -"Let the white father stand forth," sternly called Wingenund. - -A hundred somber eyes turned on the prisoners. Except that one wore -a buckskin coat, the other a linsey one, there was no difference. -The strong figures were the same, the white faces alike, the stern -resolve in the gray eyes identical--they were twin brothers. - -Wingenund once more paced before his silent chiefs. To deal rightly -with this situation perplexed him. To kill both palefaces did not -suit him. Suddenly he thought of a way to decide. - -"Let Wingenund's daughter come," he ordered. - -A slight, girlish figure entered. It was Whispering Winds. Her -beautiful face glowed while she listened to her father. - -"Wingenund's daughter has her mother's eyes, that were beautiful as -a doe's, keen as a hawk's, far-seeing as an eagle's. Let the -Delaware maiden show her blood. Let her point out the white father." - -Shyly but unhesitatingly Whispering Winds laid her hand Jim's arm. - -"Missionary, begone!" came the chieftain's command. "Thank -Wingenund's daughter for your life, not the God of your Christians!" - -He waved his hand to the runner. The brave grasped Jim's arm. - -"Good-by, Joe," brokenly said Jim. - -"Old fellow, good-by," came the answer. - -They took one last, long look into each others' eyes. Jim's glance -betrayed his fear--he would never see his brother again. The light -in Joe's eyes was the old steely flash, the indomitable -spirit--while there was life there was hope. - -"Let the Shawnee chief paint his prisoner black," commanded -Wingenund. - -When the missionary left the lodge with the runner, Whispering Winds -had smiled, for she had saved him whom she loved to hear speak; but -the dread command that followed paled her cheek. Black paint meant -hideous death. She saw this man so like the white father. Her -piteous gaze tried to turn from that white face; but the cold, -steely eyes fascinated her. - -She had saved one only to be the other's doom! - -She had always been drawn toward white men. Many prisoners had she -rescued. She had even befriended her nation's bitter foe, Deathwind. -She had listened to the young missionary with rapture; she had been -his savior. And now when she looked into the eyes of this young -giant, whose fate had rested on her all unwitting words, she -resolved to save him. - -She had been a shy, shrinking creature, fearing to lift her eyes to -a paleface's, but now they were raised clear and steadfast. - -As she stepped toward the captive and took his hand, her whole -person radiated with conscious pride in her power. It was the -knowledge that she could save. When she kissed his hand, and knelt -before him, she expressed a tender humility. - -She had claimed questionable right of an Indian maiden; she asked -what no Indian dared refuse a chief's daughter; she took the -paleface for her husband. - -Her action was followed by an impressive silence. She remained -kneeling. Wingenund resumed his slow march to and fro. Silvertip -retired to his corner with gloomy face. The others bowed their heads -as if the maiden's decree was irrevocable. - -Once more the chieftain's sonorous command rang out. An old Indian, -wrinkled and worn, weird of aspect, fanciful of attire, entered the -lodge and waved his wampum wand. He mumbled strange words, and -departed chanting a long song. - -Whispering Winds arose, a soft, radiant smile playing over her face, -and, still holding Joe's hand, she led him out of the lodge, through -long rows of silent Indians, down a land bordered by teepees, he -following like one in a dream. - -He expected to awaken at any minute to see the stars shining through -the leaves. Yet he felt the warm, soft pressure of a little hand. -Surely this slender, graceful figure was real. - -She bade him enter a lodge of imposing proportions. Still silent, in -amazement and gratitude, he obeyed. - -The maiden turned to Joe. Though traces of pride still lingered, all -her fire had vanished. Her bosom rose with each quick-panting -breath; her lips quivered, she trembled like a trapped doe. - -But at last the fluttering lashes rose. Joe saw two velvety eyes -dark with timid fear, yet veiling in their lustrous depths an -unuttered hope and love. - -"Whispering Winds--save--paleface," she said, in a voice low and -tremulous. "Fear--father. Fear--tell--Wingenund--she--Christian." - - * * * - -Indian summer, that enchanted time, unfolded its golden, dreamy haze -over the Delaware village. The forests blazed with autumn fire, the -meadows boomed in rich luxuriance. All day low down in the valleys -hung a purple smoke which changed, as the cool evening shades crept -out of the woodland, into a cloud of white mist. All day the asters -along the brooks lifted golden-brown faces to the sun as if to catch -the warning warmth of his smile. All day the plains and forests lay -in melancholy repose. The sad swish of the west wind over the tall -grass told that he was slowly dying away before his enemy, the north -wind. The sound of dropping nuts was heard under the motionless -trees. - -For Joe the days were days of enchantment. His wild heart had found -its mate. A willing captive he was now. All his fancy for other -women, all his memories faded into love for his Indian bride. - -Whispering Winds charmed the eye, mind, and heart. Every day her -beauty seemed renewed. She was as apt to learn as she was quick to -turn her black-crowned head, but her supreme beauty was her loving, -innocent soul. Untainted as the clearest spring, it mirrored the -purity and simplicity of her life. Indian she might be, one of a -race whose morals and manners were alien to the man she loved, yet -she would have added honor to the proudest name. - -When Whispering Winds raised her dark eyes they showed radiant as a -lone star; when she spoke low her voice made music. - -"Beloved," she whispered one day to him, "teach the Indian maiden -more love for you, and truth, and God. Whispering Winds yearns to go -to the Christians, but she fears her stern father. Wingenund would -burn the Village of Peace. The Indian tribes tremble before the -thunder of his wrath. Be patient, my chief. Time changes the leaves, -so it will the anger of the warriors. Whispering Winds will set you -free, and be free herself to go far with you toward the rising sun, -where dwell your people. She will love, and be constant, as the -northern star. Her love will be an eternal spring where blossoms -bloom ever anew, and fresh, and sweet. She will love your people, -and raise Christian children, and sit ever in the door of your home -praying for the west wind to blow. Or, if my chief wills, we shall -live the Indian life, free as two eagles on their lonely crag." - -Although Joe gave himself up completely to his love for his bride, -he did not forget that Kate was in the power of the renegade, and -that he must rescue her. Knowing Girty had the unfortunate girls -somewhere near the Delaware encampment, he resolved to find the -place. Plans of all kinds he resolved in his mind. The best one he -believed lay through Whispering Winds. First to find the whereabouts -of Girty; kill him if possible, or at least free Kate, and then get -away with her and his Indian bride. Sanguine as he invariably was, -he could not but realize the peril of this undertaking. If -Whispering Winds betrayed her people, it meant death to her as well -as to him. He would far rather spend the remaining days of his life -in the Indian village, than doom the maiden whose love had saved -him. Yet he thought he might succeed in getting away with her, and -planned to that end. His natural spirit, daring, reckless, had -gained while he was associated with Wetzel. - -Meanwhile he mingled freely with the Indians, and here, as -elsewhere, his winning personality, combined with his athletic -prowess, soon made him well liked. He was even on friendly terms -with Pipe. The swarthy war chief liked Joe because, despite the -animosity he had aroused in some former lovers of Whispering Winds, -he actually played jokes on them. In fact, Joe's pranks raised many -a storm; but the young braves who had been suitors for Wingenund's -lovely daughter, feared the muscular paleface, and the tribe's -ridicule more; so he continued his trickery unmolested. Joe's idea -was to lead the savages to believe he was thoroughly happy in his -new life, and so he was, but it suited him better to be free. He -succeeded in misleading the savages. At first he was closely -watched, the the vigilance relaxed, and finally ceased. - -This last circumstance was owing, no doubt, to a ferment of -excitement that had suddenly possessed the Delawares. Council after -council was held in the big lodge. The encampment was visited by -runner after runner. Some important crisis was pending. - -Joe could not learn what it all meant, and the fact that Whispering -Winds suddenly lost her gladsome spirit and became sad caused him -further anxiety. When he asked her the reason for her unhappiness, -she was silent. Moreover, he was surprised to learn, when he -questioned her upon the subject of their fleeing together, that she -was eager to go immediately. While all this mystery puzzled Joe, it -did not make any difference to him or in his plans. It rather -favored the latter. He understood that the presence of Simon Girty -and Elliott, with several other renegades unknown to him, was -significant of unrest among the Indians. These presagers of evil -were accustomed to go from village to village, exciting the savages -to acts of war. Peace meant the downfall and death of these men. -They were busy all day and far into the night. Often Joe heard -Girty's hoarse voice lifted in the council lodge. Pipe thundered -incessantly for war. But Joe could not learn against whom. Elliott's -suave, oily oratory exhorted the Indians to vengeance. But Joe could -not guess upon whom. He was, however, destined to learn. - -The third day of the councils a horseman stopped before Whispering -Winds' lodge, and called out. Stepping to the door, Joe saw a white -man, whose dark, keen, handsome face seemed familiar. Yet Joe knew -he had never seen this stalwart man. - -"A word with you," said the stranger. His tone was curt, -authoritative, as that of a man used to power. - -"As many as you like. Who are you?" - -"I am Isaac Zane. Are you Wetzel's companion, or the renegade -Deering?" - -"I am not a renegade any more than you are. I was rescued by the -Indian girl, who took me as her husband," said Joe coldly. He was -surprised, and did not know what to make of Zane's manner. - -"Good! I'm glad to meet you," instantly replied Zane, his tone and -expression changing. He extended his hand to Joe. "I wanted to be -sure. I never saw the renegade Deering. He is here now. I am on my -way to the Wyandot town. I have been to Fort Henry, where my brother -told me of you and the missionaries. When I arrived here I heard -your story from Simon Girty. If you can, you must get away from -here. If I dared I'd take you to the Huron village, but it's -impossible. Go, while you have a chance." - -"Zane, I thank you. I've suspected something was wrong. What is it?" - -"Couldn't be worse," whispered Zane, glancing round to see if they -were overheard. "Girty and Elliott, backed by this Deering, are -growing jealous of the influence of Christianity on the Indians. -They are plotting against the Village of Peace. Tarhe, the Huron -chief, has been approached, and asked to join in a concerted -movement against religion. Seemingly it is not so much the -missionaries as the converted Indians, that the renegades are fuming -over. They know if the Christian savages are killed, the strength of -the missionaries' hold will be forever broken. Pipe is wild for -blood. These renegades are slowly poisoning the minds of the few -chiefs who are favorably disposed. The outlook is bad! bad!" - -"What can I do?" - -"Cut out for yourself. Get away, if you can, with a gun. Take the -creek below, follow the current down to the Ohio, and then make east -for Fort Henry. - -"But I want to rescue the white girl Jim Girty has concealed here -somewhere." - -"Impossible! Don't attempt it unless you want to throw your life -away. Buzzard Jim, as we call Girty, is a butcher; he has probably -murdered the girl." - -"I won't leave without trying. And there's my wife, the Indian girl -who saved me. Zane, she's a Christian. She wants to go with me. I -can't leave her." - -"I am warning you, that's all. If I were you I'd never leave without -a try to find the white girl, and I'd never forsake my Indian bride. -I've been through the same thing. You must be a good woodsman, or -Wetzel wouldn't have let you stay with him. Pick out a favorable -time and make the attempt. I suggest you make your Indian girl show -you where Girty is. She knows, but is afraid to tell you, for she -fears Girty. Get your dog and horse from the Shawnee. That's a fine -horse. He can carry you both to safety. Take him away from -Silvertip." - -"How?" - -"Go right up and demand your horse and dog. Most of these Delawares -are honest, for all their blood-shedding and cruelty. With them -might is right. The Delawares won't try to get your horse for you; -but they'll stick to you when you assert your rights. They don't -like the Shawnee, anyhow. If Silvertip refuses to give you the -horse, grab him before he can draw a weapon, and beat him good. -You're big enough to do it. The Delawares will be tickled to see you -pound him. He's thick with Girty; that's why he lays round here. -Take my word, it's the best way. Do it openly, and no one will -interfere." - -"By Heavens, Zane, I'll give him a drubbing. I owe him one, and am -itching to get hold of him." - -"I must go now. I shall send a Wyandot runner to your brother at the -village. They shall be warned. Good-by. Good luck. May we meet -again." - -Joe watched Zane ride swiftly down the land and disappear in the -shrubbery. Whispering Winds came to the door of the lodge. She -looked anxiously at him. He went within, drawing her along with him, -and quickly informed her that he had learned the cause of the -council, that he had resolved to get away, and she must find out -Girty's hiding place. Whispering Winds threw herself into his arms, -declaring with an energy and passion unusual to her, that she would -risk anything for him. She informed Joe that she knew the direction -from which Girty always returned to the village. No doubt she could -find his retreat. With a cunning that showed her Indian nature, she -suggested a plan which Joe at once saw was excellent. After Joe got -his horse, she would ride around the village, then off into the -woods, where she could leave the horse and return to say he had run -away from her. As was their custom during afternoons, they would -walk leisurely along the brook, and, trusting to the excitement -created by the councils, get away unobserved. Find the horse, if -possible rescue the prisoner, and then travel east with all speed. - -Joe left the lodge at once to begin the working out of the plan. -Luck favored him at the outset, for he met Silvertip before the -council lodge. The Shawnee was leading Lance, and the dog followed -at his heels. The spirit of Mose had been broken. Poor dog, Joe -thought, he had been beaten until he was afraid to wag his tail at -his old master. Joe's resentment blazed into fury, but he kept cool -outwardly. - -Right before a crowd of Indians waiting for the council to begin, -Joe planted himself in front of the Shawnee, barring his way. - -"Silvertip has the paleface's horse and dog," said Joe, in a loud -voice. - -The chief stared haughtily while the other Indians sauntered nearer. -They all knew how the Shawnee had got the animals, and now awaited -the outcome of the white man's challenge. - -"Paleface--heap--liar," growled the Indian. His dark eyes glowed -craftily, while his hand dropped, apparently in careless habit, to -the haft of his tomahawk. - -Joe swung his long arm; his big fist caught the Shawnee on the jaw, -sending him to the ground. Uttering a frightful yell, Silvertip drew -his weapon and attempted to rise, but the moment's delay in seizing -the hatchet, was fatal to his design. Joe was upon him with -tigerlike suddenness. One kick sent the tomahawk spinning, another -landed the Shawnee again on the ground. Blind with rage, Silvertip -leaped up, and without a weapon rushed at his antagonist; but the -Indian was not a boxer, and he failed to get his hands on Joe. -Shifty and elusive, the lad dodged around the struggling savage. -One, two, three hard blows staggered Silvertip, and a fourth, -delivered with the force of Joe's powerful arm, caught the Indian -when he was off his balance, and felled him, battered and bloody, on -the grass. The surrounding Indians looked down at the vanquished -Shawnee, expressing their approval in characteristic grunts. - -With Lance prancing proudly, and Mose leaping lovingly beside him, -Joe walked back to his lodge. Whispering Winds sprang to meet him -with joyful face. She had feared the outcome of trouble with the -Shawnee, but no queen ever bestowed upon returning victorious lord a -loftier look of pride, a sweeter glance of love, than the Indian -maiden bent upon her lover. - -Whispering Winds informed Joe that an important council was to be -held that afternoon. It would be wise for them to make the attempt -to get away immediately after the convening of the chiefs. -Accordingly she got upon Lance and rode him up and down the village -lane, much to the pleasure of the watching Indians. She scattered -the idle crowds on the grass plots, she dashed through the side -streets, and let every one in the encampment see her clinging to the -black stallion. Then she rode him out along the creek. Accustomed to -her imperious will, the Indians thought nothing unusual. When she -returned an hour later, with flying hair and disheveled costume, no -one paid particular attention to her. - -That afternoon Joe and his bride were the favored of fortune. With -Mose running before them, they got clear of the encampment and into -the woods. Once in the forest Whispering Winds rapidly led the way -east. When they climbed to the top of a rocky ridge she pointed down -into a thicket before her, saying that somewhere in this dense -hollow was Girty's hut. Joe hesitated about taking Mose. He wanted -the dog, but in case he had to run it was necessary Whispering Winds -should find his trail, and for this he left the dog with her. - -He started down the ridge, and had not gone a hundred paces when -over some gray boulders he saw the thatched roof of a hut. So wild -and secluded was the spot, that he would never have discovered the -cabin from any other point than this, which he had been so fortunate -as to find. - -His study and practice under Wetzel now stood him in good stead. He -picked out the best path over the rough stones and through the -brambles, always keeping under cover. He stepped as carefully as if -the hunter was behind him. Soon he reached level ground. A dense -laurel thicket hid the cabin, but he knew the direction in which it -lay. Throwing himself flat on the ground, he wormed his way through -the thicket, carefully, yet swiftly, because he knew there was no -time to lose. Finally the rear of the cabin stood in front of him. - -It was made of logs, rudely hewn, and as rudely thrown together. In -several places clay had fallen from chinks between the timbers, -leaving small holes. Like a snake Joe slipped close to the hut. -Raising his head he looked through one of the cracks. - -Instantly he shrank back into the grass, shivering with horror. He -almost choked in his attempt to prevent an outcry. - - - -Chapter XVIII. - -The sight which Joe had seen horrified him, for several moments, -into helpless inaction. He lay breathing heavily, impotent, in an -awful rage. As he remained there stunned by the shock, he gazed up -through the open space in the leaves, trying to still his fury, to -realize the situation, to make no hasty move. The soft blue of the -sky, the fleecy clouds drifting eastward, the fluttering leaves and -the twittering birds--all assured him he was wide awake. He had -found Girty's den where so many white women had been hidden, to see -friends and home no more. He had seen the renegade sleeping, calmly -sleeping like any other man. How could the wretch sleep! He had seen -Kate. It had been the sight of her that had paralyzed him. To make a -certainty of his fears, he again raised himself to peep into the -hole. As he did so a faint cry came from within. - -Girty lay on a buffalo robe near a barred door. Beyond him sat Kate, -huddled in one corner of the cabin. A long buckskin thong was -knotted round her waist, and tied to a log. Her hair was matted and -tangled, and on her face and arms were many discolored bruises. -Worse still, in her plaintive moaning, in the meaningless movement -of her head, in her vacant expression, was proof that her mind had -gone. She was mad. Even as an agonizing pity came over Joe, to be -followed by the surging fire of rage, blazing up in his breast, he -could not but thank God that she was mad! It was merciful that Kate -was no longer conscious of her suffering. - -Like leaves in a storm wavered Joe's hands as he clenched them until -the nails brought blood. "Be calm, be cool," whispered his monitor, -Wetzel, ever with him in spirit. But God! Could he be cool? Bounding -with lion-spring he hurled his heavy frame against the door. - -Crash! The door was burst from its fastenings. - -Girty leaped up with startled yell, drawing his knife as he rose. It -had not time to descend before Joe's second spring, more fierce even -than the other, carried him directly on top of the renegade. As the -two went down Joe caught the villain's wrist with a grip that -literally cracked the bones. The knife fell and rolled away from the -struggling men. For an instant they tumbled about on the floor, -clasped in a crushing embrace. The renegade was strong, supple, -slippery as an eel. Twice he wriggled from his foe. Gnashing his -teeth, he fought like a hyena. He was fighting for life--life, which -is never so dear as to a coward and a murderer. Doom glared from -Joe's big eyes, and scream after scream issued from the renegade's -white lips. - -Terrible was this struggle, but brief. Joe seemingly had the -strength of ten men. Twice he pulled Girty down as a wolf drags a -deer. He dashed him against the wall, throwing him nearing and -nearer the knife. Once within reach of the blade Joe struck the -renegade a severe blow on the temple and the villain's wrestling -became weaker. Planting his heavy knee on Girty's breast, Joe -reached for the knife, and swung it high. Exultantly he cried, mad -with lust for the brute's blood. - -But the slight delay saved Girty's life. - -The knife was knocked from Joe's hand and he leaped erect to find -himself confronted by Silvertip. The chief held a tomahawk with -which he had struck the weapon from the young man's grasp, and, to -judge from his burning eyes and malignant smile, he meant to brain -the now defenseless paleface. - -In a single fleeting instant Joe saw that Girty was helpless for the -moment, that Silvertip was confident of his revenge, and that the -situation called for Wetzel's characteristic advice, "act like -lightnin'." - -Swifter than the thought was the leap he made past Silvertip. It -carried him to a wooden bar which lay on the floor. Escape was easy, -for the door was before him and the Shawnee behind, but Joe did not -flee! He seized the bar and rushed at the Indian. Then began a duel -in which the savage's quickness and cunning matched the white man's -strength and fury. Silvertip dodged the vicious swings Joe aimed at -him; he parried many blows, any one of which would have crushed his -skull. Nimble as a cat, he avoided every rush, while his dark eyes -watched for an opening. He fought wholly on the defensive, craftily -reserving his strength until his opponent should tire. - -At last, catching the bar on his hatchet, he broke the force of the -blow, and then, with agile movement, dropped to the ground and -grappled Joe's legs. Long before this he had drawn his knife, and -now he used it, plunging the blade into the young man's side. - -Cunning and successful as was the savage's ruse, it failed signally, -for to get hold of the Shawnee was all Joe wanted. Feeling the sharp -pain as they fell together, he reached his hand behind him and -caught Silvertip's wrist. Exerting all his power, he wrenched the -Indian's arm so that it was not only dislocated, but the bones -cracked. - -Silvertip saw his fatal mistake, but he uttered no sound. Crippled, -though he was, he yet made a supreme effort, but it was as if he had -been in the hands of a giant. The lad handled him with remorseless -and resistless fury. Suddenly he grasped the knife, which Silvertip -had been unable to hold with his crippled hand, and thrust it deeply -into the Indian's side. - -All Silvertip's muscles relaxed as if a strong tension had been -removed. Slowly his legs straightened, his arms dropped, and from -his side gushed a dark flood. A shadow crept over his face, not dark -nor white, but just a shadow. His eyes lost their hate; they no -longer saw the foe, they looked beyond with gloomy question, and -then were fixed cold in death. Silvertip died as he had lived--a -chief. - -Joe glared round for Girty. He was gone, having slipped away during -the fight. The lad turned to release the poor prisoner, when he -started back with a cry of fear. Kate lay bathed in a pool of -blood--dead. The renegade, fearing she might be rescued, had -murdered her, and then fled from the cabin. - -Almost blinded by horror, and staggering with weakness, Joe turned -to leave the cabin. Realizing that he was seriously, perhaps -dangerously, wounded he wisely thought he must not leave the place -without weapons. He had marked the pegs where the renegade's rifle -hung, and had been careful to keep between that and his enemies. He -took down the gun and horns, which were attached to it, and, with -one last shuddering glance at poor Kate, left the place. - -He was conscious of a queer lightness in his head, but he suffered -no pain. His garments were dripping with blood. He did not know how -much of it was his, or the Indian's. Instinct rather than sight was -his guide. He grew weaker and weaker; his head began to whirl, yet -he kept on, knowing that life and freedom were his if he found -Whispering Winds. He gained the top of the ridge; his eyes were -blurred, his strength gone. He called aloud, and then plunged -forward on his face. He heard dimly, as though the sound were afar -off, the whine of a dog. He felt something soft and wet on his face. -Then consciousness left him. - -When he regained his senses he was lying on a bed of ferns under a -projecting rock. He heard the gurgle of running water mingling with -the song of birds. Near him lay Mose, and beyond rose a wall of -green thicket. Neither Whispering Winds nor his horse was visible. - -He felt a dreamy lassitude. He was tired, but had no pain. Finding -he could move without difficulty, he concluded his weakness was more -from loss of blood than a dangerous wound. He put his hand on the -place where he had been stabbed, and felt a soft, warm compress such -as might have been made by a bunch of wet leaves. Some one had -unlaced his hunting-shirt--for he saw the strings were not as he -usually tied them--and had dressed the wound. Joe decided, after -some deliberation, that Whispering Winds had found him, made him as -comfortable as possible, and, leaving Mose on guard, had gone out to -hunt for food, or perhaps back to the Indian encampment. The rifle -and horns he had taken from Girty's hut, together with Silvertip's -knife, lay beside him. - -As Joe lay there hoping for Whispering Winds' return, his -reflections were not pleasant. Fortunate, indeed, he was to be -alive; but he had no hope he could continue to be favored by -fortune. Odds were now against his escape. Girty would have the -Delawares on his trail like a pack of hungry wolves. He could not -understand the absence of Whispering Winds. She would have died -sooner than desert him. Girty had, perhaps, captured her, and was -now scouring the woods for him. - -"I'll get him next time, or he'll get me," muttered Joe, in bitter -wrath. He could never forgive himself for his failure to kill the -renegade. - -The recollection of how nearly he had forever ended Girty's brutal -career brought before Joe's mind the scene of the fight. He saw -again Buzzard Jim's face, revolting, unlike anything human. There -stretched Silvertip's dark figure, lying still and stark, and there -was Kate's white form in its winding, crimson wreath of blood. -Hauntingly her face returned, sad, stern in its cold rigidity. - -"Poor girl, better for her to be dead," he murmured. "Not long will -she be unavenged!" - -His thoughts drifted to the future. He had no fear of starvation, -for Mose could catch a rabbit or woodchuck at any time. When the -strips of meat he had hidden in his coat were gone, he could start a -fire and roast more. What concerned him most was pursuit. His trail -from the cabin had been a bloody one, which would render it easily -followed. He dared not risk exertion until he had given his wound -time to heal. Then, if he did escape from Girty and the Delawares, -his future was not bright. His experiences of the last few days had -not only sobered, but brought home to him this real border life. -With all his fire and daring he new he was no fool. He had eagerly -embraced a career which, at the present stage of his training, was -beyond his scope--not that he did not know how to act in sudden -crises, but because he had not had the necessary practice to quickly -and surely use his knowledge. - -Bitter, indeed, was his self-scorn when he recalled that of the -several critical positions he had been in since his acquaintance -with Wetzel, he had failed in all but one. The exception was the -killing of Silvertip. Here his fury had made him fight as Wetzel -fought with only his every day incentive. He realized that the -border was no place for any save the boldest and most experienced -hunters--men who had become inured to hardship, callous as to death, -keen as Indians. Fear was not in Joe nor lack of confidence; but he -had good sense, and realized he would have done a wiser thing had he -stayed at Fort Henry. Colonel Zane was right. The Indians were -tigers, the renegades vultures, the vast untrammeled forests and -plains their covert. Ten years of war had rendered this wilderness a -place where those few white men who had survived were hardened to -the spilling of blood, stern even in those few quiet hours which -peril allowed them, strong in their sacrifice of all for future -generations. - -A low growl from Mose broke into Joe's reflections. The dog had -raised his nose from his paws and sniffed suspiciously at the air. -The lad heard a slight rustling outside, and in another moment was -overjoyed at seeing Whispering Winds. She came swiftly, with a -lithe, graceful motion, and flying to him like a rush of wind, knelt -beside him. She kissed him and murmured words of endearment. - -"Winds, where have you been?" he asked her, in the mixed English and -Indian dialect in which they conversed. - -She told him the dog had led her to him two evenings before. He was -insensible. She had bathed and bandaged his wound, and remained with -him all that night. The next day, finding he was ill and delirious, -she decided to risk returning to the village. If any questions -arose, she could say he had left her. Then she would find a way to -get back to him, bringing healing herbs for his wound and a soothing -drink. As it turned out Girty had returned to the camp. He was -battered and bruised, and in a white heat of passion. Going at once -to Wingenund, the renegade openly accused Whispering Winds of aiding -her paleface lover to escape. Wingenund called his daughter before -him, and questioned her. She confessed all to her father. - -"Why is the daughter of Wingenund a traitor to her race?" demanded -the chief. - -"Whispering Winds is a Christian." - -Wingenund received this intelligence as a blow. He dismissed Girty -and sent his braves from his lodge, facing his daughter alone. -Gloomy and stern, he paced before her. - -"Wingenund's blood might change, but would never betray. Wingenund -is the Delaware chief," he said. "Go. Darken no more the door of -Wingenund's wigwam. Let the flower of the Delawares fade in alien -pastures. Go. Whispering Winds is free!" - -Tears shone brightly in the Indian girl's eyes while she told Joe -her story. She loved her father, and she would see him no more. - -"Winds is free," she whispered. "When strength returns to her master -she can follow him to the white villages. Winds will live her life -for him." - -"Then we have no one to fear?" asked Joe. - -"No redman, now that the Shawnee chief is dead." - -"Will Girty follow us? He is a coward; he will fear to come alone." - -"The white savage is a snake in the grass." - -Two long days followed, during which the lovers lay quietly in -hiding. On the morning of the third day Joe felt that he might risk -the start for the Village of Peace. Whispering Winds led the horse -below a stone upon which the invalid stood, thus enabling him to -mount. Then she got on behind him. - -The sun was just gilding the horizon when they rode out of the woods -into a wide plain. No living thing could be seen. Along the edge of -the forest the ground was level, and the horse traveled easily. -Several times during the morning Joe dismounted beside a pile of -stones or a fallen tree. The miles were traversed without serious -inconvenience to the invalid, except that he grew tired. Toward the -middle of the afternoon, when they had ridden perhaps twenty-five -miles, they crossed a swift, narrow brook. The water was a beautiful -clear brown. Joe made note of this, as it was an unusual -circumstance. Nearly all the streams, when not flooded, were green -in color. He remembered that during his wanderings with Wetzel they -had found one stream of this brown, copper-colored water. The lad -knew he must take a roundabout way to the village so that he might -avoid Indian runners or scouts, and he hoped this stream would prove -to be the one he had once camped upon. - -As they were riding toward a gentle swell or knoll covered with -trees and shrubbery, Whispering Winds felt something warm on her -hand, and, looking, was horrified to find it covered with blood. -Joe's wound had opened. She told him they must dismount here, and -remain until he was stronger. The invalid himself thought this -conclusion was wise. They would be practically safe now, since they -must be out of the Indian path, and many miles from the encampment. -Accordingly he got off the horse, and sat down on a log, while -Whispering Winds searched for a suitable place in which to erect a -temporary shelter. - -Joe's wandering gaze was arrested by a tree with a huge knotty -formation near the ground. It was like many trees, but this -peculiarity was not what struck Joe. He had seen it before. He never -forgot anything in the woods that once attracted his attention. He -looked around on all sides. Just behind him was an opening in the -clump of trees. Within this was a perpendicular stone covered with -moss and lichens; above it a beech tree spread long, graceful -branches. He thrilled with the remembrance these familiar marks -brought. This was Beautiful Spring, the place where Wetzel rescued -Nell, where he had killed the Indians in that night attack he would -never forget. - - - -Chapter XIX. - -One evening a week or more after the disappearance of Jim and the -girls, George Young and David Edwards, the missionaries, sat on the -cabin steps, gazing disconsolately upon the forest scenery. Hard as -had been the ten years of their labor among the Indians, nothing had -shaken them as the loss of their young friends. - -"Dave, I tell you your theory about seeing them again is absurd," -asserted George. "I'll never forget that wretch, Girty, as he spoke -to Nell. Why, she just wilted like a flower blasted by fire. I can't -understand why he let me go, and kept Jim, unless the Shawnee had -something to do with it. I never wished until now that I was a -hunter. I'd go after Girty. You've heard as well as I of his many -atrocities. I'd rather have seen Kate and Nell dead than have them -fall into his power. I'd rather have killed them myself!" - -Young had aged perceptibly in these last few days. The blue veins -showed at his temples; his face had become thinner and paler, his -eyes had a look of pain. The former expression of patience, which -had sat so well on him, was gone. - -"George, I can't account for my fancies or feelings, else, perhaps, -I'd be easier in mind," answered Dave. His face, too, showed the -ravages of grief. "I've had queer thoughts lately, and dreams such -as I never had before. Perhaps it's this trouble which has made me -so nervous. I don't seem able to pull myself together. I can neither -preach nor work." - -"Neither can I! This trouble has hit you as hard as it has me. But, -Dave, we've still our duty. To endure, to endure--that is our life. -Because a beam of sunshine brightened, for a brief time, the gray of -our lives, and then faded away, we must not shirk nor grow sour and -discontented." - -"But how cruel is this border life!" - -"Nature itself is brutal." - -"Yes, I know, and we have elected to spend our lives here in the -midst of this ceaseless strife, to fare poorly, to have no pleasure, -never to feel the comfort of a woman's smiles, nor the joy of a -child's caress, all because out in the woods are ten or twenty or a -hundred savages we may convert." - -"That is why, and it is enough. It is hard to give up the women you -love to a black-souled renegade, but that is not for my thought. -What kills me is the horror for her--for her." - -"I, too, suffer with that thought; more than that, I am morbid and -depressed. I feel as if some calamity awaited us here. I have never -been superstitious, nor have I had presentiments, but of late there -are strange fears in my mind." - -At this juncture Mr. Wells and Heckewelder came out of the adjoining -cabin. - -"I had word from a trustworthy runner to-day. Girty and his captives -have not been seen in the Delaware towns," said Heckewelder. - -"It is most unlikely that he will take them to the towns," replied -Edwards. "What do you make of his capturing Jim?" - -"For Pipe, perhaps. The Delaware Wolf is snapping his teeth. Pipe is -particularly opposed to Christianity, and--what's that?" - -A low whistle from the bushes near the creek bank attracted the -attention of all. The younger men got up to investigate, but -Heckewelder detained them. - -"Wait," he added. "There is no telling what that signal may mean." - -They waited with breathless interest. Presently the whistle was -repeated, and an instant later the tall figure of a man stepped from -behind a thicket. He was a white man, but not recognizable at that -distance, even if a friend. The stranger waved his hand as if asking -them to be cautious, and come to him. - -They went toward the thicket, and when within a few paces of the man -Mr. Wells exclaimed: - -"It's the man who guided my party to the village. It is Wetzel!" - -The other missionaries had never seen the hunter though, of course, -they were familiar with his name, and looked at him with great -curiosity. The hunter's buckskin garments were wet, torn, and -covered with burrs. Dark spots, evidently blood stains, showed on -his hunting-shirt. - -"Wetzel?" interrogated Heckewelder. - -The hunter nodded, and took a step behind the bush. Bending over he -lifted something from the ground. It was a girl. It was Nell! She -was very white--but alive. A faint, glad smile lighted up her -features. - -Not a word was spoken. With an expression of tender compassion Mr. -Wells received her into his arms. The four missionaries turned -fearful, questioning eyes upon the hunter, but they could not speak. - -"She's well, an' unharmed," said Wetzel, reading their thoughts, -"only worn out. I've carried her these ten miles." - -"God bless you, Wetzel!" exclaimed the old missionary. "Nellie, -Nellie, can you speak?" - -"Uncle dear--I'm--all right," came the faint answer. - -"Kate? What--of her?" whispered George Young with lips as dry as -corn husks. - -"I did my best," said the hunter with a simple dignity. Nothing but -the agonized appeal in the young man's eyes could have made Wetzel -speak of his achievement. - -"Tell us," broke in Heckewelder, seeing that fear had stricken -George dumb. - -"We trailed 'em an' got away with the golden-haired lass. The last I -saw of Joe he was braced up agin a rock fightin' like a wildcat. I -tried to cut Jim loose as I was goin' by. I s'pect the wust fer the -brothers an' the other lass." - -"Can we do nothing?" asked Mr. Wells. - -"Nothin'!" - -"Wetzel, has the capturing of James Downs any significance to you?" -inquired Heckewelder. - -"I reckon so." - -"What?" - -"Pipe an' his white-redskin allies are agin Christianity." - -"Do you think we are in danger?" - -"I reckon so." - -"What do you advise?" - -"Pack up a few of your traps, take the lass, an' come with me. I'll -see you back in Fort Henry." - -Heckewelder nervously walked up to the tree and back again. Young -and Edwards looked blankly at one another. They both remembered -Edward's presentiment. Mr. Wells uttered an angry exclamation. - -"You ask us to fail in our duty? No, never! To go back to the white -settlements and acknowledge we were afraid to continue teaching the -Gospel to the Indians! You can not understand Christianity if you -advise that. You have no religion. You are a killer of Indians." - -A shadow that might have been one of pain flitted over the hunter's -face. - -"No, I ain't a Christian, an' I am a killer of Injuns," said Wetzel, -and his deep voice had a strange tremor. "I don't know nothin' much -'cept the woods an' fields, an' if there's a God fer me He's out -thar under the trees an' grass. Mr. Wells, you're the first man as -ever called me a coward, an' I overlook it because of your callin'. -I advise you to go back to Fort Henry, because if you don't go now -the chances are aginst your ever goin'. Christianity or no -Christianity, such men as you hev no bisness in these woods." - -"I thank you for your advice, and bless you for your rescue of this -child; but I can not leave my work, nor can I understand why all -this good work we have done should be called useless. We have -converted Indians, saved their souls. Is that not being of some use, -of some good here?" - -"It's accordin' to how you look at it. Now I know the bark of an oak -is different accordin' to the side we see from. I'll allow, hatin' -Injuns as I do, is no reason you oughtn't to try an' convert 'em. -But you're bringin' on a war. These Injuns won't allow this Village -of Peace here with its big fields of corn, an' shops an' workin' -redskins. It's agin their nature. You're only sacrificin' your -Christian Injuns." - -"What do you mean?" asked Mr. Wells, startled by Wetzel's words. - -"Enough. I'm ready to guide you to Fort Henry." - -"I'll never go." - -Wetzel looked at the other men. No one would have doubted him. No -one could have failed to see he knew that some terrible anger -hovered over the Village of Peace. - -"I believe you, Wetzel, but I can not go," said Heckewelder, with -white face. - -"I will stay," said George, steadily. - -"And I," said Dave. - -Wetzel nodded, and turned to depart when George grasped his arm. The -young missionary's face was drawn and haggard; he fixed an intense -gaze upon the hunter. - -"Wetzel, listen;" his voice was low and shaken with deep feeling. "I -am a teacher of God's word, and I am as earnest in that purpose as -you are in your life-work. I shall die here; I shall fill an -unmarked grave; but I shall have done the best I could. This is the -life destiny has marked out for me, and I will live it as best I -may; but in this moment, preacher as I am, I would give all I have -or hope to have, all the little good I may have done, all my life, -to be such a man as you. For I would avenge the woman I loved. To -torture, to kill Girty! I am only a poor, weak fellow who would be -lost a mile from this village, and if not, would fall before the -youngest brave. But you with your glorious strength, your -incomparable woodcraft, you are the man to kill Girty. Rid the -frontier of this fiend. Kill him! Wetzel, kill him! I beseech you -for the sake of some sweet girl who even now may be on her way to -this terrible country, and who may fall into Girty's power--for her -sake, Wetzel, kill him. Trail him like a bloodhound, and when you -find him remember my broken heart, remember Nell, remember, oh, God! -remember poor Kate!" - -Young's voice broke into dry sobs. He had completely exhausted -himself, so that he was forced to lean against the tree for support. - -Wetzel spoke never a word. He stretched out his long, brawny arm and -gripped the young missionary's shoulder. His fingers clasped hard. -Simple, without words as the action was, it could not have been more -potent. And then, as he stood, the softer look faded slowly from his -face. A ripple seemed to run over his features, which froze, as it -subsided, into a cold, stone rigidity. - -His arm dropped; he stepped past the tree, and, bounding lightly as -a deer, cleared the creek and disappeared in the bushes. - -Mr. Wells carried Nell to his cabin where she lay for hours with wan -face and listless languor. She swallowed the nourishing drink an old -Indian nurse forced between her teeth; she even smiled weakly when -the missionaries spoke to her; but she said nothing nor seemed to -rally from her terrible shock. A dark shadow lay always before her, -conscious of nothing present, living over again her frightful -experience. Again she seemed sunk in dull apathy. - -"Dave, we're going to loose Nell. She's fading slowly," said George, -one evening, several days after the girl's return. "Wetzel said she -was unharmed, yet she seems to have received a hurt more fatal than -a physical one. It's her mind--her mind. If we cannot brighten her -up to make her forget, she'll die." - -"We've done all within our power. If she could only be brought out -of this trance! She lies there all day long with those staring eyes. -I can't look into them. They are the eyes of a child who has seen -murder." - -"We must try in some way to get her out of this stupor, and I have -an idea. Have you noticed that Mr. Wells has failed very much in the -last few weeks?" - -"Indeed I have, and I'm afraid he's breaking down. He has grown so -thin, eats very little, and doesn't sleep. He is old, you know, and, -despite his zeal, this border life is telling on him." - -"Dave, I believe he knows it. Poor, earnest old man! He never says a -word about himself, yet he must know he is going down hill. Well, we -all begin, sooner or later, that descent which ends in the grave. I -believe we might stir Nellie by telling her Mr. Wells' health is -breaking." - -"Let us try." - -A hurried knock on the door interrupted their conversation. - -"Come in," said Edwards. - -The door opened to admit a man, who entered eagerly. - -"Jim! Jim!" exclaimed both missionaries, throwing themselves upon -the newcomer. - -It was, indeed, Jim, but no answering smile lighted his worn, -distressed face while he wrung his friends' hands. - -"You're not hurt?" asked Dave. - -"No, I'm uninjured." - -"Tell us all. Did you escape? Did you see your brother? Did you know -Wetzel rescued Nell?" - -"Wingenund set me free in spite of many demands for my death. He -kept Joe a prisoner, and intends to kill him, for the lad was -Wetzel's companion. I saw the hunter come into the glade where we -camped, break through the line of fighting Indians and carry Nell -off." - -"Kate?" faltered Young, with ashen face. - -"George, I wish to God I could tell you she is dead," answered Jim, -nervously pacing the room. "But she was well when I last saw her. -She endured the hard journey better than either Nell or I. Girty did -not carry her into the encampment, as Silvertip did Joe and me, but -the renegade left us on the outskirts of the Delaware town. There -was a rocky ravine with dense undergrowth where he disappeared with -his captive. I suppose he has his den somewhere in that ravine." - -George sank down and buried his face in his arms; neither movement -nor sound betokened consciousness. - -"Has Wetzel come in with Nell? Joe said he had a cave where he might -have taken her in case of illness or accident." - -"Yes, he brought her back," answered Edwards, slowly. - -"I want to see her," said Jim, his haggard face expressing a keen -anxiety. "She's not wounded? hurt? ill?" - -"No, nothing like that. It's a shock which she can't get over, can't -forget." - -"I must see her," cried Jim, moving toward the door. - -"Don't go," replied Dave, detaining him. "Wait. We must see what's -best to be done. Wait till Heckewelder comes. He'll be here soon. -Nell thinks you're dead, and the surprise might be bad for her." - -Heckewelder came in at that moment, and shook hands warmly with Jim. - -"The Delaware runner told me you were here. I am overjoyed that -Wingenund freed you," said the missionary. "It is a most favorable -sign. I have heard rumors from Goshocking and Sandusky that have -worried me. This good news more than offsets the bad. I am sorry -about your brother. Are you well?" - -"Well, but miserable. I want to see Nell. Dave tells me she is not -exactly ill, but something is wrong with her. Perhaps I ought not to -see her just yet." - -"It'll be exactly the tonic for her," replied Heckewelder. "She'll -be surprised out of herself. She is morbid, apathetic, and, try as -we may, we can't interest her. Come at once." - -Heckewelder had taken Jim's arm and started for the door when he -caught sight of Young, sitting bowed and motionless. Turning to Jim -he whispered: - -"Kate?" - -"Girty did not take her into the encampment," answered Jim, in a low -voice. "I hoped he would, because the Indians are kind, but he -didn't. He took her to his den." - -Just then Young raised his face. The despair in it would have melted -a heart of stone. It had become the face of an old man. - -"If only you'd told me she had died," he said to Jim, "I'd have been -man enough to stand it, but--this--this kills me--I can't breathe!" - -He staggered into the adjoining room, where he flung himself upon a -bed. - -"It's hard, and he won't be able to stand up under it, for he's not -strong," whispered Jim. - -Heckewelder was a mild, pious man, in whom no one would ever expect -strong passion; but now depths were stirred within his heart that -had ever been tranquil. He became livid, and his face was distorted -with rage. - -"It's bad enough to have these renegades plotting and working -against our religion; to have them sow discontent, spread lies, make -the Indians think we have axes to grind, to plant the only obstacle -in our path--all this is bad; but to doom an innocent white woman to -worse than death! What can I call it!" - -"What can we do?" asked Jim. - -"Do? That's the worst of it. We can do nothing, nothing. We dare not -move." - -"Is there no hope of getting Kate back?" - -"Hope? None. That villain is surrounded by his savages. He'll lie -low now for a while. I've heard of such deeds many a time, but it -never before came so close home. Kate Wells was a pure, loving -Christian woman. She'll live an hour, a day, a week, perhaps, in -that snake's clutches, and then she'll die. Thank God!" - -"Wetzel has gone on Girty's trail. I know that from his manner when -he left us," said Edwards. - -"Wetzel may avenge her, but he can never save her. It's too late. -Hello---" - -The exclamation was called forth by the appearance of Young, who -entered with a rifle in his hands. - -"George, where are you going with that gun?" asked Edwards, grasping -his friend by the arm. - -"I'm going after her," answered George wildly. He tottered as he -spoke, but wrenched himself free from Dave. - -"Come, George, listen, listen to reason," interposed Heckewelder, -laying hold of Young. "You are frantic with grief now. So are all of -us. But calm yourself. Why, man, you're a preacher, not a hunter. -You'd be lost, you'd starve in the woods before getting half way to -the Indian town. This is terrible enough; don't make it worse by -throwing your life away. Think of us, your friends; think of your -Indian pupils who rely so much on you. Think of the Village of -Peace. We can pray, but we can't prevent these border crimes. With -civilization, with the spread of Christianity, they will pass away. -Bear up under this blow for the sake of your work. Remember we alone -can check such barbarity. But we must not fight. We must sacrifice -all that men hold dear, for the sake of the future." - -He took the rifle away from George, and led him back into the -little, dark room. Closing the door he turned to Jim and Dave. - -"He is in a bad way, and we must carefully watch him for a few -days." - -"Think of George starting out to kill Girty!" exclaimed Dave. "I -never fired a gun, but yet I'd go too." - -"So would we all, if we did as our hearts dictate," retorted -Heckewelder, turning fiercely upon Dave as if stung. "Man! we have a -village full of Christians to look after. What would become of them? -I tell you we've all we can do here to outwit these border ruffians. -Simon Girty is plotting our ruin. I heard it to-day from the -Delaware runner who is my friend. He is jealous of our influence, -when all we desire is to save these poor Indians. And, Jim, Girty -has killed our happiness. Can we ever recover from the misery -brought upon us by poor Kate's fate?" - -The missionary raised his hand as if to exhort some power above. - -"Curse the Girty's!" he exclaimed in a sudden burst of -uncontrollable passion. "Having conquered all other obstacles, must -we fail because of wicked men of our own race? Oh, curse them!" - -"Come," he said, presently, in a voice which trembled with the -effort he made to be calm. "We'll go in to Nellie." - -The three men entered Mr. Wells' cabin. The old missionary, with -bowed head and hands clasped behind his back, was pacing to and fro. -He greeted Jim with glad surprise. - -"We want Nellie to see him," whispered Heckewelder. "We think the -surprise will do her good." - -"I trust it may," said Mr. Wells. - -"Leave it to me." - -They followed Heckewelder into an adjoining room. A torch flickered -over the rude mantle-shelf, lighting up the room with fitful flare. -It was a warm night, and the soft breeze coming in the window -alternately paled and brightened the flame. - -Jim saw Nell lying on the bed. Her eyes were closed, and her long, -dark lashes seemed black against the marble paleness of her skin. - -"Stand behind me," whispered Heckewelder to Jim. - -"Nellie," he called softly, but only a faint flickering of her -lashes answered him. - -"Nellie, Nellie," repeated Heckewelder, his deep, strong voice -thrilling. - -Her eyes opened. They gazed at Mr. Wells on one side, at Edwards -standing at the foot of the bed, at Heckewelder leaning over her, -but there was no recognition or interest in her look. - -"Nellie, can you understand me?" asked Heckewelder, putting into his -voice all the power and intensity of feeling of which he was -capable. - -An almost imperceptible shadow of understanding shone in her eyes. - -"Listen. You have had a terrible shock, and it has affected your -mind. You are mistaken in what you think, what you dream of all the -time. Do you understand? You are wrong!" - -Nell's eyes quickened with a puzzled, questioning doubt. The -minister's magnetic, penetrating voice had pierced her dulled brain. - -"See, I have brought you Jim!" - -Heckewelder stepped aside as Jim fell on his knees by the bed. He -took her cold hands in his and bent over her. For the moment his -voice failed. - -The doubt in Nell's eyes changed to a wondrous gladness. It was like -the rekindling of a smoldering fire. - -"Jim?" she whispered. - -"Yes, Nellie, it's Jim alive and well. It's Jim come back to you." - -A soft flush stained her white face. She slipped her arm tenderly -around his neck, and held her cheek close to his. - -"Jim," she murmured. - -"Nellie, don't you know me?" asked Mr. Wells, trembling, excited. -This was the first word she had spoken in four days. - -"Uncle!" she exclaimed, suddenly loosening her hold on Jim, and -sitting up in bed, then she gazed wildly at the others. - -"Was it all a horrible dream?" - -Mr. Wells took her hand soothingly, but he did not attempt to answer -her question. He looked helplessly at Heckewelder, but that -missionary was intently studying the expression on Nell's face. - -"Part of it was a dream," he answered,impressively. - -"Then that horrible man did take us away?" - -"Yes." - -"Oh-h! but we're free now? This is my room. Oh, tell me?" - -"Yes, Nellie, you're safe at home now." - -"Tell--tell me," she cried, shudderingly, as she leaned close to Jim -and raised a white, imploring face to his. "Where is Kate?--Oh! -Jim--say, say she wasn't left with Girty?" - -"Kate is dead," answered Jim, quickly. He could not endure the -horror in her eyes. He deliberately intended to lie, as had -Heckewelder. - -It was as if the tension of Nell's nerves was suddenly relaxed. The -relief from her worst fear was so great that her mind took in only -the one impression. Then, presently, a choking cry escaped her, to -be followed by a paroxysm of sobs. - - - -Chapter XX. - -Early on the following day Heckewelder, astride his horse, appeared -at the door of Edwards' cabin. - -"How is George?" he inquired of Dave, when the latter had opened the -door. - -"He had a bad night, but is sleeping now. I think he'll be all right -after a time," answered Dave. - -"That's well. Nevertheless keep a watch on him for a few days." - -"I'll do so." - -"Dave, I leave matters here to your good judgment. I'm off to -Goshocking to join Zeisberger. Affairs there demand our immediate -attention, and we must make haste." - -"How long do you intend to be absent?" - -"A few days; possibly a week. In case of any unusual disturbance -among the Indians, the appearance of Pipe and his tribe, or any of -the opposing factions, send a fleet runner at once to warn me. Most -of my fears have been allayed by Wingenund's attitude toward us. His -freeing Jim in face of the opposition of his chiefs is a sure sign -of friendliness. More than once I have suspected that he was -interested in Christianity. His daughter, Whispering Winds, -exhibited the same intense fervor in religion as has been manifested -by all our converts. It may be that we have not appealed in vain to -Wingenund and his daughter; but their high position in the Delaware -tribe makes it impolitic for them to reveal a change of heart. If we -could win over those two we'd have every chance to convert the whole -tribe. Well, as it is we must be thankful for Wingenund's -friendship. We have two powerful allies now. Tarhe, the Wyandot -chieftain, remains neutral, to be sure, but that's almost as helpful -as his friendship." - -"I, too, take a hopeful view of the situation," replied Edwards. - -"We'll trust in Providence, and do our best," said Heckewelder, as -he turned his horse. "Good-by." - -"Godspeed!" called Edwards, as his chief rode away. - -The missionary resumed his work of getting breakfast. He remained in -doors all that day, except for the few moments when he ran over to -Mr. Wells' cabin to inquire regarding Nell's condition. He was -relieved to learn she was so much better that she had declared her -intention of moving about the house. Dave kept a close watch on -Young. He, himself, was suffering from the same blow which had -prostrated his friend, but his physical strength and fortitude were -such that he did not weaken. He was overjoyed to see that George -rallied, and showed no further indications of breaking down. - -True it was, perhaps, that Heckewelder's earnest prayer on behalf of -the converted Indians had sunk deeply into George's heart and thus -kept it from breaking. No stronger plea could have been made than -the allusion to those gentle, dependent Christians. No one but a -missionary could realize the sweetness, the simplicity, the faith, -the eager hope for a good, true life which had been implanted in the -hearts of these Indians. To bear it in mind, to think of what he, as -a missionary and teacher, was to them, relieved him of half his -burden, and for strength to bear the remainder he went to God. For -all worry there is a sovereign cure, for all suffering there is a -healing balm; it is religious faith. Happiness had suddenly flashed -with a meteor-like radiance into Young's life only to be snuffed out -like a candle in a windy gloom, but his work, his duty remained. So -in his trial he learned the necessity of resignation. He chaffed no -more at the mysterious, seemingly brutal methods of nature; he -questioned no more. He wondered no more at the apparent indifference -of Providence. He had one hope, which was to be true to his faith, -and teach it to the end. - -Nell mastered her grief by an astonishing reserve of strength. -Undoubtedly it was that marvelously merciful power which enables a -person, for the love of others, to bear up under a cross, or even to -fight death himself. As Young had his bright-eyed Indian boys and -girls, who had learned Christianity from him, and whose future -depended on him, so Nell had her aged and weakening uncle to care -for and cherish. - -Jim's attentions to her before the deep affliction had not been -slight, but now they were so marked as to be unmistakable. In some -way Jim seemed changed since he had returned from the Delaware -encampment. Although he went back to the work with his old -aggressiveness, he was not nearly so successful as he had been -before. Whether or not this was his fault, he took his failure -deeply to heart. There was that in his tenderness which caused Nell -to regard him, in one sense, as she did her uncle. Jim, too, leaned -upon her, and she accepted his devotion where once she had repelled -it. She had unconsciously betrayed a great deal when she had turned -so tenderly to him in the first moments after her recognition, and -he remembered it. He did not speak of love to her; he let a thousand -little acts of kindness, a constant thoughtfulness of her plead his -cause. - -The days succeeding Heckewelder's departure were remarkable for -several reasons. Although the weather was enticing, the number of -visiting Indians gradually decreased. Not a runner from any tribe -came into the village, and finally the day dawned when not a single -Indian from the outlying towns was present to hear the preaching. - -Jim spoke, as usual. After several days had passed and none but -converted Indians made up the congregation, the young man began to -be uneasy in mind. - -Young and Edwards were unable to account for the unusual absence -from worship, yet they did not see in it anything to cause especial -concern. Often there had been days without visitation to the Village -of Peace. - -Finally Jim went to consult Glickhican. He found the Delaware at -work in the potato patch. The old Indian dropped his hoe and bowed -to the missionary. A reverential and stately courtesy always -characterized the attitude of the Indians toward the young white -father. - -"Glickhican, can you tell me why no Indians have come here lately?" - -The old chief shook his head. - -"Does their absence signify ill to the Village of Peace?" - -"Glickhican saw a blackbird flitting in the shadow of the moon. The -bird hovered above the Village of Peace, but sang no song." - -The old Delaware vouchsafed no other than this strange reply. - -Jim returned to his cabin decidedly worried. He did not at all like -Glickhican's answer. The purport of it seemed to be that a cloud was -rising on the bright horizon of the Christian village. He confided -his fears to Young and Edwards. After discussing the situation, the -three missionaries decided to send for Heckewelder. He was the -leader of the Mission; he knew more of Indian craft than any of -them, and how to meet it. If this calm in the heretofore busy life -of the Mission was the lull before a storm, Heckewelder should be -there with his experience and influence. - -"For nearly ten years Heckewelder has anticipated trouble from -hostile savages," said Edwards, "but so far he has always averted -it. As you know, he has confined himself mostly to propitiating the -Indians, and persuading them to be friendly, and listen to us. We'll -send for him." - -Accordingly they dispatched a runner to Goshocking. In due time the -Indian returned with the startling news that Heckewelder had left -the Indian village days before, as had, in fact, all the savages -except the few converted ones. The same held true in the case of -Sandusky, the adjoining town. Moreover, it had been impossible to -obtain any news in regard to Zeisberger. - -The missionaries were now thoroughly alarmed, and knew not what to -do. They concealed the real state of affairs from Nell and her -uncle, desiring to keep them from anxiety as long as possible. That -night the three teachers went to bed with heavy hearts. - -The following morning at daybreak, Jim was awakened from a sound -sleep by some one calling at his window. He got up to learn who it -was, and, in the gray light, saw Edwards standing outside. - -"What's the matter?" questioned Jim, hurriedly. - -"Matter enough. Hurry. Get into your clothes," replied Edwards. "As -soon as you are dressed, quietly awaken Mr. Wells and Nellie, but do -not frighten them." - -"But what's the trouble?" queried Jim, as he began to dress. - -"The Indians are pouring into the village as thickly as flying -leaves in autumn." - -Edwards' exaggerated assertion proved to be almost literally true. -No sooner had the rising sun dispelled the mist, than it shone on -long lines of marching braves, mounted warriors, hundreds of -packhorses approaching from the forests. The orderly procession was -proof of a concerted plan on the part of the invaders. - -From their windows the missionaries watched with bated breath; with -wonder and fear they saw the long lines of dusky forms. When they -were in the clearing the savages busied themselves with their packs. -Long rows of teepees sprung up as if by magic. The savages had come -to stay! The number of incoming visitors did not lessen until noon, -when a few straggling groups marked the end of the invading host. -Most significant of all was the fact that neither child, maiden, nor -squaw accompanied this army. - -Jim appraised the number at six or seven hundred, more than had ever -before visited the village at one time. They were mostly Delawares, -with many Shawnees, and a few Hurons among them. It was soon -evident, however, that for the present, at least, the Indians did -not intend any hostile demonstration. They were quiet in manner, and -busy about their teepees and camp-fires, but there was an absence of -the curiosity that had characterized the former sojourns of Indians -at the peaceful village. - -After a brief consultation with his brother missionaries, who all -were opposed to his preaching that afternoon, Jim decided he would -not deviate from his usual custom. He held the afternoon service, -and spoke to the largest congregation that had ever sat before him. -He was surprised to find that the sermon, which heretofore so -strongly impressed the savages, did not now arouse the slightest -enthusiasm. It was followed by a brooding silence of a boding, -ominous import. - -Four white men, dressed in Indian garb, had been the most attentive -listeners to Jim's sermon. He recognized three as Simon Girty, -Elliott and Deering, the renegades, and he learned from Edwards that -the other was the notorious McKee. These men went through the -village, stalking into the shops and cabins, and acting as do men -who are on a tour of inspection. - -So intrusive was their curiosity that Jim hurried back to Mr. Well's -cabin and remained there in seclusion. Of course, by this time Nell -and her uncle knew of the presence of the hostile savages. They were -frightened, and barely regained their composure when the young man -assured them he was certain they had no real cause for fear. - -Jim was sitting at the doorstep with Mr. Wells and Edwards when -Girty, with his comrades, came toward them. The renegade leader was -a tall, athletic man, with a dark, strong face. There was in it none -of the brutality and ferocity which marked his brother's visage. -Simon Girty appeared keen, forceful, authoritative, as, indeed, he -must have been to have attained the power he held in the -confederated tribes. His companions presented wide contrasts. -Elliott was a small, spare man of cunning, vindictive aspect; McKee -looked, as might have been supposed from his reputation, and Deering -was a fit mate for the absent Girty. Simon appeared to be a man of -some intelligence, who had used all his power to make that position -a great one. The other renegades were desperadoes. - -"Where's Heckewelder?" asked Girty, curtly, as he stopped before the -missionaries. - -"He started out for the Indian towns on the Muskingong," answered -Edwards. "But we have had no word from either him or Zeisberger." - -"When d'ye expect him?" - -"I can't say. Perhaps to-morrow, and then, again, maybe not for a -week." - -"He is in authority here, ain't he?" - -"Yes; but he left me in charge of the Mission. Can I serve you in -any way?" - -"I reckon not," said the renegade, turning to his companions. They -conversed in low tones for a moment. Presently McKee, Elliott and -Deering went toward the newly erected teepees. - -"Girty, do you mean us any ill will?" earnestly asked Edwards. He -had met the man on more than one occasion, and had no hesitation -about questioning him. - -"I can't say as I do," answered the renegade, and those who heard -him believed him. "But I'm agin this redskin preachin', an' hev been -all along. The injuns are mad clear through, an' I ain't sayin' I've -tried to quiet 'em any. This missionary work has got to be stopped, -one way or another. Now what I waited here to say is this: I ain't -quite forgot I was white once, an' believe you fellars are honest. -I'm willin' to go outer my way to help you git away from here." - -"Go away?" echoed Edwards. - -"That's it," answered Girty, shouldering his rifle. - -"But why? We are perfectly harmless; we are only doing good and hurt -no one. Why should we go?" - -"'Cause there's liable to be trouble," said the renegade, -significantly. - -Edwards turned slowly to Mr. Wells and Jim. The old missionary was -trembling visibly. Jim was pale; but more with anger than fear. - -"Thank you, Girty, but we'll stay," and Jim's voice rang clear. - - - -Chapter XXI. - -"Jim, come out here," called Edwards at the window of Mr. Wells' -cabin. - -The young man arose from the breakfast table, and when outside found -Edwards standing by the door with an Indian brave. He was a Wyandot -lightly built, lithe and wiry, easily recognizable as an Indian -runner. When Jim appeared the man handed him a small packet. He -unwound a few folds of some oily skin to find a square piece of -birch bark, upon which were scratched the following words: - -"Rev. J. Downs. Greeting. - -"Your brother is alive and safe. Whispering Winds rescued him by -taking him as her husband. Leave the Village of Peace. Pipe and Half -King have been influenced by Girty. - -"Zane." - -"Now, what do you think of that?" exclaimed Jim, handing the message -to Edwards. "Thank Heaven, Joe was saved!" - -"Zane? That must be the Zane who married Tarhe's daughter," answered -Edwards, when he had read the note. "I'm rejoiced to hear of your -brother." - -"Joe married to that beautiful Indian maiden! Well, of all wonderful -things," mused Jim. "What will Nell say?" - -"We're getting warnings enough. Do you appreciate that?" asked -Edwards. "'Pipe and Half King have been influenced by Girty.' -Evidently the writer deemed that brief sentence of sufficient -meaning." - -"Edwards, we're preachers. We can't understand such things. I am -learning, at least something every day. Colonel Zane advised us not -to come here. Wetzel said, 'Go back to Fort Henry.' Girty warned us, -and now comes this peremptory order from Isaac Zane." - -"Well?" - -"It means that these border men see what we will not admit. We -ministers have such hope and trust in God that we can not realize -the dangers of this life. I fear that our work has been in vain." - -"Never. We have already saved many souls. Do not be discouraged." - -All this time the runner had stood near at hand straight as an -arrow. Presently Edwards suggested that the Wyandot was waiting to -be questioned, and accordingly he asked the Indian if he had -anything further to communicate. - -"Huron--go by--paleface." Here he held up both hands and shut his -fists several times, evidently enumerating how many white men he had -seen. "Here--when--high--sun." - -With that he bounded lightly past them, and loped off with an even, -swinging stride. - -"What did he mean?" asked Jim, almost sure he had not heard the -runner aright. - -"He meant that a party of white men are approaching, and will be -here by noon. I never knew an Indian runner to carry unreliable -information. We have joyful news, both in regard to your brother, -and the Village of Peace. Let us go in to tell the others." - -The Huron runner's report proved to be correct. Shortly before noon -signals from Indian scouts proclaimed the approach of a band of -white men. Evidently Girty's forces had knowledge beforehand of the -proximity of this band, for the signals created no excitement. The -Indians expressed only a lazy curiosity. Soon several Delaware -scouts appeared, escorting a large party of frontiersmen. - -These men turned out to be Captain Williamson's force, which had -been out on an expedition after a marauding tribe of Chippewas. This -last named tribe had recently harried the remote settlers, and -committed depredations on the outskirts of the white settlements -eastward. The company was composed of men who had served in the -garrison at Fort Pitt, and hunters and backwoodsmen from Yellow -Creek and Fort Henry. The captain himself was a typical borderman, -rough and bluff, hardened by long years of border life, and, like -most pioneers, having no more use for an Indian than for a snake. He -had led his party after the marauders, and surprised and slaughtered -nearly all of them. Returning eastward he had passed through -Goshocking, where he learned of the muttering storm rising over the -Village of Peace, and had come more out of curiosity than hope to -avert misfortune. - -The advent of so many frontiersmen seemed a godsend to the perplexed -and worried missionaries. They welcomed the newcomers most heartily. -Beds were made in several of the newly erected cabins; the village -was given over for the comfort of the frontiersmen. Edwards -conducted Captain Williamson through the shops and schools, and the -old borderman's weather-beaten face expressed a comical surprise. - -"Wal, I'll be durned if I ever expected to see a redskin work," was -his only comment on the industries. - -"We are greatly alarmed by the presence of Girty and his followers," -said Edwards. "We have been warned to leave, but have not been -actually threatened. What do you infer from the appearance here of -these hostile savages?" - -"It hardly 'pears to me they'll bother you preachers. They're agin -the Christian redskins, that's plain." - -"Why have we been warned to go?" - -"That's natural, seein' they're agin the preachin'." - -"What will they do with the converted Indians?" - -"Mighty onsartin. They might let them go back to the tribes, but -'pears to me these good Injuns won't go. Another thing, Girty is -afeered of the spread of Christianity." - -"Then you think our Christians will be made prisoners?" - -"'Pears likely." - -"And you, also, think we'd do well to leave here." - -"I do, sartin. We're startin' for Fort Henry soon. You'd better come -along with us." - -"Captain Williamson, we're going to stick it out, Girty or no -Girty." - -"You can't do no good stayin' here. Pipe and Half King won't stand -for the singin', prayin' redskins, especially when they've got all -these cattle and fields of grain." - -"Wetzel said the same." - -"Hev you seen Wetzel?" - -"Yes; he rescued a girl from Jim Girty, and returned her to us." - -"That so? I met Wetzel and Jack Zane back a few miles in the woods. -They're layin' for somebody, because when I asked them to come along -they refused, sayin' they had work as must be done. They looked like -it, too. I never hern tell of Wetzel advisin' any one before; but -I'll say if he told me to do a thing, by Gosh! I'd do it." - -"As men, we might very well take the advice given us, but as -preachers we must stay here to do all we can for these Christian -Indians. One thing more: will you help us?" - -"I reckon I'll stay here to see the thing out," answered Williamson. -Edwards made a mental note of the frontiersman's evasive answer. - -Jim had, meanwhile, made the acquaintance of a young minister, John -Christy by name, who had lost his sweetheart in one of the Chippewa -raids, and had accompanied the Williamson expedition in the hope he -might rescue her. - -"How long have you been out?" asked Jim. - -"About four weeks now," answered Christy. "My betrothed was captured -five weeks ago yesterday. I joined Williamson's band, which made up -at Short Creek to take the trail of the flying Chippewas, in the -hope I might find her. But not a trace! The expedition fell upon a -band of redskins over on the Walhonding, and killed nearly all of -them. I learned from a wounded Indian that a renegade had made off -with a white girl about a week previous. Perhaps it was poor Lucy." - -Jim related the circumstances of his own capture by Jim Girty, the -rescue of Nell, and Kate's sad fate. - -"Could Jim Girty have gotten your girl?" inquired Jim, in -conclusion. - -"It's fairly probable. The description doesn't tally with Girty's. -This renegade was short and heavy, and noted especially for his -strength. Of course, an Indian would first speak of some such -distinguishing feature. There are, however, ten or twelve renegades -on the border, and, excepting Jim Girty, one's as bad as another." - -"Then it's a common occurrence, this abducting girls from the -settlements?" - -"Yes, and the strange thing is that one never hears of such doings -until he gets out on the frontier." - -"For that matter, you don't hear much of anything, except of the -wonderful richness and promise of the western country." - -"You're right. Rumors of fat, fertile lands induce the colonist to -become a pioneer. He comes west with his family; two out of every -ten lose their scalps, and in some places the average is much -greater. The wives, daughters and children are carried off into -captivity. I have been on the border two years, and know that the -rescue of any captive, as Wetzel rescued your friend, is a -remarkable exception." - -"If you have so little hope of recovering your sweetheart, what then -is your motive for accompanying this band of hunters?" - -"Revenge!" - -"And you are a preacher?" Jim's voice did not disguise his -astonishment. - -"I was a preacher, and now I am thirsting for vengeance," answered -Christy, his face clouding darkly. "Wait until you learn what -frontier life means. You are young here yet; you are flushed with -the success of your teaching; you have lived a short time in this -quiet village, where, until the last few days, all has been serene. -You know nothing of the strife, of the necessity of fighting, of the -cruelty which makes up this border existence. Only two years have -hardened me so that I actually pant for the blood of the renegade -who has robbed me. A frontiersman must take his choice of succumbing -or cutting his way through flesh and bone. Blood will be spilled; if -not yours, then your foe's. The pioneers run from the plow to the -fight; they halt in the cutting of corn to defend themselves, and in -winter must battle against cold and hardship, which would be less -cruel if there was time in summer to prepare for winter, for the -savages leave them hardly an opportunity to plant crops. How many -pioneers have given up, and gone back east? Find me any who would -not return home to-morrow, if they could. All that brings them out -here is the chance for a home, and all that keeps them out here is -the poor hope of finally attaining their object. Always there is a -possibility of future prosperity. But this generation, if it -survives, will never see prosperity and happiness. What does this -border life engender in a pioneer who holds his own in it? Of all -things, not Christianity. He becomes a fighter, keen as the redskin -who steals through the coverts." - - * * * - -The serene days of the Village of Peace had passed into history. -Soon that depraved vagabond, the French trader, with cheap trinkets -and vile whisky, made his appearance. This was all that was needed -to inflame the visitors. Where they had been only bold and impudent, -they became insulting and abusive. They execrated the Christian -Indians for their neutrality; scorned them for worshiping this -unknown God, and denounced a religion which made women of strong -men. - -The slaughtering of cattle commenced; the despoiling of maize -fields, and robbing of corn-cribs began with the drunkenness. - -All this time it was seen that Girty and Elliott consulted often -with Pipe and Half King. The latter was the only Huron chief opposed -to neutrality toward the Village of Peace, and he was, if possible, -more fierce in his hatred than Pipe. The future of the Christian -settlement rested with these two chiefs. Girty and Elliott, -evidently, were the designing schemers, and they worked diligently -on the passions of these simple-minded, but fierce, warlike chiefs. - -Greatly to the relief of the distracted missionaries, Heckewelder -returned to the village. Jaded and haggard, he presented a -travel-worn appearance. He made the astonishing assertions that he -had been thrice waylaid and assaulted on his way to Goshocking; then -detained by a roving band of Chippewas, and soon after his arrival -at their camping ground a renegade had run off with a white woman -captive, while the Indians west of the village were in an uproar. -Zeisberger, however, was safe in the Moravian town of Salem, some -miles west of Goshocking. Heckewelder had expected to find the same -condition of affairs as existed in the Village of Peace; but he was -bewildered by the great array of hostile Indians. Chiefs who had -once extended friendly hands to him, now drew back coldly, as they -said: - -"Washington is dead. The American armies are cut to pieces. The few -thousands who had escaped the British are collecting at Fort Pitt to -steal the Indian's land." - -Heckewelder vigorously denied all these assertions, knowing they had -been invented by Girty and Elliott. He exhausted all his skill and -patience in the vain endeavor to show Pipe where he was wrong. Half -King had been so well coached by the renegades that he refused to -listen. The other chiefs maintained a cold reserve that was baffling -and exasperating. Wingenund took no active part in the councils; but -his presence apparently denoted that he had sided with the others. -The outlook was altogether discouraging. - -"I'm completely fagged out," declared Heckewelder, that night when -he returned to Edwards' cabin. He dropped into a chair as one whose -strength is entirely spent, whose indomitable spirit has at last -been broken. - -"Lie down to rest," said Edwards. - -"Oh, I can't. Matters look so black." - -"You're tired out and discouraged. You'll feel better to-morrow. The -situation is not, perhaps, so hopeless. The presence of these -frontiersmen should encourage us." - -"What will they do? What can they do?" cried Heckewelder, bitterly. -"I tell you never before have I encountered such gloomy, stony -Indians. It seems to me that they are in no vacillating state. They -act like men whose course is already decided upon, and who are only -waiting." - -"For what?" asked Jim, after a long silence. - -"God only knows! Perhaps for a time; possibly for a final decision, -and, it may be, for a reason, the very thought of which makes me -faint." - -"Tell us," said Edwards, speaking quietly, for he had ever been the -calmest of the missionaries. - -"Never mind. Perhaps it's only my nerves. I'm all unstrung, and -could suspect anything to-night." - -"Heckewelder, tell us?" Jim asked, earnestly. - -"My friends, I pray I am wrong. God help us if my fears are correct. -I believe the Indians are waiting for Jim Girty." - - - -Chapter XXII. - -Simon Girty lolled on a blanket in Half King's teepee. He was alone, -awaiting his allies. Rings of white smoke curled lazily from his -lips as he puffed on a long Indian pipe, and gazed out over the -clearing that contained the Village of Peace. - -Still water has something in its placid surface significant of deep -channels, of hidden depths; the dim outline of the forest is dark -with meaning, suggestive of its wild internal character. So Simon -Girty's hard, bronzed face betrayed the man. His degenerate -brother's features were revolting; but his own were striking, and -fell short of being handsome only because of their craggy hardness. -Years of revolt, of bitterness, of consciousness of wasted life, had -graven their stern lines on that copper, masklike face. Yet despite -the cruelty there, the forbidding shade on it, as if a reflection -from a dark soul, it was not wholly a bad countenance. Traces still -lingered, faintly, of a man in whom kindlier feelings had once -predominated. - -In a moment of pique Girty had deserted his military post at Fort -Pitt, and become an outlaw of his own volition. Previous to that -time he had been an able soldier, and a good fellow. When he -realized that his step was irrevocable, that even his best friends -condemned him, he plunged, with anger and despair in his heart, into -a war upon his own race. Both of his brothers had long been border -ruffians, whose only protection from the outraged pioneers lay in -the faraway camps of hostile tribes. George Girty had so sunk his -individuality into the savage's that he was no longer a white man. -Jim Girty stalked over the borderland with a bloody tomahawk, his -long arm outstretched to clutch some unfortunate white woman, and -with his hideous smile of death. Both of these men were far lower -than the worst savages, and it was almost wholly to their deeds of -darkness that Simon Girty owed his infamous name. - -To-day White Chief, as Girty was called, awaited his men. A slight -tremor of the ground caused him to turn his gaze. The Huron chief, -Half King, resplendent in his magnificent array, had entered the -teepee. He squatted in a corner, rested the bowl of his great pipe -on his knee, and smoked in silence. The habitual frown of his black -brow, like a shaded, overhanging cliff; the fire flashing from his -eyes, as a shining light is reflected from a dark pool; his -closely-shut, bulging jaw, all bespoke a nature, lofty in its Indian -pride and arrogance, but more cruel than death. - -Another chief stalked into the teepee and seated himself. It was -Pipe. His countenance denoted none of the intelligence that made -Wingenund's face so noble; it was even coarser than Half King's, and -his eyes, resembling live coals in the dark; the long, cruel lines -of his jaw; the thin, tightly-closed lips, which looked as if they -could relax only to utter a savage command, expressed fierce cunning -and brutality. - -"White Chief is idle to-day," said Half King, speaking in the Indian -tongue. - -"King, I am waiting. Girty is slow, but sure," answered the -renegade. - -"The eagle sails slowly round and round, up and up," replied Half -King, with majestic gestures, "until his eye sees all, until he -knows his time; then he folds his wings and swoops down from the -blue sky like the forked fire. So does White Chief. But Half King is -impatient." - -"To-day decides the fate of the Village of Peace," answered Girty, -imperturbably. - -"Ugh!" grunted Pipe. - -Half King vented his approval in the same meaning exclamation. - -An hour passed; the renegade smoked in silence; the chiefs did -likewise. - -A horseman rode up to the door of the teepee, dismounted, and came -in. It was Elliott. He had been absent twenty hours. His buckskin -suit showed the effect of hard riding through the thickets. - -"Hullo, Bill, any sign of Jim?" was Girty's greeting to his -lieutenant. - -"Nary. He's not been seen near the Delaware camp. He's after that -chap who married Winds." - -"I thought so. Jim's roundin' up a tenderfoot who will be a bad man -to handle if he has half a chance. I saw as much the day he took his -horse away from Silver. He finally did fer the Shawnee, an' almost -put Jim out. My brother oughtn't to give rein to personal revenge at -a time like this." Girty's face did not change, but his tone was one -of annoyance. - -"Jim said he'd be here to-day, didn't he?" - -"To-day is as long as we allowed to wait." - -"He'll come. Where's Jake and Mac?" - -"They're here somewhere, drinkin' like fish, an' raisin' hell." - -Two more renegades appeared at the door, and, entering the teepee, -squatted down in Indian fashion. The little wiry man with the -wizened face was McKee; the other was the latest acquisition to the -renegade force, Jake Deering, deserter, thief, murderer--everything -that is bad. In appearance he was of medium height, but very -heavily, compactly built, and evidently as strong as an ox. He had a -tangled shock of red hair, a broad, bloated face; big, dull eyes, -like the openings of empty furnaces, and an expression of -beastliness. - -Deering and McKee were intoxicated. - -"Bad time fer drinkin'," said Girty, with disapproval in his glance. - -"What's that ter you?" growled Deering. "I'm here ter do your work, -an' I reckon it'll be done better if I'm drunk." - -"Don't git careless," replied Girty, with that cool tone and dark -look such as dangerous men use. "I'm only sayin' it's a bad time fer -you, because if this bunch of frontiersmen happen to git onto you -bein' the renegade that was with the Chippewas an' got thet young -feller's girl, there's liable to be trouble." - -"They ain't agoin' ter find out." - -"Where is she?" - -"Back there in the woods." - -"Mebbe it's as well. Now, don't git so drunk you'll blab all you -know. We've lots of work to do without havin' to clean up -Williamson's bunch," rejoined Girty. "Bill, tie up the tent flaps -an' we'll git to council." - -Elliott arose to carry out the order, and had pulled in the -deer-hide flaps, when one of them was jerked outward to disclose the -befrilled person of Jim Girty. Except for a discoloration over his -eye, he appeared as usual. - -"Ugh!" grunted Pipe, who was glad to see his renegade friend. - -Half King evinced the same feeling. - -"Hullo," was Simon Girty's greeting. - -"'Pears I'm on time fer the picnic," said Jim Girty, with his -ghastly leer. - -Bill Elliott closed the flaps, after giving orders to the guard to -prevent any Indians from loitering near the teepee. - -"Listen," said Simon Girty, speaking low in the Delaware language. -"The time is ripe. We have come here to break forever the influence -of the white man's religion. Our councils have been held; we shall -drive away the missionaries, and burn the Village of Peace." - -He paused, leaning forward in his exceeding earnestness, with his -bronzed face lined by swelling veins, his whole person made rigid by -the murderous thought. Then he hissed between his teeth: "What shall -we do with these Christian Indians?" - -Pipe raised his war-club, struck it upon the ground; then handed it -to Half King. - -Half King took the club and repeated the action. - -Both chiefs favored the death penalty. - -"Feed 'em to ther buzzards," croaked Jim Girty. - -Simon Girty knitted his brow in thought. The question of what to do -with the converted Indians had long perplexed him. - -"No," said he; "let us drive away the missionaries, burn the -village, and take the Indians back to camp. We'll keep them there; -they'll soon forget." - -"Pipe does not want them," declared the Delaware. - -"Christian Indians shall never sit round Half King's fire," cried -the Huron. - -Simon Girty knew the crisis had come; that but few moments were left -him to decide as to the disposition of the Christians; and he -thought seriously. Certainly he did not want the Christians -murdered. However cruel his life, and great his misdeeds, he was -still a man. If possible, he desired to burn the village and ruin -the religious influence, but without shedding blood. Yet, with all -his power, he was handicapped, and that by the very chiefs most -nearly under his control. He could not subdue this growing Christian -influence without the help of Pipe and Half King. To these savages a -thing was either right or wrong. He had sown the seed of unrest and -jealousy in the savage breasts, and the fruit was the decree of -death. As far as these Indians were concerned, this decision was -unalterable. - -On the other hand, if he did not spread ruin over the Village of -Peace, the missionaries would soon get such a grasp on the tribes -that their hold would never be broken. He could not allow that, even -if he was forced to sacrifice the missionaries along with their -converts, for he saw in the growth of this religion his own -downfall. The border must be hostile to the whites, or it could no -longer be his home. To be sure, he had aided the British in the -Revolution, and could find a refuge among them; but this did not -suit him. - -He became an outcast because of failure to win the military -promotion which he had so much coveted. He had failed among his own -people. He had won a great position in an alien race, and he loved -his power. To sway men--Indians, if not others--to his will; to -avenge himself for the fancied wrong done him; to be great, had been -his unrelenting purpose. - -He knew he must sacrifice the Christians, or eventually lose his own -power. He had no false ideas about the converted Indians. He knew -they were innocent; that they were a thousand times better off than -the pagan Indians; that they had never harmed him, nor would they -ever do so; but if he allowed them to spread their religion there -was an end of Simon Girty. - -His decision was characteristic of the man. He would sacrifice any -one, or all, to retain his supremacy. He knew the fulfillment of the -decree as laid down by Pipe and Half King would be known as his -work. His name, infamous now, would have an additional horror, and -ever be remembered by posterity in unspeakable loathing, in -unsoftening wrath. He knew this, and deep down in his heart awoke a -numbed chord of humanity that twinged with strange pain. What awful -work he must sanction to keep his vaunted power! More bitter than -all was the knowledge that to retain this hold over the Indians he -must commit a deed which, so far as the whites were concerned, would -take away his great name, and brand him a coward. - -He briefly reviewed his stirring life. Singularly fitted for a -leader, in a few years he had risen to the most powerful position on -the border. He wielded more influence than any chief. He had been -opposed to the invasion of the pioneers, and this alone, without his -sagacity or his generalship, would have given him control of many -tribes. But hatred for his own people, coupled with unerring -judgment, a remarkable ability to lead expeditions, and his -invariable success, had raised him higher and higher until he stood -alone. He was the most powerful man west of the Alleghenies. His -fame was such that the British had importuned him to help them, and -had actually, in more than one instance, given him command over -British subjects. - -All of which meant that he had a great, even though an infamous -name. No matter what he was blamed for; no matter how many dastardly -deeds had been committed by his depraved brothers and laid to his -door, he knew he had never done a cowardly act. That which he had -committed while he was drunk he considered as having been done by -the liquor, and not by the man. He loved his power, and he loved his -name. - -In all Girty's eventful, ignoble life, neither the alienation from -his people, the horror they ascribed to his power, nor the sacrifice -of his life to stand high among the savage races, nor any of the -cruel deeds committed while at war, hurt him a tithe as much as did -this sanctioning the massacre of the Christians. - -Although he was a vengeful, unscrupulous, evil man, he had never -acted the coward. - -Half King waited long for Girty to speak; since he remained silent, -the wily Huron suggested they take a vote on the question. - -"Let us burn the Village of Peace, drive away the missionaries, and -take the Christians back to the Delaware towns--all without spilling -blood," said Girty, determined to carry his point, if possible. - -"I say the same," added Elliott, refusing the war-club held out to -him by Half King. - -"Me, too," voted McKee, not so drunk but that he understood the -lightninglike glance Girty shot at him. - -"Kill 'em all; kill everybody," cried Deering in drunken glee. He -took the club and pounded with it on the ground. - -Pipe repeated his former performance, as also did Half King, after -which he handed the black, knotted symbol of death to Jim Girty. - -Three had declared for saving the Christians, and three for the -death penalty. - -Six pairs of burning eyes were fastened on the Deaths-head. - -Pipe and Half King were coldly relentless; Deering awoke to a brutal -earnestness; McKee and Elliott watched with bated breath. These men -had formed themselves into a tribunal to decide on the life or death -of many, and the situation, if not the greatest in their lives, -certainly was one of vital importance. - -Simon Girty cursed all the fates. He dared not openly oppose the -voting, and he could not, before those cruel but just chiefs, try to -influence his brother's vote. - -As Jim Girty took the war-club, Simon read in his brother's face the -doom of the converted Indians and he muttered to himself: - -"Now tremble an' shrink, all you Christians!" - -Jim was not in a hurry. Slowly he poised the war-club. He was -playing as a cat plays with a mouse; he was glorying in his power. -The silence was that of death. It signified the silence of death. -The war-club descended with violence. - -"Feed the Christians to ther buzzards!" - - - -Chapter XXIII. - -"I have been here before," said Joe to Whispering Winds. "I remember -that vine-covered stone. We crawled over it to get at Girty and -Silvertip. There's the little knoll; here's the very spot where I -was hit by a flying tomahawk. Yes, and there's the spring. Let me -see, what did Wetzel call this spot?" - -"Beautiful Spring," answered the Indian girl. - -"That's it, and it's well named. What a lovely place!" - -Nature had been lavish in the beautifying of this inclosed dell. It -was about fifty yards wide, and nestled among little, wooded knolls -and walls of gray, lichen-covered stone. Though the sun shone -brightly into the opening, and the rain had free access to the mossy -ground, no stormy winds ever entered this well protected glade. - -Joe reveled in the beauty of the scene, even while he was too weak -to stand erect. He suffered no pain from his wound, although he had -gradually grown dizzy, and felt as if the ground was rising before -him. He was glad to lie upon the mossy ground in the little cavern -under the cliff. - -Upon examination his wound was found to have opened, and was -bleeding. His hunting coat was saturated with blood. Whispering -Winds washed the cut, and dressed it with cooling leaves. Then she -rebandaged it tightly with Joe's linsey handkerchiefs, and while he -rested comfortable she gathered bundles of ferns, carrying them to -the little cavern. When she had a large quantity of these she sat -down near Joe, and began to weave the long stems into a kind of -screen. The fern stalks were four feet long and half a foot wide; -these she deftly laced together, making broad screens which would -serve to ward off the night dews. This done, she next built a -fireplace with flat stones. She found wild apples, plums and turnips -on the knoll above the glade. Then she cooked strips of meat which -had been brought with them. Lance grazed on the long grass just -without the glade, and Mose caught two rabbits. When darkness -settled down Whispering Winds called the dog within the cavern, and -hung the screens before the opening. - -Several days passed. Joe rested quietly, and began to recover -strength. Besides the work of preparing their meals, Whispering -Winds had nothing to do save sit near the invalid and amuse or -interest him so that he would not fret or grow impatient, while his -wound was healing. - -They talked about their future prospects. After visiting the Village -of Peace, they would go to Fort Henry, where Joe could find -employment. They dwelt upon the cabin they would build, and passed -many happy moments planning a new home. Joe's love of the wilderness -had in no wise diminished; but a blow on his head from a heavy -tomahawk, and a vicious stab in the back, had lessened his zeal so -far that he understood it was not wise to sacrifice life for the -pleasures of the pathless woods. He could have the last without the -danger of being shot at from behind every tree. He reasoned that it -would be best for him to take his wife to Fort Henry, there find -employment, and devote his leisure time to roaming in the forest. - -"Will the palefaces be kind to an Indian who has learned to love -them?" Whispering Winds asked wistfully of Joe. - -"Indeed they will," answered Joe, and he told her the story of Isaac -Zane; how he took his Indian bride home; how her beauty and -sweetness soon won all the white people's love. "It will be so with -you, my wife." - -"Whispering Winds knows so little," she murmured. - -"Why, you are learning every day, and even if such was not the case, -you know enough for me." - -"Whispering Winds will be afraid; she fears a little to go." - -"I'll be glad when we can be on the move," said Joe, with his old -impatient desire for action. "How soon, Winds, can we set off?" - -"As many days," answered the Indian girl, holding up five fingers. - -"So long? I want to leave this place." - -"Leave Beautiful Spring?" - -"Yes, even this sweet place. It has a horror for me. I'll never -forget the night I first saw that spring shining in the moonlight. -It was right above the rock that I looked into the glade. The moon -was reflected in the dark pool, and as I gazed into the shadowy -depths of the dark water I suddenly felt an unaccountable terror; -but I oughtn't to have the same feeling now. We are safe, are we -not?" - -"We are safe," murmured Whispering Winds. - -"Yet I have the same chill of fear whenever I look at the beautiful -spring, and at night as I awake to hear the soft babble of running -water, I freeze until my heart feels like cold lead. Winds, I'm not -a coward; but I can't help this feeling. Perhaps, it's only the -memory of that awful night with Wetzel." - -"An Indian feels so when he passes to his unmarked grave," answered -Winds, gazing solemnly at him. "Whispering Winds does not like this -fancy of yours. Let us leave Beautiful Spring. You are almost well. -Ah! if Whispering Winds should lose you! I love you!" - -"And I love you, my beautiful wild flower," answered Joe, stroking -the dark head so near his own. - -A tender smile shone on his face. He heard a slight noise without -the cave, and, looking up, saw that which caused the smile to fade -quickly. - -"Mose!" he called, sharply. The dog was away chasing rabbits. - -Whispering Winds glanced over her shoulder with a startled cry, -which ended in a scream. - -Not two yards behind her stood Jim Girty. - -Hideous was his face in its triumphant ferocity. He held a long -knife in his hand, and, snarling like a mad wolf, he made a forward -lunge. - -Joe raised himself quickly; but almost before he could lift his hand -in defense, the long blade was sheathed in his breast. - -Slowly he sank back, his gray eyes contracting with the old steely -flash. The will to do was there, but the power was gone forever. - -"Remember, Girty, murderer! I am Wetzel's friend," he cried, gazing -at his slayer with unutterable scorn. - -Then the gray eyes softened, and sought the blanched face of the -stricken maiden. - -"Winds," he whispered faintly. - -She was as one frozen with horror. - -The gray eyes gazed into hers with lingering tenderness; then the -film of death came upon them. - -The renegade raised his bloody knife, and bent over the prostrate -form. - -Whispering Winds threw herself upon Girty with the blind fury of a -maddened lioness. Cursing fiercely, he stabbed her once, twice, -three times. She fell across the body of her lover, and clasped it -convulsively. - -Girty gave one glance at his victims; deliberately wiped the gory -knife on Wind's leggins, and, with another glance, hurried and -fearful, around the glade, he plunged into the thicket. - -An hour passed. A dark stream crept from the quiet figures toward -the spring. It dyed the moss and the green violet leaves. Slowly it -wound its way to the clear water, dripping between the pale blue -flowers. The little fall below the spring was no longer snowy white; -blood had tinged it red. - -A dog came bounding into the glade. He leaped the brook, hesitated -on the bank, and lowered his nose to sniff at the water. He bounded -up the bank to the cavern. - -A long, mournful howl broke the wilderness's quiet. - -Another hour passed. The birds were silent; the insects still. The -sun sank behind the trees, and the shades of evening gathered. - -The ferns on the other side of the glade trembled. A slight rustle -of dead leaves disturbed the stillness. The dog whined, then barked. -The tall form of a hunter rose out of the thicket, and stepped into -the glade with his eyes bent upon moccasin tracks in the soft moss. - -The trail he had been following led him to this bloody spring. - -"I might hev knowed it," he muttered. - -Wetzel, for it was he, leaned upon his long rifle while his keen -eyes took in the details of the tragedy. The whining dog, the bloody -water, the motionless figures lying in a last embrace, told the sad -story. - -"Joe an' Winds," he muttered. - -Only a moment did he remain lost in sad reflection. A familiar -moccasin-print in the sand on the bank pointed westward. He examined -it carefully. - -"Two hours gone," he muttered. "I might overtake him." - -Then his motions became swift. With two blows of his tomahawk he -secured a long piece of grapevine. He took a heavy stone from the -bed of the brook. He carried Joe to the spring, and, returning for -Winds, placed her beside her lover. This done, he tied one end of -the grapevine around the stone, and wound the other about the dead -bodies. - -He pushed them off the bank into the spring. As the lovers sank into -the deep pool they turned, exposing first Winds' sad face, and then -Joe's. Then they sank out of sight. Little waves splashed on the -shore of the pool; the ripple disappeared, and the surface of the -spring became tranquil. - -Wetzel stood one moment over the watery grave of the maiden who had -saved him, and the boy who had loved him. In the gathering gloom his -stalwart form assumed gigantic proportions, and when he raised his -long arm and shook his clenched fist toward the west, he resembled a -magnificent statue of dark menace. - -With a single bound he cleared the pool, and then sped out of the -glade. He urged the dog on Girty's trail, and followed the eager -beast toward the west. As he disappeared, a long, low sound like the -sigh of the night wind swelled and moaned through the gloom. - - - -Chapter XXIV. - -When the first ruddy rays of the rising sun crimsoned the eastern -sky, Wetzel slowly wound his way down a rugged hill far west of -Beautiful Spring. A white dog, weary and footsore, limped by his -side. Both man and beast showed evidence of severe exertion. - -The hunter stopped in a little cave under a projecting stone, and, -laying aside his rifle, began to gather twigs and sticks. He was -particular about selecting the wood, and threw aside many pieces -which would have burned well; but when he did kindle a flame it -blazed hotly, yet made no smoke. - -He sharpened a green stick, and, taking some strips of meat from his -pocket, roasted them over the hot flame. He fed the dog first. Mose -had crouched close on the ground with his head on his paws, and his -brown eyes fastened upon the hunter. - -"He had too big a start fer us," said Wetzel, speaking as if the dog -were human. It seemed that Wetzel's words were a protest against the -meaning in those large, sad eyes. - -Then the hunter put out the fire, and, searching for a more secluded -spot, finally found one on top of the ledge, where he commanded a -good view of his surroundings. The weary dog was asleep. Wetzel -settled himself to rest, and was soon wrapped in slumber. - -About noon he awoke. He arose, stretched his limbs, and then took an -easy position on the front of the ledge, where he could look below. -Evidently the hunter was waiting for something. The dog slept on. It -was the noonday hour, when the stillness of the forest almost -matched that of midnight. The birds were more quiet than at any -other time during daylight. - -Wetzel reclined there with his head against the stone, and his rifle -resting across his knees. - -He listened now to the sounds of the forest. The soft breeze -fluttering among the leaves, the rain-call of the tree frog, the caw -of crows from distant hilltops, the sweet songs of the thrush and -oriole, were blended together naturally, harmoniously. - -But suddenly the hunter raised his head. A note, deeper than the -others, a little too strong, came from far down the shaded hollow. -To Wetzel's trained ear it was a discord. He manifested no more than -this attention, for the birdcall was the signal he had been -awaiting. He whistled a note in answer that was as deep and clear as -the one which had roused him. - -Moments passed. There was no repetition of the sound. The songs of -the other birds had ceased. Besides Wetzel there was another -intruder in the woods. - -Mose lifted his shaggy head and growled. The hunter patted the dog. -In a few minutes the figure of a tall man appeared among the laurels -down the slope. He stopped while gazing up at the ledge. Then, with -noiseless step, he ascended the ridge, climbed the rocky ledge, and -turned the corner of the stone to face Wetzel. The newcomer was -Jonathan Zane. - -"Jack, I expected you afore this," was Wetzel's greeting. - -"I couldn't make it sooner," answered Zane. "After we left -Williamson and separated, I got turned around by a band of several -hundred redskins makin' for the Village of Peace. I went back again, -but couldn't find any sign of the trail we're huntin'. Then I makes -for this meetin' place. I've been goin' for some ten hours, and am -hungry." - -"I've got some bar ready cooked," said Wetzel, handing Zane several -strips of meat. - -"What luck did you have?" - -"I found Girty's trail, an old one, over here some eighteen or -twenty miles, an' follered it until I went almost into the Delaware -town. It led to a hut in a deep ravine. I ain't often surprised, but -I wus then. I found the dead body of that girl, Kate Wells, we -fetched over from Fort Henry. Thet's sad, but it ain't the -surprisin' part. I also found Silvertip, the Shawnee I've been -lookin' fer. He was all knocked an' cut up, deader'n a stone. -There'd been somethin' of a scrap in the hut. I calkilate Girty -murdered Kate, but I couldn't think then who did fer Silver, though -I allowed the renegade might hev done thet, too. I watched round an' -seen Girty come back to the hut. He had ten Injuns with him, an' -presently they all made fer the west. I trailed them, but didn't -calkilate it'd be wise to tackle the bunch single-handed, so laid -back. A mile or so from the hut I came across hoss tracks minglin' -with the moccasin-prints. About fifteen mile or from the Delaware -town, Girty left his buckskins, an' they went west, while he stuck -to the hoss tracks. I was onto his game in a minute. I cut across -country fer Beautiful Spring, but I got there too late. I found the -warm bodies of Joe and thet Injun girl, Winds. The snake hed -murdered them." - -"I allow Joe won over Winds, got away from the Delaware town with -her, tried to rescue Kate, and killed Silver in the fight. Girty -probably was surprised, an' run after he had knifed the girl." - -"'Pears so to me. Joe had two knife cuts, an' one was an old wound." - -"You say it was a bad fight?" - -"Must hev been. The hut was all knocked in, an' stuff scattered -about. Wal, Joe could go some if he onct got started." - -"I'll bet he could. He was the likeliest lad I've seen for many a -day." - -"If he'd lasted, he'd been somethin' of a hunter an' fighter." - -"Too bad. But Lord! you couldn't keep him down, no more than you can -lots of these wild young chaps that drift out here." - -"I'll allow he had the fever bad." - -"Did you hev time to bury them?" - -"I hedn't time fer much. I sunk them in the spring." - -"It's a pretty deep hole," said Zane, reflectively. "Then, you and -the dog took Girty's trail, but couldn't catch up with him. He's now -with the renegade cutthroats and hundreds of riled Indians over -there in the Village of Peace." - -"I reckon you're right." - -A long silence ensued. Jonathan finished his simple repast, drank -from the little spring that trickled under the stone, and, sitting -down by the dog, smoothed out his long silken hair. - -"Lew, we're pretty good friends, ain't we?" he asked, thoughtfully. - -"Jack, you an' the colonel are all the friends I ever hed, 'ceptin' -that boy lyin' quiet back there in the woods." - -"I know you pretty well, and ain't sayin' a word about your runnin' -off from me on many a hunt, but I want to speak plain about this -fellow Girty." - -"Wal?" said Wetzel, as Zane hesitated. - -"Twice in the last few years you and I have had it in for the same -men, both white-livered traitors. You remember? First it was Miller, -who tried to ruin my sister Betty, and next it was Jim Girty, who -murdered our old friend, as good an old man as ever wore moccasins. -Wal, after Miller ran off from the fort, we trailed him down to the -river, and I points across and says, 'You or me?' and you says, -'Me.' You was Betty's friend, and I knew she'd be avenged. Miller is -lyin' quiet in the woods, and violets have blossomed twice over his -grave, though you never said a word; but I know it's true because I -know you." - -Zane looked eagerly into the dark face of his friend, hoping perhaps -to get some verbal assurance there that his belief was true. But -Wetzel did not speak, and he continued: - -"Another day not so long ago we both looked down at an old friend, -and saw his white hair matted with blood. He'd been murdered for -nothin'. Again you and me trailed a coward and found him to be Jim -Girty. I knew you'd been huntin' him for years, and so I says, 'Lew, -you or me?' and you says, 'Me.' I give in to you, for I knew you're -a better man than me, and because I wanted you to have the -satisfaction. Wal, the months have gone by, and Jim Girty's still -livin' and carryin' on. Now he's over there after them poor -preachers. I ain't sayin', Lew, that you haven't more agin him than -me, but I do say, let me in on it with you. He always has a gang of -redskins with him; he's afraid to travel alone, else you'd had him -long ago. Two of us'll have more chance to get him. Let me go with -you. When it comes to a finish, I'll stand aside while you give it -to him. I'd enjoy seein' you cut him from shoulder to hip. After he -leaves the Village of Peace we'll hit his trail, camp on it, and -stick to it until it ends in his grave." - -The earnest voice of the backwoodsman ceased. Both men rose and -stood facing each other. Zane's bronzed face was hard and tense, -expressive of an indomitable will; Wetzel's was coldly dark, with -fateful resolve, as if his decree of vengeance, once given, was as -immutable as destiny. The big, horny hands gripped in a viselike -clasp born of fierce passion, but no word was spoken. - -Far to the west somewhere, a befrilled and bedizened renegade -pursued the wild tenor of his ways; perhaps, even now steeping his -soul in more crime, or staining his hands a deeper red, but sleeping -or waking, he dreamed not of this deadly compact that meant his -doom. - -The two hunters turned their stern faces toward the west, and passed -silently down the ridge into the depths of the forest. Darkness -found them within rifle-shot of the Village of Peace. With the dog -creeping between them, they crawled to a position which would, in -daylight, command a view of the clearing. Then, while one stood -guard, the other slept. - -When morning dawned they shifted their position to the top of a low, -fern-covered cliff, from which they could see every movement in the -village. All the morning they watched with that wonderful patience -of men who knew how to wait. The visiting savages were quiet, the -missionaries moved about in and out of the shops and cabins; the -Christian Indians worked industriously in the fields, while the -renegades lolled before a prominent teepee. - -"This quiet looks bad," whispered Jonathan to Wetzel. No shouts were -heard; not a hostile Indian was seen to move. - -"They've come to a decision," whispered Jonathan, and Wetzel -answered him: - -"If they hev, the Christians don't know it." - -An hour later the deep pealing of the church bell broke the silence. -The entire band of Christian Indians gathered near the large log -structure, and then marched in orderly form toward the maple grove -where the service was always held in pleasant weather. This movement -brought the Indians within several hundred yards of the cliff where -Zane and Wetzel lay concealed. - -"There's Heckewelder walking with old man Wells," whispered -Jonathan. "There's Young and Edwards, and, yes, there's the young -missionary, brother of Joe. 'Pears to me they're foolish to hold -service in the face of all those riled Injuns." - -"Wuss'n foolish," answered Wetzel. - -"Look! By gum! As I'm a livin' sinner there comes the whole crowd of -hostile redskins. They've got their guns, and--by Gum! they're -painted. Looks bad, bad! Not much friendliness about that bunch!" - -"They ain't intendin' to be peaceable." - -"By gum! You're right. There ain't one of them settin' down. 'Pears -to me I know some of them redskins. There's Pipe, sure enough, and -Kotoxen. By gum! If there ain't Shingiss; he was friendly once." - -"None of them's friendly." - -"Look! Lew, look! Right behind Pipe. See that long war-bonnet. As -I'm a born sinner, that's your old friend, Wingenund. 'Pears to me -we've rounded up all our acquaintances." - -The two bordermen lay close under the tall ferns and watched the -proceedings with sharp eyes. They saw the converted Indians seat -themselves before the platform. The crowd of hostile Indians -surrounded the glade on all sides, except on, which, singularly -enough, was next to the woods. - -"Look thar!" exclaimed Wetzel, under his breath. He pointed off to -the right of the maple glade. Jonathan gazed in the direction -indicated, and saw two savages stealthily slipping through the -bushes, and behind trees. Presently these suspicious acting spies, -or scouts, stopped on a little knoll perhaps an hundred yards from -the glade. - -Wetzel groaned. - -"This ain't comfortable," growled Zane, in a low whisper. "Them red -devils are up to somethin' bad. They'd better not move round over -here." - -The hunters, satisfied that the two isolated savages meant mischief, -turned their gaze once more toward the maple grove. - -"Ah! Simon you white traitor! See him, Lew, comin' with his precious -gang," said Jonathan. "He's got the whole thing fixed, you can -plainly see that. Bill Elliott, McKee; and who's that renegade with -Jim Girty? I'll allow he must be the fellar we heard was with the -Chippewas. Tough lookin' customer; a good mate fer Jim Girty! A fine -lot of border-hawks!" - -"Somethin' comin' off," whispered Wetzel, as Zane's low growl grew -unintelligible. - -Jonathan felt, rather than saw, Wetzel tremble. - -"The missionaries are consultin'. Ah! there comes one! Which? I -guess it's Edwards. By gum! who's that Injun stalkin' over from the -hostile bunch. Big chief, whoever he is. Blest if it ain't Half -King!" - -The watchers saw the chief wave his arm and speak with evident -arrogance to Edwards, who, however, advanced to the platform and -raised his hand to address the Christians. - -"Crack!" - -A shot rang out from the thicket. Clutching wildly at his breast, -the missionary reeled back, staggered, and fell. - -"One of those skulkin' redskins has killed Edwards," said Zane. -"But, no; he's not dead! He's gettin' up. Mebbe he ain't hurt bad. -By gum! there's Young comin' forward. Of all the fools!" - -It was indeed true that Young had faced the Indians. Half King -addressed him as he had the other; but Young raised his hand and -began speaking. - -"Crack!" - -Another shot rang out. Young threw up his hands and fell heavily. -The missionaries rushed toward him. Mr. Wells ran round the group, -wringing his hands as if distracted. - -"He's hard hit," hissed Zane, between his teeth. "You can tell that -by the way he fell." - -Wetzel did not answer. He lay silent and motionless, his long body -rigid, and his face like marble. - -"There comes the other young fellar--Joe's brother. He'll get -plugged, too," continued Zane, whispering rather to himself than to -his companion. "Oh, I hoped they'd show some sense! It's noble for -them to die for Christianity, but it won't do no good. By gum! -Heckewelder has pulled him back. Now, that's good judgment!" - -Half King stepped before the Christians and addressed them. He held -in his hand a black war-club, which he wielded as he spoke. - -Jonathan's attention was now directed from the maple grove to the -hunter beside him. He had heard a slight metallic click, as Wetzel -cocked his rifle. Then he saw the black barrel slowly rise. - -"Listen, Lew. Mebbe it ain't good sense. We're after Girty, you -remember; and it's a long shot from here--full three hundred yards." - -"You're right, Jack, you're right," answered Wetzel, breathing hard. - -"Let's wait, and see what comes off." - -"Jack, I can't do it. It'll make our job harder; but I can't help -it. I can put a bullet just over the Huron's left eye, an' I'm goin' -to do it." - -"You can't do it, Lew; you can't! It's too far for any gun. Wait! -Wait!" whispered Jonathan, laying his hand on Wetzel's shoulder. - -"Wait? Man, can't you see what the unnamable villain is doin'?" - -"What?" asked Zane, turning his eyes again to the glade. - -The converted Indians sat with bowed heads. Half King raised his -war-club, and threw it on the ground in front of them. - -"He's announcin' the death decree!" hissed Wetzel. - -"Well! if he ain't!" - -Jonathan looked at Wetzel's face. Then he rose to his knees, as had -Wetzel, and tightened his belt. He knew that in another instant they -would be speeding away through the forest. - -"Lew, my rifle's no good fer that distance. But mebbe yours is. You -ought to know. It's not sense, because there's Simon Girty, and -there's Jim, the men we're after. If you can hit one, you can -another. But go ahead, Lew. Plug that cowardly redskin!" - -Wetzel knelt on one knee, and thrust the black rifle forward through -the fern leaves. Slowly the fatal barrel rose to a level, and became -as motionless as the immovable stones. - -Jonathan fixed his keen gaze on the haughty countenance of Half King -as he stood with folded arms and scornful mien in front of the -Christians he had just condemned. - -Even as the short, stinging crack of Wetzel's rifle broke the -silence, Jonathan saw the fierce expression of Half King's dark face -change to one of vacant wildness. His arms never relaxed from their -folded position. He fell, as falls a monarch of the forest trees, a -dead weight. - - - -Chapter XXV. - -"Please do not preach to-day," said Nell, raising her eyes -imploringly to Jim's face. - -"Nellie, I must conduct the services as usual. I can not shirk my -duty, nor let these renegades see I fear to face them." - -"I have such a queer feeling. I am afraid. I don't want to be left -alone. Please do not leave me." - -Jim strode nervously up and down the length of the room. Nell's worn -face, her beseeching eyes and trembling hands touched his heart. -Rather than almost anything else, he desired to please her, to -strengthen her; yet how could he shirk his duty? - -"Nellie, what is it you fear?" he asked, holding her hands tightly. - -"Oh, I don't know what--everything. Uncle is growing weaker every -day. Look at Mr. Young; he is only a shadow of his former self, and -this anxiety is wearing Mr. Heckewelder out. He is more concerned -than he dares admit. You needn't shake your head, for I know it. -Then those Indians who are waiting, waiting--for God only knows -what! Worse than all to me, I saw that renegade, that fearful beast -who made way with poor dear Kate!" - -Nell burst into tears, and leaned sobbing on Jim's shoulder. - -"Nell, I've kept my courage only because of you," replied Jim, his -voice trembling slightly. - -She looked up quickly. Something in the pale face which was bent -over her told that now, if ever, was the time for a woman to forget -herself, and to cheer, to inspire those around her. - -"I am a silly baby, and selfish!" she cried, freeing herself from -his hold. "Always thinking of myself." She turned away and wiped the -tears from her eyes. "Go, Jim, do you duty; I'll stand by and help -you all a woman can." - - * * * - -The missionaries were consulting in Heckewelder's cabin. Zeisberger -had returned that morning, and his aggressive, dominating spirit was -just what they needed in an hour like this. He raised the downcast -spirits of the ministers. - -"Hold the service? I should say we will," he declared, waving his -hands. "What have we to be afraid of?" - -"I do not know," answered Heckewelder, shaking his head doubtfully. -"I do not know what to fear. Girty himself told me he bore us no ill -will; but I hardly believe him. All this silence, this ominous -waiting perplexes, bewilders me." - -"Gentlemen, our duty at least is plain," said Jim, impressively. -"The faith of these Christian Indians in us is so absolute that they -have no fear. They believe in God, and in us. These threatening -savages have failed signally to impress our Christians. If we do not -hold the service they will think we fear Girty, and that might have -a bad influence." - -"I am in favor of postponing the preaching for a few days. I tell -you I am afraid of Girty's Indians, not for myself, but for these -Christians whom we love so well. I am afraid." Heckewelder's face -bore testimony to his anxious dread. - -"You are our leader; we have but to obey," said Edwards. "Yet I -think we owe it to our converts to stick to our work until we are -forced by violence to desist." - -"Ah! What form will that violence take?" cried Heckewelder, his face -white. "You cannot tell what these savages mean. I fear! I fear!" - -"Listen, Heckewelder, you must remember we had this to go through -once before," put in Zeisberger earnestly. "In '78 Girty came down -on us like a wolf on the fold. He had not so many Indians at his -beck and call as now; but he harangued for days, trying to scare us -and our handful of Christians. He set his drunken fiends to frighten -us, and he failed. We stuck it out and won. He's trying the same -game. Let us stand against him, and hold our services as usual. We -should trust in God!" - -"Never give up!" cried Jim. - -"Gentlemen, you are right; you shame me, even though I feel that I -understand the situation and its dread possibilities better than any -one of you. Whatever befalls we'll stick to our post. I thank you -for reviving the spirit in my cowardly heart. We will hold the -service to-day as usual and to make it more impressive, each shall -address the congregation in turn." - -"And, if need be, we will give our lives for our Christians," said -Young, raising his pale face. - - * * * - -The deep mellow peals of the church bell awoke the slumbering -echoes. Scarcely had its melody died away in the forest when a line -of Indians issued from the church and marched toward the maple -grove. Men, women, youths, maidens and children. - -Glickhican, the old Delaware chief, headed the line. His step was -firm, his head erect, his face calm in its noble austerity. His -followers likewise expressed in their countenances the steadfastness -of their belief. The maidens' heads were bowed, but with shyness, -not fear. The children were happy, their bright faces expressive of -the joy they felt in the anticipation of listening to their beloved -teachers. - -This procession passed between rows of painted savages, standing -immovable, with folded arms, and somber eyes. - -No sooner had the Christians reached the maple grove, when from all -over the clearing appeared hostile Indians, who took positions near -the knoll where the missionaries stood. - -Heckewelder's faithful little band awaited him on the platform. The -converted Indians seated themselves as usual at the foot of the -knoll. The other savages crowded closely on both sides. They carried -their weapons, and maintained the same silence that had so -singularly marked their mood of the last twenty-four hours. No human -skill could have divined their intention. This coldness might be -only habitual reserve, and it might be anything else. - -Heckewelder approached at the same time that Simon Girty and his -band of renegades appeared. With the renegades were Pipe and Half -King. These two came slowly across the clearing, passed through the -opening in the crowd, and stopped close to the platform. - -Heckewelder went hurriedly up to his missionaries. He seemed beside -himself with excitement, and spoke with difficulty. - -"Do not preach to-day. I have been warned again," he said, in a low -voice. - -"Do you forbid it?" inquired Edwards. - -"No, no. I have not that authority, but I implore it. Wait, wait -until the Indians are in a better mood." - -Edwards left the group, and, stepping upon the platform, faced the -Christians. - -At the same moment Half King stalked majestically from before his -party. He carried no weapon save a black, knotted war-club. A -surging forward of the crowd of savages behind him showed the -intense interest which his action had aroused. He walked forward -until he stood half way between the platform and the converts. He -ran his evil glance slowly over the Christians, and then rested it -upon Edwards. - -"Half King's orders are to be obeyed. Let the paleface keep his -mouth closed," he cried in the Indian tongue. The imperious command -came as a thunderbolt from a clear sky. The missionaries behind -Edwards stood bewildered, awaiting the outcome. - -But Edwards, without a moment's hesitation, calmly lifted his hand -and spoke. - -"Beloved Christians, we meet to-day as we have met before, as we -hope to meet in---" - -"Spang!" - -The whistling of a bullet over the heads of the Christians -accompanied the loud report of a rifle. All presently plainly heard -the leaden missile strike. Edwards wheeled, clutching his side, -breathed hard, and then fell heavily without uttering a cry. He had -been shot by an Indian concealed in the thicket. - -For a moment no one moved, nor spoke. The missionaries were stricken -with horror; the converts seemed turned to stone, and the hostile -throng waited silently, as they had for hours. - -"He's shot! He's shot! Oh, I feared this!" cried Heckewelder, -running forward. The missionaries followed him. Edwards was lying on -his back, with a bloody hand pressed to his side. - -"Dave, Dave, how is it with you?" asked Heckewelder, in a voice low -with fear. - -"Not bad. It's too far out to be bad, but it knocked me over," -answered Edwards, weakly. "Give me--water." - -They carried him from the platform, and laid him on the grass under -a tree. - -Young pressed Edwards' hand; he murmured something that sounded like -a prayer, and then walked straight upon the platform, as he raised -his face, which was sublime with a white light. - -"Paleface! Back!" roared Half King, as he waved his war-club. - -"You Indian dog! Be silent!" - -Young's clear voice rolled out on the quiet air so imperiously, so -powerful in its wonderful scorn and passion, that the hostile -savages were overcome by awe, and the Christians thrilled anew with -reverential love. - -Young spoke again in a voice which had lost its passion, and was -singularly sweet in its richness. - -"Beloved Christians, if it is God's will that we must die to prove -our faith, then as we have taught you how to live, so we can show -you how to die---" - -"Spang!" - -Again a whistling sound came with the bellow of an overcharged -rifle; again the sickening thud of a bullet striking flesh. - -Young fell backwards from the platform. - -The missionaries laid him beside Edwards, and then stood in -shuddering silence. A smile shone on Young's pale face; a stream of -dark blood welled from his breast. His lips moved; he whispered: - -"I ask no more--God's will." - -Jim looked down once at his brother missionaries; then with blanched -face, but resolute and stern, he marched toward the platform. - -Heckewelder ran after him, and dragged him back. - -"No! no! no! My God! Would you be killed? Oh! I tried to prevent -this!" cried Heckewelder, wringing his hands. - -One long, fierce, exultant yell pealed throughout the grove. It came -from those silent breasts in which was pent up hatred; it greeted -this action which proclaimed victory over the missionaries. - -All eyes turned on Half King. With measured stride he paced to and -fro before the Christian Indians. - -Neither cowering nor shrinking marked their manner; to a man, to a -child, they rose with proud mien, heads erect and eyes flashing. -This mighty chief with his blood-thirsty crew could burn the Village -of Peace, could annihilate the Christians, but he could never change -their hope and trust in God. - -"Blinded fools!" cried Half King. "The Huron is wise; he tells no -lies. Many moons ago he told the Christians they were sitting half -way between two angry gods, who stood with mouths open wide and -looking ferociously at each other. If they did not move back out of -the road they would be ground to powder by the teeth of one or the -other, or both. Half King urged them to leave the peaceful village, -to forget the paleface God; to take their horses, and flocks, and -return to their homes. The Christians scorned the Huron King's -counsel. The sun has set for the Village of Peace. The time has -come. Pipe and the Huron are powerful. They will not listen to the -paleface God. They will burn the Village of Peace. Death to the -Christians!" - -Half King threw the black war-club with a passionate energy on the -grass before the Indians. - -They heard this decree of death with unflinching front. Even the -children were quiet. Not a face paled, not an eye was lowered. - -Half King cast their doom in their teeth. The Christians eyed him -with unspoken scorn. - -"My God! My God! It is worse than I thought!" moaned Heckewelder. -"Utter ruin! Murder! Murder!" - -In the momentary silence which followed his outburst, a tiny cloud -of blue-white smoke came from the ferns overhanging a cliff. - -Crack! - -All heard the shot of a rifle; all noticed the difference between -its clear, ringing intonation and the loud reports of the other two. -All distinctly heard the zip of a bullet as it whistled over their -heads. - -All? No, not all. One did not hear that speeding bullet. He who was -the central figure in this tragic scene, he who had doomed the -Christians might have seen that tiny puff of smoke which heralded -his own doom, but before the ringing report could reach his ears a -small blue hole appeared, as if by magic, over his left eye, and -pulse, and sense, and life had fled forever. - -Half King, great, cruel chieftain, stood still for an instant as if -he had been an image of stone; his haughty head lost its erect -poise, the fierceness seemed to fade from his dark face, his proud -plume waved gracefully as he swayed to and fro, and then fell before -the Christians, inert and lifeless. - -No one moved; it was as if no one breathed. The superstitious -savages awaited fearfully another rifle shot; another lightning -stroke, another visitation from the paleface's God. - -But Jim Girty, with a cunning born of his terrible fear, had -recognized the ring of that rifle. He had felt the zip of a bullet -which could just as readily have found his brain as Half King's. He -had stood there as fair a mark as the cruel Huron, yet the Avenger -had not chosen him. Was he reserved for a different fate? Was not -such a death too merciful for the frontier Deathshead? He yelled in -his craven fear: - -"Le vent de la Mort!" - -The well known, dreaded appellation aroused the savages from a -fearful stupor into a fierce manifestation of hatred. A tremendous -yell rent the air. Instantly the scene changed. - - - -Chapter XXVI. - -In the confusion the missionaries carried Young and Edwards into Mr. -Wells' cabin. Nell's calm, white face showed that she had expected -some such catastrophe as this, but she of all was the least excited. -Heckewelder left them at the cabin and hurried away to consult -Captain Williamson. While Zeisberger, who was skilled in surgery, -attended to the wounded men, Jim barred the heavy door, shut the -rude, swinging windows, and made the cabin temporarily a refuge from -prowling savages. - -Outside the clamor increased. Shrill yells rent the air, long, -rolling war-cries sounded above all the din. The measured stamp of -moccasined feet, the rush of Indians past the cabin, the dull thud -of hatchets struck hard into the trees--all attested to the -excitement of the savages, and the imminence of terrible danger. - -In the front room of Mr. Wells' cabin Edwards lay on a bed, his face -turned to the wall, and his side exposed. There was a bloody hole in -his white skin. Zeisberger was probing for the bullet. He had no -instruments, save those of his own manufacture, and they were -darning needles with bent points, and a long knife-blade ground -thin. - -"There, I have it," said Zeisberger. "Hold still, Dave. There!" As -Edwards moaned Zeisberger drew forth the bloody bullet. "Jim, wash -and dress this wound. It isn't bad. Dave will be all right in a -couple of days. Now I'll look at George." - -Zeisberger hurried into the other room. Young lay with quiet face -and closed eyes, breathing faintly. Zeisberger opened the wounded -man's shirt and exposed the wound, which was on the right side, -rather high up. Nell, who had followed Zeisberger that she might be -of some assistance if needed, saw him look at the wound and then -turn a pale face away for a second. That hurried, shuddering -movement of the sober, practical missionary was most significant. -Then he bent over Young and inserted on of the probes into the -wound. He pushed the steel an inch, two, three, four inches into -Young's breast, but the latter neither moved nor moaned. Zeisberger -shook his head, and finally removed the instrument. He raised the -sufferer's shoulder to find the bed saturated with blood. The bullet -wound extended completely through the missionary's body, and was -bleeding from the back. Zeisberger folded strips of linsey cloth -into small pads and bound them tightly over both apertures of the -wound. - -"How is he?" asked Jim, when the amateur surgeon returned to the -other room, and proceeded to wash the blood from his hands. - -Zeisberger shook his head gloomily. - -"How is George?" whispered Edwards, who had heard Jim's question. - -"Shot through the right lung. Human skill can not aid him! Only God -can save." - -"Didn't I hear a third shot?" whispered Dave, gazing round with sad, -questioning eyes. "Heckewelder?" - -"Is safe. He has gone to see Williamson. You did hear a third shot. -Half King fell dead with a bullet over his left eye. He had just -folded his arms in a grand pose after his death decree to the -Christians." - -"A judgment of God!" - -"It does seem so, but it came in the form of leaden death from -Wetzel's unerring rifle. Do you hear all that yelling? Half King's -death has set the Indians wild." - -There was a gentle knock at the door, and then the word, "Open," in -Heckewelder's voice. - -Jim unbarred the door. Heckewelder came in carrying over his -shoulder what apparently was a sack of meal. He was accompanied by -young Christy. Heckewelder put the bag down, opened it, and lifted -out a little Indian boy. The child gazed round with fearful eyes. - -"Save Benny! Save Benny!" he cried, running to Nell, and she clasped -him closely in her arms. - -Heckewelder's face was like marble as he asked concerning Edwards' -condition. - -"I'm not badly off," said the missionary with a smile. - -"How's George?" whispered Heckewelder. - -No one answered him. Zeisberger raised his hands. All followed -Heckewelder into the other room, where Young lay in the same -position as when first brought in. Heckewelder stood gazing down -into the wan face with its terribly significant smile. - -"I brought him out here. I persuaded him to come!" whispered -Heckewelder. "Oh, Almighty God!" he cried. His voice broke, and his -prayer ended with the mute eloquence of clasped hands and uplifted, -appealing face. - -"Come out," said Zeisberger, leading him into the larger room. The -others followed, and Jim closed the door. - -"What's to be done?" said Zeisberger, with his practical common -sense. "What did Williamson say? Tell us what you learned?" - -"Wait--directly," answered Heckewelder, sitting down and covering -his face with his hands. There was a long silence. At length he -raised his white face and spoke calmly: - -"Gentlemen, the Village of Peace is doomed. I entreated Captain -Williamson to help us, but he refused. Said he dared not interfere. -I prayed that he would speak at least a word to Girty, but he denied -my request." - -"Where are the converts?" - -"Imprisoned in the church, every one of them except Benny. Mr. -Christy and I hid the child in the meal sack and were thus able to -get him here. We must save him." - -"Save him?" asked Nell, looking from Heckewelder to the trembling -Indian boy. - -"Nellie, the savages have driven all our Christians into the church, -and shut them up there, until Girty and his men shall give the word -to complete their fiendish design. The converts asked but one -favor--an hour in which to pray. It was granted. The savages intend -to murder them all." - -"Oh! Horrible! Monstrous!" cried Nell. "How can they be so inhuman?" -She lifted Benny up in her arms. "They'll never get you, my boy. -We'll save you--I'll save you!" The child moaned and clung to her -neck. - -"They are scouring the clearing now for Christians, and will search -all the cabins. I'm positive." - -"Will they come here?" asked Nell, turning her blazing eyes on -Heckewelder. - -"Undoubtedly. We must try to hide Benny. Let me think; where would -be a good place? We'll try a dark corner of the loft." - -"No, no," cried Nell. - -"Put Benny in Young's bed," suggested Jim. - -"No, no," cried Nell. - -"Put him in a bucket and let him down in the well," whispered -Edwards, who had listened intently to the conversation. - -"That's a capital place," said Heckewelder. "But might he not fall -out and drown?" - -"Tie him in the bucket," said Jim. - -"No, no, no," cried Nell. - -"But Nellie, we must decide upon a hiding place, and in a hurry." - -"I'll save Benny." - -"You? Will you stay here to face those men? Jim Girty and Deering -are searching the cabins. Could you bear it to see them? You -couldn't." - -"Oh! No, I believe it would kill me! That man! that beast! will he -come here?" Nell grew ghastly pale, and looked as if about to faint. -She shrunk in horror at the thought of again facing Girty. "For -God's sake, Heckewelder, don't let him see me! Don't let him come -in! Don't!" - -Even as the imploring voice ceased a heavy thump sounded on the -door. - -"Who's there?" demanded Heckewelder. - -Thump! Thump! - -The heavy blows shook the cabin. The pans rattled on the shelves. No -answer came from without. - -"Quick! Hide Benny! It's as much as our lives are worth to have him -found here," cried Heckewelder in a fierce whisper, as he darted -toward the door. - -"All right, all right, in a moment," he called out, fumbling over -the bar. - -He opened the door a moment later and when Jim Girty and Deering -entered he turned to his friends with a dread uncertainty in his -haggard face. - -Edwards lay on the bed with wide-open eyes staring at the intruders. -Mr. Wells sat with bowed head. Zeisberger calmly whittled a stick, -and Jim stood bolt upright, with a hard light in his eyes. - -Nell leaned against the side of a heavy table. Wonderful was the -change that had transformed her from a timid, appealing, -fear-agonized girl to a woman whose only evidence of unusual -excitement were the flame in her eyes and the peculiar whiteness of -her face. - -Benny was gone! - -Heckewelder's glance returned to the visitors. He thought he had -never seen such brutal, hideous men. - -"Wal, I reckon a preacher ain't agoin' to lie. Hev you seen any -Injun Christians round here?" asked Girty, waving a heavy -sledge-hammer. - -"Girty, we have hidden no Indians here," answered Heckewelder, -calmly. - -"Wal, we'll hev a look, anyway," answered the renegade. - -Girty surveyed the room with wolfish eyes. Deering was so drunk that -he staggered. Both men, in fact, reeked with the vile fumes of rum. -Without another word they proceeded to examine the room, by looking -into every box, behind a stone oven, and in the cupboard. They drew -the bedclothes from the bed, and with a kick demolished a pile of -stove wood. Then the ruffians passed into the other apartments, -where they could be heard making thorough search. At length both -returned to the large room, when Girty directed Deering to climb a -ladder leading to the loft, but because Deering was too much under -the influence of liquor to do so, he had to go himself. He rummaged -around up there for a few minutes, and then came down. - -"Wal, I reckon you wasn't lyin' about it," said Girty, with his -ghastly leer. - -He and his companion started to go out. Deering had stood with -bloodshot eyes fixed on Nell while Girty searched the loft, and as -they passed the girl on their way to the open air, the renegade -looked at Girty as he motioned with his head toward her. His -besotted face expressed some terrible meaning. - -Girty had looked at Nell when he first entered, but had not glanced -twice at her. As he turned now, before going out of the door, he -fixed on her his baleful glance. His aspect was more full of meaning -than could have been any words. A horrible power, of which he was -boastfully conscious, shone from his little, pointed eyes. His mere -presence was deadly. Plainly as if he had spoken was the -significance of his long gaze. Any one could have translated that -look. - -Once before Nell had faced it, and fainted when its dread meaning -grew clear to her. But now she returned his gaze with one in which -flashed lightning scorn, and repulsion, in which glowed a wonderful -defiance. - -The cruel face of this man, the boastful barbarity of his manner, -the long, dark, bloody history which his presence recalled, was, -indeed, terrifying without the added horror of his intent toward -her, but now the self-forgetfulness of a true woman sustained her. - -Girty and Deering backed out of the door. Heckewelder closed it, and -dropped the bar in place. - -Nell fell over the table with a long, low gasp. Then with one hand -she lifted her skirt. Benny walked from under it. His big eyes were -bright. The young woman clasped him again in her arms. Then she -released him, and, laboring under intense excitement, ran to the -window. - -"There he goes! Oh, the horrible beast! If I only had a gun and -could shoot! Oh, if only I were a man! I'd kill him. To think of -poor Kate! Ah! he intends the same for me!" - -Suddenly she fell upon the floor in a faint. Mr. Wells and Jim -lifted her on the bed beside Edwards, where they endeavored to -revive her. It was some moments before she opened her eyes. - -Jim sat holding Nell's hand. Mr. Wells again bowed his head. -Zeisberger continued to whittle a stick, and Heckewelder paced the -floor. Christy stood by with every evidence of sympathy for this -distracted group. Outside the clamor increased. - -"Just listen!" cried Heckewelder. "Did you ever hear the like? All -drunk, crazy, fiendish! They drank every drop of liquor the French -traders had. Curses on the vagabond dealers! Rum has made these -renegades and savages wild. Oh! my poor, innocent Christians!" - -Heckewelder leaned his head against the mantle-shelf. He had broken -down at last. Racking sobs shook his frame. - -"Are you all right again?" asked Jim of Nell. - -"Yes." - -"I am going out, first to see Williamson, and then the Christians," -he said, rising very pale, but calm. - -"Don't go!" cried Heckewelder. "I have tried everything. It was all -of no use." - -"I will go," answered Jim. - -"Yes, Jim, go," whispered Nell, looking up into his eyes. It was an -earnest gaze in which a faint hope shone. - -Jim unbarred the door and went out. - -"Wait, I'll go along," cried Zeisberger, suddenly dropping his knife -and stick. - -As the two men went out a fearful spectacle met their eyes. The -clearing was alive with Indians. But such Indians! They were painted -demons, maddened by rum. Yesterday they had been silent; if they -moved at all it had been with deliberation and dignity. To-day they -were a yelling, running, blood-seeking mob. - -"Awful! Did you ever see human beings like these?" asked Zeisberger. - -"No, no!" - -"I saw such a frenzy once before, but, of course, only in a small -band of savages. Many times have I seen Indians preparing for the -war-path, in search of both white men and redskins. They were fierce -then, but nothing like this. Every one of these frenzied fiends is -honest. Think of that! Every man feels it his duty to murder these -Christians. Girty has led up to this by cunning, and now the time is -come to let them loose." - -"It means death for all." - -"I have given up any thought of escaping," said Zeisberger, with the -calmness that had characterized his manner since he returned to the -village. "I shall try to get into the church." - -"I'll join you there as soon as I see Williamson." - -Jim walked rapidly across the clearing to the cabin where Captain -Williamson had quarters. The frontiersmen stood in groups, watching -the savages with an interest which showed little or no concern. - -"I want to see Captain Williamson," said Jim to a frontiersman on -guard at the cabin door. - -"Wal, he's inside," drawled the man. - -Jim thought the voice familiar, and he turned sharply to see the -sun-burnt features of Jeff Lynn, the old riverman who had taken Mr. -Wells' party to Fort Henry. - -"Why, Lynn! I'm glad to see you," exclaimed Jim. - -"Purty fair to middlin'," answered Jeff, extending his big hand. -"Say, how's the other one, your brother as wus called Joe?" - -"I don't know. He ran off with Wetzel, was captured by Indians, and -when I last heard of him he had married Wingenund's daughter." - -"Wal, I'll be dog-goned!" Jeff shook his grizzled head and slapped -his leg. "I jest knowed he'd raise somethin'." - -"I'm in a hurry. Do you think Captain Williamson will stand still -and let all this go on?" - -"I'm afeerd so." - -Evidently the captain heard the conversation, for he appeared at the -cabin door, smoking a long pipe. - -"Captain Williamson, I have come to entreat you to save the -Christians from this impending massacre." - -"I can't do nuthin'," answered Williamson, removing his pipe to puff -forth a great cloud of smoke. - -"You have eighty men here!" - -"If we interfered Pipe would eat us alive in three minutes. You -preacher fellows don't understand this thing. You've got Pipe and -Girty to deal with. If you don't know them, you'll be better -acquainted by sundown." - -"I don't care who they are. Drunken ruffians and savages! That's -enough. Will you help us? We are men of your own race, and we come -to you for help. Can you withhold it?" - -"I won't hev nuthin' to do with this bizness. The chiefs hev -condemned the village, an' it'll hev to go. If you fellars hed been -careful, no white blood would hev been spilled. I advise you all to -lay low till it's over." - -"Will you let me speak to your men, to try and get them to follow -me?" - -"Heckewelder asked that same thing. He was persistent, and I took a -vote fer him just to show how my men stood. Eighteen of them said -they'd follow him; the rest wouldn't interfere." - -"Eighteen! My God!" cried Jim, voicing the passion which consumed -him. "You are white men, yet you will stand by and see these -innocent people murdered! Man, where's your humanity? Your manhood? -These converted Indians are savages no longer, they are Christians. -Their children are as good, pure, innocent as your own. Can you -remain idle and see these little ones murdered?" - -Williamson made no answer, the men who had crowded round were -equally silent. Not one lowered his head. Many looked at the -impassioned missionary; others gazed at the savages who were -circling around the trees brandishing their weapons. If any pitied -the unfortunate Christians, none showed it. They were indifferent, -with the indifference of men hardened to cruel scenes. - -Jim understood, at last, as he turned from face to face to find -everywhere that same imperturbability. These bordermen were like -Wetzel and Jonathan Zane. The only good Indian was a dead Indian. -Years of war and bloodshed, of merciless cruelty at the hands of -redmen, of the hard, border life had rendered these frontiersmen -incapable of compassion for any savage. - -Jim no longer restrained himself. - -"Bordermen you may be, but from my standpoint, from any man's, from -God's, you are a lot of coldly indifferent cowards!" exclaimed Jim, -with white, quivering lips. "I understand now. Few of you will risk -anything for Indians. You will not believe a savage can be a -Christian. You don't care if they are all murdered. Any man among -you--any man, I say--would step out before those howling fiends and -boldly demand that there be no bloodshed. A courageous leader with a -band of determined followers could avert this tragedy. You might -readily intimidate yonder horde of drunken demons. Captain -Williamson, I am only a minister, far removed from a man of war and -leader, as you claim to be, but, sir, I curse you as a miserable -coward. If I ever get back to civilization I'll brand this inhuman -coldness of yours, as the most infamous and dastardly cowardice that -ever disgraced a white man. You are worse than Girty!" - -Williamson turned a sickly yellow; he fumbled a second with the -handle of his tomahawk, but made no answer. The other bordermen -maintained the same careless composure. What to them was the raving -of a mad preacher? - -Jim saw it and turned baffled, fiercely angry, and hopeless. As he -walked away Jeff Lynn took his arm, and after they were clear of the -crowd of frontiersmen he said: - -"Young feller, you give him pepper, an' no mistake. An' mebbe you're -right from your side the fence. But you can't see the Injuns from -our side. We hunters hevn't much humanity--I reckon that's what you -called it--but we've lost so many friends an' relatives, an' hearn -of so many murders by the reddys that we look on all of 'em as wild -varmints that should be killed on sight. Now, mebbe it'll interest -you to know I was the feller who took the vote Williamson told you -about, an' I did it 'cause I had an interest in you. I wus watchin' -you when Edwards and the other missionary got shot. I like grit in a -man, an' I seen you had it clear through. So when Heckewelder comes -over I talked to the fellers, an' all I could git interested was -eighteen, but they wanted to fight simply fer fightin' sake. Now, -ole Jeff Lynn is your friend. You just lay low until this is over." - -Jim thanked the old riverman and left him. He hardly knew which way -to turn. He would make one more effort. He crossed the clearing to -where the renegades' teepee stood. McKee and Elliott were sitting on -a log. Simon Girty stood beside them, his hard, keen, roving eyes on -the scene. The missionary was impressed by the white leader. There -was a difference in his aspect, a wilder look than the others wore, -as if the man had suddenly awakened to the fury of his Indians. -Nevertheless the young man went straight toward him. - -"Girty, I come---" - -"Git out! You meddlin' preacher!" yelled the renegade, shaking his -fist at Jim. - -Simon Girty was drunk. - -Jim turned from the white fiends. He knew his life to them was not -worth a pinch of powder. - -"Lost! Lost! All lost!" he exclaimed in despair. - -As he went toward the church he saw hundreds of savages bounding -over the grass, brandishing weapons and whooping fiendishly. They -were concentrating around Girty's teepee, where already a great -throng had congregated. Of all the Indians to be seen not one -walked. They leaped by Jim, and ran over the grass nimble as deer. - -He saw the eager, fire in their dusky eyes, and the cruelly clenched -teeth like those of wolves when they snarl. He felt the hissing -breath of many savages as they raced by him. More than one whirled a -tomahawk close to Jim's head, and uttered horrible yells in his ear. -They were like tigers lusting for blood. - -Jim hurried to the church. Not an Indian was visible near the log -structure. Even the savage guards had gone. He entered the open door -to be instantly struck with reverence and awe. - -The Christians were singing. - -Miserable and full of sickening dread though Jim was, he could not -but realize that the scene before him was one of extraordinary -beauty and pathos. The doomed Indians lifted up their voices in -song. Never had they sung so feelingly, so harmoniously. - -When the song ended Zeisberger, who stood upon a platform, opened -his Bible and read: - -"In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with -everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord, thy -Redeemer." - -In a voice low and tremulous the venerable missionary began his -sermon. - -The shadow of death hovered over these Christian martyrs; it was -reflected in their somber eyes, yet not one was sullen or sad. The -children who were too young to understand, but instinctively feeling -the tragedy soon to be enacted there, cowered close to their -mothers. - -Zeisberger preached a touching and impressive, though short, sermon. -At its conclusion the whole congregation rose and surrounded the -missionary. The men shook his hands, the women kissed them, the -children clung to his legs. It was a wonderful manifestation of -affection. - -Suddenly Glickhican, the old Delaware chief, stepped on the -platform, raised his hand and shouted one Indian word. - -A long, low wail went up from the children and youths; the women -slowly, meekly bowed their heads. The men, due to the stoicism of -their nature and the Christianity they had learned, stood proudly -erect awaiting the death that had been decreed. - -Glickhican pulled the bell rope. - -A deep, mellow tone pealed out. - -The sound transfixed all the Christians. No one moved. - -Glickhican had given the signal which told the murderers the -Christians were ready. - -"Come, man, my God! We can't stay here!" cried Jim to Zeisberger. - -As they went out both men turned to look their last on the martyrs. -The death knell which had rung in the ears of the Christians, was to -them the voice of God. Stern, dark visages of men and the sweet, -submissive faces of women were uplifted with rapt attention. A light -seemed to shine from these faces as if the contemplation of God had -illumined them. - -As Zeisberger and Jim left the church and hurried toward the cabins, -they saw the crowd of savages in a black mass round Girty's teepee. -The yelling and leaping had ceased. - -Heckewelder opened the door. Evidently he had watched for them. - -"Jim! Jim!" cried Nell, when he entered the cabin. "Oh-h! I was -afraid. Oh! I am glad you're back safe. See, this noble Indian has -come to help us." - -Wingenund stood calm and erect by the door. - -"Chief, what will you do?" - -"Wingenund will show you the way to the big river," answered the -chieftain, in his deep bass. - -"Run away? No, never! That would be cowardly. Heckewelder, you would -not go? Nor you, Zeisberger? We may yet be of use, we may yet save -some of the Christians." - -"Save the yellow-hair," sternly said Wingenund. - -"Oh, Jim, you don't understand. The chief has come to warn me of -Girty. He intends to take me as he has others, as he did poor Kate. -did you not see the meaning in his eyes to-day? How they scorched -me! Ho! Jim, take me away! Save me! Do not leave me here to that -horrible fate? Oh! Jim, take me away!" - -"Nell, I will take you," cried Jim, grasping her hands. - -"Hurry! There's a blanket full of things I packed for you," said -Heckewelder. "Lose no time. Ah! hear that! My Heavens! what a yell!" -Heckewelder rushed to the door and looked out. "There they go, a -black mob of imps; a pack of hungry wolves! Jim Girty is in the -lead. How he leaps! How he waves his sledge! He leads the savages -toward the church. Oh! it's the end!" - -"Benny? Where's Benny?" cried Jim, hurriedly lacing the hunting coat -he had flung about him. - -"Benny's safe. I've hidden him. I'll get him away from here," -answered young Christy. "Go! Now's your time. Godspeed you!" - -"I'm ready," declared Mr. Wells. "I--have--finished!" - -"There goes Wingenund! He's running. Follow him, quick! Good-by! -Good-by! God be with you!" cried Heckewelder. - -"Good-by! Good-by!" - -Jim hurried Nell toward the bushes where Wingenund's tall form could -dimly be seen. Mr. Wells followed them. On the edge of the clearing -Jim and Nell turned to look back. - -They saw a black mass of yelling, struggling, fighting savages -crowding around the church. - -"Oh! Jim, look back! Look back!" cried Nell, holding hard to his -hand. "Look back! See if Girty is coming!" - - - -Chapter XXVII. - -At last the fugitives breathed free under the gold and red cover of -the woods. Never speaking, never looking back, the guide hurried -eastward with long strides. His followers were almost forced to run -in order to keep him in sight. He had waited at the edge of the -clearing for them, and, relieving Jim of the heavy pack, which he -swung slightly over his shoulder, he set a pace that was most -difficult to maintain. The young missionary half led, half carried -Nell over the stones and rough places. Mr. Wells labored in the -rear. - -"Oh! Jim! Look back! Look back! See if we are pursued!" cried Nell -frequently, with many a earful glance into the dense thickets. - -The Indian took a straight course through the woods. He leaped the -brooks, climbed the rough ridges, and swiftly trod the glades that -were free of windfalls. His hurry and utter disregard for the plain -trail left behind, proved his belief in the necessity of placing -many miles between the fugitives and the Village of Peace. Evidently -they would be followed, and it would be a waste of valuable time to -try to conceal their trail. Gradually the ground began to rise, the -way become more difficult, but Wingenund never slackened his pace. -Nell was strong, supple, and light of foot. She held her own with -Jim, but time and time again they were obliged to wait for her -uncle. Once he was far behind. Wingenund halted for them at the -height of a ridge where the forest was open. - -"Ugh!" exclaimed the chieftain, as they finished the ascent. He -stretched a long arm toward the sun; his falcon eye gleamed. - -Far in the west a great black and yellow cloud of smoke rolled -heavenward. It seemed to rise from out the forest, and to hang low -over the trees; then it soared aloft and grew thinner until it lost -its distinct line far in the clouds. The setting sun stood yet an -hour high over a distant hill, and burned dark red through the great -pall of smoke. - -"Is it a forest fire?" asked Nell, fearfully. - -"Fire, of course, but---" Jim did not voice his fear; he looked -closely at Wingenund. - -The chieftain stood silent a moment as was his wont when addressed. -The dull glow of the sun was reflected in the dark eyes that gazed -far away over forest and field. - -"Fire," said Wingenund, and it seemed that as he spoke a sterner -shadow flitted across his bronzed face. "The sun sets to-night over -the ashes of the Village of Peace." - -He resumed his rapid march eastward. With never a backward glance -the saddened party followed. Nell kept close beside Jim, and the old -man tramped after them with bowed head. The sun set, but Wingenund -never slackened his stride. Twilight deepened, yet he kept on. - -"Indian, we can go no further to-night, we must rest," cried Jim, as -Nell stumbled against him, and Mr. Wells panted wearily in the rear. - -"Rest soon," replied the chief, and kept on. - -Darkness had settled down when Wingenund at last halted. The -fugitives could see little in the gloom, but they heard the music of -running water, and felt soft moss beneath their feet. - -They sank wearily down upon a projecting stone. The moss was restful -to their tired limbs. Opening the pack they found food with which to -satisfy the demands of hunger. Then, close under the stone, the -fugitives sank into slumber while the watchful Indian stood silent -and motionless. - -Jim thought he had but just closed his eyes when he felt a gentle -pressure on his arm. - -"Day is here," said the Indian. - -Jim opened his eyes to see the bright red sun crimsoning the eastern -hills, and streaming gloriously over the colored forests. He raised -himself on his elbow to look around. Nell was still asleep. The -blanket was tucked close to her chin. Her chestnut hair was tumbled -like a schoolgirl's; she looked as fresh and sweet as the morning. - -"Nell, Nell, wake up," said Jim, thinking the while how he would -love to kiss those white eyelids. - -Nell's eyes opened wide; a smile lay deep in their hazel shadows. - -"Where a I? Oh, I remember," she cried, sitting up. "Oh, Jim, I had -such a sweet dream. I was at home with mother and Kate. Oh, to wake -and find it all a dream! I am fleeing for life. But, Jim, we are -safe, are we not?" - -"Another day, and we'll be safe." - -"Let us fly," she cried, leaping up and shaking out her crumpled -skirt. "Uncle, come!" - -Mr. Wells lay quietly with his mild blue eyes smiling up at her. He -neither moved nor spoke. - -"Eat, drink," said the chief, opening the pack. - -"What a beautiful place," exclaimed Nell, taking the bread and meat -handed to her. "This is a lovely little glade. Look at those golden -flowers, the red and purple leaves, the brown shining moss, and -those lichen-covered stones. Why! Some one has camped here. See the -little cave, the screens of plaited ferns, and the stone fireplace." - -"It seems to me this dark spring and those gracefully spreading -branches are familiar," said Jim. - -"Beautiful Spring," interposed Wingenund. - -"Yes, I know this place," cried Nell excitedly. "I remember this -glade though it was moonlight when I saw it. Here Wetzel rescued me -from Girty." - -"Nell, you're right," replied Jim. "How strange we should run across -this place again." - -Strange fate, indeed, which had brought them again to Beautiful -Spring! It was destined that the great scenes of their lives were to -be enacted in this mossy glade. - -"Come, uncle, you are lazy," cried Nell, a touch of her old -roguishness making playful her voice. - -Mr. Wells lay still, and smiled up at them. - -"You are not ill?" cried Nell, seeing for the first time how pallid -was his face. - -"Dear Nellie, I am not ill. I do not suffer, but I am dying," he -answered, again with that strange, sweet smile. - -"Oh-h-h!" breathed Nell, falling on her knees. - -"No, no, Mr. Wells, you are only weak; you will be all right again -soon," cried Jim. - -"Jim, Nellie, I have known all night. I have lain here wakeful. My -heart never was strong. It gave out yesterday, and now it is slowly -growing weaker. Put your hand on my breast. Feel. Ah! you see! My -life is flickering. God's will be done. I am content. My work is -finished. My only regret is that I brought you out to this terrible -borderland. But I did not know. If only I could see you safe from -the peril of this wilderness, at home, happy, married." - -Nell bent over him blinded by her tears, unable to see or speak, -crushed by this last overwhelming blow. Jim sat on the other side of -the old missionary, holding his hand. For many moments neither -spoke. They glanced at the pale face, watching with eager, wistful -eyes for a smile, or listening for a word. - -"Come," said the Indian. - -Nell silently pointed toward her uncle. - -"He is dying," whispered Jim to the Indian. - -"Go, leave me," murmured Mr. Wells. "You are still in danger." - -"We'll not leave you," cried Jim. - -"No, no, no," sobbed Nell, bending over to kiss him. - -"Nellie, may I marry you to Jim?" whispered Mr. Wells into her ear. -"He has told me how it is with him. He loves you, Nellie. I'd die -happier knowing I'd left you with him." - -Even at that moment, with her heart almost breaking, Nell's fair -face flushed. - -"Nell, will you marry me?" asked Jim, softly. Low though it was, he -had heard Mr. Wells' whisper. - -Nell stretched a little trembling hand over her uncle to Jim, who -inclosed it in his own. Her eyes met his. Through her tears shone -faintly a light, which, but for the agony that made it dim, would -have beamed radiant. - -"Find the place," said Mr. Wells, handing Jim a Bible. It was the -one he always carried in his pocket. - -With trembling hand Jim turned the leaves. At last he found the -lines, and handed the book back to the old man. - -Simple, sweet and sad was that marriage service. Nell and Jim knelt -with hands clasped over Mr. Wells. The old missionary's voice was -faint; Nell's responses were low, and Jim answered with deep and -tender feeling. Beside them stood Wingenund, a dark, magnificent -figure. - -"There! May God bless you!" murmured Mr. Wells, with a happy smile, -closing the Bible. - -"Nell, my wife!" whispered Jim, kissing her hand. - -"Come!" broke in Wingenund's voice, deep, strong, like that of a -bell. - -Not one of them had observed the chief as he stood erect, -motionless, poised like a stag scenting the air. His dark eyes -seemed to pierce the purple-golden forest, his keen ear seemed to -drink in the singing of the birds and the gentle rustling of leaves. -Native to these haunts as were the wild creatures, they were no -quicker than the Indian to feel the approach of foes. The breeze had -borne faint, suspicious sounds. - -"Keep--the--Bible," said Mr. Wells, "remember--its--word." His hand -closely clasped Nell's, and then suddenly loosened. His pallid face -was lighted by a meaning, tender smile which slowly faded--faded, -and was gone. The venerable head fell back. The old missionary was -dead. - -Nell kissed the pale, cold brow, and then rose, half dazed and -shuddering. Jim was vainly trying to close the dead man's eyes. She -could no longer look. On rising she found herself near the Indian -chief. He took her fingers in his great hand, and held them with a -strong, warm pressure. Strangely thrilled, she looked up at -Wingenund. His somber eyes, fixed piercingly on the forest, and his -dark stern face, were, as always, inscrutable. No compassion shone -there; no emotion unbefitting a chieftain would ever find expression -in that cold face, but Nell felt a certain tenderness in this -Indian, a response in his great heart. Felt it so surely, so -powerfully that she leaned her head against him. She knew he was her -friend. - -"Come," said the chief once more. He gently put Nell aside before -Jim arose from his sad task. - -"We can not leave him unburied," expostulated Jim. - -Wingenund dragged aside a large stone which formed one wall of the -cavern. Then he grasped a log which was half covered by dirt, and, -exerting his great strength, pulled it from its place. There was a -crash, a rumble, the jar of a heavy weight striking the earth, then -the rattling of gravel, and, before Nell and Jim realized what had -happened, the great rock forming the roof of the cavern slipped down -the bank followed by a small avalanche. The cavern was completely -covered. Mr. Wells was buried. A mossy stone marked the old -missionary's grave. - -Nell and Jim were lost in wonder and awe. - -"Ugh!" cried the chief, looking toward the opening in the glade. - -Fearfully Nell and Jim turned, to be appalled by four naked, painted -savages standing with leveled rifles. Behind them stood Deering and -Jim Girty. - -"Oh, God! We are lost! Lost! Lost!" exclaimed Jim, unable to command -himself. Hope died in his heart. - -No cry issued from Nell's white lips. She was dazed by this final -blow. Having endured so much, this last misfortune, apparently the -ruin of her life, brought no added suffering, only a strange, numb -feeling. - -"Ah-huh! Thought you'd give me the slip, eh?" croaked Girty, -striding forward, and as he looked at Wingenund his little, yellow -eyes flared like flint. "Does a wolf befriend Girty's captives? -Chief you hev led me a hard chase." - -Wingenund deigned no reply. He stood as he did so often, still and -silent, with folded arms, and a look that was haughty, unresponsive. - -The Indians came forward into the glade, and one of them quickly -bound Jim's hands behind his back. The savages wore a wild, brutish -look. A feverish ferocity, very near akin to insanity, possessed -them. They were not quiet a moment, but ran here and there, for no -apparent reason, except, possibly, to keep in action with the raging -fire in their hearts. The cleanliness which characterized the normal -Indian was absent in them; their scant buckskin dress was bedraggled -and stained. They were still drunk with rum and the lust for blood. -Murder gleamed from the glance of their eyes. - -"Jake, come over here," said Girty to his renegade friend. "Ain't -she a prize?" - -Girty and Deering stood before the poor, stricken girl, and gloated -over her fair beauty. She stood as when first transfixed by the -horror from which she had been fleeing. Her pale face was lowered, -her hands clenched tightly in the folds of her skirt. - -Never before had two such coarse, cruel fiends as Deering and Girty -encumbered the earth. Even on the border, where the best men were -bad, they were the worst. Deering was yet drunk, but Girty had -recovered somewhat from the effects of the rum he had absorbed. The -former rolled his big eyes and nodded his shaggy head. He was -passing judgment, from his point of view, on the fine points of the -girl. - -"She cer'aintly is," he declared with a grin. "She's a little -beauty. Beats any I ever seen!" - -Jim Girty stroked his sharp chin with dirty fingers. His yellow -eyes, his burnt saffron skin, his hooked nose, his thin lips--all -his evil face seemed to shine with an evil triumph. To look at him -was painful. To have him gaze at her was enough to drive any woman -mad. - -Dark stains spotted the bright frills of his gaudy dress, his -buckskin coat and leggins, and dotted his white eagle plumes. Dark -stains, horribly suggestive, covered him from head to foot. Blood -stains! The innocent blood of Christians crimsoned his renegade's -body, and every dark red blotch cried murder. - -"Girl, I burned the Village of Peace to git you," growled Girty. -"Come here!" - -With a rude grasp that tore open her dress, exposing her beautiful -white shoulder and bosom, the ruffian pulled her toward him. His -face was transfixed with a fierce joy, a brutal passion. - -Deering looked on with a drunken grin, while his renegade friend -hugged the almost dying girl. The Indians paced the glade with short -strides like leashed tigers. The young missionary lay on the moss -with closed eyes. He could not endure the sight of Nell in Girty's -arms. - -No one noticed Wingenund. He stood back a little, half screened by -drooping branches. Once again the chief's dark eyes gleamed, his -head turned a trifle aside, and, standing in the statuesque position -habitual with him when resting, he listened, as one who hears -mysterious sounds. Suddenly his keen glance was riveted on the ferns -above the low cliff. He had seen their graceful heads quivering. -Then two blinding sheets of flame burst from the ferns. - -Spang! Spang! - -The two rifle reports thundered through the glade. Two Indians -staggered and fell in their tracks--dead without a cry. - -A huge yellow body, spread out like a panther in his spring, -descended with a crash upon Deering and Girty. The girl fell away -from the renegade as he went down with a shrill screech, dragging -Deering with him. Instantly began a terrific, whirling, wrestling -struggle. - -A few feet farther down the cliff another yellow body came crashing -down to alight with a thud, to bound erect, to rush forward swift as -a leaping deer. The two remaining Indians had only time to draw -their weapons before this lithe, threatening form whirled upon them. -Shrill cries, hoarse yells, the clash of steel and dull blows -mingled together. One savage went down, twisted over, writhed and -lay still. The other staggered, warded off lightninglike blows until -one passed under his guard, and crashed dully on his head. Then he -reeled, rose again, but only to have his skull cloven by a bloody -tomahawk. - -The victor darted toward the whirling mass. - -"Lew, shake him loose! Let him go!" yelled Jonathan Zane, swinging -his bloody weapon. - -High above Zane's cry, Deering's shouts and curses, Girty's shrieks -of fear and fury, above the noise of wrestling bodies and dull -blows, rose a deep booming roar. - -It was Wetzel's awful cry of vengeance. - -"Shake him loose," yelled Jonathan. - -Baffled, he ran wildly around the wrestlers. Time and time again his -gory tomahawk was raised only to be lowered. He found no opportunity -to strike. Girty's ghastly countenance gleamed at him from the whirl -of legs, and arms and bodies. Then Wetzel's dark face, lighted by -merciless eyes, took its place, and that gave way to Deering's broad -features. The men being clad alike in buckskin, and their motions so -rapid, prevented Zane from lending a helping hand. - -Suddenly Deering was propelled from the mass as if by a catapult. -His body straightened as it came down with a heavy thud. Zane -pounced upon it with catlike quickness. Once more he swung aloft the -bloody hatchet; then once more he lowered it, for there was no need -to strike. The renegade's side was torn open from shoulder to hip. A -deluge of blood poured out upon the moss. Deering choked, a bloody -froth formed on his lips. His fingers clutched at nothing. His eyes -rolled violently and then were fixed in an awful stare. - -The girl lying so quiet in the woods near the old hut was avenged! - -Jonathan turned again to Wetzel and Girty, not with any intention to -aid the hunter, but simply to witness the end of the struggle. - -Without the help of the powerful Deering, how pitifully weak was the -Deathshead of the frontier in the hands of the Avenger! - -Jim Girty's tomahawk was thrown in one direction and his knife in -another. He struggled vainly in the iron grip that held him. - -Wetzel rose to his feet clutching the renegade. With his left arm, -which had been bared in the fight, he held Girty by the front of his -buckskin shirt, and dragged him to that tree which stood alone in -the glade. He pushed him against it, and held him there. - -The white dog leaped and snarled around the prisoner. - -Girty's hands pulled and tore at the powerful arm which forced him -hard against the beech. It was a brown arm, and huge with its -bulging, knotted, rigid muscles. A mighty arm, strong as the justice -which ruled it. - -"Girty, thy race is run!" Wetzel's voice cut the silence like a -steel whip. - -The terrible, ruthless smile, the glittering eyes of doom seemed -literally to petrify the renegade. - -The hunter's right arm rose slowly. The knife in his hand quivered -as if with eagerness. The long blade, dripping with Deering's blood, -pointed toward the hilltop. - -"Look thar! See 'em! Thar's yer friends!" cried Wetzel. - -On the dead branches of trees standing far above the hilltop, were -many great, dark birds. They sat motionless as if waiting. - -"Buzzards! Buzzards!" hissed Wetzel. - -Girty's ghastly face became an awful thing to look upon. No living -countenance ever before expressed such fear, such horror, such -agony. He foamed at the mouth, he struggled, he writhed. With a -terrible fascination he watched that quivering, dripping blade, now -poised high. - -Wetzel's arm swung with the speed of a shooting star. He drove the -blade into Girty's groin, through flesh and bone, hard and fast into -the tree. He nailed the renegade to the beech, there to await his -lingering doom. - -"Ah-h! Ah-h! Ah-h!" shrieked Girty, in cries of agony. He fumbled -and pulled at the haft of the knife, but could not loosen it. He -beat his breast, he tore his hair. His screams were echoed from the -hilltop as if in mockery. - -The white dog stood near, his hair bristling, his teeth snapping. - -The dark birds sat on the dead branches above the hilltop, as if -waiting for their feast. - - - -Chapter XXVIII. - -Zane turned and cut the young missionary's bonds. Jim ran to where -Nell was lying on the ground, and tenderly raised her head, calling -to her that they were saved. Zane bathed the girl's pale face. -Presently she sighed and opened her eyes. - -Then Zane looked from the statuelike form of Wingenund to the -motionless figure of Wetzel. The chief stood erect with his eyes on -the distant hills. Wetzel remained with folded arms, his cold eyes -fixed upon the writhing, moaning renegade. - -"Lew, look here," said Zane, unhesitatingly, and pointed toward the -chief. - -Wetzel quivered as if sharply stung; the cold glitter in his eyes -changed to lurid fire. With upraised tomahawk he bounded across the -brook. - -"Lew, wait a minute!" yelled Zane. - -"Wetzel! wait, wait!" cried Jim, grasping the hunter's arm; but the -latter flung him off, as the wind tosses a straw. - -"Wetzel, wait, for God's sake, wait!" screamed Nell. She had risen -at Zane's call, and now saw the deadly resolve in the hunter's eyes. -Fearlessly she flung herself in front of him; bravely she risked her -life before his mad rush; frantically she threw her arms around him -and clung to his hands desperately. - -Wetzel halted; frenzied as he was at the sight of his foe, he could -not hurt a woman. - -"Girl, let go!" he panted, and his broad breast heaved. - -"No, no, no! Listen, Wetzel, you must not kill the chief. He is a -friend." - -"He is my great foe!" - -"Listen, oh! please listen!" pleaded Nell. "He warned me to flee -from Girty; he offered to guide us to Fort Henry. He has saved my -life. For my sake, Wetzel, do not kill him! Don't let me be the -cause of his murder! Wetzel, Wetzel, lower your arm, drop your -hatchet. For pity's sake do not spill more blood. Wingenund is a -Christian!" - -Wetzel stepped back breathing heavily. His white face resembled -chiseled marble. With those little hands at his breast he hesitated -in front of the chief he had hunted for so many long years. - -"Would you kill a Christian?" pleaded Nell, her voice sweet and -earnest. - -"I reckon not, but this Injun ain't one," replied Wetzel slowly. - -"Put away your hatchet. Let me have it. Listen, and I will tell you, -after thanking you for this rescue. Do you know of my marriage? -Come, please listen! Forget for a moment your enmity. Oh! you must -be merciful! Brave men are always merciful!" - -"Injun, are you a Christian?" hissed Wetzel. - -"Oh! I know he is! I know he is!" cried Nell, still standing between -Wetzel and the chief. - -Wingenund spoke no word. He did not move. His falcon eyes gazed -tranquilly at his white foe. Christian or pagan, he would not speak -one word to save his life. - -"Oh! tell him you are a Christian," cried Nell, running to the -chief. - -"Yellow-hair, the Delaware is true to his race." - -As he spoke gently to Nell a noble dignity shone upon his dark face. - -"Injun, my back bears the scars of your braves' whips," hissed -Wetzel, once more advancing. - -"Deathwind, your scars are deep, but the Delaware's are deeper," -came the calm reply. "Wingenund's heart bears two scars. His son -lies under the moss and ferns; Deathwind killed him; Deathwind alone -knows his grave. Wingenund's daughter, the delight of his waning -years, freed the Delaware's great foe, and betrayed her father. Can -the Christian God tell Wingenund of his child?" - -Wetzel shook like a tree in a storm. Justice cried out in the -Indian's deep voice. Wetzel fought for mastery of himself. - -"Delaware, your daughter lays there, with her lover," said Wetzel -firmly, and pointed into the spring. - -"Ugh!" exclaimed the Indian, bending over the dark pool. He looked -long into its murky depths. Then he thrust his arm down into the -brown water. - -"Deathwind tells no lie," said the chief, calmly, and pointed toward -Girty. The renegade had ceased struggling, his head was bowed upon -his breast. "The white serpent has stung the Delaware." - -"What does it mean?" cried Jim. - -"Your brother Joe and Whispering Winds lie in the spring," answered -Jonathan Zane. "Girty murdered them, and Wetzel buried the two -there." - -"Oh, is it true?" cried Nell. - -"True, lass," whispered Jim, brokenly, holding out his arms to her. -Indeed, he needed her strength as much as she needed his. The girl -gave one shuddering glance at the spring, and then hid her face on -her husband's shoulder. - -"Delaware, we are sworn foes," cried Wetzel. - -"Wingenund asks no mercy." - -"Are you a Christian?" - -"Wingenund is true to his race." - -"Delaware, begone! Take these weapons an' go. When your shadow falls -shortest on the ground, Deathwind starts on your trail." - -"Deathwind is the great white chief; he is the great Indian foe; he -is as sure as the panther in his leap; as swift as the wild goose in -his northern flight. Wingenund never felt fear." The chieftain's -sonorous reply rolled through the quiet glade. "If Deathwind thirsts -for Wingenund's blood, let him spill it now, for when the Delaware -goes into the forest his trail will fade." - -"Begone!" roared Wetzel. The fever for blood was once more rising -within him. - -The chief picked up some weapons of the dead Indians, and with -haughty stride stalked from the glade. - -"Oh, Wetzel, thank you, I knew---" Nell's voice broke as she faced -the hunter. She recoiled from this changed man. - -"Come, we'll go," said Jonathan Zane. "I'll guide you to Fort -Henry." He lifted the pack, and led Nell and Jim out of the glade. - -They looked back once to picture forever in their minds the lovely -spot with its ghastly quiet bodies, the dark, haunting spring, the -renegade nailed to the tree, and the tall figure of Wetzel as he -watched his shadow on the ground. - - * * * - -When Wetzel also had gone, only two living creatures remained in the -glade--the doomed renegade, and the white dog. The gaunt beast -watched the man with hungry, mad eyes. - -A long moan wailed through the forest. It swelled mournfully on the -air, and died away. The doomed man heard it. He raised his ghastly -face; his dulled senses seemed to revive. He gazed at the stiffening -bodies of the Indians, at the gory corpse of Deering, at the savage -eyes of the dog. - -Suddenly life seemed to surge strong within him. - -"Hell's fire! I'm not done fer yet," he gasped. "This damned knife -can't kill me; I'll pull it out." - -He worked at the heavy knife hilt. Awful curses passed his lips, but -the blade did not move. Retribution had spoken his doom. - -Suddenly he saw a dark shadow moving along the sunlit ground. It -swept past him. He looked up to see a great bird with wide wings -sailing far above. He saw another still higher, and then a third. He -looked at the hilltop. The quiet, black birds had taken wing. They -were floating slowly, majestically upward. He watched their graceful -flight. How easily they swooped in wide circles. He remembered that -they had fascinated him when a boy, long, long ago, when he had a -home. Where was that home? He had one once. Ah! the long, cruel -years have rolled back. A youth blotted out by evil returned. He saw -a little cottage, he saw the old Virginia homestead, he saw his -brothers and his mother. - -"Ah-h!" A cruel agony tore his heart. He leaned hard against the -knife. With the pain the present returned, but the past remained. -All his youth, all his manhood flashed before him. The long, bloody, -merciless years faced him, and his crimes crushed upon him with -awful might. - -Suddenly a rushing sound startled him. He saw a great bird swoop -down and graze the tree tops. Another followed, and another, and -then a flock of them. He saw their gray, spotted breasts and hooked -beaks. - -"Buzzards," he muttered, darkly eyeing the dead savages. The carrion -birds were swooping to their feast. - -"By God! He's nailed me fast for buzzards!" he screamed in sudden, -awful frenzy. "Nailed fast! Ah-h! Ah-h! Ah-h! Eaten alive by -buzzards! Ah-h! Ah-h! Ah-h!" - -He shrieked until his voice failed, and then he gasped. - -Again the buzzards swooped overhead, this time brushing the leaves. -One, a great grizzled bird, settled upon a limb of the giant oak, -and stretched its long neck. Another alighted beside him. Others -sailed round and round the dead tree top. - -The leader arched his wings, and with a dive swooped into the glade. -He alighted near Deering's dead body. He was a dark, uncanny bird, -with long, scraggy, bare neck, a wreath of white, grizzled feathers, -a cruel, hooked beak, and cold eyes. - -The carrion bird looked around the glade, and put a great claw on -the dead man's breast. - -"Ah-h! Ah-h!" shrieked Girty. His agonized yell of terror and horror -echoed mockingly from the wooded bluff. - -The huge buzzard flapped his wings and flew away, but soon returned -to his gruesome feast. His followers, made bold by their leader, -floated down into the glade. Their black feathers shone in the sun. -They hopped over the moss; they stretched their grizzled necks, and -turned their heads sideways. - -Girty was sweating blood. It trickled from his ghastly face. All the -suffering and horror he had caused in all his long career was as -nothing to that which then rended him. He, the renegade, the white -Indian, the Deathshead of the frontier, panted and prayed for a -merciful breath. He was exquisitely alive. He was human. - -Presently the huge buzzard, the leader, raised his hoary head. He -saw the man nailed to the tree. The bird bent his head wisely to one -side, and then lightly lifted himself into the air. He sailed round -the glade, over the fighting buzzards, over the spring, and over the -doomed renegade. He flew out of the glade, and in again. He swooped -close to Girty. His broad wings scarcely moved as he sailed along. - -Girty tried to strike the buzzard as he sailed close by, but his arm -fell useless. He tried to scream, but his voice failed. - -Slowly the buzzard king sailed by and returned. Every time he -swooped a little nearer, and bent his long, scraggy neck. - -Suddenly he swooped down, light and swift as a hawk; his wide wings -fanned the air; he poised under the tree, and then fastened sharp -talons in the doomed man's breast. - - - -Chapter XXIX. - -The fleeting human instinct of Wetzel had given way to the habit of -years. His merciless quest for many days had been to kill the -frontier fiend. Now that it had been accomplished, he turned his -vengeance into its accustomed channel, and once more became the -ruthless Indian-slayer. - -A fierce, tingling joy surged through him as he struck the -Delaware's trail. Wingenund had made little or no effort to conceal -his tracks; he had gone northwest, straight as a crow flies, toward -the Indian encampment. He had a start of sixty minutes, and it would -require six hours of rapid traveling to gain the Delaware town. - -"Reckon he'll make fer home," muttered Wetzel, following the trail -with all possible speed. - -The hunter's method of trailing an Indian was singular. Intuition -played as great a part as sight. He seemed always to divine his -victim's intention. Once on the trail he was as hard to shake off as -a bloodhound. Yet he did not, by any means, always stick to the -Indian's footsteps. With Wetzel the direction was of the greatest -importance. - -For half a mile he closely followed the Delaware's plainly marked -trail. Then he stopped to take a quick survey of the forest before -him. He abruptly left the trail, and, breaking into a run, went -through the woods as fleetly and noiselessly as a deer, running for -a quarter of a mile, when he stopped to listen. All seemed well, for -he lowered his head, and walked slowly along, examining the moss and -leaves. Presently he came upon a little open space where the soil -was a sandy loam. He bent over, then rose quickly. He had come upon -the Indian's trail. Cautiously he moved forward, stopping every -moment to listen. In all the close pursuits of his maturer years he -had never been a victim of that most cunning of Indian tricks, an -ambush. He relied solely on his ear to learn if foes were close by. -The wild creatures of the forest were his informants. As soon as he -heard any change in their twittering, humming or playing--whichever -way they manifested their joy or fear of life--he became as hard to -see, as difficult to hear as a creeping snake. - -The Delaware's trail led to a rocky ridge and there disappeared. -Wetzel made no effort to find the chief's footprints on the flinty -ground, but halted a moment and studied the ridge, the lay of the -land around, a ravine on one side, and a dark impenetrable forest on -the other. He was calculating his chances of finding the Delaware's -trail far on the other side. Indian woodcraft, subtle, wonderful as -it may be, is limited to each Indian's ability. Savages, as well as -other men, were born unequal. One might leave a faint trail through -the forest, while another could be readily traced, and a third, more -cunning and skillful than his fellows, have flown under the shady -trees, for all the trail he left. But redmen followed the same -methods of woodcraft from tradition, as Wetzel had learned after -long years of study and experience. - -And now, satisfied that he had divined the Delaware's intention, he -slipped down the bank of the ravine, and once more broke into a run. -He leaped lightly, sure-footed as a goat, from stone to stone, over -fallen logs, and the brawling brook. At every turn of the ravine, at -every open place, he stopped to listen. - -Arriving on the other side of the ridge, he left the ravine and -passed along the edge of the rising ground. He listened to the -birds, and searched the grass and leaves. He found not the slightest -indication of a trail where he had expected to find one. He retraced -his steps patiently, carefully, scrutinizing every inch of the -ground. But it was all in vain. Wingenund had begun to show his -savage cunning. In his warrior days for long years no chief could -rival him. His boast had always been that, when Wingenund sought to -elude his pursuers, his trail faded among the moss and the ferns. - -Wetzel, calm, patient, resourceful, deliberated a moment. The -Delaware had not crossed this rocky ridge. He had been cunning -enough to make his pursuer think such was his intention. The hunter -hurried to the eastern end of the ridge for no other reason than -apparently that course was the one the savage had the least reason -to take. He advanced hurriedly because every moment was precious. -Not a crushed blade of grass, a brushed leaf, an overturned pebble -nor a snapped twig did he find. He saw that he was getting near to -the side of the ridge where the Delaware's trail had abruptly ended. -Ah! what was there? A twisted bit of fern, with the drops of dew -brushed off. Bending beside the fern, Wetzel examined the grass; it -was not crushed. A small plant with triangular leaves of dark green, -lay under the fern. Breaking off one of these leaves, he exposed its -lower side to the light. The fine, silvery hair of fuzz that grew -upon the leaf had been crushed. Wetzel knew that an Indian could -tread so softly as not to break the springy grass blades, but the -under side of one of these leaves, if a man steps on it, always -betrays his passage through the woods. To keen eyes this leaf showed -that it had been bruised by a soft moccasin. Wetzel had located the -trail, but was still ignorant of its direction. Slowly he traced the -shaken ferns and bruised leaves down over the side of the ridge, and -at last, near a stone, he found a moccasin-print in the moss. It -pointed east. The Delaware was traveling in exactly the opposite -direction to that which he should be going. He was, moreover, -exercising wonderful sagacity in hiding his trail. This, however, -did not trouble Wetzel, for if it took him a long time to find the -trail, certainly the Delaware had expended as much, or more, in -choosing hard ground, logs or rocks on which to tread. - -Wetzel soon realized that his own cunning was matched. He trusted no -more to his intuitive knowledge, but stuck close to the trail, as a -hungry wolf holds to the scent of his quarry. - -The Delaware trail led over logs, stones and hard-baked ground, up -stony ravines and over cliffs. The wily chief used all of his old -skill; he walked backward over moss and sand where his footprints -showed plainly; he leaped wide fissures in stony ravines, and then -jumped back again; he let himself down over ledges by branches; he -crossed creeks and gorges by swinging himself into trees and -climbing from one to another; he waded brooks where he found hard -bottom, and avoided swampy, soft ground. - -With dogged persistence and tenacity of purpose Wetzel stuck to this -gradually fading trail. Every additional rod he was forced to go -more slowly, and take more time in order to find any sign of his -enemy's passage through the forests. One thing struck him forcibly. -Wingenund was gradually circling to the southwest, a course that -took him farther and farther from the Delaware encampment. - -Slowly it dawned upon Wetzel that the chief could hardly have any -reason for taking this circling course save that of pride and savage -joy in misleading, in fooling the foe of the Delawares, in -deliberately showing Deathwind that there was one Indian who could -laugh at and loose him in the forests. To Wetzel this was bitter as -gall. To be led a wild goose chase! His fierce heart boiled with -fury. His dark, keen eyes sought the grass and moss with terrible -earnestness. Yet in spite of the anger that increased to the white -heat of passion, he became aware of some strange sensation creeping -upon him. He remembered that the Delawares had offered his life. -Slowly, like a shadow, Wetzel passed up and down the ridges, through -the brown and yellow aisles of the forest, over the babbling brooks, -out upon the golden-flecked fields--always close on the trail. - -At last in an open part of the forest, where a fire had once swept -away the brush and smaller timber, Wetzel came upon the spot where -the Delaware's trail ended. - -There in the soft, black ground was a moccasin-print. The forest was -not dense; there was plenty of light; no logs, stones or trees were -near, and yet over all that glade no further evidence of the -Indian's trail was visible. - -It faded there as the great chief had boasted it would. - -Wetzel searched the burnt ground; he crawled on his hands and knees; -again and again he went over the surroundings. The fact that one -moccasin-print pointed west and the other east, showed that the -Delaware had turned in his tracks, was the most baffling thing that -had ever crossed the hunter in all his wild wanderings. - -For the first time in many years he had failed. He took his defeat -hard, because he had been successful for so long he thought himself -almost infallible, and because the failure lost him the opportunity -to kill his great foe. In his passion he cursed himself for being so -weak as to let the prayer of a woman turn him from his life's -purpose. - -With bowed head and slow, dragging steps he made his way westward. -The land was strange to him, but he knew he was going toward -familiar ground. For a time he walked quietly, all the time the -fierce fever in his veins slowly abating. Calm he always was, except -when that unnatural lust for Indians' blood overcame him. - -On the summit of a high ridge he looked around to ascertain his -bearings. He was surprised to find he had traveled in a circle. A -mile or so below him arose the great oak tree which he recognized as -the landmark of Beautiful Spring. He found himself standing on the -hill, under the very dead tree to which he had directed Girty's -attention a few hours previous. - -With the idea that he would return to the spring to scalp the dead -Indians, he went directly toward the big oak tree. Once out of the -forest a wide plain lay between him and the wooded knoll which -marked the glade of Beautiful Spring. He crossed this stretch of -verdant meadow-land, and entered the copse. - -Suddenly he halted. His keen sense of the usual harmony of the -forest, with its innumerable quiet sounds, had received a severe -shock. He sank into the tall weeds and listened. Then he crawled a -little farther. Doubt became certainty. A single note of an oriole -warned him, and it needed not the quick notes of a catbird to tell -him that near at hand, somewhere, was human life. - -Once more Wetzel became a tiger. The hot blood leaped from his -heart, firing all his veins and nerves. But calmly noiseless, -certain, cold, deadly as a snake he began the familiar crawling -method of stalking his game. - -On, on under the briars and thickets, across the hollows full of -yellow leaves, up over stony patches of ground to the fern-covered -cliff overhanging the glade he glided--lithe, sinuous, a tiger in -movement and in heart. - -He parted the long, graceful ferns and gazed with glittering eyes -down into the beautiful glade. - -He saw not the shining spring nor the purple moss, nor the ghastly -white bones--all that the buzzards had left of the dead--nor -anything, save a solitary Indian standing erect in the glade. - -There, within range of his rifle, was his great Indian foe, -Wingenund. - -Wetzel sank back into the ferns to still the furious exultations -which almost consumed him during the moment when he marked his -victim. He lay there breathing hard, gripping tightly his rifle, -slowly mastering the passion that alone of all things might render -his aim futile. - -For him it was the third great moment of his life, the last of three -moments in which the Indian's life had belonged to him. Once before -he had seen that dark, powerful face over the sights of his rifle, -and he could not shoot because his one shot must be for another. -Again had that lofty, haughty figure stood before him, calm, -disdainful, arrogant, and he yielded to a woman's prayer. - -The Delaware's life was his to take, and he swore he would have it! -He trembled in the ecstasy of his triumphant passion; his great -muscles rippled and quivered, for the moment was entirely beyond his -control. Then his passion calmed. Such power for vengeance had he -that he could almost still the very beats of his heart to make sure -and deadly his fatal aim. Slowly he raised himself; his eyes of cold -fire glittered; slowly he raised the black rifle. - -Wingenund stood erect in his old, grand pose, with folded arms, but -his eyes, instead of being fixed on the distant hills, were lowered -to the ground. - -An Indian girl, cold as marble, lay at his feet. Her garments were -wet, and clung to her slender form. Her sad face was frozen into an -eternal rigidity. - -By her side was a newly dug grave. - -The bead on the front sight of the rifle had hardly covered the -chief's dark face when Wetzel's eye took in these other details. He -had been so absorbed in his purpose that he did not dream of the -Delaware's reason for returning to the Beautiful Spring. - -Slowly Wetzel's forefinger stiffened; slowly he lowered the black -rifle. - -Wingenund had returned to bury Whispering Winds. - -Wetzel's teethe clenched, an awful struggle tore his heart. Slowly -the rifle rose, wavered and fell. It rose again, wavered and fell. -Something terrible was wrong with him; something awful was awakening -in his soul. - -Wingenund had not made a fool of him. The Delaware had led him a -long chase, had given him the slip in the forest, not to boast of -it, but to hurry back to give his daughter Christian burial. - -Wingenund was a Christian! - -Had he not been, once having cast his daughter from him, he would -never have looked upon her face again. - -Wingenund was true to his race, but he was a Christian. - -Suddenly Wetzel's terrible temptation, his heart-racking struggle -ceased. He lowered the long, black rifle. He took one last look at -the chieftain's dark, powerful face. - -Then the Avenger fled like a shadow through the forest. - - - -Chapter XXX. - -It was late afternoon at Fort Henry. The ruddy sun had already sunk -behind the wooded hill, and the long shadows of the trees lengthened -on the green square in front of the fort. - -Colonel Zane stood in his doorway watching the river with eager -eyes. A few minutes before a man had appeared on the bank of the -island and hailed. The colonel had sent his brother Jonathan to -learn what was wanted. The latter had already reached the other -shore in his flatboat, and presently the little boat put out again -with the stranger seated at the stern. - -"I thought, perhaps, it might be Wetzel," mused the colonel, "though -I never knew of Lew's wanting a boat." - -Jonathan brought the man across the river, and up the winding path -to where Colonel Zane was waiting. - -"Hello! It's young Christy!" exclaimed the colonel, jumping off the -steps, and cordially extending his hand. "Glad to see you! Where's -Williamson. How did you happen over here?" - -"Captain Williamson and his men will make the river eight or ten -miles above," answered Christy. "I came across to inquire about the -young people who left the Village of Peace. Was glad to learn from -Jonathan they got out all right." - -"Yes, indeed, we're all glad. Come and sit down. Of course you'll -stay over night. You look tired and worn. Well, no wonder, when you -saw that Moravian massacre. You must tell me about it. I saw Sam -Brady yesterday, and he spoke of seeing you over there. Sam told me -a good deal. Ah! here's Jim now." - -The young missionary came out of the open door, and the two young -men greeted each other warmly. - -"How is she?" asked Christy, when the first greetings had been -exchanged. - -"Nell's just beginning to get over the shock. She'll be glad to see -you." - -"Jonathan tells me you got married just before Girty came up with -you at Beautiful Spring." - -"Yes; it is true. In fact, the whole wonderful story is true, yet I -cannot believe as yet. You look thin and haggard. When we last met -you were well." - -"That awful time pulled me down. I was an unwilling spectator of all -that horrible massacre, and shall never get over it. I can still see -the fiendish savages running about with the reeking scalps of their -own people. I actually counted the bodies of forty-nine grown -Christians and twenty-seven children. An hour after you left us the -church was in ashes, and the next day I saw the burned bodies. Oh! -the sickening horror of the scene! It haunts me! That monster Jim -Girty killed fourteen Christians with his sledge-hammer." - -"Did you hear of his death?" asked Colonel Zane. - -"Yes, and a fitting end it was to the frontier 'Skull and -Cross-bones'." - -"It was like Wetzel to think of such a vengeance." - -"Has Wetzel come in since?" - -"No. Jonathan says he went after Wingenund, and there's no telling -when he'll return." - -"I hoped he would spare the Delaware." - -"Wetzel spare an Indian!" - -"But the chief was a friend. He surely saved the girl." - -"I am sorry, too, because Wingenund was a fine Indian. But Wetzel is -implacable." - -"Here's Nell, and Mrs. Clarke too. Come out, both of you," cried -Jim. - -Nell appeared in the doorway with Colonel Zane's sister. The two -girls came down the steps and greeted the young man. The bride's -sweet face was white and thin, and there was a shadow in her eyes. - -"I am so glad you got safely away from--from there," said Christy, -earnestly. - -"Tell me of Benny?" asked Nell, speaking softly. - -"Oh, yes, I forgot. Why, Benny is safe and well. He was the only -Christian Indian to escape the Christian massacre. Heckewelder hid -him until it was all over. He is going to have the lad educated." - -"Thank Heaven!" murmured Nell. - -"And the missionaries?" inquired Jim, earnestly. - -"Were all well when I left, except, of course, Young. He was dying. -The others will remain out there, and try to get another hold, but I -fear it's impossible." - -"It is impossible, not because the Indian does not want -Christianity, but because such white men as the Girty's rule. The -beautiful Village of Peace owes its ruin to the renegades," said -Colonel Zane impressively. - -"Captain Williamson could have prevented the massacre," remarked -Jim. - -"Possibly. It was a bad place for him, and I think he was wrong not -to try," declared the colonel. - -"Hullo!" cried Jonathan Zane, getting up from the steps where he sat -listening to the conversation. - -A familiar soft-moccasined footfall sounded on the path. All turned -to see Wetzel come slowly toward them. His buckskin hunting costume -was ragged and worn. He looked tired and weary, but the dark eyes -were calm. - -It was the Wetzel whom they all loved. - -They greeted him warmly. Nell gave him her hands, and smiled up at -him. - -"I'm so glad you've come home safe," she said. - -"Safe an' sound, lass, an' glad to find you well," answered the -hunter, as he leaned on his long rifle, looking from Nell to Colonel -Zane's sister. "Betty, I allus gave you first place among border -lasses, but here's one as could run you most any kind of a race," he -said, with the rare smile which so warmly lighted his dark, stern -face. - -"Lew Wetzel making compliments! Well, of all things!" exclaimed the -colonel's sister. - -Jonathan Zane stood closely scanning Wetzel's features. Colonel -Zane, observing his brother's close scrutiny of the hunter, guessed -the cause, and said: - -"Lew, tell us, did you see Wingenund over the sights of your rifle?" - -"Yes," answered the hunter simply. - -A chill seemed to strike the hearts of the listeners. That simple -answer, coming from Wetzel, meant so much. Nell bowed her head -sadly. Jim turned away biting his lip. Christy looked across the -valley. Colonel Zane bent over and picked up some pebbles which he -threw hard at the cabin wall. Jonathan Zane abruptly left the group, -and went into the house. - -But the colonel's sister fixed her large, black eyes on Wetzel's -face. - -"Well?" she asked, and her voice rang. - -Wetzel was silent for a moment. He met her eyes with that old, -inscrutable smile in his own. A slight shade flitted across his -face. - -"Betty, I missed him," he said, calmly, and, shouldering his long -rifle, he strode away. - - * * * - -Nell and Jim walked along the bluff above the river. Twilight was -deepening. The red glow in the west was slowly darkening behind the -boldly defined hills. - -"So it's all settled, Jim, that we stay here," said Nell. - -"Yes, dear. Colonel Zane has offered me work, and a church besides. -We are very fortunate, and should be contented. I am happy because -you're my wife, and yet I am sad when I think of--him. Poor Joe!" - -"Don't you ever think we--we wronged him?" whispered Nell. - -"No, he wished it. I think he knew how he would end. No, we did not -wrong him; we loved him." - -"Yes, I loved him--I loved you both," said Nell softly. - -"Then let us always think of him as he would have wished." - -"Think of him? Think of Joe? I shall never forget. In winter, spring -and summer I shall remember him, but always most in autumn. For I -shall see that beautiful glade with its gorgeous color and the dark, -shaded spring where he lies asleep." - - * * * - -The years rolled by with their changing seasons; every autumn the -golden flowers bloomed richly, and the colored leaves fell softly -upon the amber moss in the glade of Beautiful Spring. - -The Indians camped there no more; they shunned the glade and called -it the Haunted Spring. They said the spirit of a white dog ran there -at night, and the Wind-of-Death mourned over the lonely spot. - -At long intervals an Indian chief of lofty frame and dark, powerful -face stalked into the glade to stand for many moments silent and -motionless. - -And sometimes at twilight when the red glow of the sun had faded to -gray, a stalwart hunter slipped like a shadow out of the thicket, -and leaned upon a long, black rifle while he gazed sadly into the -dark spring, and listened to the sad murmur of the waterfall. The -twilight deepened while he stood motionless. The leaves fell into -the water with a soft splash, a whippoorwill caroled his melancholy -song. - -From the gloom of the forest came a low sigh which swelled -thrillingly upon the quiet air, and then died away like the wailing -of the night wind. - -Quiet reigned once more over the dark, murky grave of the boy who -gave his love and his life to the wilderness. - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Spirit of the Border, by Zane Grey - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SPIRIT OF THE BORDER *** - -***** This file should be named 1239.txt or 1239.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - https://www.gutenberg.org/1/2/3/1239/ - -This etext was prepared by Bruce Metcalf of Chattanooga, TN. - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* - - - - - - - - - - - -This etext was prepared by Bruce Metcalf of Chattanooga, TN. - - - - - - - - - - - -THE SPIRIT OF THE BORDER - -A ROMANCE OF THE EARLY SETTLERS IN THE OHIO VALLEY - - - -BY ZANE GREY - - - -1906 - - - - - - - -To my brother - - - -With many fond recollections of days spent in the solitude of the forests - -where only can be satisfied that wild fever of freedom of which this book - -tells; where to hear the whirr of a wild duck in his rapid flight is joy; - -where the quiet of an autumn afternoon swells the heart, and where one may - -watch the fragrant wood-smoke curl from the campfire, and see the starspeep - -over dark, wooded hills as twilight deepens, and know a happiness that dwells - -in the wilderness alone. - - - - - - - -Introduction - - - -The author does not intend to apologize for what many readers may call the - -"brutality" of the story; but rather to explain that its wild spirit is true - -to the life of the Western border as it was known only a little more than one - -hundred years ago. - - - -The writer is the fortunate possessor of historical material of undoubted - -truth and interest. It is the long-lost journal of Colonel Ebenezer Zane, one - -of the most prominent of the hunter-pioneer, who labored in the settlement of - -the Western country. - - - -The story of that tragic period deserves a higher place in historical - -literature than it has thus far been given, and this unquestionably because of - -a lack of authentic data regarding the conquering of the wilderness. - -Considering how many years the pioneers struggled on the border of this - -country, the history of their efforts is meager and obscure. - - - -If the years at the close of the eighteenth and the beginning of the - -nineteenth century were full of stirring adventure on the part of the - -colonists along the Atlantic coast, how crowded must they have been for the - -almost forgotten pioneers who daringly invaded the trackless wilds! None there - -was to chronicle the fight of these sturdy, travelers toward the setting sun. - -The story of their stormy lives, of their heroism, and of their sacrifice for - -the benefit of future generations is too little known. - - - -It is to a better understanding of those days that the author has labored to - -draw from his ancestor's notes a new and striking portrayal of the frontier; - -one which shall paint the fever of freedom, that powerful impulse which lured - -so many to unmarked graves; one which shall show his work, his love, the - -effect of the causes which rendered his life so hard, and surely one which - -does not forget the wronged Indian. - - - -The frontier in 1777 produced white men so savage as to be men in name only. - -These outcasts and renegades lived among the savages, and during thirty years - -harassed the border, perpetrating all manner of fiendish cruelties upon. the - -settlers. They were no less cruel to the redmen whom they ruled, and at the - -height of their bloody careers made futile the Moravian missionaries' long - -labors, and destroyed the beautiful hamlet of the Christian Indians, called - -Gnaddenhutten, or Village of Peace. - - - -And while the border produced such outlaws so did it produce hunters Eke - -Boone, the Zanes, the McCollochs, and Wetzel, that strange, silent man whose - -deeds are still whispered in the country where he once roamed in his insatiate - -pursuit of savages and renegades, and who was purely a product of the times. - -Civilization could not have brought forth a man like Wetzel. Great - -revolutions, great crises, great moments come, and produce the men to deal - -with them. - - - -The border needed Wetzel. The settlers would have needed many more years in - -which to make permanent homes had it not been for him. He was never a pioneer; - -but always a hunter after Indians. When not on the track of the savage foe, he - -was in the settlement, with his keen eye and ear ever alert for signs of the - -enemy. To the superstitious Indians he was a shadow; a spirit of the border, - -which breathed menace from the dark forests. To the settlers he was the right - -arm of defense, a fitting leader for those few implacable and unerring - -frontiersmen who made the settlement of the West a possibility. - - - -And if this story of one of his relentless pursuits shows the man as he truly - -was, loved by pioneers, respected and feared by redmen, and hated by - -renegades; if it softens a little the ruthless name history accords him, the - -writer will have been well repaid. - - - -Z. G. - - - - - - - -The Spirit of the Border - - - - - - - -Chapter I. - - - -"Nell, I'm growing powerful fond of you." - - - -"So you must be, Master Joe, if often telling makes it true." - - - -The girl spoke simply, and with an absence of that roguishness which was - -characteristic of her. Playful words, arch smiles, and a touch of coquetry had - -seemed natural to Nell; but now her grave tone and her almost wistful glance - -disconcerted Joe. - - - -During all the long journey over the mountains she had been gay and bright, - -while now, when they were about to part, perhaps never to meet again, she - -showed him the deeper and more earnest side of her character. It checked his - -boldness as nothing else had done. Suddenly there came to him the real meaning - -of a woman's love when she bestows it without reservation. Silenced by the - -thought that he had not understood her at all, and the knowledge that he had - -been half in sport, he gazed out over the wild country before them. - - - -The scene impressed its quietness upon the young couple and brought more - -forcibly to their minds the fact that they were at the gateway of the unknown - -West; that somewhere beyond this rude frontier settlement, out there in those - -unbroken forests stretching dark and silent before them, was to be their - -future home. - - - -From the high bank where they stood the land sloped and narrowed gradually - -until it ended in a sharp point which marked the last bit of land between the - -Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. Here these swift streams merged and formed - -the broad Ohio. The new-born river, even here at its beginning proud and - -swelling as if already certain of its far-away grandeur, swept majestically - -round a wide curve and apparently lost itself in the forest foliage. - - - -On the narrow point of land commanding a view of the rivers stood a long, low - -structure enclosed by a stockade fence, on the four corners of which were - -little box-shaped houses that bulged out as if trying to see what was going on - -beneath. The massive timbers used in the construction of this fort, the - -square, compact form, and the small, dark holes cut into the walls, gave the - -structure a threatening, impregnable aspect. - - - -Below Nell and Joe, on the bank, were many log cabins. The yellow clay which - -filled the chinks between the logs gave these a peculiar striped appearance. - -There was life and bustle in the vicinity of these dwellings, in sharp - -contrast with the still grandeur of the neighboring forests. There were - -canvas-covered wagons around which curly-headed youngsters were playing. - -Several horses were grazing on the short grass, and six red and white oxen - -munched at the hay that had been thrown to them. The smoke of many fires - -curled upward, and near the blaze hovered ruddy-faced women who stirred the - -contents of steaming kettles. One man swung an axe with a vigorous sweep, and - -the clean, sharp strokes rang on the air; another hammered stakes into the - -ground on which to hang a kettle. Before a large cabin a fur-trader was - -exhibiting his wares to three Indians. A second redskin was carrying a pack of - -pelts from a canoe drawn up on the river bank. A small group of persons stood - -near; some were indifferent, and others gazed curiously at the savages. Two - -children peeped from behind their mother's skirts as if half-curious, - -half-frightened. - - - -From this scene, the significance of which had just dawned on him, Joe turned - -his eyes again to his companion. It was a sweet face he saw; one that was - -sedate, but had a promise of innumerable smiles. The blue eyes could not long - -hide flashes of merriment. The girl turned, and,the two young people looked at - -each other. Her eyes softened with a woman's gentleness as they rested upon - -him, for, broad of shoulder, and lithe and strong as a deer stalker, he was - -good to look at. - - - -"Listen," she said. "We have known each other only three weeks. Since you - -joined our wagon-train, and have been so kind to me and so helpful to make - -that long, rough ride endurable, you have won my regard. I--I cannot say more, - -even if I would. You told me you ran away from your Virginian home to seek - -adventure on the frontier, and that you knew no one in all this wild country. - -You even said you could not, or would not, work at farming. Perhaps my sister - -and I are as unfitted as you for this life; but we must cling to our uncle - -because he is the only relative we have. He has come out here to join the - -Moravians, and to preach the gospel to these Indians. We shall share his - -life, and help him all we can. You have been telling me you--you cared for me, - -and now that we are about to part I--I don't know what to say to you--unless - -it is: Give up this intention of yours to seek adventure, and come with us. It - -seems to me you need not hunt for excitement here; it will come unsought." - - - -"I wish I were Jim," said he, suddenly. - - - -"Who is Jim?" - - - -"My brother." - - - -"Tell me of him." - - - -"There's nothing much to tell. He and I are all that are left of our people, - -as are you and Kate of yours. Jim's a preacher, and the best fellow--oh! I - -cared a lot for Jim." - - - -"Then, why did you leave him?" - - - -"I was tired of Williamsburg--I quarreled with a fellow, and hurt him. - -Besides, I wanted to see the West; I'd like to hunt deer and bear and fight - -Indians. Oh, I'm not much good." - - - -"Was Jim the only one you cared for?" asked Nell, smiling. She was surprised - -to find him grave. - - - -"Yes, except my horse and dog, and I had to leave them behind," answered Joe, - -bowing his head a little. - - - -"You'd like to be Jim because he's a preacher, and could help uncle convert - -the Indians?" - - - -"Yes, partly that, but mostly because--somehow--something you've said or done - -has made me care for you in a different way, and I'd like to be worthy of - -you." - - - -"I don't think I can believe it, when you say you are 'no good,'" she replied. - - - -"Nell," he cried, and suddenly grasped her hand. - - - -She wrenched herself free, and leaped away from him. Her face was bright now, - -and the promise of smiles was made good. - - - -"Behave yourself, sir." She tossed her head with a familiar backward motion to - -throw the chestnut hair from her face, and looked at him with eyes veiled - -slightly under their lashes. "You will go with Kate and me?" - - - -Before he could answer, a cry from some one on the plain below attracted their - -attention. They turned and saw another wagon-train pulling into the - -settlement. The children were shooting and running alongside the weary oxen; - -men and women went forward expectantly. - - - -"That must be the train uncle expected. Let us go down," said Nell. - - - -Joe did not answer; but followed her down the path. When they gained a clump - -of willows near the cabins he bent forward and took her hand. She saw the - -reckless gleam in his eyes. - - - -"Don't. They'll see," she whispered. - - - -"If that's the only reason you have, I reckon I don't care," said Joe. - - - -"What do you mean? I didn't say--I didn't tell--oh! let me go!" implored Nell. - - - -She tried to release the hand Joe had grasped in his broad palm, but in vain; - -the more she struggled the firmer was his hold. A frown wrinkled her brow and - -her eyes. sparkled with spirit. She saw the fur-tader's wife looking out of - -the window, and remembered laughing and telling the good woman she did not - -like this young man; it was, perhaps, because she feared those sharp eyes that - -she resented his audacity. She opened her mouth to rebuke him; but no words - -came. Joe had bent his head and softly closed her lips with his own. - - - -For the single instant during which Nell stood transfixed, as if with - -surprise, and looking up at Joe, she was dumb. Usually the girl was ready with - -sharp or saucy words and impulsive in her movements; but now the bewilderment - -of being kissed, particularly within view of the trader's wife, confused her. - -Then she heard voices, and as Joe turned away with a smile on his face, the - -unusual warmth in her heart was followed by an angry throbbing. - - - -Joe's tall figure stood out distinctly as he leisurely strolled toward the - -incoming wagon-train without looking backward. Flashing after him a glance - -that boded wordy trouble in the future, she ran into the cabin. - - - -As she entered the door it seemed certain the grizzled frontiersman sitting on - -the bench outside had grinned knowingly at her, and winked as if to say he - -would keep her secret. Mrs. Wentz, the fur-trader's wife, was seated by the - -open window which faced the fort; she was a large woman, strong of feature, - -and with that calm placidity of expression common to people who have lived - -long in sparsely populated districts. Nell glanced furtively at her and - -thought she detected the shadow of a smile in the gray eyes. - - - -"I saw you and your sweetheart makin' love behind the willow," Mrs. Wentz said - -in a matter-of-fact voice. "I don't see why you need hide to do it. We folks - -out here like to see the young people sparkin'. Your young man is a - -fine-appearin' chap. I felt certain you was sweethearts, for all you allowed - -you'd known him only a few days. Lize Davis said she saw he was sweet on you. - -I like his face. Jake, my man, says as how he'll make a good husband for you, - -and he'll take to the frontier like a duck does to water. I'm sorry you'll not - -tarry here awhile. We don't see many lasses, especially any as pretty as you, - -and you'll find it more quiet and lonesome the farther West you get. Jake - -knows all about Fort Henry, and Jeff Lynn, the hunter outside, he knows Eb and - -Jack Zane, and Wetzel, and all those Fort Henry men. You'll be gettin' married - -out there, won't you?" - - - -"You are--quite wrong," said Nell, who all the while Mrs. Wentz was speaking - -grew rosier and rosier. "We're not anything---" - - - -Then Nell hesitated and finally ceased speaking. She saw that denials or - -explanations were futile; the simple woman had seen the kiss, and formed her - -own conclusions. During the few days Nell had spent at Fort Pitt, she had come - -to understand that the dwellers on the frontier took everything as a matter of - -course. She had seen them manifest a certain pleasure; but neither surprise, - -concern, nor any of the quick impulses so common among other people. And this - -was another lesson Nell took to heart. She realized that she was entering upon - -a life absolutely different from her former one, and the thought caused her to - -shrink from the ordeal. Yet all the suggestions regarding her future home; - -the stories told about Indians, renegades, and of the wild border-life, - -fascinated her. These people who had settled in this wild region were simple, - -honest and brave; they accepted what came as facts not to be questioned, and - -believed what looked true. Evidently the fur-trader's wife and her female - -neighbors had settled in their minds the relation in which the girl stood to - -Joe. - - - -This latter reflection heightened Nell's resentment toward her lover. She - -stood with her face turned away from Mrs. Wentz; the little frown deepened, - -and she nervously tapped her foot on the floor. - - - -"Where is my sister?" she presently asked. - - - -"She went to see the wagon-train come in. Everybody's out there." - - - -Nell deliberated a moment and then went into the open air. She saw a number of - -canvas-covered wagons drawn up in front of the cabins; the vehicles were dusty - -and the wheels encrusted with yellow mud. The grizzled frontiersman who had - -smiled at Nell stood leaning on his gun, talking to three men, whose - -travel-stained and worn homespun clothes suggested a long and toilsome - -journey. There was the bustle of excitement incident to the arrival of - -strangers; to the quick exchange of greetings, the unloading of wagons and - -unharnessing of horses and oxen. - - - -Nell looked here and there for her sister. Finally she saw her standing near - -her uncle while he conversed with one of the teamsters. The girl did not - -approach them; but glanced quickly around in search of some one else. At - -length she saw Joe unloading goods from one of the wagons; his back was turned - -toward her, but she at once recognized the challenge conveyed by the broad - -shoulders. She saw no other person; gave heed to nothing save what was to her, - -righteous indignation. - - - -Hearing her footsteps, the young man turned, glancing at her admiringly, said: - - - -"Good evening, Miss." - - - -Nell had not expected such a matter-of-fact greeting from Joe. There was not - -the slightest trace of repentance in his calm face, and he placidly continued - -his labor. - - - -"Aren't you sorry you--you treated me so?" burst out Nell. - - - -His coolness was exasperating. Instead of the contrition and apology she had - -expected, and which was her due, he evidently intended to tease her, as he had - -done so often. - - - -The young man dropped a blanket and stared. - - - -"I don't understand," he said, gravely. "I never saw you before." - - - -This was too much for quick-tempered Nell. She had had some vague idea of - -forgiving him, after he had sued sufficiently for pardon; but now, forgetting - -her good intentions in the belief that he was making sport of her when he - -should have pleaded for forgiveness, she swiftly raised her hand and slapped - -him smartly. - - - -The red blood flamed to the young man's face; as he staggered backward with - -his hand to his cheek, she heard a smothered exclamation behind her, and then - -the quick, joyous barking of a dog. - - - -When Nell turned she was amazed to see Joe standing beside the wagon, while a - -big white dog was leaping upon him. Suddenly she felt faint. Bewildered, she - -looked from Joe to the man she had just struck; but could not say which was - -the man who professed to love her. - - - -"Jim! So you followed me!" cried Joe, starting forward and flinging his arms - -around the other. - - - -"Yes, Joe, and right glad I am to find you," answered the young man, while a - -peculiar expression of pleasure came over his face. - - - -"It's good to see you again! And here's my old dog Mose! But how on earth did - -you know? Where did you strike my trail? What are you going to do out here on - -the frontier? Tell me all. What happened after I left---" - - - -Then Joe saw Nell standing nearby, pale and distressed, and he felt something - -was amiss. He glanced quickly from her to his brother; she seemed to be dazed, - -and Jim looked grave. - - - -"What the deuce--? Nell, this is my brother Jim, the I told you about. Jim, - -this is my friend, Miss Wells." - - - -"I am happy to meet Miss Wells," said Jim, with a smile, "even though she did - -slap my face for nothing." - - - -"Slapped you? What for?" Then the truth dawned on Joe, and he laughed until - -the tears came into his eyes. "She took you for me! Ha, ha, ha! Oh, this is - -great!" - - - -Nell's face was now rosy red and moisture glistened in her eyes; but she tried - -bravely to stand her ground. Humiliation had taken the place of anger. - - - -"I--I--am sorry, Mr. Downs. I did take you for him. He--he has insulted me." - -Then she turned and ran into the cabin. - - - - - - - -Chapter II. - - - -Joe and Jim were singularly alike. They were nearly the same size, very tall, - -but so heavily built as to appear of medium height, while their grey eyes and, - -indeed, every feature of their clean-cut faces corresponded so exactly as to - -proclaim them brothers. - - - -"Already up to your old tricks?" asked Jim, with his hand on Joe's shoulder, - -as they both watched Nell's flight. - - - -"I'm really fond of her, Jim, and didn't mean to hurt her feelings. But tell - -me about yourself; what made you come West?" - - - -"To teach the Indians, and I was, no doubt, strongly influenced by your being - -here." - - - -"You're going to do as you ever have--make some sacrifice. You are always - -devoting yourself; if not to me, to some other. Now it's your life you're - -giving up. To try to convert the redskins and influence me for good is in both - -cases impossible. How often have I said there wasn't any good in me! My desire - -is to kill Indians, not preach to them, Jim. I'm glad to see you; but I wish - -you hadn't come. This wild frontier is no place for a preacher." - - - -"I think it is," said Jim, quietly. - - - -"What of Rose--the girl you were to marry?" - - - -Joe glanced quickly at his brother. Jim's face paled slightly as he turned - -away. - - - -"I'll speak once more of her, and then, never again," he answered. "You knew - -Rose better than I did. Once you tried to tell me she was too fond of - -admiration, and I rebuked you; but now I see that your wider experience of - -women had taught you things I could not then understand. She was untrue. When - -you left Williamsburg, apparently because you had gambled with Jewett and - -afterward fought him, I was not misled. You made the game of cards a pretense; - -you sought it simply as an opportunity to wreak your vengeance on him for his - -villainy toward me. Well, it's all over now. Though you cruelly beat and left - -him disfigured for life, he will live, and you are saved from murder, thank - -God! When I learned of your departure I yearned to follow. Then I met a - -preacher who spoke of having intended to go West with a Mr. Wells, of the - -Moravian Mission. I immediately said I would go in his place, and here I am. - -I'm fortunate in that I have found both him and you." - - - -"I'm sorry I didn't kill Jewett; I certainly meant to. Anyway, there's some - -comfort in knowing I left my mark on him. He was a sneaking, cold-blooded - -fellow, with his white hair and pale face, and always fawning round the girls. - -I hated him, and gave it to him good." Joe spoke musingly and complacently as - -though it was a trivial thing to compass the killing of a man. - - - -"Well, Jim, you're here now, and there's no help for it. We'll go along with - -this Moravian preacher and his nieces. If you haven't any great regrets for - -the past, why, all may be well yet. I can see that the border is the place for - -me. But now, Jim, for once in your life take a word of advice from me. We're - -out on the frontier, where every man looks after himself. Your being a - -minister won't protect you here where every man wears a knife and a tomahawk, - -and where most of them are desperadoes. Cut out that soft voice and most of - -your gentle ways, and be a little more like your brother. Be as kind as you - -like, and preach all you want to; but when some of these buckskin-legged - -frontiermen try to walk all over you, as they will, take your own part in a - -way you have never taken it before. I had my lesson the first few days out - -with that wagon-train. It was a case of four fights; but I'm all right now." - - - -"Joe, I won't run, if that's what you mean," answered Jim, with a laugh. - -"Yes, I understand that a new life begins here, and I am content. If I can - -find my work in it, and remain with you, I shall be happy." - - - -"Ah! old Mose! I'm glad to see you," Joe cried to the big dog who came nosing - -round him. "You've brought this old fellow; did you bring the horses?" - - - -"Look behind the wagon." - - - -With the dog bounding before him, Joe did as he was directed, and there found - -two horses tethered side by side. Little wonder that his eyes gleamed with - -delight. One was jet-black; the other iron-gray and in every line the - -clean-limbed animals showed the thoroughbred. The black threw up his slim head - -and whinnied, with affection clearly shining in his soft, dark eyes as he - -recognized his master. - - - -"Lance, old fellow, how did I ever leave you!" murmured Joe, as he threw his - -arm over the arched neck. Mose stood by looking up, and wagging his tail in - -token of happiness at the reunion of the three old friends. There were tears - -in Joe's eyes when, with a last affectionate caress, he turned away from his - -pet. - - - -"Come, Jim, I'll take you to Mr. Wells." - - - -They stated across the little square, while Mose went back under the wagon; - -but at a word from Joe he bounded after them, trotting contentedly at their - -heels. Half way to the cabins a big, raw-boned teamster, singing in a drunken - -voice, came staggering toward them. Evidently he had just left the group of - -people who had gathered near the Indians. - - - -"I didn't expect to see drunkenness out here," said Jim, in a low tone. - - - -"There's lots of it. I saw that fellow yesterday when he, couldn't walk. - -Wentz told me he was a bad customer." - - - -The teamster, his red face bathed in perspiration, and his sleeves rolled up, - -showing brown, knotty arms, lurched toward them. As they met he aimed a kick - -at the dog; but Mose leaped nimbly aside, avoiding the heavy boot. He did not - -growl, nor show his teeth; but the great white head sank forward a little, and - -the lithe body crouched for a spring. - - - -"Don't touch that dog; he'll tear your leg off!" Joe cried sharply. - - - -"Say, pard, cum an' hev' a drink," replied the teamster, with a friendly leer. - - - -"I don't drink," answered Joe, curtly, and moved on. - - - -The teamster growled something of which only the word "parson" was - -intelligible to the brothers. Joe stopped and looked back. His gray eyes - -seemed to contract; they did not flash, but shaded and lost their warmth. Jim - -saw the change, and, knowing what it signified, took Joe's arm as he gently - -urged him away. The teamster's shrill voice could be heard until they entered - -the fur-trader's cabin. - - - -An old man with long, white hair flowing from beneath his wide-brimmed hat, - -sat near the door holding one of Mrs. Wentz's children on his knee. His face - -was deep-lined and serious; but kindness shone from his mild blue eyes. - - - -"Mr. Wells, this is my brother James. He is a preacher, and has come in place - -of the man you expected from Williamsburg." - - - -The old minister arose, and extended his hand, gazing earnestly at the - -new-comer meanwhile. Evidently he approved of what he saw in his quick - -scrutiny of the other's face, for his lips were wreathed with a smile of - -welcome. - - - -"Mr. Downs, I am glad to meet you, and to know you will go with me. I thank - -God I shall take into the wilderness one who is young enough to carry on the - -work when my days are done." - - - -"I will make it my duty to help you in whatsoever way lies in my power," - -answered Jim, earnestly. - - - -"We have a great work before us. I have heard many scoffers who claim that it - -is worse than folly to try to teach these fierce savages Christianity; but I - -know it can be done, and my heart is in the work. I have no fear; yet I would - -not conceal from you, young man, that the danger of going among these hostile - -Indians must be great." - - - -"I will not hesitate because of that. My sympathy is with the redman. I have - -had an opportunity of studying Indian nature and believe the race inherently - -noble. He has been driven to make war, and I want to help him into other - -paths." - - - -Joe left the two ministers talking earnestly and turned toward Mrs. Wentz. - -The fur-trader's wife was glowing with pleasure. She held in her hand several - -rude trinkets, and was explaining to her listener, a young woman, that the - -toys were for the children, having been brought all the way from Williamsburg. - - - -"Kate, where's Nell?" Joe asked of the girl. - - - -"She went on an errand for Mrs. Wentz." - - - -Kate Wells was the opposite of her sister. Her motions were slow, easy and - -consistent with her large, full, form. Her brown eyes and hair contrasted - -sharply with Nell's. The greatest difference in the sisters lay in that Nell's - -face was sparkling and full of the fire of her eager young life, while Kate's - -was calm, like the unruffled surface of a deep lake. - - - -"That's Jim, my brother. We're going with you," said Joe. - - - -"Are you? I'm glad," answered the girl, looking at the handsome earnest face - -of the young minister. - - - -"Your brother's like you for all the world," whispered Mrs. Wentz. - - - -"He does look like you," said Kate, with her slow smile. - - - -"Which means you think, or hope, that that is all," retorted Joe laughingly. - -"Well, Kate, there the resemblance ends, thank God for Jim!" - - - -He spoke in a sad, bitter tone which caused both women to look at him - -wonderingly. Joe had to them ever been full of surprises; never until then had - -they seen evidences of sadness in his face. A moment's silence ensued. Mrs. - -Wentz gazed lovingly at the children who were playing with the trinkets; while - -Kate mused over the young man's remark, and began studying his, half-averted - -face. She felt warmly drawn to him by the strange expression in the glance he - -had given his brother. The tenderness in his eyes did not harmonize with much - -of this wild and reckless boy's behavior. To Kate he had always seemed so - -bold, so cold, so different from other men, and yet here was proof that Master - -Joe loved his brother. - - - -The murmured conversation of the two ministers was interrupted by a low cry - -from outside the cabin. A loud, coarse laugh followed, and then a husky voice, - - - - - -"Hol' on, my purty lass."' - - - -Joe took two long strides, and was on the door-step. He saw Nell struggling - -violently in the grasp of the half-drunken teamster. - - - -"I'll jes' hev' to kiss this lassie fer luck," he said in a tone of good - -humor. - - - -At the same instant Joe saw three loungers laughing, and a fourth, the - -grizzled frontiersman, starting forward with a yell. - - - -"Let me go!" cried Nell. - - - -Just when the teamster had pulled her close to him, and was bending his red, - -moist face to hers, two brown, sinewy hands grasped his neck with an angry - -clutch. Deprived thus of breath, his mouth opened, his tongue protruded; his - -eyes seemed starting from their sockets, and his arms beat the air. Then he - -was lifted and flung with a crash against the cabin wall. Falling, he lay in - -a heap on the grass, while the blood flowed from a cut on his temple. - - - -"What's this?" cried a man, authoritatively. He had come swiftly up, and - -arrived at the scene where stood the grizzled frontiersman. - - - -"It was purty handy, Wentz. I couldn't hev' did better myself, and I was - -comin' for that purpose," said the frontiersman. "Leffler was tryin' to kiss - -the lass. He's been drunk fer two days. That little girl's sweetheart kin - -handle himself some, now you take my word on it." - - - -"I'll agree Leff's bad when he's drinkin'," answered the fur-trader, and to - -Joe he added, "He's liable to look you up when he comes around." - - - -"Tell him if I am here when he gets sober, I'll kill him," Joe cried in a - -sharp voice. His gaze rested once more on the fallen teamster, and again an - -odd contraction of his eyes was noticeable. The glance was cutting, as if with - -the flash of cold gray steel. "Nell, I'm sorry I wasn't round sooner," he - -said, apologetically, as if it was owing to his neglect the affair had - -happened. - - - -As they entered the cabin Nell stole a glance at him. This was the third time - -he had injured a man because of her. She had on several occasions seen that - -cold, steely glare in his eyes, and it had always frightened her. It was gone, - -however, before they were inside the building. He said something which she did - -not hear distinctly, and his calm voice allayed her excitement. She had been - -angry with him; but now she realized that her resentment had disappeared. He - -had spoken so kindly after the outburst. Had he not shown that he considered - -himself her protector and lover? A strange emotion, sweet and subtle as the - -taste of wine, thrilled her, while a sense of fear because of his strength was - -mingled with her pride in it. Any other girl would have been only too glad to - -have such a champion; she would, too, hereafter, for he was a man of whom to - -be proud. - - - -"Look here, Nell, you haven't spoken to me," Joe cried suddenly, seeming to - -understand that she had not even heard what he said, so engrossed had she been - -with her reflections. "Are you mad with me yet?" he continued. "Why, Nell, I'm - -in--I love you!" - - - -Evidently Joe thought such fact a sufficient reason for any act on his part. - -His tender tone conquered Nell, and she turned to him with flushed cheeks and - -glad eyes. - - - -"I wasn't angry at all," she whispered, and then, eluding the arm he extended, - -she ran into the other room. - - - - - - - -Chapter III. - - - -Joe lounged in the doorway of the cabin, thoughtfully contemplating two quiet - -figures that were lying in the shade of a maple tree. One he recognized as the - -Indian with whom Jim had spent an earnest hour that morning; the red son of - -the woods was wrapped in slumber. He had placed under his head a many-hued - -homespun shirt which the young preacher had given him; but while asleep his - -head had rolled off this improvised pillow, and the bright garment lay free, - -attracting the eye. Certainly it had led to the train of thought which had - -found lodgment in Joe's fertile brain. - - - -The other sleeper was a short, stout man whom Joe had seen several times - -before. This last fellow did not appear to be well-balanced in his mind, and - -was the butt of the settlers' jokes, while the children called him "Loorey." - -He, like the Indian, was sleeping off the effects of the previous night's - -dissipation. - - - -During a few moments Joe regarded the recumbent figures with an expression on - -his face which told that he thought in them were great possibilities for - -sport. With one quick glance around he disappeared within the cabin, and when - -he showed himself at the door, surveying the village square with mirthful - -eyes, he held in his hand a small basket of Indian design. It was made of - -twisted grass, and simply contained several bits of soft, chalky stone such as - -the Indians used for painting, which collection Joe had discovered among the - -fur-trader's wares. - - - -He glanced around once more, and saw that all those in sight were busy with - -their work. He gave the short man a push, and chuckled when there was no - -response other than a lazy grunt. Joe took the Indians' gaudy shirt, and, - -lifting Loorey, slipped it around him, shoved the latter's arms through the - -sleeves, and buttoned it in front. He streaked the round face with red and - -white paint, and then, dexterously extracting the eagle plume from the - -Indian's head-dress, stuck it in Loorey's thick shock of hair. It was all done - -in a moment, after which Joe replaced the basket, and went down to the river. - - - -Several times that morning he had visited the rude wharf where Jeff Lynn, the - -grizzled old frontiersman, busied himself with preparations for the - -raft-journey down the Ohio. Lynn had been employed to guide the missionary's - -party to Fort Henry, and, as the brothers had acquainted him with their - -intention of accompanying the travelers, he had constructed a raft for them - -and their horses. - - - -Joe laughed when he saw the dozen two-foot logs fastened together, upon which - -a rude shack had been erected for shelter. This slight protection from sun and - -storm was all the brothers would have on their long journey. - - - -Joe noted, however, that the larger raft had been prepared with some thought - -for the comfort of the girls. The floor of the little hut was raised so that - -the waves which broke over the logs could not reach it. Taking a peep into - -the structure, Joe was pleased to see that Nell and Kate would be comfortable, - -even during a storm. A buffalo robe and two red blankets gave to the interior - -a cozy, warm look. He observed that some of the girls' luggage was already on - -board. - - - -"When'll we be off?" he inquired. - - - -"Sun-up," answered Lynn, briefly. - - - -"I'm glad of that. I like to be on the go in the early morning," said Joe, - -cheerfully. - - - -"Most folks from over Eastways ain't in a hurry to tackle the river," replied - -Lynn, eyeing Joe sharply. - - - -"It's a beautiful river, and I'd like to sail on it from here to where it - -ends, and then come back to go again," Joe replied, warmly. - - - -"In a hurry to be a-goin'? I'll allow you'll see some slim red devils, with - -feathers in their hair, slipping among the trees along the bank, and mebbe - -you'll hear the ping which's made when whistlin' lead hits. Perhaps you'll - -want to be back here by termorrer sundown." - - - -"Not I," said Joe, with his short, cool laugh. - - - -The old frontiersman slowly finished his task of coiling up a rope of wet - -cowhide, and then, producing a dirty pipe, he took a live ember from the fire - -and placed it on the bowl. He sucked slowly at the pipe-stem, and soon puffed - -out a great cloud of smoke. Sitting on a log, he deliberately surveyed the - -robust shoulders and long, heavy limbs of the young man, with a keen - -appreciation of their symmetry and strength. Agility, endurance and courage - -were more to a borderman than all else; a new-comer on the frontier was always - -"sized-up" with reference to these "points," and respected in proportion to - -the measure in which he possessed them. - - - -Old Jeff Lynn, riverman, hunter, frontiersman, puffed slowly at his pipe while - -he mused thus to himself: "Mebbe I'm wrong in takin' a likin' to this - -youngster so sudden. Mebbe it's because I'm fond of his sunny-haired lass, an' - -ag'in mebbe it's because I'm gettin' old an' likes young folks better'n I onct - -did. Anyway, I'm kinder thinkin, if this young feller gits worked out, say fer - -about twenty pounds less, he'll lick a whole raft-load of wild-cats." - - - -Joe walked to and fro on the logs, ascertained how the raft was put together, - -and took a pull on the long, clumsy steering-oar. At length he seated himself - -beside Lynn. He was eager to ask questions; to know about the rafts, the - -river, the forest, the Indians--everything in connection with this wild life; - -but already he had learned that questioning these frontiersmen is a sure means - -of closing their lips. - - - -"Ever handle the long rifle?" asked Lynn, after a silence. - - - -"Yes," answered Joe, simply. - - - -"Ever shoot anythin'?" the frontiersman questioned, when he had taken four or - -five puffs at his pipe. - - - -"Squirrels." - - - -"Good practice, shootin' squirrels," observed Jeff, after another silence, - -long enough to allow Joe to talk if he was so inclined. "Kin ye hit one--say, - -a hundred yards?" - - - -"Yes, but not every time in the head," returned Joe. There was an apologetic - -tone in his answer. - - - -Another interval followed in which neither spoke. Jeff was slowly pursuing his - -line of thought. After Joe's last remark he returned his pipe to his pocket - -and brought out a tobacco-pouch. He tore off a large portion of the weed and - -thrust it into his mouth. Then he held out the little buckskin sack to Joe. - - - -"Hev' a chaw," he said. - - - -To offer tobacco to anyone was absolutely a borderman's guarantee of - -friendliness toward that person. - - - -Jeff expectorated half a dozen times, each time coming a little nearer the - -stone he was aiming at, some five yards distant. Possibly this was the - -borderman's way of oiling up his conversational machinery. At all events, he - -commenced to talk. - - - -"Yer brother's goin' to preach out here, ain't he? Preachin' is all right, - -I'll allow; but I'm kinder doubtful about preachin' to redskins. Howsumever, - -I've knowed Injuns who are good fellows, and there's no tellin'. What are ye - -goin' in fer--farmin'?" - - - -"No, I wouldn't make a good farmer." - - - -"Jest cum out kinder wild like, eh?" rejoined Jeff, knowingly. - - - -"I wanted to come West because I was tired of tame life. I love the forest; I - -want to fish and hunt; and I think I'd like to--to see Indians." - - - -"I kinder thought so," said the old frontiersman, nodding his head as though - -he perfectly understood Joe's case. "Well, lad, where you're goin' seein' - -Injuns ain't a matter of choice. You has to see 'em, and fight 'em, too. We've - -had bad times for years out here on the border, and I'm thinkin' wuss is - -comin'. Did ye ever hear the name Girty?" - - - -"Yes; he's a renegade." - - - -"He's a traitor, and Jim and George Girty, his brothers, are p'isin - -rattlesnake Injuns. Simon Girty's bad enough; but Jim's the wust. He's now - -wusser'n a full-blooded Delaware. He's all the time on the lookout to capture - -white wimen to take to his Injun teepee. Simon Girty and his pals, McKee and - -Elliott, deserted from that thar fort right afore yer eyes. They're now livin' - -among the redskins down Fort Henry way, raisin' as much hell fer the settlers - -as they kin." - - - -"Is Fort Henry near the Indian towns?" asked Joe. - - - -"There's Delawares, Shawnees and Hurons all along the Ohio below Fort Henry." - - - -"Where is the Moravian Mission located?" - - - -"Why, lad, the Village of Peace, as the Injuns call it, is right in the midst - -of that Injun country. I 'spect it's a matter of a hundred miles below and - -cross-country a little from Fort Henry." - - - -"The fort must be an important point, is it not?" - - - -"Wal, I guess so. It's the last place on the river," answered Lynn, with a - -grim smile. "There's only a stockade there, an' a handful of men. The Injuns - -hev swarmed down on it time and ag'in, but they hev never burned it. Only - -such men as Colonel Zane, his brother Jack, and Wetzel could hev kept that - -fort standin' all these bloody years. Eb Zane's got but a few men, yet he kin - -handle 'em some, an' with such scouts as Jack Zane and Wetzel, he allus knows - -what's goin' on among the Injuns." - - - -"I've heard of Colonel Zane. He was an officer under Lord Dunmore. The hunters - -here speak often of Jack Zane and Wetzel. What are they?" - - - -"Jack Zane is a hunter an' guide. I knowed him well a few years back. He's a - -quiet, mild chap; but a streak of chain-lightnin' when he's riled. Wetzel is - -an Injun-killer. Some people say as how he's crazy over scalp-huntin'; but I - -reckon that's not so. I've seen him a few times. He don't hang round the - -settlement 'cept when the Injuns are up, an' nobody sees him much. At home he - -sets round silent-like, an' then mebbe next mornin' he'll be gone, an' won't - -show up fer days or weeks. But all the frontier knows of his deeds. Fer - -instance, I've hearn of settlers gettin' up in the mornin' an' findin' a - -couple of dead and scalped Injuns right in front of their cabins. No one - -knowed who killed 'em, but everybody says 'Wetzel.' He's allus warnin' the - -settlers when they need to flee to the fort, and sure he's right every time, - -because when these men go back to their cabins they find nothin' but ashes. - -There couldn't be any farmin' done out there but fer Wetzel." - - - -"What does he look like?" questioned Joe, much interested. - - - -"Wetzel stands straight as the oak over thar. He'd hev' to go sideways to git - -his shoulders in that door, but he's as light of foot an' fast as a deer. An' - -his eyes--why, lad, ye kin hardly look into 'em. If you ever see Wetzel you'll - -know him to onct." - - - -"I want to see him," Joe spoke quickly, his eyes lighting with an eager flash. - -"He must be a great fighter." - - - -"Is he? Lew Wetzel is the heftiest of 'em all, an' we hev some as kin fight - -out here. I was down the river a few years ago and joined a party to go out - -an' hunt up some redskins as had been reported. Wetzel was with us. We soon - -struck Injun sign, and then come on to a lot of the pesky varmints. We was all - -fer goin' home, because we had a small force. When we started to go we finds - -Wetzel sittin' calm-like on a log. We said: 'Ain't ye goin' home?' and he - -replied, 'I cum out to find redskins, an' now as we've found 'em, I'm not - -goin' to run away.' An' we left him settin' thar. Oh, Wetzel is a fighter!" - - - -"I hope I shall see him," said Joe once more, the warm light, which made him - -look so boyish, still glowing in his face. - - - -"Mebbe ye'll git to; and sure ye'll see redskins, an' not tame ones, nuther." - - - -At this moment the sound of excited voices near the cabins broke in on the - -conversation. Joe saw several persons run toward the large cabin and disappear - -behind it. He smiled as he thought perhaps the commotion had been caused by - -the awakening of the Indian brave. - - - -Rising to his feet, Joe went toward the cabin, and soon saw the cause of the - -excitement. A small crowd of men and women, all laughing and talking, - -surrounded the Indian brave and the little stout fellow. Joe heard some one - -groan, and then a deep, guttural voice: - - - -"Paleface--big steal--ugh! Injun mad--heap mad--kill paleface." - - - -After elbowing his way into the group, Joe saw the Indian holding Loorey with - -one hand, while he poked him on the ribs with the other. The captive's face - -was the picture of dismay; even the streaks of paint did not hide his look of - -fear and bewilderment. The poor half-witted fellow was so badly frightened - -that he could only groan. - - - -"Silvertip scalp paleface. Ugh!" growled the savage, giving Loorey another - -blow on the side. This time he bent over in pain. The bystanders were divided - -in feeling; the men laughed, while the women murmured sympathetically. - - - -"This's not a bit funny," muttered Joe, as he pushed his way nearly to the - -middle of the crowd. Then he stretched out a long arm that, bare and brawny, - -looked as though it might have been a blacksmith's, and grasped the Indian's - -sinewy wrist with a force that made him loosen his hold on Loorey instantly. - - - -"I stole the shirt--fun--joke," said Joe. "Scalp me if you want to scalp - -anyone." - - - -The Indian looked quickly at the powerful form before him. With a twist he - -slipped his arm from Joe's grasp. - - - -"Big paleface heap fun--all squaw play," he said, scornfully. There was a - -menace in his somber eyes as he turned abruptly and left the group. - - - -"I'm afraid you've made an enemy," said Jake Wentz to Joe. "An Indian never - -forgets an insult, and that's how he regarded your joke. Silvertip has been - -friendly here because he sells us his pelts. He's a Shawnee chief. There he - -goes through the willows!" - - - -By this time Jim and Mr. Wells, Mrs. Wentz and the girls had joined the group. - -They all watched Silvertip get into his canoe and paddle away. - - - -"A bad sign," said Wentz, and then, turning to Jeff Lynn, who joined the party - -at that moment, he briefly explained the circumstances. - - - -"Never did like Silver. He's a crafty redskin, an' not to be trusted," replied - -Jeff. - - - -"He has turned round and is looking back," Nell said quickly. - - - -"So he has," observed the fur-trader. - - - -The Indian was now several hundred yards down the swift river, and for an - -instant had ceased paddling. The sun shone brightly on his eagle plumes. He - -remained motionless for a moment, and even at such a distance the dark, - -changeless face could be discerned. He lifted his hand and shook it - -menacingly. - - - -"If ye don't hear from that redskin agin Jeff Lynn don't know nothin'," calm - -said the old frontiersman. - - - - - - - -Chapter IV. - - - -As the rafts drifted with the current the voyagers saw the settlers on the - -landing-place diminish until they had faded from indistinct figures to mere - -black specks against the green background. Then came the last wave of a white - -scarf, faintly in the distance, and at length the dark outline of the fort was - -all that remained to their regretful gaze. Quickly that, too, disappeared - -behind the green hill, which, with its bold front, forces the river to take a - -wide turn. - - - -The Ohio, winding in its course between high, wooded bluffs, rolled on and on - -into the wilderness. - - - -Beautiful as was the ever-changing scenery, rugged gray-faced cliffs on one - -side contrasting with green-clad hills on the other, there hovered over land - -and water something more striking than beauty. Above all hung a still - -atmosphere of calmness--of loneliness. - - - -And this penetrating solitude marred somewhat the pleasure which might have - -been found in the picturesque scenery, and caused the voyagers, to whom this - -country was new, to take less interest in the gaily-feathered birds and - -stealthy animals that were to be seen on the way. By the forms of wild life - -along the banks of the river, this strange intruder on their peace was - -regarded with attention. The birds and beasts evinced little fear of the - -floating rafts. The sandhill crane, stalking along the shore, lifted his long - -neck as the unfamiliar thing came floating by, and then stood still and silent - -as a statue until the rafts disappeared from view. Blue-herons feeding along - -the bars, saw the unusual spectacle, and, uttering surprised "booms," they - -spread wide wings and lumbered away along the shore. The crows circled above - -the voyagers, cawing in not unfriendly excitement. Smaller birds alighted on - -the raised poles, and several--a robin, a catbird and a little brown - -wren--ventured with hesitating boldness to peck at the crumbs the girls threw - -to them. Deer waded knee-deep in the shallow water, and, lifting their heads, - -instantly became motionless and absorbed. Occasionally a buffalo appeared on a - -level stretch of bank, and, tossing his huge head, seemed inclined to resent - -the coming of this stranger into his domain. - - - -All day the rafts drifted steadily and swiftly down the river, presenting to - -the little party ever-varying pictures of densely wooded hills, of jutting, - -broken cliffs with scant evergreen growth; of long reaches of sandy bar that - -glistened golden in the sunlight, and over all the flight and call of - -wildfowl, the flitting of woodland songsters, and now and then the whistle and - -bellow of the horned watchers in the forest. - - - -The intense blue of the vault above began to pale, and low down in the west a - -few fleecy clouds, gorgeously golden for a fleeting instant, then - -crimson-crowned for another, shaded and darkened as the setting sun sank - -behind the hills. Presently the red rays disappeared, a pink glow suffused the - -heavens, and at last, as gray twilight stole down over the hill-tops, the - -crescent moon peeped above the wooded fringe of the western bluffs. - - - -"Hard an' fast she is," sang out Jeff Lynn, as he fastened the rope to a tree - -at the head of a small island. "All off now, and' we'll hev' supper. Thar's a - -fine spring under yon curly birch, an' I fetched along a leg of deer-meat. - -Hungry, little 'un?" - - - -He had worked hard all day steering the rafts, yet Nell had seen him smiling - -at her many times during the journey, and he had found time before the early - -start to arrange for her a comfortable seat. There was now a solicitude in the - -frontiersman's voice that touched her. - - - -"I am famished," she replied, with her bright smile. "I am afraid I could eat - -a whole deer." - - - -They all climbed the sandy slope, and found themselves on the summit of an - -oval island, with a pretty glade in the middle surrounded by birches. Bill, - -the second raftsman, a stolid, silent man, at once swung his axe upon a log of - -driftwood. Mr. Wells and Jim walked to and fro under the birches, and Kate and - -Nell sat on the grass watching with great interest the old helmsman as he came - -u from the river, his brown hands and face shining from the scrubbing he had - -given them. Soon he had a fire cheerfully blazing, and after laying out the - -few utensils, he addressed himself to Joe: - - - -"I'll tell ye right here, lad, good venison kin be spoiled by bad cuttin' and - -cookin'. You're slicin' it too thick. See--thar! Now salt good, an' keep outen - -the flame; on the red coals is best." - - - -With a sharpened stick Jeff held the thin slices over the fire for a few - -moments. Then he laid them aside on some clean white-oak chips Bill's axe had - -provided. The simple meal of meat, bread, and afterward a drink of the cold - -spring water, was keenly relished by the hungry voyagers. When it had been - -eaten, Jeff threw a log on the fire and remarked: - - - -"Seein' as how we won't be in redskin territory fer awhile yit, we kin hev a - -fire. I'll allow ye'll all be chilly and damp from river-mist afore long, so - -toast yerselves good." - - - -"How far have we come to-day?" inquired Mr. Wells, his mind always intent on - -reaching the scene of his cherished undertaking. - - - -"'Bout thirty-odd mile, I reckon. Not much on a trip, thet's sartin, but we'll - -pick up termorrer. We've some quicker water, an' the rafts hev to go - -separate." - - - -"How quiet!" exclaimed Kate, suddenly breaking the silence that followed the - -frontiersman's answer. - - - -"Beautiful!" impetuously said Nell, looking up at Joe. A quick flash from his - -gray eyes answered her; he did not speak; indeed he had said little to her - -since the start, but his glance showed her how glad he was that she felt the - -sweetness and content of this wild land. - - - -"I was never in a wilderness before," broke in the earnest voice of the young - -minister. "I feel an almost overpowering sense of loneliness. I want to get - -near to you all; I feel lost. Yet it is grand, sublime!" - - - -"Here is the promised land--the fruitful life--Nature as it was created by - -God," replied the old minister, impressively. - - - -"Tell us a story," said Nell to the old frontiersman, as he once more joined - -the circle round the fire. - - - -"So, little 'un, ye want a story?" queried Jeff, taking up a live coal and - -placing it in the bowl of his pipe. He took off his coon-skin cap and - -carefully laid it aside. His weather-beaten face beamed in answer to the - -girl's request. He drew a long and audible pull at his black pipe, and send - -forth slowly a cloud of white smoke. Deliberately poking the fire with a - -stick, as if stirring into life dead embers of the past, he sucked again at - -his pipe, and emitted a great puff of smoke that completely enveloped the - -grizzled head. From out that white cloud came his drawling voice. - - - -"Ye've seen thet big curly birch over that--thet 'un as bends kind of - -sorrowful like. Wal, it used to stand straight an' proud. I've knowed thet - -tree all the years I've navigated this river, an' it seems natural like to me - -thet it now droops dyin', fer it shades the grave of as young, an' sweet, an' - -purty a lass as yerself, Miss Nell. Rivermen called this island George's - -Island, 'cause Washington onct camped here; but of late years the name's got - -changed, an' the men say suthin' like this: 'We'll try an' make Milly's birch - -afore sundown,' jest as Bill and me hev done to-day. Some years agone I was - -comin' up from Fort Henry, an' had on board my slow old scow a lass named - -Milly--we never learned her other name. She come to me at the fort, an' tells - -as how her folks hed been killed by Injuns, an' she wanted to git back to Pitt - -to meet her sweetheart. I was ag'in her comin' all along, an' fust off I said - -'No." But when I seen tears in her blue eyes, an' she puts her little hand on - -mine, I jest wilted, an' says to Jim Blair, 'She goes.' Wal, jest as might - -hev' been expected--an' fact is I looked fer it--we wus tackled by redskins. - -Somehow, Jim Girty got wind of us hevin' a lass aboard, an' he ketched up with - -us jest below here. It's a bad place, called Shawnee Rock, an' I'll show it to - -ye termorrer. The renegade, with his red devils, attacked us thar, an' we had - -a time gittin' away. Milly wus shot. She lived fer awhile, a couple of days, - -an' all the time wus so patient, an' sweet, an' brave with thet renegade's - -bullet in her--fer he shot her when he seen he couldn't capture her--thet thar - -wusn't a blame man of us who wouldn't hev died to grant her prayer, which wus - -that she could live to onct more see her lover." - - - -There was a long silence, during which the old frontiersman sat gazing into - -the fire with sad eyes. - - - -"We couldn't do nuthin', an' we buried her thar under thet birch, where she - -smiled her last sad, sweet smile, an' died. Ever since then the river has been - -eatn' away at this island. It's only half as big as it wus onct, an' another - -flood will take away this sand-bar, these few birches--an' Milly's grave." - - - -The old frontiersman's story affected all his listeners. The elder minister - -bowed his head and prayed that no such fate might overtake his nieces. The - -young minister looked again, as he had many times that day, at Nell's winsome - -face. The girls cast grave glances at the drooping birch, and their bright - -tears glistened in the fire-glow. Once more Joe's eyes glinted with that - -steely flash, and as he gazed out over the wide, darkening expanse of water - -his face grew cold and rigid. - - - -"I'll allow I might hev told a more cheerful story, an' I'll do so next time; - -but I wanted ye all, particular the lasses, to know somethin' of the kind of - -country ye're goin' into. The frontier needs women; but jist yit it deals hard - -with them. An' Jim Girty, with more of his kind, ain't dead yit." - - - -"Why don't some one kill him?" was Joe's sharp question. - - - -"Easier said than done, lad. Jim Girty is a white traitor, but he's a cunnin' - -an' fierce redskin in his ways an' life. He knows the woods as a crow does, - -an' keeps outer sight 'cept when he's least expected. Then ag'in, he's got - -Simon Girty, his brother, an' almost the whole redskin tribe behind him. - -Injuns stick close to a white man that has turned ag'inst his own people, an' - -Jim Girty hain't ever been ketched. Howsumever, I heard last trip thet he'd - -been tryin' some of his tricks round Fort Henry, an' thet Wetzel is on his - -trail. Wal, if it's so thet Lew Wetzel is arter him, I wouldn't give a pinch - -o' powder fer the white-redskin's chances of a long life." - - - -No one spoke, and Jeff, after knocking the ashes from his pipe, went down to - -the raft, returning shortly afterward with his blanket. This he laid down and - -rolled himself in it. Presently from under his coon-skin cap came the words: - - - -"Wal, I've turned in, an' I advise ye all to do the same." - - - -All save Joe and Nell acted on Jeff's suggestion. For a long time the young - -couple sat close together on the bank, gazing at the moonlight on the river. - - - -The night was perfect. A cool wind fanned the dying embers of the fire and - -softly stirred the leaves. Earlier in the evening a single frog had voiced his - -protest against the loneliness; but now his dismal croak was no longer heard. - -A snipe, belated in his feeding, ran along the sandy shore uttering his - -tweet-tweet, and his little cry, breaking in so softly on the silence, seemed - -only to make more deeply felt the great vast stillness of the night. - - - -Joe's arm was around Nell. She had demurred at first, but he gave no heed to - -her slight resistance, and finally her head rested against his shoulder. - -There was no need of words. - - - -Joe had a pleasurable sense of her nearness, and there was a delight in the - -fragrance of her hair as it waved against his cheek; but just then love was - -not uppermost in his mind. All day he had been silent under the force of an - -emotion which he could not analyze. Some power, some feeling in which the - -thought of Nell had no share, was drawing him with irresistible strength. Nell - -had just begun to surrender to him in the sweetness of her passion; and yet - -even with that knowledge knocking reproachfully at his heart, he could not - -help being absorbed in the shimmering water, in the dark reflection of the - -trees, the gloom and shadow of the forest. - - - -Presently he felt her form relax in his arms; then her soft regular breathing - -told him she had fallen asleep and he laughed low to himself. How she would - -pout on the morrow when he teased her about it! Then, realizing that she was - -tired with her long day's journey, he reproached himself for keeping her from - -the needed rest, and instantly decided to carry her to the raft. Yet such was - -the novelty of the situation that he yielded to its charm, and did not go at - -once. The moonlight found bright threads in her wavy hair; it shone - -caressingly on her quiet face, and tried to steal under the downcast lashes. - - - -Joe made a movement to rise with her, when she muttered indistinctly as if - -speaking to some one. He remembered then she had once told him that she talked - -in her sleep, and how greatly it annoyed her. He might hear something more - -with which to tease her; so he listened. - - - -"Yes--uncle--I will go--Kate, we must--go. . ." - - - -Another interval of silence, then more murmurings. He distinguished his own - -name, and presently she called clearly, as if answering some inward - -questioner. - - - -"I--love him--yes--I love Joe--he has mastered me. Yet I wish he were--like - -Jim--Jim who looked at me--so--with his deep eyes--and I. . . ." - - - -Joe lifted her as if she were a baby, and carrying her down to the raft, - -gently laid her by her sleeping sister. - - - -The innocent words which he should not have heard were like a blow. What she - -would never have acknowledged in her waking hours had been revealed in her - -dreams. He recalled the glance of Jim's eyes as it had rested on Nell many - -times that day, and now these things were most significant. - - - -He found at the end of the island a great, mossy stone. On this he climbed, - -and sat where the moonlight streamed upon him. Gradually that cold bitterness - -died out from his face, as it passed from his heart, and once more he became - -engrossed in the silver sheen on the water, the lapping of the waves on the - -pebbly beach, and in that speaking, mysterious silence of the woods. - - - - - -When the first faint rays of red streaked over the eastern hill-tops, and the - -river mist arose from the water in a vapory cloud, Jeff Lynn rolled out of his - -blanket, stretched his long limbs, and gave a hearty call to the morning. His - -cheerful welcome awakened all the voyagers except Joe, who had spent the night - -in watching and the early morning in fishing. - - - -"Wal, I'll be darned," ejaculated Jeff as he saw Joe. "Up afore me, an' - -ketched a string of fish." - - - -"What are they?" asked Joe, holding up several bronze-backed fish. - - - -"Bass--black bass, an' thet big feller is a lammin' hefty 'un. How'd ye ketch - -'em?" - - - -"I fished for them." - - - -"Wal, so it 'pears," growled Jeff, once more reluctantly yielding to his - -admiration for the lad. "How'd ye wake up so early?" - - - -"I stayed up all night. I saw three deer swim from the mainland, but nothing - -else came around." - - - -"Try yer hand at cleanin' 'em fer breakfast," continued Jeff, beginning to - -busy himself with preparations for that meal. "Wal, wal, if he ain't - -surprisin'! He'll do somethin' out here on the frontier, sure as I'm a born - -sinner," he muttered to himself, wagging his head in his quaint manner. - - - -Breakfast over, Jeff transferred the horses to the smaller raft, which he had - -cut loose from his own, and, giving a few directions to Bill, started - -down-stream with Mr. Wells and the girls. - - - -The rafts remained close together for a while, but as the current quickened - -and was more skillfully taken advantage of by Jeff, the larger raft gained - -considerable headway, gradually widening the gap between the two. - - - -All day they drifted. From time to time Joe and Jim waved their hands to the - -girls; but the greater portion of their attention was given to quieting the - -horses. Mose, Joe's big white dog, retired in disgust to the hut, where he - -watched and dozed by turns. He did not fancy this kind of voyaging. Bill - -strained his sturdy arms all day on the steering-oar. - - - -About the middle of the afternoon Joe observed that the hills grew more rugged - -and precipitous, and the river ran faster. He kept a constant lookout for the - -wall of rock which marked the point of danger. When the sun had disappeared - -behind the hills, he saw ahead a gray rock protruding from the green foliage. - -It was ponderous, overhanging, and seemed to frown down on the river. This was - -Shawnee Rock. Joe looked long at the cliff, and wondered if there was now an - -Indian scout hidden behind the pines that skirted the edge. Prominent on the - -top of the bluff a large, dead tree projected its hoary, twisted branches. - - - -Bill evidently saw the landmark, for he stopped in his monotonous walk to and - -fro across the raft, and pushing his oar amidships he looked ahead for the - -other raft. The figure of the tall frontiersman could be plainly seen as he - -labored at the helm. - - - -The raft disappeared round a bend, and as it did so Joe saw a white scarf - -waved by Nell. - - - -Bill worked the clumsy craft over toward the right shore where the current was - -more rapid. He pushed with all his strength, and when the oar had reached its - -widest sweep, he lifted it and ran back across the raft for another push. Joe - -scanned the river ahead. He saw no rapids; only rougher water whirling over - -some rocks. They were where the channel narrowed and ran close to the - -right-hand bank. Under a willow-flanked ledge was a sand-bar. To Joe there - -seemed nothing hazardous in drifting through this pass. - - - -"Bad place ahead," said Bill, observing Joe's survey of the river. - - - -"It doesn't look so," replied Joe. - - - -"A raft ain't a boat. We could pole a boat. You has to hev water to float - -logs, an' the river's run out considerable. I'm only afeerd fer the horses. If - -we hit or drag, they might plunge around a bit." - - - -When the raft passed into the head of the bend it struck the rocks several - -times, but finally gained the channel safely, and everything seemed propitious - -for an easy passage. - - - -But, greatly to Bill's surprise, the wide craft was caught directly in the - -channel, and swung round so that the steering-oar pointed toward the opposite - -shore. The water roared a foot deep over the logs. - - - -"Hold hard on the horses!" yelled Bill. "Somethin's wrong. I never seen a snag - -here." - - - -The straining mass of logs, insecurely fastened together, rolled and then - -pitched loose again, but the short delay had been fatal to the steering - -apparatus. - - - -Joe would have found keen enjoyment in the situation, had it not been for his - -horse, Lance. The thoroughbred was difficult to hold. As Bill was making - -strenuous efforts to get in a lucky stroke of the oar, he failed to see a long - -length of grapevine floating like a brown snake of the water below. In the - -excitement they heeded not the barking of Mose. Nor did they see the grapevine - -straighten and become taut just as they drifted upon it; but the felt the raft - -strike and hold on some submerged object. It creaked and groaned and the foamy - -water surged, gurgling, between the logs. - - - -Jim's mare snorted with terror, and rearing high, pulled her halter loose and - -plunged into the river. But Jim still held her, at risk of being drawn - -overboard. - - - -"Let go! She'll drag you in!" yelled Joe, grasping him with his free hand. - -Lance trembled violently and strained at the rope, which his master held with - -a strong grip. - - - -CRACK! - - - -The stinging report of a rifle rang out above the splashing of the water. - - - -Without a cry, Bill's grasp on the oar loosened; he fell over it limply, his - -head striking the almost submerged log. A dark-red fluid colored the water; - -then his body slipped over the oar and into the river, where it sank. - - - -"My God! Shot!" cried Jim, in horrified tones. - - - -He saw a puff of white smoke rising above the willows. Then the branches - -parted, revealing the dark forms of several Indian warriors. From the rifle in - -the foremost savage's had a slight veil of smoke rose. With the leap of a - -panther the redskin sprang from the strip of sand to the raft. - - - -"Hold, Jim! Drop that ax! We're caught!" cried Joe. - - - -"It's that Indian from the fort!" gasped Jim. - - - -The stalwart warrior was indeed Silvertip. But how changed! Stripped of the - -blanket he had worn at the settlement, now standing naked but for his buckskin - -breech-cloth, with his perfectly proportioned form disclosed in all its sinewy - -beauty, and on his swarthy, evil face an expression of savage scorn, he surely - -looked a warrior and a chief. - - - -He drew his tomahawk and flashed a dark glance at Joe. For a moment he - -steadily regarded the young man; but if he expected to see fear in the - -latter's face he was mistaken, for the look was returned coolly. - - - -"Paleface steal shirt," he said in his deep voice. "Fool paleface - -play--Silvertip no forget." - - - - - - - -Chapter V. - - - -Silvertip turned to his braves, and giving a brief command, sprang from the - -raft. The warriors closed in around the brothers; two grasping each by the - -arms, and the remaining Indian taking care of the horse. The captives were - -then led ashore, where Silvertip awaited them. - - - -When the horse was clear of the raft, which task necessitated considerable - -labor on the part of the Indians, the chief seized the grapevine, that was now - -plainly in sight, and severed it with one blow of his tomahawk. The raft - -dashed forward with a lurch and drifted downstream. - - - -In the clear water Joe could see the cunning trap which had caused the death - -of Bill, and insured the captivity of himself and his brother. The crafty - -savages had trimmed a six-inch sapling and anchored it under the water. They - -weighted the heavy end, leaving the other pointing upstream. To this last had - -been tied the grapevine. When the drifting raft reached the sapling, the - -Indians concealed in the willows pulled hard on the improvised rope; the end - -of the sapling stuck up like a hook, and the aft was caught and held. The - -killing of the helmsman showed the Indians' foresight; even had the raft - -drifted on downstream the brothers would have been helpless on a craft they - -could not manage. After all, Joe thought, he had not been so far wrong when he - -half fancied that an Indian lay behind Shawnee Rock, and he marveled at this - -clever trick which had so easily effected their capture. - - - -But he had little time to look around at the scene of action. There was a - -moment only in which to study the river to learn if the unfortunate raftsman's - -body had appeared. It was not to be seen. The river ran swiftly and hid all - -evidence of the tragedy under its smooth surface. When the brave who had gone - -back to the raft for the goods joined his companion the two hurried Joe up the - -bank after the others. - - - -Once upon level ground Joe saw before him an open forest. On the border of - -this the Indians stopped long enough to bind the prisoners' wrists with thongs - -of deerhide. While two of the braves performed this office, Silvertip leaned - -against a tree and took no notice of the brothers. When they were thus - -securely tied one of their captors addressed the chief, who at once led the - -way westward through the forest. The savages followed in single file, with Joe - -and Jim in the middle of the line. The last Indian tried to mount Lance; but - -the thoroughbred would have none of him, and after several efforts the savage - -was compelled to desist. Mose trotted reluctantly along behind the horse. - - - -Although the chief preserved a dignified mien, his braves were disposed to be - -gay. They were in high glee over their feat of capturing the palefaces, and - -kept up an incessant jabbering. One Indian, who walked directly behind Joe, - -continually prodded him with the stock of a rifle; and whenever Joe turned, - -the brawny redskin grinned as he grunted, "Ugh!" Joe observed that this huge - -savage had a broad face of rather a lighter shade of red than his companions. - -Perhaps he intended those rifle-prods in friendliness, for although they - -certainly amused him, he would allow no one else to touch Joe; but it would - -have been more pleasing had he shown his friendship in a gentle manner. This - -Indian carried Joe's pack, much to his own delight, especially as his - -companions evinced an envious curiosity. The big fellow would not, however, - -allow them to touch it. - - - -"He's a cheerful brute," remarked Joe to Jim. - - - -"Ugh!" grunted the big Indian, jamming Joe with his rifle-stock. - - - -Joe took heed to the warning and spoke no more. He gave all his attention to - -the course over which he was being taken. Here was his first opportunity to - -learn something of Indians and their woodcraft. It occurred to him that his - -captors would not have been so gay and careless had they not believed - -themselves safe from pursuit, and he concluded they were leisurely conducting - -him to one of the Indian towns. He watched the supple figure before him, - -wondering at the quick step, light as the fall of a leaf, and tried to walk as - -softly. He found, however, that where the Indian readily avoided the sticks - -and brush, he was unable to move without snapping twigs. Now and then he would - -look up and study the lay of the land ahead; and as he came nearer to certain - -rocks and trees he scrutinized them closely, in order to remember their shape - -and general appearance. He believed he was blazing out in his mind this - -woodland trail, so that should fortune favor him and he contrive to escape, he - -would be able to find his way back to the river. Also, he was enjoying the - -wild scenery. - - - -This forest would have appeared beautiful, even to one indifferent to such - -charms, and Joe was far from that. Every moment he felt steal stronger over - -him a subtle influence which he could not define. Half unconsciously he tried - -to analyze it, but it baffled him. He could no more explain what fascinated - -him than he could understand what caused the melancholy quiet which hung over - -the glades and hollows. He had pictured a real forest so differently from - -this. Here was a long lane paved with springy moss and fenced by bright-green - -sassafras; there a secluded dale, dotted with pale-blue blossoms, over which - -the giant cottonwoods leaned their heads, jealously guarding the delicate - -flowers from the sun. Beech trees, growing close in clanny groups, spread - -their straight limbs gracefully; the white birches gleamed like silver - -wherever a stray sunbeam stole through the foliage, and the oaks, monarchs of - -the forest, rose over all, dark, rugged, and kingly. - - - -Joe soon understood why the party traveled through such open forest. The - -chief, seeming hardly to deviate from his direct course, kept clear of broken - -ground, matted thickets and tangled windfalls. Joe got a glimpse of dark - -ravines and heard the music of tumbling waters; he saw gray cliffs grown over - -with vines, and full of holes and crevices; steep ridges, covered with dense - -patches of briar and hazel, rising in the way. Yet the Shawnee always found an - -easy path. - - - -The sun went down behind the foliage in the west, and shadows appeared low in - -the glens; then the trees faded into an indistinct mass; a purple shade - -settled down over the forest, and night brought the party to a halt. - - - -The Indians selected a sheltered spot under the lee of a knoll, at the base of - -which ran a little brook. Here in this inclosed space were the remains of a - -camp-fire. Evidently the Indians had halted there that same day, for the logs - -still smouldered. While one brave fanned the embers, another took from a - -neighboring branch a haunch of deer meat. A blaze was soon coaxed from the - -dull coals, more fuel was added, and presently a cheerful fire shone on the - -circle of dusky forms. - - - -It was a picture which Joe had seen in many a boyish dream; now that he was a - -part of it he did not dwell on the hopelessness of the situation, nor of the - -hostile chief whose enmity he had incurred. Almost, it seemed, he was glad of - -this chance to watch the Indians and listen to them. He had been kept apart - -from Jim, and it appeared to Joe that their captors treated his brother with a - -contempt which they did not show him. Silvertip had, no doubt, informed them - -that Jim had been on his way to teach the Indians of the white man's God. - - - -Jim sat with drooping head; his face was sad, and evidently he took the most - -disheartening view of his capture. When he had eaten the slice of venison - -given him he lay down with his back to the fire. - - - -Silvertip, in these surroundings, showed his real character. He had appeared - -friendly in the settlement; but now he was the relentless savage, a son of the - -wilds, free as an eagle. His dignity as a chief kept him aloof from his - -braves. He had taken no notice of the prisoners since the capture. He remained - -silent, steadily regarding the fire with his somber eyes. At length, glancing - -at the big Indian, he motioned toward the prisoners and with a single word - -stretched himself on the leaves. - - - -Joe noted the same changelessness of expression in the other dark faces as he - -had seen in Silvertip's. It struck him forcibly. When they spoke in their - -soft, guttural tones, or burst into a low, not unmusical laughter, or sat - -gazing stolidly into the fire, their faces seemed always the same, - -inscrutable, like the depths of the forest now hidden in night. One thing Joe - -felt rather than saw--these savages were fierce and untamable. He was sorry - -for Jim, because, as he believed, it would be as easy to teach the panther - -gentleness toward his prey as to instill into one of these wild creatures a - -belief in Christ. - - - -The braves manifested keen pleasure in anticipation as to what they would get - -out of the pack, which the Indian now opened. Time and again the big brave - -placed his broad hand on the shoulder of a comrade Indian and pushed him - -backward. - - - -Finally the pack was opened. It contained a few articles of wearing apparel, a - -pair of boots, and a pipe and pouch of tobacco. The big Indian kept the latter - -articles, grunting with satisfaction, and threw the boots and clothes to the - -others. Immediately there was a scramble. One brave, after a struggle with - -another, got possession of both boots. He at once slipped off his moccasins - -and drew on the white man's foot-coverings. He strutted around in them a few - -moments, but his proud manner soon changed to disgust. - - - -Cowhide had none of the soft, yielding qualities of buckskin, and hurt the - -Indian's feet. Sitting down, he pulled one off, not without difficulty, for - -the boots were wet; but he could not remove the other. He hesitated a moment, - -being aware of the subdued merriment of his comrades, and then held up his - -foot to the nearest one. This chanced to be the big Indian, who evidently had - -a keen sense of humor. Taking hold of the boot with both hands, he dragged the - -luckless brave entirely around the camp-fire. The fun, however, was not to be - -all one-sided. The big Indian gave a more strenuous pull, and the boot came - -off suddenly. Unprepared for this, he lost his balance and fell down the bank - -almost into the creek. He held on to the boot, nevertheless, and getting up, - -threw it into the fire. - - - -The braves quieted down after that, and soon lapsed into slumber, leaving the - -big fellow, to whom the chief had addressed his brief command, acting, as - -guard. Observing Joe watching him as he puffed on his new pipe, he grinned, - -and spoke in broken English that was intelligible, and much of a surprise to - -the young man. - - - -"Paleface--tobac'--heap good." - - - -Then, seeing that Joe made no effort to follow his brother's initiative, for - -Jim was fast asleep, he pointed to the recumbent figures and spoke again in. - - - -"Ugh! Paleface sleep--Injun wigwams--near setting sun." - - - -On the following morning Joe was awakened by the pain in his legs, which had - -been bound all night. He was glad when the bonds were cut and the party took - -up its westward march. - - - -The Indians, though somewhat quieter, displayed the same carelessness: they - -did not hurry, nor use particular caution, but selected the most open paths - -through the forest. They even halted while one of their number crept up on a - -herd of browsing deer. About noon the leader stopped to drink from a spring; - -his braves followed suit and permitted the white prisoners to quench their - -thirst. - - - -When they were about to start again the single note of a bird far away in the - -woods sounded clearly on the quiet air. Joe would not have given heed to it - -had he been less attentive. He instantly associated this peculiar bird-note - -with the sudden stiffening of Silvertip's body and his attitude of intense - -listening. Low exclamations came from the braves as they bent to catch the - -lightest sound. Presently, above the murmur of the gentle fall of water over - -the stones, rose that musical note once more. It was made by a bird, Joe - -thought, and yet, judged by the actions of the Indians, how potent with - -meaning beyond that of the simple melody of the woodland songster! He turned, - -half expecting to see somewhere in the tree-tops the bird which had wrought so - -sudden a change in his captors. As he did so from close at hand came the same - -call, now louder, but identical with the one that had deceived him. It was an - -answering signal, and had been given by Silvertip. - - - -It flashed into Joe's mind that other savages were in the forest; they had run - -across the Shawnees' trail, and were thus communicating with them. Soon dark - -figures could be discerned against the patches of green thicket; they came - -nearer and nearer, and now entered the open glade where Silvertip stood with - -his warriors. - - - -Joe counted twelve, and noted that they differed from his captors. He had only - -time to see that this difference consisted in the head-dress, and in the color - -and quantity of paint on their bodies, when his gaze was attracted and riveted - -to the foremost figures. - - - -The first was that of a very tall and stately chief, toward whom Silvertip now - -advanced with every show of respect. In this Indian's commanding stature, in - -his reddish-bronze face, stern and powerful, there were readable the - -characteristics of a king. In his deep-set eyes, gleaming from under a - -ponderous brow; in his mastiff-like jaw; in every feature of his haughty face - -were visible all the high intelligence, the consciousness of past valor, and - -the power and authority that denote a great chieftain. - - - -The second figure was equally striking for the remarkable contrast it afforded - -to the chief's. Despite the gaudy garments, the paint, the fringed and beaded - -buckskin leggins--all the Indian accouterments and garments which bedecked - -this person, he would have been known anywhere as a white man. His skin was - -burned to a dark bronze, but it had not the red tinge which characterizes the - -Indian. This white man had, indeed, a strange physiognomy. The forehead was - -narrow and sloped backward from the brow, denoting animal instincts. The eyes - -were close together, yellowish-brown in color, and had a peculiar vibrating - -movement, as though they were hung on a pivot, like a compass-needle. The nose - -was long and hooked, and the mouth set in a thin, cruel line. There was in the - -man's aspect an extraordinary combination of ignorance, vanity, cunning and - -ferocity. - - - -While the two chiefs held a short consultation, this savage-appearing white - -man addressed the brothers. - - - -"Who're you, an' where you goin'?" he asked gruffly, confronting Jim. - - - -"My name is Downs. I am a preacher, and was on my way to the Moravian Mission - -to preach to the Indians. You are a white man; will you help us?" - - - -If Jim expected the information would please his interrogator, he was - -mistaken. - - - -"So you're one of 'em? Yes, I'll do suthin' fer you when I git back from this - -hunt. I'll cut your heart out, chop it up, an' feed it to the buzzards," he - -said fiercely, concluding his threat by striking Jim a cruel blow on the head. - - - -Joe paled deathly white at this cowardly action, and his eyes, as they met the - -gaze of the ruffian, contracted with their characteristic steely glow, as if - -some powerful force within the depths of his being were at white heat and only - -this pale flash came to the surface. - - - -"You ain't a preacher?" questioned the man, meeting something in Joe's glance - -that had been absent from Jim's. - - - -Joe made no answer, and regarded questioner steadily. - - - -"Ever see me afore? Ever hear of Jim Girty?" he asked boastfully. - - - -"Before you spoke I knew you were Girty," answered Joe quietly. - - - -"How d'you know? Ain't you afeared?" - - - -"Of what?" - - - -"Me--me?" - - - -Joe laughed in the renegades face. - - - -"How'd you knew me?" growled Girty. "I'll see thet you hev cause to remember - -me after this." - - - -"I figured there was only one so-called white man in these woods who is coward - -enough to strike a man whose hands are tied." - - - -"Boy, ye're too free with your tongue. I'll shet off your wind." Girty's hand - -was raised, but it never reached Joe's neck. - - - -The big Indian had an hour or more previous cut Joe's bonds, but he still - -retained the thong which was left attached to Joe's left wrist. This allowed - -the young man free use of his right arm, which, badly swollen or not, he - -brought into quick action. - - - -When the renegade reached toward him Joe knocked up the hand, and, instead of - -striking, he grasped the hooked nose with all the powerful grip of his - -fingers. Girty uttered a frightful curse; he writhed with pain, but could not - -free himself from the vise-like clutch. He drew his tomahawk and with a scream - -aimed a vicious blow at Joe. He missed his aim, however, for Silvertip had - -intervened and turned the course of the keen hatchet. But the weapon struck - -Joe a glancing blow, inflicting a painful, though not dangerous wound. - - - -The renegade's nose was skinned and bleeding profusely. He was frantic with - -fury, and tried to get at Joe; but Silvertip remained in front of his captive - -until some of the braves led Girty into the forest, where the tall chief had - -already disappeared. - - - -The nose-pulling incident added to the gayety of the Shawnees, who evidently - -were pleased with Girty's discomfiture. They jabbered among themselves and - -nodded approvingly at Joe, until a few words spoken by Silvertip produced a - -sudden change. - - - -What the words were Joe could not understand, but to him they sounded like - -French. He smiled at the absurdity of imagining he had heard a savage speak a - -foreign language. At any rate, whatever had been said was trenchant with - -meaning. The Indians changed from gay to grave; they picked up their weapons - -and looked keenly on every side; the big Indian at once retied Joe, and then - -all crowded round the chief. - - - -"Did you hear what Silvertip said, and did you notice the effect it had?" - -whispered Jim, taking advantage, of the moment. - - - -"It sounded like French, but of course it wasn't," replied Joe. - - - -"It was French. 'Le Vent de la Mort.'" - - - -"By Jove, that's it. What does it mean?" asked Joe, who was not a scholar. - - - -"The Wind of Death." - - - -"That's English, but I can't apply it here. Can you?" - - - -"No doubt it is some Indian omen." - - - -The hurried consultation over, Silvertip tied Joe's horse and dog to the - -trees, and once more led the way; this time he avoided the open forest and - -kept on low ground. For a long time he traveled in the bed of the brook, - -wading when the water was shallow, and always stepping where there was the - -least possibility of leaving a footprint. Not a word was spoken. If either of - -the brothers made the lightest splash in the water, or tumbled a stone into - -the brook, the Indian behind rapped him on the head with a tomahawk handle. - - - -At certain places, indicated by the care which Silvertip exercised in walking, - -the Indian in front of the captives turned and pointed where they were to - -step. They were hiding the trail. Silvertip hurried them over the stony - -places; went more slowly through the water, and picked his way carefully over - -the soft ground it became necessary to cross. At times he stopped, remaining - -motionless many seconds. - - - -This vigilance continued all the afternoon. The sun sank; twilight spread its - -gray mantle, and soon black night enveloped the forest. The Indians halted, - -but made no fire; they sat close together on a stony ridge, silent and - -watchful. - - - -Joe pondered deeply over this behavior. Did the Shawnees fear pursuit? What - -had that Indian chief told Silvertip? To Joe it seemed that they acted as if - -believing foes were on all sides. Though they hid their tracks, it was, - -apparently, not the fear of pursuit alone which made them cautious. - - - -Joe reviewed the afternoon's march and dwelt upon the possible meaning of the - -cat-like steps, the careful brushing aside of branches, the roving eyes, - -suspicious and gloomy, the eager watchfulness of the advance as well as to the - -ear, and always the strained effort to listen, all of which gave him the - -impression of some grave, unseen danger. - - - -And now as he lay on the hard ground, nearly exhausted by the long march and - -suffering from the throbbing wound, his courage lessened somewhat, and he - -shivered with dread. The quiet and gloom of the forest; these fierce, wild - -creatures, free in the heart of their own wilderness yet menaced by a foe, and - -that strange French phrase which kept recurring in his mind--all had the - -effect of conjuring up giant shadows in Joe's fanciful mind. During all his - -life, until this moment, he had never feared anything; now he was afraid of - -the darkness. The spectral trees spread long arms overhead, and phantom forms - -stalked abroad; somewhere out in that dense gloom stirred this mysterious - -foe--the "Wind of Death." - - - -Nevertheless, he finally slept. In the dull-gray light of early morning the - -Indians once more took up the line of march toward the west. They marched all - -that day, and at dark halted to eat and rest. Silvertip and another Indian - -stood watch. - - - -Some time before morning Joe suddenly awoke. The night was dark, yet it was - -lighter than when he had fallen asleep. A pale, crescent moon shown dimly - -through the murky clouds. There was neither movement of the air nor the chirp - -of an insect. Absolute silence prevailed. - - - -Joe saw the Indian guard leaning against a tree, asleep. Silvertip was gone. - -The captive raised his head and looked around for the chief. There were only - -four Indians left, three on the ground and one against the tree. - - - -He saw something shining near him. He looked more closely, and made out the - -object to be an eagle plume Silvertip had worn, in his head-dress. It lay on - -the ground near the tree. Joe made some slight noise which awakened the guard. - -The Indian never moved a muscle; but his eyes roved everywhere. He, too, - -noticed the absence of the chief. - - - -At this moment from out of the depths of the woods came a swelling sigh, like - -the moan of the night wind. It rose and died away, leaving the silence - -apparently all the deeper. - - - -A shudder ran over Joe's frame. Fascinated, he watched the guard. The Indian - -uttered a low gasp; his eyes started and glared wildly; he rose very slowly to - -his full height and stood waiting, listening. The dark hand which held the - -tomahawk trembled so that little glints of moonlight glanced from the bright - -steel. - - - -From far back in the forest-deeps came that same low moaning: - - - -"Um-m-mm-woo-o-o-o!" - - - -It rose from a faint murmur and swelled to a deep moan, soft but clear, and - -ended in a wail like that of a lost soul. - - - -The break it made in that dead silence was awful. Joe's blood seemed to have - -curdled and frozen; a cold sweat oozed from his skin, and it was as if a - -clammy hand clutched at his heart. He tried to persuade himself that the fear - -displayed by the savage was only superstition, and that that moan was but the - -sigh of the night wind. - - - -The Indian sentinel stood as if paralyzed an instant after that weird cry, and - -then, swift as a flash, and as noiseless, he was gone Into the gloomy forest. - -He had fled without awakening his companions. - - - -Once more the moaning cry arose and swelled mournfully on the still night air. - -It was close at hand! - - - -"The Wind of Death," whispered Joe. - - - -He was shaken and unnerved by the events of the past two days, and dazed from - -his wound. His strength deserted him, and he lost consciousness. - - - - - - - -Chapter VI. - - - -One evening, several day previous to the capture of the brothers, a solitary - -hunter stopped before a deserted log cabin which stood on the bank of a stream - -fifty miles or more inland from the Ohio River. It was rapidly growing dark; a - -fine, drizzling rain had set in, and a rising wind gave promise of a stormy - -night. - - - -Although the hunter seemed familiar with his surroundings, he moved - -cautiously, and hesitated as if debating whether he should seek the protection - -of this lonely hut, or remain all night under dripping trees. Feeling of his - -hunting frock, he found that it was damp and slippery. This fact evidently - -decided him in favor of the cabin, for he stooped his tall figure and went in. - -It was pitch dark inside; but having been there before, the absence of a light - -did not trouble him. He readily found the ladder leading to the loft, ascended - -it, and lay down to sleep. - - - -During the night a noise awakened him. For a moment he heard nothing except - -the fall of the rain. Then came the hum of voices, followed by the soft tread - -of moccasined feet. He knew there was an Indian town ten miles across the - -country, and believed some warriors, belated on a hunting trip, had sought the - -cabin for shelter. - - - -The hunter lay perfectly quiet, awaiting developments. If the Indians had - -flint and steel, and struck a light, he was almost certain to be discovered. - -He listened to their low conversation, and understood from the language that - -they were Delawares. - - - -A moment later he heard the rustling of leaves and twigs, accompanied by the - -metallic click of steel against some hard substance. The noise was repeated, - -and then followed by a hissing sound, which he knew to be the burning of a - -powder on a piece of dry wood, after which rays of light filtered through - -cracks of the unstable floor of the loft. - - - -The man placed his eye to one of these crevices, and counted eleven Indians, - -all young braves, with the exception of the chief. The Indians had been - -hunting; they had haunches of deer and buffalo tongues, together with several - -packs of hides. Some of them busied themselves drying their weapons; others - -sat down listlessly, plainly showing their weariness, and two worked over the - -smouldering fire. The damp leaves and twigs burned faintly, yet there was - -enough to cause the hunter fear that he might be discovered. He believed he - -had not much to worry about from the young braves, but the hawk-eyed chief was - -dangerous. - - - -And he was right. Presently the stalwart chief heard, or saw, a drop of water - -fall from the loft. It came from the hunter's wet coat. Almost any one save an - -Indian scout would have fancied this came from the roof. As the chief's gaze - -roamed everywhere over the interior of the cabin his expression was plainly - -distrustful. His eye searched the wet clay floor, but hardly could have - -discovered anything there, because the hunter's moccasined tracks had been - -obliterated by the footprints of the Indians. The chief's suspicions seemed - -to be allayed. - - - -But in truth this chief, with the wonderful sagacity natural to Indians, had - -observed matters which totally escaped the young braves, and, like a wily old - -fox, he waited to see which cub would prove the keenest. Not one of them, - -however, noted anything unusual. They sat around the fire, ate their meat and - -parched corn, and chatted volubly. - - - -The chief arose and, walking to the ladder, ran his hand along one of the - -rungs. - - - -"Ugh!" he exclaimed. - - - -Instantly he was surrounded by ten eager, bright-eyed braves. He extended his - -open palm; it was smeared with wet clay like that under his feet. - -Simultaneously with their muttered exclamations the braves grasped their - -weapons. They knew there was a foe above them. It was a paleface, for an - -Indian would have revealed himself. - - - -The hunter, seeing he was discovered, acted with the unerring judgment and - -lightning-like rapidity of one long accustomed to perilous situations. - -Drawing his tomahawk and noiselessly stepping to the hole in the loft, he - -leaped into the midst of the astounded Indians. - - - -Rising from the floor like the rebound of a rubber ball, his long arm with the - -glittering hatchet made a wide sweep, and the young braves scattered like - -frightened sheep. - - - -He made a dash for the door and, incredible as it may seem, his movements were - -so quick he would have escaped from their very midst without a scratch but for - -one unforeseen circumstance. The clay floor was wet and slippery; his feet - -were hardly in motion before they slipped from under him and he fell headlong. - - - -With loud yells of triumph the band jumped upon him. There was a convulsive, - -heaving motion of the struggling mass, one frightful cry of agony, and then - -hoarse commands. Three of the braves ran to their packs, from which they took - -cords of buckskin. So exceedingly powerful was the hunter that six Indians - -were required to hold him while the others tied his hands and feet. Then, with - -grunts and chuckles of satisfaction, they threw him into a corner of the - -cabin. - - - -Two of the braves had been hurt in the brief struggle, one having a badly - -wrenched shoulder and the other a broken arm. So much for the hunter's power - -in that single moment of action. - - - -The loft was searched, and found to be empty. Then the excitement died away, - -and the braves settled themselves down for the night. The injured ones bore - -their hurts with characteristic stoicism; if they did not sleep, both remained - -quiet and not a sigh escaped them. - - - -The wind changed during the night, the storm abated, and when daylight came - -the sky was cloudless. The first rays of the sun shone in the open door, - -lighting up the interior of the cabin. - - - -A sleepy Indian who had acted as guard stretched his limbs and yawned. He - -looked for the prisoner, and saw him sitting up in the corner. One arm was - -free, and the other nearly so. He had almost untied the thongs which bound - -him; a few moments more and he would have been free. - - - -"Ugh!" exclaimed the young brave, awakening his chief and pointing to the - -hunter. - - - -The chief glanced at his prisoner; then looked more closely, and with one - -spring was on his feet, a drawn tomahawk n his hand. A short, shrill yell - -issued from his lips. Roused by that clarion call, the young braves jumped up, - -trembling in eager excitement. The chief's summons had been the sharp war-cry - -of the Delawares. - - - -He manifested as intense emotion as could possibly have been betrayed by a - -matured, experienced chieftain, and pointing to the hunter, he spoke a single - -word. - - - - - -At noonday the Indians entered the fields of corn which marked the outskirts - -of the Delaware encampment. - - - -"Kol-loo--kol-loo--kol-loo." - - - -The long signal, heralding the return of the party with important news, pealed - -throughout the quiet valley; and scarcely had the echoes died away when from - -the village came answering shouts. - - - -Once beyond the aisles of waving corn the hunter saw over the shoulders of his - -captors the home of the redmen. A grassy plain, sloping gradually from the - -woody hill to a winding stream, was brightly beautiful with chestnut trees and - -long, well-formed lines of lodges. Many-hued blankets hung fluttering in the - -sun, and rising lazily were curling columns of blue smoke. The scene was - -picturesque and reposeful; the vivid hues suggesting the Indians love of color - -and ornament; the absence of life and stir, his languorous habit of sleeping - -away the hot noonday hours. - - - -The loud whoops, however, changed the quiet encampment into a scene of - -animation. Children ran from the wigwams, maidens and braves dashed here and - -there, squaws awakened from their slumber, and many a doughty warrior rose - -from his rest in the shade. French fur traders came curiously from their - -lodges, and renegades hurriedly left their blankets, roused to instant action - -by the well-known summons. - - - -The hunter, led down the lane toward the approaching crowd, presented a calm - -and fearless demeanor. When the Indians surrounded him one prolonged, furious - -yell rent the air, and then followed an extraordinary demonstration of fierce - -delight. The young brave's staccato yell, the maiden's scream, the old squaw's - -screech, and the deep war-cry of the warriors intermingled in a fearful - -discordance. - - - -Often had this hunter heard the name which the Indian called him; he had been - -there before, a prisoner; he had run the gauntlet down the lane; he had been - -bound to a stake in front of the lodge where his captors were now leading him. - -He knew the chief, Wingenund, sachem of the Delawares. Since that time, now - -five years ago, when Wingenund had tortured him, they had been bitterest foes. - - - -If the hunter heard the hoarse cries, or the words hissed into his ears; if he - -saw the fiery glances of hatred, and sudden giving way to ungovernable rage, - -unusual to the Indian nature; if he felt in their fierce exultation the - -hopelessness of succor or mercy, he gave not the slightest sign. - - - -"Atelang! Atelang! Atelang!" rang out the strange Indian name. - - - -The French traders, like real savages, ran along with the procession, their - -feathers waving, their paint shining, their faces expressive of as much - -excitement as the Indians' as they cried aloud in their native tongue: - - - -"Le Vent de la Mort! Le Vent de la Mort! La Vent de la Mort!" - - - -The hunter, while yet some paces distant, saw the lofty figure of the - -chieftain standing in front of his principal men. Well he knew them all. There - -were the crafty Pipe, and his savage comrade, the Half King; there was - -Shingiss, who wore on his forehead a scar--the mark of the hunter's bullet; - -there were Kotoxen, the Lynx, and Misseppa, the Source, and Winstonah, the - -War-cloud, chiefs of sagacity and renown. Three renegades completed the - -circle; and these three traitors represented a power which had for ten years - -left an awful, bloody trail over the country. Simon Girty, the so-called White - -Indian, with his keen, authoritative face turned expectantly; Elliott, the - -Tory deserter, from Fort Pitt, a wiry, spider-like little man; and last, the - -gaunt and gaudily arrayed form of the demon of the frontier--Jim Girty. - - - -The procession halted before this group, and two brawny braves pushed the - -hunter forward. Simon Girty's face betrayed satisfaction; Elliott's shifty - -eyes snapped, and the dark, repulsive face of the other Girty exhibited an - -exultant joy. These desperadoes had feared this hunter. - - - -Wingenund, with a majestic wave of his arm, silenced the yelling horde of - -frenzied savage and stepped before the captive. - - - -The deadly foes were once, again face to face. The chieftain's lofty figure - -and dark, sleek head, now bare of plumes, towered over the other Indians, but - -he was not obliged to lower his gaze in order to look straight into the - -hunter's eyes. - - - -Verily this hunter merited the respect which shone in the great chieftain's - -glance. Like a mountain-ash he stood, straight and strong, his magnificent - -frame tapering wedge-like from his broad shoulders. The bulging line of his - -thick neck, the deep chest, the knotty contour of his bared forearm, and the - -full curves of his legs--all denoted a wonderful muscular development. - - - -The power expressed in this man's body seemed intensified in his features. - -His face was white and cold, his jaw square and set; his coal-black eyes - -glittered with almost a superhuman fire. And his hair, darker than the wing of - -a crow, fell far below his shoulders; matted and tangled as it was, still it - -hung to his waist, and had it been combed out, must have reached his knees. - - - -One long moment Wingenund stood facing his foe, and then over the multitude - -and through the valley rolled his sonorous voice: - - - -"Deathwind dies at dawn!" - - - -The hunter was tied to a tree and left in view of the Indian populace. The - -children ran fearfully by; the braves gazed long at the great foe of their - -race; the warriors passed in gloomy silence. The savages' tricks of torture, - -all their diabolical ingenuity of inflicting pain was suppressed, awaiting the - -hour of sunrise when this hated Long Knife was to die. - - - -Only one person offered an insult to the prisoner; he was a man of his own - -color. Jim Girty stopped before him, his yellowish eyes lighted by a tigerish - -glare, his lips curled in a snarl, and from between them issuing the odor of - -the fir traders' vile rum. - - - -"You'll soon be feed fer the buzzards," he croaked, in his hoarse voice. He - -had so often strewed the plains with human flesh for the carrion birds that - -the thought had a deep fascination for him. "D'ye hear, scalp-hunter? Feed - -for buzzards!" He deliberately spat in the hunter's face. "D'ye hear?" he - -repeated. - - - -There was no answer save that which glittered in the hunter's eye. But the - -renegade could not read it because he did not meet that flaming glance. Wild - -horses could not have dragged him to face this man had he been free. Even now - -a chill crept over Girty. For a moment he was enthralled by a mysterious fear, - -half paralyzed by a foreshadowing of what would be this hunter's vengeance. - -Then he shook off his craven fear. He was free; the hunter's doom was sure. - -His sharp face was again wreathed in a savage leer, and he spat once more on - -the prisoner. - - - -His fierce impetuosity took him a step too far. The hunter's arms and waist - -were fastened, but his feet were free. His powerful leg was raised suddenly; - -his foot struck Girty in the pit of the stomach. The renegade dropped limp - -and gasping. The braves carried him away, his gaudy feathers trailing, his - -long arms hanging inertly, and his face distorted with agony. - - - -The maidens of the tribe, however, showed for the prisoner an interest that - -had in it something of veiled sympathy. Indian girls were always fascinated by - -white men. Many records of Indian maidens' kindness, of love, of heroism for - -white prisoners brighten the dark pages of frontier history. These girls - -walked past the hunter, averting their eyes when within his range of vision, - -but stealing many a sidelong glance at his impressive face and noble - -proportions. One of them, particularly, attracted the hunter's eye. - - - -This was because, as she came by with her companions, while they all turned - -away, she looked at him with her soft, dark eyes. She was a young girl, whose - -delicate beauty bloomed fresh and sweet as that of a wild rose. Her costume, - -fringed, beaded, and exquisitely wrought with fanciful design, betrayed her - -rank, she was Wingenund's daughter. The hunter had seen her when she was a - -child, and he recognized her now. He knew that the beauty of Aola, of - -Whispering Winds Among the Leaves, had been sung from the Ohio to the Great - -Lakes. - - - -Often she passed him that afternoon. At sunset, as the braves untied him and - -led him away, he once more caught the full, intense gaze of her lovely eyes. - - - -That night as he lay securely bound in the corner of a lodge, and the long - -hours wore slowly away, he strained at his stout bonds, and in his mind - -revolved different plans of escape. It was not in this man's nature to - -despair; while he had life he would fight. From time to time he expanded his - -muscles, striving to loosen the wet buckskin thongs. - - - -The dark hours slowly passed, no sound coming to him save the distant bark of - -a dog and the monotonous tread of his guard; a dim grayness pervaded the - -lodge. Dawn was close at hand--his hour was nearly come. - - - -Suddenly his hearing, trained to a most acute sensibility, caught a faint - -sound, almost inaudible. It came from without on the other side of the lodge. - -There it was again, a slight tearing sound, such as is caused by a knife when - -it cuts through soft material. - - - -Some one was slitting the wall of the lodge. - - - -The hunter rolled noiselessly over and over until he lay against the skins. - -In the dim grayness he saw a bright blade moving carefully upward through the - -deer-hide. Then a long knife was pushed into the opening; a small, brown hand - -grasped the hilt. Another little hand followed and felt of the wall and floor, - -reaching out with groping fingers. - - - -The, hunter rolled again so that his back was against the wall and his wrists - -in front of the opening. He felt the little hand on his arm; then it slipped - -down to his wrists. The contact of cold steel set a tremor of joy through his - -heart. The pressure of his bonds relaxed, ceased; his arms were free. He - -turned to find the long-bladed knife on the ground. The little hands were - -gone. - - - -In a tinkling he rose unbound, armed, desperate. In another second an Indian - -warrior lay upon the ground in his death-throes, while a fleeing form vanished - -in the gray morning mist. - - - - - - - -Chapter VII. - - - -Joe felt the heavy lethargy rise from him like the removal of a blanket; his - -eyes became clear, and he saw the trees and the forest gloom; slowly he - -realized his actual position. - - - -He was a prisoner, lying helpless among his sleeping captors. Silvertip and - -the guard had fled into the woods, frightened by the appalling moan which they - -believed sounded their death-knell. And Joe believed he might have fled - -himself had he been free. What could have caused that sound? He fought off the - -numbing chill that once again began to creep over him. He was wide-awake now; - -his head was clear, and he resolved to retain his senses. He told himself - -there could be nothing supernatural in that wind, or wail, or whatever it was, - -which had risen murmuring from out the forest-depths. - - - -Yet, despite his reasoning, Joe could not allay his fears. That thrilling cry - -haunted him. The frantic flight of an Indian brave--nay, of a cunning, - -experienced chief--was not to be lightly considered. The savages were at home - -in these untracked wilds. Trained from infancy to scent danger and to fight - -when they had an equal chance they surely would not run without good cause. - - - -Joe knew that something moved under those dark trees. He had no idea what. It - -might be the fretting night wind, or a stealthy, prowling, soft-footed beast, - -or a savage alien to these wild Indians, and wilder than they by far. The - -chirp of a bird awoke the stillness. Night had given way to morning. Welcoming - -the light that was chasing away the gloom, Joe raised his head with a deep - -sigh of relief. As he did so he saw a bush move; then a shadow seemed to sink - -into the ground. He had seen an object lighter than the trees, darker than the - -gray background. Again, that strange sense of the nearness of something - -thrilled him. - - - -Moments, passed--to him long as hours. He saw a tall fern waver and tremble. A - -rabbit, or perhaps a snake, had brushed it. Other ferns moved, their tops - -agitated, perhaps, by a faint breeze. No; that wavering line came straight - -toward him; it could not be the wind; it marked the course of a creeping, - -noiseless thing. It must be a panther crawling nearer and nearer. - - - -Joe opened his lips to awaken his captors, but could not speak; it was as if - -his heart had stopped beating. Twenty feet away the ferns were parted to - -disclose a white, gleaming face, with eyes that seemingly glittered. Brawny - -shoulders were upraised, and then a tall, powerful man stood revealed. Lightly - -he stepped over the leaves into the little glade. He bent over the sleeping - -Indians. Once, twice, three times a long blade swung high. One brave shuddered - -another gave a sobbing gasp, and the third moved two fingers--thus they passed - -from life to death. - - - -"Wetzel!" cried Joe. - - - -"I reckon so," said the deliverer, his deep, calm voice contrasting strangely - -with what might have been expected from his aspect. Then, seeing Joe's head - -covered with blood, he continued: "Able to get up?" - - - -"I'm not hurt," answered Joe, rising when his bonds had been cut. - - - -"Brothers, I reckon?" Wetzel said, bending over Jim. - - - -"Yes, we're brothers. Wake up, Jim, wake up! We're saved!" - - - -"What? Who's that?" cried Jim, sitting up and staring at Wetzel. - - - -"This man has saved our lives! See, Jim, the Indians are dead! And, Jim, it's - -Wetzel, the hunter. You remember, Jeff Lynn said I'd know him if I ever saw - -him and---" - - - -"What happened to Jeff?" inquired Wetzel, interrupting. He had turned from - -Jim's grateful face. - - - -"Jeff was on the first raft, and for all we know he is now safe at Fort Henry. - -Our steersman was shot, and we were captured." - - - -"Has the Shawnee anythin' ag'inst you boys?" - - - -"Why, yes, I guess so. I played a joke on him--took his shirt and put it on - -another fellow." - - - -"Might jes' as well kick an' Injun. What has he ag'in you?" - - - -"I don't know. Perhaps he did not like my talk to him," answered Jim. "I am a - -preacher, and have come west to teach the gospel to the Indians." - - - -"They're good Injuns now," said Wetzel, pointing to the prostrate figures. - - - -"How did you find us?" eagerly asked Joe. - - - -"Run acrost yer trail two days back." - - - -"And you've been following us?" - - - -The hunter nodded. - - - -"Did you see anything of another band of Indians? A tall chief and Jim Girty - -were among them." - - - -"They've been arter me fer two days. I was followin' you when Silvertip got - -wind of Girty an' his Delawares. The big chief was Wingenund. I seen you pull - -Girty's nose. Arter the Delawares went I turned loose yer dog an' horse an' - -lit out on yer trail.'' - - - -"Where are the Delawares now?" - - - -"I reckon there nosin' my back trail. We must be gittin'. Silvertip'll soon - -hev a lot of Injuns here.'' - - - -Joe intended to ask the hunter about what had frightened the Indians, but - -despite his eager desire for information, he refrained from doing so. - - - -"Girty nigh did fer you," remarked Wetzel, examining Joe's wound. "He's in a - -bad humor. He got kicked a few days back, and then hed the skin pulled offen - -his nose. Somebody'll hev to suffer. Wal, you feller grab yer rifles, an' - -we'll be startin' fer the fort." - - - -Joe shuddered as he leaned over one of the dusky forms to detach powder and - -bullet horn. He had never seen a dead Indian, and the tense face, the - -sightless, vacant eyes made him shrink. He shuddered again when he saw the - -hunter scalp his victims. He shuddered the third time when he saw Wetzel pick - -up Silvertip's beautiful white eagle plume, dabble it in a pool of blood, and - -stick it in the bark of a tree. Bereft of its graceful beauty, drooping with - -its gory burden, the long leather was a deadly message. It had been - -Silvertip's pride; it was now a challenge, a menace to the Shawnee chief. - - - -"Come," said Wetzel, leading the way into the forest. - - - - - -Shortly after daylight on the second day following the release of the Downs - -brothers the hunter brushed through a thicket of alder and said: "Thar's Fort - -Henry." - - - -The boys were on the summit of a mountain from which the land sloped in a long - -incline of rolling ridges and gentle valleys like a green, billowy sea, until - -it rose again abruptly into a peak higher still than the one upon which they - -stood. The broad Ohio, glistening in the sun, lay at the base of the mountain. - - - -Upon the bluff overlooking the river, and under the brow of the mountain, lay - -the frontier fort. In the clear atmosphere it stood out in bold relief. A - -small, low structure surrounded by a high stockade fence was all, and yet it - -did not seem unworthy of its fame. Those watchful, forbidding loopholes, the - -blackened walls and timbers, told the history of ten long, bloody years. The - -whole effect was one of menace, as if the fort sent out a defiance to the - -wilderness, and meant to protect the few dozen log cabins clustered on the - -hillside. - - - -"How will we ever get across that big river?" asked Jim, practically. - - - -"Wade--swim," answered the hunter, laconically, and began the descent of the - -ridge. An hour's rapid walking brought the three to the river. Depositing his - -rifle in a clump of willows, and directing the boys to do the same with their - -guns, the hunter splashed into the water. His companions followed him into the - -shallow water, and waded a hundred yards, which brought them near the island - -that they now perceived hid the fort. The hunter swam the remaining distance, - -and, climbing the bank, looked back for the boys. They were close behind him. - -Then he strode across the island, perhaps a quarter of a mile wide. - - - -"We've a long swim here," said Wetzel, waving his hand toward the main channel - -of the river. "Good fer it?" he inquired of Joe, since Jim had not received - -any injuries during the short captivity and consequently showed more - -endurance. - - - -"Good for anything," answered Joe, with that coolness Wetzel had been quick to - -observe in him. - - - -The hunter cast a sharp glance at the lad's haggard face, his bruised temple, - -and his hair matted with blood. In that look he read Joe thoroughly. Had the - -young man known the result of that scrutiny, he would have been pleased as - -well as puzzled, for the hunter had said to himself: "A brave lad, an' the - -border fever's on him." - - - -"Swim close to me," said Wetzel, and he plunged into the river. The task was - -accomplished without accident. - - - -"See the big cabin, thar, on the hillside? Thar's Colonel Zane in the door," - -said Wetzel. - - - -As they neared the building several men joined the one who had been pointed - -out as the colonel. It was evident the boys were the subject of their - -conversation. Presently Zane left the group and came toward them. The brothers - -saw a handsome, stalwart man, in the prime of life. - - - -"Well, Lew, what luck?" he said to Wetzel. - - - -"Not much. I treed five Injuns, an' two got away," answered the hunter as he - -walked toward the fort. - - - -"Lads, welcome to Fort Henry," said Colonel Zane, a smile lighting his dark - -face. "The others of your party arrived safely. They certainly will be - -overjoyed to see you." - - - -"Colonel Zane, I had a letter from my uncle to you," replied Jim; "but the - -Indians took that and everything else we had with us." - - - -"Never mind the letter. I knew your uncle, and your father, too. Come into the - -house and change those wet clothes. And you, my lad, have got an ugly knock on - -the head. Who gave you that?" - - - -"Jim Girty." - - - -"What?" exclaimed the colonel. - - - -"Jim Girty did that. He was with a party of Delawares who ran across us. They - -were searching for Wetzel." - - - -"Girty with the Delawares! The devil's to pay now. And you say hunting Wetzel? - -I must learn more about this. It looks bad. But tell me, how did Girty come to - -strike you?" - - - -"I pulled his nose." - - - -"You did? Good! Good!" cried Colonel Zane, heartily. - - - -"By George, that's great! Tell me--but wait until you are more comfortable. - -Your packs came safely on Jeff's raft, and you will find them inside." - - - -As Joe followed the colonel he heard one of the other men say: - - - -"Like as two peas in a pod." - - - -Farther on he saw an Indian standing a little apart from the others. Hearing - -Joe's slight exclamation of surprise, he turned, disclosing a fine, manly - -countenance, characterized by calm dignity. The Indian read the boy's thought. - - - -"Ugh! Me friend," he said in English. - - - -"That's my Shawnee guide, Tomepomehala. He's a good fellow, although Jonathan - -and Wetzel declare the only good Indian is a dead one. Come right in here. - -There are your packs, and you'll find water outside the door." - - - -Thus saying, Colonel Zane led the brothers into a small room, brought out - -their packs, and left them. He came back presently with a couple of soft - -towels. - - - -"Now you lads fix up a bit; then come out and meet my family and tell us all - -about your adventure. By that time dinner will be ready." - - - -"Geminy! Don't that towel remind you of home?" said Joe, when the colonel had - -gone. "From the looks of things, Colonel Zane means to have comfort here in - -the wilderness. He struck me as being a fine man." - - - -The boys were indeed glad to change the few articles of clothing the Indians - -had left them, and when they were shaved and dressed they presented an - -entirely different appearance. Once more they were twin brothers, in costume - -and feature. Joe contrived, by brushing his hair down on his forehead, to - -conceal the discolored bump. - - - -"I think I saw a charming girl," observed Joe. - - - -"Suppose you did--what then?" asked Jim, severely. - - - -"Why--nothing--see here, mayn't I admire a pretty girl if I want?" - - - -"No, you may not. Joe, will nothing ever cure you? I should think the thought - -of Miss Wells---" - - - -"Look here, Jim; she don't care--at least, it's very little she cares. And - -I'm--I'm not worthy of her." - - - -"Turn around here and face me," said the young minister sharply. - - - -Joe turned and looked in his brother's eyes. - - - -"Have you trifled with her, as you have with so many others? Tell me. I know - -you don't lie." - - - -"No." - - - -"Then what do you mean?" - - - -"Nothing much, Jim, except I'm really not worthy of her. I'm no good, you - -know, and she ought to get a fellow like--like you." - - - -"Absurd! You ought to be ashamed of yourself." - - - -"Never mind me. See here; don't you admire her?" - - - -"Why--why, yes," stammered Jim, flushing a dark, guilty red at the direct - -question. "Who could help admiring her?" - - - -"That's what I thought. And I know she admires you for qualities which I lack. - -Nell's like a tender vine just beginning to creep around and cling to - -something strong. She cares for me; but her love is like the vine. It may hurt - -her a little to tear that love away, but it won't kill her; and in the end it - -will be best for her. You need a good wife. What could I do with a woman? Go - -in and win her, Jim." - - - -"Joe, you're sacrificing yourself again for me," cried Jim, white to the lips. - -"It's wrong to yourself and wrong to her. I tell you---" - - - -"Enough!" Joe's voice cut in cold and sharp. "Usually you influence me; but - -sometimes you can't; I say this: Nell will drift into your arms as surely as - -the leaf falls. It will not hurt her--will be best for her. Remember, she is - -yours for the winning." - - - -"You do not say whether that will hurt you," whispered Jim. - - - -"Come--we'll find Colonel Zane," said Joe, opening the door. - - - -They went out in the hallway which opened into the yard as well as the larger - -room through which the colonel had first conducted them. As Jim, who was in - -advance, passed into this apartment a trim figure entered from the yard. It - -was Nell, and she ran directly against him. Her face was flushed, her eyes - -were beaming with gladness, and she seemed the incarnation of girlish joy. - - - -"Oh, Joe," was all she whispered. But the happiness and welcome in that - -whisper could never have been better expressed in longer speech. Then - -slightly, ever so slightly, she tilted her sweet face up to his. - - - -It all happened with the quickness of thought. In a single instant Jim saw the - -radiant face, the outstretched hands, and heard the glad whisper. He knew that - -she had a again mistaken him for Joe; but for his life he could not draw back - -his head. He had kissed her, and even as his lips thrilled with her tremulous - -caress he flushed with the shame of his deceit. - - - -"You're mistaken again--I'm Jim," he whispered. - - - -For a moment they stood staring into each other's eyes, slowly awakening to - -what had really happened, slowly conscious of a sweet, alluring power. Then - -Colonel Zane's cheery voice rang in their ears. - - - -"Ah, here's Nellie and your brother! Now, lads, tell me which is which?' - - - -"That's Jim, and I'm Joe," answered the latter. He appeared not to notice his - -brother, and his greeting to Nell was natural and hearty. For the moment she - -drew the attention of the others from them. - - - -Joe found himself listening to the congratulations of a number of people. - -Among the many names he remembered were those of Mrs. Zane, Silas Zane, and - -Major McColloch. Then he found himself gazing at the most beautiful girl he - -had ever seen in his life. - - - -"My only sister, Mrs. Alfred Clarke--once Betty Zane, and the heroine of Fort - -Henry," said Colonel Zane proudly, with his arm around the slender, dark-eyed - -girl. - - - -"I would brave the Indians and the wilderness again for this pleasure," - -replied Joe gallantly, as he bowed low over the little hand she cordially - -extended. - - - -"Bess, is dinner ready?" inquired Colonel Zane of his comely wife. She nodded - -her head, and the colonel led the way into the adjoining room. "I know you - -boys must be hungry as bears." - - - -During the meal Colonel Zane questioned his guests about their journey, and as - -to the treatment they had received at the hands of the Indians. He smiled at - -the young minister's earnestness in regard to the conversion of the redmen, - -and he laughed outright when Joe said "he guessed he came to the frontier - -because it was too slow at home." - - - -"I am sure your desire for excitement will soon be satisfied, if indeed it be - -not so already," remarked the colonel. "But as to the realization of your - -brother's hopes I am not so sanguine. Undoubtedly the Moravian missionaries - -have accomplished wonders with the Indians. Not long ago I visited the Village - -of Peace--the Indian name for the mission--and was struck by the friendliness - -and industry which prevailed there. Truly it was a village of peace. Yet it is - -almost to early to be certain of permanent success of this work. The Indian's - -nature is one hard to understand. He is naturally roving and restless, which, - -however, may be owing to his habit of moving from place to place in search of - -good hunting grounds. I believe--though I must confess I haven't seen any - -pioneers who share my belief--that the savage has a beautiful side to his - -character. I know of many noble deeds done by them, and I believe, if they are - -honestly dealt with, they will return good for good. There are bad ones, of - -course; but the French traders, and men like the Girtys, have caused most of - -this long war. Jonathan and Wetzel tell me the Shawnees and Chippewas have - -taken the warpath again. Then the fact that the Girtys are with the Delawares - -is reason for alarm. We have been comparatively quiet here of late. Did you - -boys learn to what tribe your captors belong? Did Wetzel say?" - - - -"He did not; he spoke little, but I will say he was exceedingly active," - -answered Joe, with a smile. - - - -"To have seen Wetzel fight Indians is something you are not likely to forget," - -said Colonel Zane grimly. "Now, tell me, how did those Indians wear their - -scalp-lock?" - - - -"Their heads were shaved closely, with the exception of a little place on top. - -The remaining hair was twisted into a tuft, tied tightly, and into this had - -been thrust a couple of painted pins. When Wetzel scalped the Indians the pins - -fell out. I picked one up, and found it to be bone." - - - -"You will make a woodsman, that's certain," replied Colonel Zane. "The Indians - -were Shawnee on the warpath. Well, we will not borrow trouble, for when it - -comes in the shape of redskins it usually comes quickly. Mr. Wells seemed - -anxious to resume the journey down the river; but I shall try to persuade him - -to remain with us awhile. Indeed, I am sorry I cannot keep you all here at - -Fort Henry, and more especially the girls. On the border we need young people, - -and, while I do not want to frighten the women, I fear there will be more than - -Indians fighting for them." - - - -"I hope not; but we have come prepared for anything," said Kate, with a quiet - -smile. "Our home was with uncle, and when he announced his intention of going - -west we decided our duty was to go with him." - - - -"You were right, and I hope you will find a happy home," rejoined Colonel - -Zane. "If life among the Indian, proves to be too had, we shall welcome you - -here. Betty, show the girls your pets and Indian trinkets. I am going to take - -the boys to Silas' cabin to see Mr. Wells, and then show them over the fort." - - - -As they went out Joe saw the Indian guide standing in exactly the same - -position as when they entered the building. - - - -"Can't that Indian move?" he asked curiously. - - - -"He can cover one hundred miles in a day, when he wants to," replied Colonel - -Zane. "He is resting now. An Indian will often stand or sit in one position - -for many hours." - - - -"He's a fine-looking chap," remarked Joe, and then to himself: "but I don't - -like him. I guess I'm prejudiced." - - - -"You'll learn to like Tome, as we call him." - - - -"Colonel Zane, I want a light for my pipe. I haven't had a smoke since the day - -we were captured. That blamed redskin took my tobacco. It's lucky I had some - -in my other pack. I'd like to meet him again; also Silvertip and that brute - -Girty." - - - -"My lad, don't make such wishes," said Colonel Zane, earnestly. "You were - -indeed fortunate to escape, and I can well understand your feelings. There is - -nothing I should like better than to see Girty over the sights of my rifle; - -but I never hunt after danger, and to look for Girty is to court death." - - - -"But Wetzel---" - - - -"Ah, my lad, I know Wetzel goes alone in the woods; but then, he is different - -from other men. Before you leave I will tell you all about him.". - - - -Colonel Zane went around the comer of the cabin and returned with a live coal - -on a chip of wood, which Joe placed in the bowl of his pipe, and because of - -the strong breeze stepped close to the cabin wall. Being a keen observer, he - -noticed many small, round holes in the logs. They were so near together that - -the timbers had an odd, speckled appearance, and there was hardly a place - -where he could have put his thumb without covering a hole. At first he thought - -they were made by a worm or bird peculiar to that region; but finally lie - -concluded that they were bullet-holes. He thrust his knife blade into one, and - -out rolled a leaden ball. - - - -"I'd like to have been here when these were made," he said. - - - -"Well, at the time I wished I was back on the Potomac," replied Colonel Zane. - - - -They found the old missionary on the doorstep of the adjacent cabin. He - -appeared discouraged when Colonel Zane interrogated him, and said that he was - -impatient because of the delay. - - - -"Mr. Wells, is it not possible that you underrate the danger of your - -enterprise?" - - - -"I fear naught but the Lord," answered the old man. - - - -"Do you not fear for those with you?" went on the colonel earnestly. "I am - -heart and soul with you in your work, but want to impress upon yon that the - -time is not propitious. It is a long journey to the village, and the way is - -beset with dangers of which you have no idea. Will you not remain here with me - -for a few weeks, or, at least, until my scouts report?" - - - -"I thank you; but go I will." - - - -"Then let me entreat you to remain here a few days, so that I may send my - -brother Jonathan and Wetzel with you. If any can guide you safely to the - -Village of Peace it will be they." - - - -At this moment Joe saw two men approaching from the fort, and recognized one - -of them as Wetzel. He doubted not that the other was Lord Dunmore's famous - -guide and hunter, Jonathan Zane. In features he resembled the colonel, and was - -as tall as Wetzel, although not so muscular or wide of chest. - - - -Joe felt the same thrill he had experienced while watching the frontiersmen at - -Fort Pitt. Wetzel and Jonathan spoke a word to Colonel Zane and then stepped - -aside. The hunters stood lithe and erect, with the easy, graceful poise of - -Indians. - - - -"We'll take two canoes, day after to-morrow," said Jonathan, decisively, to - -Colonel Zane. "Have you a rifle for Wetzel? The Delawares got his." - - - -Colonel Zane pondered over the question; rifles were not scarce at the fort, - -but a weapon that Wetzel would use was hard to find. - - - -"The hunter may have my rifle," said the old missionary. "I have no use for a - -weapon with which to destroy God's creatures. My brother was a frontiersman; - -he left this rifle to me. I remember hearing him say once that if a man knew - -exactly the weight of lead and powder needed, it would shoot absolutely true." - - - -He went into the cabin, and presently came out with a long object wrapped in - -linsey cloths. Unwinding the coverings, he brought to view a rifle, the - -proportions of which caused Jonathan's eyes to glisten, and brought an - -exclamation from Colonel Zane. Wetzel balanced the gun in his hands. It was - -fully six feet long; the barrel was large, and the dark steel finely polished; - -the stock was black walnut, ornamented with silver trimmings. Using Jonathan's - -powder-flask and bullet-pouch, Wetzel proceeded to load the weapon. He poured - -out a quantity of powder into the palm of his hand, performing the action - -quickly and dexterously, but was so slow while measuring it that Joe wondered - -if he were counting the grains. Next he selected a bullet out of a dozen which - -Jonathan held toward him. He examined it carefully and tried it in the muzzle - -of the rifle. Evidently it did not please him, for he took another. Finally he - -scraped a bullet with his knife, and placing it in the center of a small - -linsey rag, deftly forced it down. He adjusted the flint, dropped a few grains - -of powder in the pan, and then looked around for a mark at which to shoot. - - - -Joe observed that the hunters and Colonel Zane were as serious regarding the - -work as if at that moment some important issue depended upon the accuracy of - -the rifle. - - - -"There, Lew; there's a good shot. It's pretty far, even for you, when you - -don't know the gun," said Colonel Zane, pointing toward the river. - - - -Joe saw the end of a log, about the size of a man's head, sticking out of the - -water, perhaps an hundred and fifty yards distant. He thought to hit it would - -be a fine shot; but was amazed when he heard Colonel Zane say to several men - -who had joined the group that Wetzel intended to shoot at a turtle on the log. - -By straining his eyes Joe succeeded in distinguishing a small lump, which he - -concluded was the turtle. - - - -Wetzel took a step forward; the long, black rifle was raised with a stately - -sweep. The instant it reached a level a thread of flame burst forth, followed - -by a peculiarly clear, ringing report. - - - -"Did he hit?" asked Colonel Zane, eagerly as a boy. - - - -"I allow he did," answered Jonathan. - - - -"I'll go and see," said Joe. He ran down the bank, along the beach, and - -stepped on the log. He saw a turtle about the size of an ordinary saucer. - -Picking it up, he saw a bullet-hole in the shell near the middle. The bullet - -had gone through the turtle, and it was quite dead. Joe carried it to the - -waiting group. - - - -"I allowed so," declared Jonathan. - - - -Wetzel examined the turtle, and turning to the old missionary, said: - - - -"Your brother spoke the truth, an' I thank you fer the rifle." - - - - - - - -Chapter VIII. - - - -"So you want to know all about Wetzel?" inquired Colonel Zane of Joe, when, - -having left Jim and Mr. Wells, they returned to the cabin. - - - -"I am immensely interested in him," replied Joe. - - - -"Well, I don't think there's anything singular in that. I know Wetzel better, - -perhaps, than any man living; but have seldom talked about him. He doesn't - -like it. He is by birth a Virginian; I should say, forty years old. We were - -boys together, and and I am a little beyond that age. He was like any of the - -lads, except that he excelled us all in strength and agility. When he was - -nearly eighteen years old a band if Indians--Delawares, I think--crossed the - -border on a marauding expedition far into Virginia. They burned the old Wetzel - -homestead and murdered the father, mother, two sisters, and a baby brother. - -The terrible shock nearly killed Lewis, who for a time was very ill. When he - -recovered he went in search of his brothers, Martin and John Wetzel, who were - -hunting, and brought them back to their desolated home. Over the ashes of the - -home and the graves of the loved ones the brothers swore sleepless and eternal - -vengeance. The elder brothers have been devoted all these twenty years and - -more to the killing of Indians; but Lewis has been the great foe of the - -redman. You have already seen an example of his deeds, and will hear of more. - -His name is a household word on the border. Scores of times he has saved, - -actually saved, this fort and settlement. His knowledge of savage ways - -surpasses by far Boone's, Major McColloch's, Jonathan's, or any of the - -hunters'." - - - -"Then hunting Indians is his sole occupation?" - - - -"He lives for that purpose alone. He is very seldom in the settlement. - -Sometimes he stays here a few days, especially if he is needed; but usually he - -roams the forests." - - - -"What did Jeff Lynn mean when he said that some people think Wetzel is crazy?" - - - -"There are many who think the man mad; but I do not. When the passion for - -Indian hunting comes upon him he is fierce, almost frenzied, yet perfectly - -sane. While here he is quiet, seldom speaks except when spoken to, and is - -taciturn with strangers. He often comes to my cabin and sits beside the fire - -for hours. I think he finds pleasure in the conversation and laughter of - -friends. He is fond of the children, and would do anything for my sister - -Betty." - - - -"His life must be lonely and sad," remarked Joe. - - - -"The life of any borderman is that; but Wetzel's is particularly so." - - - -"What is he called by the Indians?" - - - -"They call him Atelang, or, in English, Deathwind." - - - -"By George! That's what Silvertip said in French--'Le Vent de la Mort.'" - - - -"Yes; you have it right. A French fur trader gave Wetzel that name years ago, - -and it has clung to him. The Indians say the Deathwind blows through the - -forest whenever Wetzel stalks on their trail." - - - -"Colonel Zane, don't you think me superstitious," whispered Joe, leaning - -toward the colonel, "but I heard that wind blow through the forest." - - - -"What!" ejaculated Colonel Zane. He saw that Joe was in earnest, for the - -remembrance of the moan had more than once paled his cheek and caused beads of - -perspiration to collect on his brow. - - - -Joe related the circumstances of that night, and at the end of his narrative - -Colonel Zane sat silent and thoughtful. - - - -"You don't really think it was Wetzel who moaned?" he asked, at length. - - - -"No, I don't," replied Joe quickly; "but, Colonel Zane, I heard that moan as - -plainly as I can hear your voice. I heard it twice. Now, what was it?" - - - -"Jonathan said the same thing to me once. He had been out hunting with Wetzel; - -they separated, and during the night Jonathan heard the wind. The next day he - -ran across a dead Indian. He believes Wetzel makes the noise, and so do the - -hunters; but I think it is simply the moan of the night wind through the - -trees. I have heard it at times, when my very blood seemingly ran cold." - - - -"I tried to think it was the wind soughing through the pines, but am afraid I - -didn't succeed very well. Anyhow, I knew Wetzel instantly, just as Jeff Lynn - -said I would. He killed those Indians in an instant, and he must have an iron - -arm." - - - -"Wetzel excels in strength and speed any man, red or white, on the frontier. - -He can run away from Jonathan, who is as swift as an Indian. He's stronger - -than any of the other men. I remember one day old Hugh Bennet's wagon wheels - -stuck in a bog down by the creek. Hugh tried, as several others did, to move - -the wheels; but they couldn't be made to budge. Along came Wetzel, pushed - -away the men, and lifted the wagon unaided. It would take hours to tell you - -about him. In brief, among all the border scouts and hunters Wetzel stands - -alone. No wonder the Indians fear him. He is as swift as an eagle, strong as - -mountain-ash, keen as a fox, and absolutely tireless and implacable." - - - -"How long have you been here, Colonel Zane?" - - - -"More than twelve years, and it has been one long fight." - - - -"I'm afraid I'm too late for the fun," said Joe, with his quiet laugh. - - - -"Not by about twelve more years," answered Colonel Zane, studying the - -expression on Joe's face. "When I came out here years ago I had the same - -adventurous spirit which I see in you. It has been considerably quelled, - -however. I have seen many a daring young fellow get the border fever, and with - -it his death. Let me advise you to learn the ways of the hunters; to watch - -some one skilled in woodcraft. Perhaps Wetzel himself will take you in hand. I - -don't mind saying that he spoke of you to me in a tone I never heard Lew use - -before." - - - -"He did?" questioned Joe, eagerly, flushing with pleasure. "Do you think he'd - -take me out? Dare I ask him?" - - - -"Don't be impatient. Perhaps I can arrange it. Come over here now to Metzar's - -place. I want to make you acquainted with him. These boys have all been - -cutting timber; they've just come in for dinner. Be easy and quiet with them; - -then you'll get on." - - - -Colonel Zane introduced Joe to five sturdy boys and left him in their company. - -Joe sat down on a log outside a cabin and leisurely surveyed the young men. - -They all looked about the same: strong without being heavy, light-haired and - -bronze-faced. In their turn they carefully judged Joe. A newcomer from the - -East was always regarded with some doubt. If they expected to hear Joe talk - -much they were mistaken. He appeared good-natured, but not too friendly. - - - -"Fine weather we're havin'," said Dick Metzar. - - - -"Fine," agreed Joe, laconically. - - - -"Like frontier life?" - - - -"Sure." - - - -A silence ensued after this breaking of the ice. The boys were awaiting their - -turn at a little wooden bench upon which stood a bucket of water and a basin. - - - -"Hear ye got ketched by some Shawnees?" remarked another youth, as he rolled - -up his shirt-sleeves. They all looked at Joe now. It was not improbably their - -estimate of him would be greatly influenced by the way he answered this - -question. - - - -"Yes; was captive for three days." - - - -"Did ye knock any redskins over?" This question was artfully put to draw Joe - -out. Above all things, the bordermen detested boastfulness; tried on Joe the - -ruse failed signally. - - - -"I was scared speechless most of the time," answered Joe, with his pleasant - -smile. - - - -"By gosh, I don't blame ye!" burst out Will Metzar. "I hed that experience - -onct, an' onct's enough." - - - -The boys laughed and looked in a more friendly manner at Joe. Though he said - -he had been frightened, his cool and careless manner belied his words. In - -Joe's low voice and clear, gray eye there was something potent and magnetic, - -which subtly influence those with whom he came in contact. - - - -While his new friends were at dinner Joe strolled over to where Colonel Zane - -sat on the doorstep of his home. - - - -"How did you get on with the boys?" inquired the colonel. - - - -"All right, I hope. Say, Colonel Zane, I'd like to talk to your Indian guide." - - - -Colonel Zane spoke a few words in the Indian language to the guide, who left - -his post and came over to them. The colonel then had a short conversation with - -him, at the conclusion of which he pointed toward Joe. - - - -"How do--shake," said Tome, extending his hand. - - - -Joe smiled, and returned the friendly hand-pressure. - - - -"Shawnee--ketch'um?" asked the Indian, in his fairly intelligible English. - - - -Joe nodded his head, while Colonel Zane spoke once more in Shawnee, explaining - -the cause of Silvertip's emnity. - - - -"Shawnee--chief--one--bad--Injun," replied Tome, seriously. - -"Silvertip--mad--thunder-mad. Ketch'um paleface--scalp'um sure." - - - -After giving this warning the chief returned to his former position near the - -corner of the cabin. - - - -"He can talk in English fairly well, much better than the Shawnee brave who - -talked with me the other day," observed Joe. - - - -"Some of the Indians speak the language almost fluently," said Colonel Zane. - -"You could hardly have distinguished Logan's speech from a white man's. - -Corn-planter uses good English, as also does my brother's wife, a Wyandot - -girl." - - - -"Did your brother marry an Indian?" and Joe plainly showed his surprise. - - - -"Indeed he did, and a most beautiful girl she is. I'll tell you Isaac's story - -some time. He was a captive among the Wyandots for ten years. The chief's - -daughter, Myeerah, loved him, kept him from being tortured, and finally saved - -him from the stake." - - - -"Well, that floors me," said Joe; "yet I don't see why it should. I'm just - -surprised. Where is your brother now?" - - - -"He lives with the tribe. He and Myeerah are working hard for peace. We are - -now on more friendly terms with the great Wyandots, or Hurons, as we call - -them, than ever before." - - - -"Who is this big man coming from the the fort?" asked Joe, suddenly observing - -a stalwart frontiersman approaching. - - - -"Major Sam McColloch. You have met him. He's the man who jumped his horse from - -yonder bluff." - - - -"Jonathan and he have the same look, the same swing," observed Joe, as he ran - -his eye over the major. His faded buckskin costume, beaded, fringed, and - -laced, was similar to that of the colonel's brother. Powder-flask and - -bullet-pouch were made from cow-horns and slung around his neck on deerhide - -strings. The hunting coat was unlaced, exposing, under the long, fringed - -borders, a tunic of the same well-tanned, but finer and softer, material. As - -he walked, the flaps of his coat fell back, showing a belt containing two - -knives, sheathed in heavy buckskin, and a bright tomahawk. He carried a long - -rifle in the hollow of his arm. - - - -"These hunters have the same kind of buckskin suits," continued Joe; "still, - -it doesn't seem to me the clothes make the resemblance to each other. The way - -these men stand, walk and act is what strikes me particularly, as in the case - -of Wetzel." - - - -"I know what you mean. The flashing eye, the erect poise of expectation, and - -the springy step--those, my lad, come from a life spent in the woods. Well, - -it's a grand way to live." - - - -"Colonel, my horse is laid up," said Major McColloch, coming to the steps. He - -bowed pleasantly to Joe. - - - -"So you are going to Short Creek? You can have one of my horses; but first - -come inside and we'll talk over you expedition." - - - -The afternoon passed uneventfully for Joe. His brother and Mr. Wells were - -absorbed in plans for their future work, and Nell and Kate were resting; - -therefore he was forced to find such amusement or occupation as was possible - -in or near the stockade. - - - - - - - -Chapter IX. - - - -Joe went to bed that night with a promise to himself to rise early next - -morning, for he had been invited to take part in a "raising," which term meant - -that a new cabin was to be erected, and such task was ever an event in the - -lives of the settlers. - - - -The following morning Joe rose early, dressing himself in a complete buckskin - -suit, for which he had exchanged his good garments of cloth. Never before had - -he felt so comfortable. He wanted to hop, skip and jump. The soft, undressed - -buckskin was as warm and smooth as silk-plush; the weight so light, the - -moccasins so well-fitting and springy, that he had to put himself under - -considerable restraint to keep from capering about like a frolicsome colt. - - - -The possession of this buckskin outfit, and the rifle and accouterments which - -went with the bargain, marked the last stage in Joe's surrender to the border - -fever. The silent, shaded glens, the mystery of the woods, the breath of this - -wild, free life claimed him from this moment entirely and forever. - - - -He met the others, however, with a serene face, showing no trace of the - -emotion which welled up strongly from his heart. Nell glanced shyly at him; - -Kate playfully voiced her admiration; Jim met him with a brotherly ridicule - -which bespoke his affection as well as his amusement; but Colonel Zane, having - -once yielded to the same burning, riotous craving for freedom which now - -stirred in the boy's heart, understood, and felt warmly drawn toward the lad. - -He said nothing, though as he watched Joe his eyes were grave and kind. In his - -long frontier life, where many a day measured the life and fire of ordinary - -years, he had seen lad after lad go down before this forest fever. It was - -well, he thought, because the freedom of the soil depended on these wild, - -light-footed boys; yet it always made him sad. How many youths, his brother - -among them, lay under the fragrant pine-needle carpet of the forest, in their - -last earthly sleep! - - - -The "raising" brought out all the settlement--the women to look on and gossip, - -while the children played; the men to bend their backs in the moving of the - -heavy timbers. They celebrated the erection of a new cabin as a noteworthy - -event. As a social function it had a prominent place in the settlers' short - -list of pleasures. - - - -Joe watched the proceeding with the same pleasure and surprise he had felt in - -everything pertaining to border life. - - - -To him this log-raising appeared the hardest kind of labor. Yet it was plain - -these hardy men, these low-voiced women, and merry children regarded the work - -as something far more significant than the mere building of a cabin. After a - -while he understood the meaning of the scene. A kindred spirit, the spirit of - -the pioneer, drew them all into one large family. This was another cabin; - -another home; another advance toward the conquering of the wilderness, for - -which these brave men and women were giving their lives. In the bright-eyed - -children's glee, when they clapped their little hands at the mounting logs, - -Joe saw the progress, the march of civilization. - - - -"Well, I'm sorry you're to leave us to-night," remarked Colonel Zane to Joe, - -as the young man came over to where he, his wife, and sister watched the work. - -"Jonathan said all was ready for your departure at sundown." - - - -"Do we travel by night?" - - - -"Indeed, yes, my lad. There are Indians everywhere on the river. I think, - -however, with Jack and Lew handling the paddles, you will slip by safely. The - -plan is to keep along the south shore all night; then cross over at a place - -called Girty's Point, where you are to remain in hiding during daylight. From - -there you paddle up Yellow Creek; then portage across country to the head of - -the Tuscarwawas. Another night's journey will then bring you to the Village of - -Peace." - - - -Jim and Mr. Wells, with his nieces, joined the party now, and all stood - -watching as the last logs were put in place. - - - -"Colonel Zane, my first log-raising is an education to me," said the young - -minister, in his earnest manner. "This scene is so full of life. I never saw - -such goodwill among laboring men. Look at that brawny-armed giant standing on - -the topmost log. How he whistles as he swings his ax! Mr. Wells, does it not - -impress you?" - - - -"The pioneers must be brothers because of their isolation and peril; to be - -brothers means to love one another; to love one another is to love God. What - -you see in this fraternity is God. And I want to see this same beautiful - -feeling among the Indians." - - - -"I have seen it," said Colonel Zane, to the old missionary. "When I came out - -here alone twelve years ago the Indians were peaceable. If the pioneers had - -paid for land, as I paid Cornplanter, there would never have been a border - -war. But no; the settlers must grasp every acre they could. Then the Indians - -rebelled; then the Girtys and their allies spread discontent, and now the - -border is a bloody warpath." - - - -"Have the Jesuit missionaries accomplished anything with these war tribes?" - -inquired Jim. - - - -"No; their work has been chiefly among the Indians near Detroit and northward. - -The Hurons, Delawares, Shawnees and other western tribes have been demoralized - -by the French traders' rum, and incited to fierce hatred by Girty and his - -renegades. Your work at Gnaddenhutten must be among these hostile tribes, and - -it is surely a hazardous undertaking." - - - -"My life is God's," murmured the old minister. No fear could assail his - -steadfast faith. - - - -"Jim, it strikes me you'd be more likely to impress these Indians Colonel Zane - -spoke of if you'd get a suit like mine and wear a knife and tomahawk," - -interposed Joe, cheerfully. "Then, if you couldn't convert, you could scalp - -them." - - - -"Well, well, let us hope for the best," said Colonel Zane, when the laughter - -had subsided. "We'll go over to dinner now. Come, all of you. Jonathan, bring - -Wetzel. Betty, make him come, if you can." - - - -As the party slowly wended its way toward the colonel's cabin Jim and Nell - -found themselves side by side. They had not exchanged a word since the evening - -previous, when Jim had kissed her. Unable to look at each other now, and - -finding speech difficult, they walked in embarrassed silence. - - - -"Doesn't Joe look splendid in his hunting suit?" asked Jim, presently. - - - -"I hadn't noticed. Yes; he looks well," replied Nell, carelessly. She was too - -indifferent to be natural. - - - -"Are you angry with him?" - - - -"Certainly not." - - - -Jim was always simple and frank in his relations with women. He had none of - -his brother's fluency of speech, with neither confidence, boldness nor - -understanding of the intricate mazes of a woman's moods. - - - -"But--you are angry with--me?" he whispered. - - - -Nell flushed to her temples, yet she did not raise her eyes nor reply. - - - -"It was a terrible thing for me to do," went on Jim, hesitatingly. "I don't - -know why I took advantage--of--of your mistaking me for Joe. If you only - -hadn't held up your mouth. No--I don't mean that--of course you didn't. - -But--well, I couldn't help it. I'm guilty. I have thought of little else. Some - -wonderful feeling has possessed me ever since--since---" - - - -"What has Joe been saying about me?" demanded Nell, her eyes burning like - -opals. - - - -"Why, hardly anything," answered Jim, haltingly. "I took him to task - -about--about what I considered might be wrong to you. Joe has never been very - -careful of young ladies' feelings, and I thought--well, it was none of my - -business. He said he honestly cared for you, that you had taught him how - -unworthy he was of a good woman. But he's wrong there. Joe is wild and - -reckless, yet his heart is a well of gold. He is a diamond in the rough. Just - -now he is possessed by wild notions of hunting Indians and roaming through the - -forests; but he'll come round all right. I wish I could tell you how much he - -has done for me, how much I love him, how I know him! He can be made worthy of - -any woman. He will outgrow this fiery, daring spirit, and then--won't you help - -him?" - - - -"I will, if he will let me," softly whispered Nell, irresistibly drawn by the - -strong, earnest love thrilling in his voice. - - - - - - - -Chapter X. - - - -Once more out under the blue-black vault of heaven, with its myriads of - -twinkling stars, the voyagers resumed their westward journey. Whispered - -farewells of new but sincere friends lingered in their ears. Now the great - -looming bulk of the fort above them faded into the obscure darkness, leaving a - -feeling as if a protector had gone--perhaps forever. Admonished to absolute - -silence by the stern guides, who seemed indeed to have embarked upon a dark - -and deadly mission, the voyagers lay back in the canoes and thought and - -listened. The water eddied with soft gurgles in the wake of the racing canoes; - -but that musical sound was all they heard. The paddles might have been - -shadows, for all the splash they made; they cut the water swiftly and - -noiselessly. Onward the frail barks glided into black space, side by side, - -close under the overhanging willows. Long moments passed into long hours, as - -the guides paddled tirelessly as if their sinews were cords of steel. - - - -With gray dawn came the careful landing of the canoes, a cold breakfast eaten - -under cover of a willow thicket, and the beginning of a long day while they - -were lying hidden from the keen eyes of Indian scouts, waiting for the - -friendly mantle of night. - - - -The hours dragged until once more the canoes were launched, this time not on - -the broad Ohio, but on a stream that mirrored no shining stars as it flowed - -still and somber under the dense foliage. - - - -The voyagers spoke not, nor whispered, nor scarcely moved, so menacing had - -become the slow, listening caution of Wetzel and Zane. Snapping of twigs - -somewhere in the inscrutable darkness delayed them for long moments. Any - -movement the air might resound with the horrible Indian war-whoop. Every - -second was heavy with fear. How marvelous that these scouts, penetrating the - -wilderness of gloom, glided on surely, silently, safely! Instinct, or the eyes - -of the lynx, guide their course. But another dark night wore on to the tardy - -dawn, and each of its fearful hours numbered miles past and gone. - - - -The sun was rising in ruddy glory when Wetzel ran his canoe into the bank just - -ahead of a sharp bend in the stream. - - - -"Do we get out here?" asked Jim, seeing Jonathan turn his canoe toward - -Wetzel's. - - - -"The village lies yonder, around the bend," answered the guide. "Wetzel cannot - -go there, so I'll take you all in my canoe." - - - -"There's no room; I'll wait," replied Joe, quietly. Jim noted his look--a - -strange, steady glance it was--and then saw him fix his eyes upon Nell, - -watching her until the canoe passed around the green-bordered bend in the - -stream. - - - -Unmistakable signs of an Indian town were now evident. Dozens of graceful - -birchen canoes lay upon the well-cleared banks; a log bridge spanned the - -stream; above the slight ridge of rising ground could be seen the poles of - -Indian teepees. - - - -As the canoe grated upon the sandy beach a little Indian boy, who was playing - -in the shallow water, raised his head and smiled. - - - -"That's an Indian boy," whispered Kate. - - - -"The dear little fellow!" exclaimed Nell. - - - -The boy came running up to them, when they were landed, with pleasure and - -confidence shining in his dusky eyes. Save for tiny buckskin breeches, he was - -naked, and his shiny skin gleamed gold-bronze in the sunlight. He was a - -singularly handsome child. - - - -"Me--Benny," he lisped in English, holding up his little hand to Nell. - - - -The action was as loving and trusting as any that could have been manifested - -by a white child. Jonathan Zane stared with a curious light in his dark eyes; - -Mr. Wells and Jim looked as though they doubted the evidence of their own - -sight. Here, even in an Indian boy, was incontestable proof that the savage - -nature could be tamed and civilized. - - - -With a tender exclamation Nell bent over the child and kissed him. - - - -Jonathan Zane swung his canoe up-stream for the purpose of bringing Joe. The - -trim little bark slipped out of sight round the bend. Presently its gray, - -curved nose peeped from behind the willows; then the canoe swept into view - -again. There was only one person in it, and that the guide. - - - -"Where is my brother?" asked Jim, in amazement. - - - -"Gone," answered Zane, quietly. - - - -"Gone! What do you mean? Gone? Perhaps you have missed the spot where you left - -him." - - - -"They're both gone." - - - -Nell and Jim gazed at each other with slowly whitening faces. - - - -"Come, I'll take you up to the village," said Zane, getting out of his canoe. - -All noticed that he was careful to take his weapons with him. - - - -"Can't you tell us what it means--this disappearance?" asked Jim, his voice - -low and anxious. - - - -"They're gone, canoe and all. I knew Wetzel was going, but I didn't calkilate - -on the lad. Mebbe he followed Wetzel, mebbe he didn't," answered the taciturn - -guide, and he spoke no more. - - - -In his keen expectation and wonder as to what the village would be like, Jim - -momentarily forgot his brother's disappearance, and when he arrived at the top - -of the bank he surveyed the scene with eagerness. What he saw was more - -imposing than the Village of Peace which he had conjured up in his - -imagination. Confronting him was a level plain, in the center of which stood a - -wide, low structure surrounded by log cabins, and these in turn encircled by - -Indian teepees. A number of large trees, mostly full-foliaged maples, shaded - -the clearing. The settlement swarmed with Indians. A few shrill halloes - -uttered by the first observers of the newcomers brought braves, maidens and - -children trooping toward the party with friendly curiosity. - - - -Jonathan Zane stepped before a cabin adjoining the large structure, and called - -in at the open door. A short, stoop-shouldered white man, clad in faded - -linsey, appeared on the threshold. His serious, lined face had the - -unmistakable benevolent aspect peculiar to most teachers of the gospel. - - - -"Mr. Zeisberger, I've fetched a party from Fort Henry," said Zane, indicating - -those he had guided. Then, without another word, never turning his dark face - -to the right or left, he hurried down the lane through the throng of Indians. - - - -Jim remembered, as he saw the guide vanish over the bank of the creek, that he - -had heard Colonel Zane say that Jonathan, as well as Wetzel, hated the sight - -of an Indian. No doubt long years of war and bloodshed had rendered these two - -great hunters callous. To them there could be no discrimination--an Indian was - -an Indian. - - - -"Mr. Wells, welcome to the Village of Peace!" exclaimed Mr. Zeisberger, - -wringing the old missionary's hand. "The years have not been so long but that - -I remember you." - - - -"Happy, indeed, am I to get here, after all these dark, dangerous journeys," - -returned Mr. Wells. "I have brought my nieces, Nell and Kate, who were - -children when you left Williamsburg, and this young man, James Downs, a - -minister of God, and earnest in his hope for our work." - - - -"A glorious work it is! Welcome, young ladies, to our peaceful village. And, - -young man, I greet you with heartfelt thankfulness. We need young men. Come - -in, all of your, and share my cabin. I'll have your luggage brought up. I have - -lived in this hut alone. With some little labor, and the magic touch women - -bring to the making of a home, we can be most comfortable here." - - - -Mr. Zeisberger gave his own room to the girls, assuring them with a smile that - -it was the most luxurious in the village. The apartment contained a chair, a - -table, and a bed of Indian blankets and buffalo robes. A few pegs driven in - -the chinks between the logs completed the furnishings. Sparse as were the - -comforts, they appealed warmly to the girls, who, weary from their voyage, lay - -down to rest. - - - -"I am not fatigued," said Mr. Wells, to his old friend. "I want to hear all - -about your work, what you have done, and what you hope to do." - - - -"We have met with wonderful success, far beyond our wildest dreams," responded - -Mr. Zeisberger. "Certainly we have been blessed of God." - - - -Then the missionary began a long, detailed account of the Moravian Mission's - -efforts among the western tribes. The work lay chiefly among the Delawares, a - -noble nation of redmen, intelligent, and wonderfully susceptible to the - -teaching of the gospel. Among the eastern Delawares, living on the other side - -of the Allegheny Mountains, the missionaries had succeeded in converting many; - -and it was chiefly through the western explorations of Frederick Post that his - -Church decided the Indians of the west could as well be taught to lead - -Christian lives. The first attempt to convert the western redmen took place - -upon the upper Allegheny, where many Indians, including Allemewi, a blind - -Delaware chief, accepted the faith. The mission decided, however, it would be - -best to move farther west, where the Delawares had migrated and were more - -numerous. - - - -In April, 1770, more than ten years before, sixteen canoes, filled with - -converted Indians and missionaries, drifted down the Allegheny to Fort Pitt; - -thence down the Ohio to the Big Beaver; up that stream and far into the Ohio - -wilderness. - - - -Upon a tributary of the Muskingong, called the Tuscarwawas, a settlement was - -founded. Near and far the news was circulated. Redmen from all tribes came - -flocking to the new colony. Chiefs and warriors, squaws and maidens, were - -attracted by the new doctrine of the converted Indians. They were astonished - -at the missionaries' teachings. Many doubted, some were converted, all - -listened. Great excitement prevailed when old Glickhican, one of the wisest - -chiefs of the Turtle tribe of the Delawares, became a convert to the - -palefaces' religion. - - - -The interest widened, and in a few years a beautiful, prosperous town arose, - -which was called Village of Peace. The Indians of the warlike tribes bestowed - -the appropriate name. The vast forests were rich in every variety of game; the - -deep, swift streams were teeming with fish. Meat and grain in abundance, - -buckskin for clothing, and soft furs for winter garments were to be had for - -little labor. At first only a few wigwams were erected. Soon a large log - -structure was thrown up and used as a church. Then followed a school, a mill, - -and a workshop. The verdant fields were cultivated and surrounded by rail - -fences. Horses and cattle grazed with the timid deer on the grassy plains. - - - -The Village of Peace blossomed as a rose. The reports of the love and - -happiness existing in this converted community spread from mouth to mouth, - -from town to town, with the result that inquisitive savages journeyed from all - -points to see this haven. Peaceful and hostile Indians were alike amazed at - -the change in their brethren. The good-fellowship and industry of the converts - -had a widespread and wonderful influence. More, perhaps, than any other thing, - -the great fields of waving corn, the hills covered with horses and cattle, - -those evidences of abundance, impressed the visitors with the well-being of - -the Christians. Bands of traveling Indians, whether friendly or otherwise, - -were treated with hospitality, and never sent away empty-handed. They were - -asked to partake of the abundance and solicited to come again. - - - -A feature by no means insignificant in the popularity of the village was the - -church bell. The Indians loved music, and this bell charmed them. On still - -nights the savages in distant towns could hear at dusk the deep-toned, mellow - -notes of the bell summoning the worshipers to the evening service. Its ringing - -clang, so strange, so sweet, so solemn, breaking the vast dead wilderness - -quiet, haunted the savage ear as though it were a call from a woodland god. - - - -"You have arrived most opportunely," continued Mr. Zeisberger. "Mr. Edwards - -and Mr. Young are working to establish other missionary posts. Heckewelder is - -here now in the interest of this branching out." - - - -"How long will it take me to learn the Delaware language?" inquired Jim. - - - -"Not long. You do not, however, need to speak the Indian tongue, for we have - -excellent interpreters." - - - -"We heard much at Fort Pitt and Fort Henry about the danger, as well as - -uselessness, of our venture," Jim continued. "The frontiersmen declared that - -every rod of the way was beset with savage foes, and that, even in the - -unlikely event of our arriving safely at the Village of Peace, we would then - -be hemmed in by fierce, vengeful tribes." - - - -"Hostile savages abound here, of course; but we do not fear them. We invite - -them. Our work is to convert the wicked, to teach them to lead good, useful - -lives. We will succeed." - - - -Jim could not help warming to the minister for his unswervable faith, his - -earnest belief that the work of God could not fail; nevertheless, while he - -felt no fear and intended to put all his heart in the work, he remembered with - -disquietude Colonel Zane's warnings. He thought of the wonderful precaution - -and eternal vigilance of Jonathan and Wetzel--men of all men who most - -understood Indian craft and cunning. It might well be possible that these good - -missionaries, wrapped up in saving the souls of these children of the forest - -so full of God's teachings as to have little mind for aught else, had no - -knowledge of the Indian nature beyond what the narrow scope of their work - -invited. If what these frontiersmen asserted was true, then the ministers' - -zeal had struck them blind. - - - -Jim had a growing idea of the way in which the savages could be best taught. - -He resolved to go slowly; to study the redmen's natures; not to preach one - -word of the gospel to them until he had mastered their language and could - -convey to their simple minds the real truth. He would make Christianity as - -clear to them as were the deer-trails on the moss and leaves of the forest. - - - -"Ah, here you are. I hope you have rested well," said Mr. Zeisberger, when at - -the conclusion of this long recital Nell and Kate came into the room. - - - -"Thank you, we feel much better," answered Kate. The girls certainly looked - -refreshed. The substitution of clean gowns for their former travel-stained - -garments made a change that called forth the minister's surprise and - -admiration. - - - -"My! My! Won't Edwards and Young beg me to keep them here now!" he exclaimed, - -his pleased eyes resting on Nell's piquant beauty and Kate's noble proportions - -and rich coloring. "Come; I will show you over the Village of Peace." - - - -"Are all these Indians Christians?" asked Jim. - - - -"No, indeed. These Indians you see here, and out yonder under the shade, - -though they are friendly, are not Christians. Our converts employ themselves - -in the fields or shops. Come; take a peep in here. This is where we preach in - -the evenings and during inclement weather. On pleasant days we use the maple - -grove yonder." - - - -Jim and the others looked in at the door of the large log structure. They saw - -an immense room, the floor covered with benches, and a raised platform at one - -end. A few windows let in the light. Spacious and barn-like was this - -apartment; but undoubtedly, seen through the beaming eyes of the missionary, - -it was a grand amphitheater for worship. The hard-packed clay floor was velvet - -carpet; the rude seats soft as eiderdown; the platform with its white-oak - -cross, an altar of marble and gold. - - - -"This is one of our shops," said Mr. Zeisberger, leading them to a cabin. - -"Here we make brooms, harness for the horses, farming implements--everything - -useful that we can. We have a forge here. Behold an Indian blacksmith!" - - - -The interior of the large cabin presented a scene of bustling activity. - -Twenty or more Indians bent their backs in earnest employment. In one corner a - -savage stood holding a piece of red-hot iron on an anvil, while a brawny brave - -wielded a sledge-hammer. The sparks flew; the anvil rang. In another corner a - -circle of braves sat around a pile of dried grass and flags. They were - -twisting and fashioning these materials into baskets. At a bench three Indian - -carpenters were pounding and sawing. Young braves ran back and forth, carrying - -pails, rough-hewn boards and blocks of wood. - - - -Instantly struck by two things, Jim voiced his curiosity: - - - -"Why do these Indians all wear long hair, smooth and shiny, without - -adornment?" - - - -"They are Christians. They wear neither headdress, war-bonnet, nor - -scalp-lock," replied Mr. Zeisberger, with unconscious pride. - - - -"I did not expect to see a blacksmith's anvil out here in the wilderness. - -Where did you procure these tools?" - - - -"We have been years getting them here. Some came by way of the Ohio River; - -others overland from Detroit. That anvil has a history. It was lost once, and - -lay for years in the woods, until some Indians found it again. It is called - -the Ringing Stone, and Indians come from miles around to see and hear it." - - - -The missionary pointed out wide fields of corn, now growing yellow, and - -hillsides doted with browsing cattle, droves of sturdy-limbed horses, and pens - -of fat, grunting pigs--all of which attested to the growing prosperity of the - -Village of Peace. - - - -On the way back to the cabin, while the others listened to and questioned Mr. - -Zeisberger, Jim was silent and thoughtful, for his thoughts reverted to his - -brother. - - - -Later, as he walked with Nell by the golden-fringed stream, he spoke of Joe. - - - -"Joe wanted so much to hunt with Wetzel. He will come back; surely he will - -return to us when he has satisfied his wild craving for adventure. Do you not - -think so?" - - - -There was an eagerness that was almost pleading in Jim's voice. What he so - -much hoped for--that no harm had befallen Joe, and that he would return--he - -doubted. he needed the encouragement of his hope. - - - -"Never," answered Nell, solemnly. - - - -"Oh, why--why do you say that?" - - - -"I saw him look at you--a strange, intent glance. He gazed long at me as we - -separated. Oh! I can feel his eyes. No; he will never come back." - - - -"Nell, Nell, you don not mean he went away deliberately--because, oh! I cannot - -say it." - - - -"For no reason, except that the wilderness called him more than love for you - -or--me." - - - -"No, no," returned Jim, his face white. "You do not understand. He really - -loved you--I know it. He loved me, too. Ah, how well! He has gone because--I - -can't tell you." - - - -"Oh, Jim, I hope--he loved--me," sobbed Nell, bursting into tears. "His - -coldness--his neglect those--last few days--hurt me--so. If he cared--as you - -say--I won't be--so--miserable." - - - -"We are both right--you when you say he will never return, and I when I say he - -loved us both," said Jim sadly, as the bitter certainty forced itself into his - -mind. - - - -As she sobbed softly, and he gazed with set, stern face into the darkening - -forest, the deep, mellow notes of the church bell pealed out. So thrilled, so - -startled were they by this melody wondrously breaking the twilight stillness, - -that they gazed mutely at each other. Then they remembered. It was the - -missionary's bell summoning the Christian Indians to the evening service. - - - - - - - -Chapter XI. - - - -The, sultry, drowsy, summer days passed with no untoward event to mar their - -slumbering tranquillity. Life for the newcomers to the Village of Peace - -brought a content, the like of which they had never dreamed of. Mr. Wells at - -once began active work among the Indians, preaching to them through an - -interpreter; Nell and Kate, in hours apart from household duties, busied - -themselves brightening their new abode, and Jim entered upon the task of - -acquainting himself with the modes and habits of the redmen. Truly, the young - -people might have found perfect happiness in this new and novel life, if only - -Joe had returned. His disappearance and subsequent absence furnished a theme - -for many talks and many a quiet hour of dreamy sadness. The fascination of - -his personality had been so impelling that long after it was withdrawn a charm - -lingered around everything which reminded them of him; a subtle and sweet - -memory, with perverse and half bitter persistence, returned hauntingly. No - -trace of Joe had been seen by any of the friendly Indian runners. He was gone - -into the mazes of deep-shadowed forests, where to hunt for him would be like - -striving to trail the flight of a swallow. Two of those he had left behind - -always remembered him, and in their thoughts followed him in his wanderings. - - - -Jim settled down to his study of Indians with single-heartedness of purpose. - -He spent part of every morning with the interpreters, with whose assistance he - -rapidly acquired the Delaware language. He went freely among the Indians, - -endeavoring to win their good-will. There were always fifty to an hundred - -visiting Indians at the village; sometimes, when the missionaries had - -advertised a special meeting, there were assembled in the shady maple grove as - -many as five hundred savages. Jim had, therefore, opportunities to practice - -his offices of friendliness. - - - -Fortunately for him, he at once succeeded in establishing himself in the good - -graces of Glickhican, the converted Delaware chief. The wise old Indian was of - -inestimable value to Jim. Early in their acquaintance he evinced an earnest - -regard for the young minister, and talked with him for hours. - - - -From Glickhican Jim learned the real nature of the redmen. The Indian's love - -of freedom and honor, his hatred of subjection and deceit, as explained by the - -good old man, recalled to Jim Colonel Zane's estimate of the savage character. - -Surely, as the colonel had said, the Indians had reason for their hatred of - -the pioneers. Truly, they were a blighted race. - - - -Seldom had the rights of the redmen been thought of. The settler pushed - -onward, plodding, as it were, behind his plow with a rifle. He regarded the - -Indian as little better than a beast; he was easier to kill than to tame. How - -little the settler knew the proud independence, the wisdom, the stainless - -chastity of honor, which belonged so truly to many Indian chiefs! - - - -The redmen were driven like hounded deer into the untrodden wilds. From - -freemen of the forests, from owners of the great boundless plains, they passed - -to stern, enduring fugitives on their own lands. Small wonder that they became - -cruel where once they had been gentle! Stratagem and cunning, the night - -assault, the daylight ambush took the place of their one-time open warfare. - -Their chivalrous courage, that sublime inheritance from ancestors who had - -never known the paleface foe, degenerated into a savage ferocity. - - - -Interesting as was this history to Jim, he cared more for Glickhican's rich - -portrayal of the redmen's domestic life, for the beautiful poetry of his - -tradition and legends. He heard with delight the exquisite fanciful Indian - -lore. From these romantic legends, beautiful poems, and marvelous myths he - -hoped to get ideas of the Indian's religion. Sweet and simple as childless - -dreams were these quaint tales--tales of how the woodland fairies dwelt in - -fern-carpeted dells; how at sunrise they came out to kiss open the flowers; - -how the forest walks were spirit-haunted paths; how the leaves whispered - -poetry to the winds; how the rocks harbored Indian gods and masters who - -watched over their chosen ones. - - - -Glickhican wound up his long discourses by declaring he had never lied in the - -whole course of his seventy years, had never stolen, never betrayed, never - -murdered, never killed, save in self-defence. Gazing at the chief's fine - -features, now calm, yet showing traces of past storms, Jim believed he spoke - -the truth. - - - -When the young minister came, however, to study the hostile Indians that - -flocked to the village, any conclusive delineation of character, or any - -satisfactory analysis of their mental state in regard to the paleface - -religion, eluded him. Their passive, silent, sphinx-like secretiveness was - -baffling. Glickhican had taught him how to propitiate the friendly braves, and - -with these he was successful. Little he learned, however, from the unfriendly - -ones. When making gifts to these redmen he could never be certain that his - -offerings were appreciated. The jewels and gold he had brought west with him - -went to the French traders, who in exchange gave him trinkets, baubles, - -bracelets and weapons. Jim made hundreds of presents. Boldly going up to - -befeathered and befringed chieftains, he offered them knives, hatchets, or - -strings of silvery beads. Sometimes his kindly offerings were repelled with a - -haughty stare; at other times they would be accepted coldly, suspiciously, as - -if the gifts brought some unknown obligation. - - - -For a white man it was a never-to-be-forgotten experience to see eight or ten - -of these grim, slowly stepping forest kings, arrayed in all the rich splendor - -of their costume, stalking among the teepees of the Village of Peace. Somehow, - -such a procession always made Jim shiver. The singing, praying and preaching - -they heard unmoved. No emotion was visible on their bronzed faces; nothing - -changed their unalterable mien. Had they not moved, or gazed with burning - -eyes, they would have been statues. When these chieftains looked at the - -converted Indians, some of whom were braves of their nations, the contempt in - -their glances betrayed that they now regarded these Christian Indians as - -belonging to an alien race. - - - -Among the chiefs Glickhican pointed out to Jim were Wingenund, the Delaware; - -Tellane, the Half-King; Shingiss and Kotoxen--all of the Wolf tribe of the - -Delawares. - - - -Glickhican was careful to explain that the Delaware nation had been divided - -into the Wolf and Turtle tribes, the former warlike people, and the latter - -peaceable. Few of the Wolf tribe had gone over to the new faith, and those who - -had were scorned. Wingenund, the great power of the Delawares--indeed, the - -greatest of all the western tribes--maintained a neutral attitude toward the - -Village of Peace. But it was well known that his right-hand war-chiefs, Pipe - -and Wishtonah, remained coldly opposed. - - - -Jim turned all he had learned over and over in his mind, trying to construct - -part of it to fit into a sermon that would be different from any the Indians - -had ever heard. He did not want to preach far over their heads. If possible, - -he desired to keep to their ideals--for he deemed them more beautiful than his - -own--and to conduct his teaching along the simple lines of their belief, so - -that when he stimulated and developed their minds he could pass from what they - -knew to the unknown Christianity of the white man. - - - -His first address to the Indians was made one day during the indisposition of - -Mr. Wells--who had been over-working himself-and the absence of the other - -missionaries. He did not consider himself at all ready for preaching, and - -confined his efforts to simple, earnest talk, a recital of the thoughts he had - -assimilated while living here among the Indians. - - - -Amazement would not have described the state of his feelings when he learned - -that he had made a powerful impression. The converts were loud in his praise; - -the unbelievers silent and thoughtful. In spite of himself, long before he had - -been prepared, he was launched on his teaching. Every day he was called upon - -to speak; every day one savage, at least, was convinced; every day the throng - -of interested Indians was augmented. The elder missionaries were quite - -overcome with joy; they pressed him day after day to speak, until at length he - -alone preached during the afternoon service. - - - -The news flew apace; the Village of Peace entertained more redmen than ever - -before. Day by day the faith gained a stronger foothold. A kind of religious - -trance affected some of the converted Indians, and this greatly influenced the - -doubting ones. Many of them half believed the Great Manitou had come. - - - -Heckewelder, the acknowledged leader of the western Moravian Mission, visited - -the village at this time, and, struck by the young missionary's success, - -arranged a three days' religious festival. Indian runners were employed to - -carry invitations to all the tribes. The Wyandots in the west, the Shawnees in - -the south, and the Delawares in the north were especially requested to come. - -No deception was practiced to lure the distant savages to the Village of - -Peace. They were asked to come, partake of the feasts, and listen to the white - -man's teaching. - - - - - - - -Chapter XII. - - - -"The Groves Were God's First Temples." - - - -From dawn until noon on Sunday bands of Indians arrived at the Village of - -Peace. Hundreds of canoes glided down the swift stream and bumped their prows - -into the pebbly beach. Groups of mounted warriors rode out of the forests into - -the clearing; squaws with papooses, maidens carrying wicker baskets, and - -children playing with rude toys, came trooping along the bridle-paths. - - - -Gifts were presented during the morning, after which the visitors were - -feasted. In the afternoon all assembled in the grove to hear the preaching. - - - -The maple grove wherein the service was to be conducted might have been - -intended by Nature for just such a purpose as it now fulfilled. These trees - -were large, spreading, and situated far apart. Mossy stones and the thick - -carpet of grass afforded seats for the congregation. - - - -Heckewelder--a tall, spare, and kindly appearing man--directed the arranging - -of the congregation. He placed the converted Indians just behind the knoll - -upon which the presiding minister was to stand. In a half circle facing the - -knoll he seated the chieftains and important personages of the various tribes. - -He then made a short address in the Indian language, speaking of the work of - -the mission, what wonders it had accomplished, what more good work it hoped to - -do, and concluded by introducing the young missionary. - - - -While Heckewelder spoke, Jim, who stood just behind, employed the few moments - -in running his eye over the multitude. The sight which met his gaze was one he - -thought he would never forget. An involuntary word escaped him. - - - -"Magnificent!" he exclaimed. - - - -The shady glade had been transformed into a theater, from which gazed a - -thousand dark, still faces. A thousand eagle plumes waved, and ten thousand - -bright-hued feathers quivered in the soft breeze. The fantastically dressed - -scalps presented a contrast to the smooth, unadorned heads of the converted - -redmen. These proud plumes and defiant feathers told the difference between - -savage and Christian. - - - -In front of the knoll sat fifty chiefs, attentive and dignified. - -Representatives of every tribe as far west as the Scioto River were numbered - -in that circle. There were chiefs renowned for war, for cunning, for valor, - -for wisdom. Their stately presence gave the meeting tenfold importance. Could - -these chiefs be interested, moved, the whole western world of Indians might be - -civilized. - - - -Hepote, a Maumee chief, of whom it was said he had never listened to words of - -the paleface, had the central position in this circle. On his right and left, - -respectively, sat Shaushoto and Pipe, implacable foes of all white men. The - -latter's aspect did not belie his reputation. His copper-colored, repulsive - -visage compelled fear; it breathed vindictiveness and malignity. A singular - -action of his was that he always, in what must have been his arrogant vanity, - -turned his profile to those who watched him, and it was a remarkable one; it - -sloped in an oblique line from the top of his forehead to his protruding chin, - -resembling somewhat the carved bowl of his pipe, which was of flint and a - -famed inheritance from his ancestors. From it he took his name. One solitary - -eagle plume, its tip stained vermilion, stuck from his scalp-lock. It slated - -backward on a line with his profile. - - - -Among all these chiefs, striking as they were, the figure of Wingenund, the - -Delaware, stood out alone. - - - -His position was at the extreme left of the circle, where he leaned against a - -maple. A long, black mantle, trimmed with spotless white, enveloped him. One - -bronzed arm, circled by a heavy bracelet of gold, held the mantle close about - -his lofty form. His headdress, which trailed to the ground, was exceedingly - -beautiful. The eagle plumes were of uniform length and pure white, except the - -black-pointed tips. - - - -At his feet sat his daughter, Whispering Winds. Her maidens were gathered - -round her. She raised her soft, black eyes, shining with a wondrous light of - -surprise and expectation, to the young missionary's face. - - - -Beyond the circle the Indians were massed together, even beyond the limits of - -the glade. Under the trees on every side sat warriors astride their steeds; - -some lounged on the green turf; many reclined in the branches of low-spreading - -maples. - - - -As Jim looked out over the sea of faces he started in surprise. The sudden - -glance of fiery eyes had impelled his gaze. He recognized Silvertip, the - -Shawnee chief. The Indian sat motionless on a powerful black horse. Jim - -started again, for the horse was Joe's thoroughbred, Lance. But Jim had no - -further time to think of Joe's enemy, for Heckewelder stepped back. - - - -Jim took the vacated seat, and, with a far-reaching, resonant voice began his - -discourse to the Indians. - - - -"Chieftains, warriors, maidens, children of the forest, listen, and your ears - -shall hear no lie. I am come from where the sun rises to tell you of the Great - -Spirit of the white man. - - - -"Many, many moons ago, as many as blades of grass grow on yonder plain, the - -Great Spirit of whom I shall speak created the world. He made the sparkling - -lakes and swift rivers, the boundless plains and tangled forests, over which - -He caused the sun to shine and the rain to fall. He gave life to the kingly - -elk, the graceful deer, the rolling bison, the bear, the fox--all the beasts - -and birds and fishes. But He was not content for nothing He made was perfect - -in His sight. He created the white man in His own image, and from this first - -man's rib He created his mate--a woman. He turned them free in a beautiful - -forest. - - - -"Life was fair in the beautiful forest. The sun shone always, the birds sang, - -the waters flowed with music, the flowers cast sweet fragrance on the air. In - -this forest, where fruit bloomed always, was one tree, the Tree of Life, the - -apple of which they must not eat. In all this beautiful forest of abundance - -this apple alone was forbidden them. - - - -"Now evil was born with woman. A serpent tempted her to eat of the apple of - -Life, and she tempted the man to eat. For their sin the Great Spirit commanded - -the serpent to crawl forever on his belly, and He drove them from the - -beautiful forest. The punishment for their sin was to be visited on their - -children's children, always, until the end of time. The two went afar into the - -dark forest, to learn to live as best they might. From them all tribes - -descended. The world is wide. A warrior might run all his days and not reach - -the setting sun, where tribes of yellow-skins live. He might travel half his - -days toward the south-wind, where tribes of black-skins abound. People of all - -colors inhabited the world. They lived in hatred toward one another. They shed - -each other's blood; they stole each other's lands, gold, and women. They - -sinned. - - - -"Many moons ago the Great Spirit sorrowed to see His chosen tribe, the - -palefaces, living in ignorance and sin. He sent His only Son to redeem them, - -and said if they would listen and believe, and teach the other tribes, He - -would forgive their sin and welcome them to the beautiful forest. - - - -"That was moons and moons ago, when the paleface killed his brother for gold - -and lands, and beat his women slaves to make them plant his corn. The Son of - -the Great Spirit lifted the cloud from the palefaces' eyes, and they saw and - -learned. So pleased was the Great Spirit that He made the palefaces wiser and - -wiser, and master of the world. He bid them go afar to teach the ignorant - -tribes. - - - -"To teach you is why the young paleface journeyed from the rising sun. He - -wants no lands or power. He has given all that he had. He walks among you - -without gun or knife. He can gain nothing but the happiness of opening the - -redmen's eyes. - - - -"The Great Spirit of whom I teach and the Great Manitou, your idol, are the - -same; the happy hunting ground of the Indian and the beautiful forest of the - -paleface are the same; the paleface and the redman are the same. There is but - -one Great Spirit, that is God; but one eternal home, that is heaven; but one - -human being, that is man. - - - -"The Indian knows the habits of the beaver; he can follow the paths of the - -forests; he can guide his canoe through the foaming rapids; he is honest, he - -is brave, he is great; but he is not wise. His wisdom is clouded with the - -original sin. He lives in idleness; he paints his face; he makes his squaw - -labor for him, instead of laboring for her; he kills his brothers. He worships - -the trees and rocks. If he were wise he would not make gods of the swift arrow - -and bounding canoe; of the flowering ash and the flaming flint. For these - -things have not life. In his dreams he sees his arrow speed to the reeling - -deer; in his dreams he sees his canoe shoot over the crest of shining waves; - -and in his mind he gives them life. When his eyes are opened he will see they - -have no spirit. The spirit is in his own heart. It guides the arrow to the - -running deer, and steers the canoe over the swirling current. The spirit makes - -him find the untrodden paths, and do brave deeds, and love his children and - -his honor. It makes him meet his foe face to face, and if he is to die it - -gives him strength to die--a man. The spirit is what makes him different from - -the arrow, the canoe, the mountain, and all the birds and beasts. For it is - -born of the Great Spirit, the creator of all. Him you must worship. - - - -"Redmen, this worship is understanding your spirit and teaching it to do good - -deeds. It is called Christianity. Christianity is love. If you will love the - -Great Spirit you will love your wives, your children, your brothers, your - -friends, your foes--you will love the palefaces. No more will you idle in - -winter and wage wars in summer. You will wear your knife and tomahawk only - -when you hunt for meat. You will be kind, gentle, loving, virtuous--you will - -have grown wise. When your days are done you will meet all your loved ones in - -the beautiful forest. There, where the flowers bloom, the fruits ripen always, - -where the pleasant water glides and the summer winds whisper sweetly, there - -peace will dwell forever. - - - -"Comrades, be wise, think earnestly. Forget the wicked paleface; for there are - -many wicked palefaces. They sell the serpent firewater; they lie and steal and - -kill. These palefaces' eyes are still clouded. If they do not open they will - -never see the beautiful forest. You have much to forgive, but those who - -forgive please the Great Spirit; you must give yourselves to love, but those - -who love are loved; you must work, but those who work are happy. - - - -"Behold the Village of Peace! Once it contained few; now there are many. - -Where once the dark forest shaded the land, see the cabins, the farms, the - -horses, the cattle! Field on field of waving, golden grain shine there under - -your eyes. The earth has blossomed abundance. Idling and fighting made not - -these rich harvests. Belief made love; love made wise eyes; wise eyes saw, and - -lo! there came plenty. - - - -"The proof of love is happiness. These Christian Indians are happy. They are - -at peace with the redman and the paleface. They till the fields and work in - -the shops. In days to come cabins and farms and fields of corn will be theirs. - -They will bring up their children, not to hide in the forest to slay, but to - -walk hand in hand with the palefaces as equals. - - - -"Oh, open your ears! God speaks to you; peace awaits you! Cast the bitterness - -from your hearts; it is the serpent-poison. While you hate, God shuts His - -eyes. You are great on the trail, in the council, in war; now be great in - -forgiveness. Forgive the palefaces who have robbed you of your lands. Then - -will come peace. If you do not forgive, the war will go on; you will lose - -lands and homes, to find unmarked graves under the forest leaves. Revenge is - -sweet; but it is not wise. The price of revenge is blood and life. Root it out - -of your hearts. Love these Christian Indians; love the missionaries as they - -love you; love all living creatures. Your days are but few; therefore, cease - -the the strife. Let us say, 'Brothers, that is God's word, His law; that is - -love; that is Christianity!' If you will say from your heart, brother, you are - -a Christian. - - - -"Brothers, the paleface teacher beseeches you. Think not of this long, bloody - -war, of your dishonored dead, of your silenced wigwams, of your nameless - -graves, of your homeless children. Think of the future. One word from you will - -make peace over all this broad land. The paleface must honor a Christian. He - -can steal no Christian's land. All the palefaces, as many as the stars of the - -great white path, dare not invade the Village of Peace. For God smiles here. - -Listen to His words: 'Come unto me all that are weary and heavy laden, and I - -will give you rest.'" - - - -Over the multitude brooded an impressive, solemn silence. Then an aged - -Delaware chief rose, with a mien of profound thought, and slowly paced before - -the circle of chiefs. Presently he stopped, turned to the awaiting Indians, - -and spoke: - - - -"Netawatwees is almost persuaded to be a Christian." He resumed his seat. - - - -Another interval of penetrating quiet ensued. At length a venerable-looking - -chieftain got up: - - - -"White Eyes hears the rumbling thunder in his ears. The smoke blows from his - -eyes. White Eyes is the oldest chief of the Lenni-Lenape. His days are many; - -they are full; they draw near the evening of his life; he rejoices that wisdom - -is come before his sun is set. - - - -"White Eyes believes the young White Father. The ways of the Great Spirit are - -many as the fluttering leaves; they are strange and secret as the flight of a - -loon; White Eyes believes the redman's happy hunting grounds need not be - -forgotten to love the palefaces' God. As a young brave pants and puzzles over - -his first trail, so the grown warrior feels in his understanding of his God. - -He gropes blindly through dark ravines. - - - -"White Eyes speaks few words to-day, for he is learning wisdom; he bids his - -people hearken to the voice of the White Father. War is wrong; peace is best. - -Love is the way to peace. The paleface advances one step nearer his God. He - -labors for his home; he keeps the peace; he asks but little; he frees his - -women. That is well. White Eyes has spoken." - - - -The old chief slowly advanced toward the Christian Indians. He laid aside his - -knife and tomahawk, and then his eagle plumes and war-bonnet. Bareheaded, he - -seated himself among the converted redmen. They began chanting in low, - -murmuring tones. - - - -Amid the breathless silence that followed this act of such great significance, - -Wingenund advanced toward the knoll with slow, stately step. His dark eye - -swept the glade with lightning scorn; his glance alone revealed the passion - -that swayed him. - - - -"Wingenund's ears are keen; they have heard a feather fall in the storm; now - -they hear a soft-voiced thrush. Wingenund thunders to his people, to his - -friends, to the chiefs of other tribes: 'Do not bury the hatchet!' The young - -White Father's tongue runs smooth like the gliding brook; it sings as the - -thrush calls its mate. Listen; but wait, wait! Let time prove his beautiful - -tale; let the moons go by over the Village of Peace. - - - -"Wingenund does not flaunt his wisdom. He has grown old among his warriors; he - -loves them; he fears for them. The dream of the palefaces' beautiful forest - -glimmers as the rainbow glows over the laughing falls of the river. The dream - -of the paleface is too beautiful to come true. In the days of long ago, when - -Wingenund's forefathers heard not the paleface's ax, they lived in love and - -happiness such as the young White Father dreams may come again. They waged no - -wars. A white dove sat in every wigwam. The lands were theirs and they were - -rich. The paleface came with his leaden death, his burning firewater, his - -ringing ax, and the glory of the redmen faded forever. - - - -"Wingenund seeks not to inflame his braves to anger. He is sick of - -blood-spilling--not from fear; for Wingenund cannot feel fear. But he asks his - -people to wait. Remember, the gifts of the paleface ever contained a poisoned - -arrow. Wingenund's heart is sore. The day of the redman is gone. His sun is - -setting. Wingenund feels already the gray shades of evening." - - - -He stopped one long moment as if to gather breath for his final charge to his - -listeners. Then with a magnificent gesture he thundered: - - - -"Is the Delaware a fool? When Wingenund can cross unarmed to the Big Water he - -shall change his mind. When Deathwind ceases to blow his bloody trail over the - -fallen leaves Wingenund will believe." - - - - - - - -Chapter XIII. - - - -As the summer waned, each succeeding day, with its melancholy calm, its - -changing lights and shades, its cool, damp evening winds, growing more and - -more suggestive of autumn, the little colony of white people in the Village of - -Peace led busy, eventful lives. - - - -Upwards of fifty Indians, several of them important chiefs, had become - -converted since the young missionary began preaching. Heckewelder declared - -that this was a wonderful showing, and if it could be kept up would result in - -gaining a hold on the Indian tribes which might not be shaken. Heckewelder - -had succeeded in interesting the savages west of the Village of Peace to the - -extent of permitting him to establish missionary posts in two other - -localities--one near Goshhocking, a Delaware town; and one on the Muskingong, - -the principal river running through central Ohio. He had, with his helpers, - -Young and Edwards, journeyed from time to time to these points, preaching, - -making gifts, and soliciting help from chiefs. - - - -The most interesting feature, perhaps, of the varied life of the missionary - -party was a rivalry between Young and Edwards for the elder Miss Wells. - -Usually Nell's attractiveness appealed more to men than Kate's; however, in - -this instance, although the sober teachers of the gospel admired Nell's - -winsome beauty, they fell in love with Kate. The missionaries were both under - -forty, and good, honest men, devoted to the work which had engrossed them for - -years. Although they were ardent lovers, certainly they were not picturesque. - -Two homelier men could hardly have been found. Moreover, the sacrifice of - -their lives to missionary work had taken them far from the companionship of - -women of their own race, so that they lacked the ease of manner which women - -like to see in men. Young and Edwards were awkward, almost uncouth. - -Embarrassment would not have done justice to their state of feeling while - -basking in the shine of Kate's quiet smile. They were happy, foolish, and - -speechless. - - - -If Kate shared in the merriment of the others--Heckewelder could not conceal - -his, and Nell did not try very hard to hide hers--she never allowed a - -suspicion of it to escape. She kept the easy, even tenor of her life, always - -kind and gracious in her quaint way, and precisely the same to both her - -lovers. No doubt she well knew that each possessed, under all his rough - -exterior, a heart of gold. - - - -One day the genial Heckewelder lost, or pretended to lose, his patience. - - - -"Say, you worthy gentlemen are becoming ornamental instead of useful. All this - -changing of coats, trimming of mustaches, and eloquent sighing doesn't seem to - -have affected the young lady. I've a notion to send you both to Maumee town, - -one hundred miles away. This young lady is charming, I admit, but if she is to - -keep on seriously hindering the work of the Moravian Mission I must object. As - -for that matter, I might try conclusions myself. I'm as young as either of - -you, and, I flatter myself, much handsomer. You'll have a dangerous rival - -presently. Settle it! You can't both have her; settle it!" - - - -This outburst from their usually kind leader placed the earnest but awkward - -gentlemen in a terrible plight. - - - -On the afternoon following the crisis Heckewelder took Mr. Wells to one of the - -Indian shops, and Jim and Nell went canoeing. Young and Edwards, after - -conferring for one long, trying hour, determined on settling the question. - - - -Young was a pale, slight man, very homely except when he smiled. His smile not - -only broke up the plainness of his face, but seemed to chase away a serious - -shadow, allowing his kindly, gentle spirit to shine through. He was nervous, - -and had a timid manner. Edwards was his opposite, being a man of robust frame, - -with a heavy face, and a manner that would have suggested self-confidence in - -another man. - - - -They were true and tried friends. - - - -"Dave, I couldn't ask her," said Young, trembling at the very thought. - -"Besides, there's no hope for me. I know it. That's why I'm afraid, why I - -don't want to ask her. What'd such a glorious creature see in a poor, puny - -little thing like me?" - - - -"George, you're not over-handsome," admitted Dave, shaking his head. "But you - -can never tell about women. Sometimes they like even little, insignificant - -fellows. Don't be too scared about asking her. Besides, it will make it easier - -for me. You might tell her about me--you know, sort of feel her out, so - -I'd---" - - - -Dave's voice failed him here; but he had said enough, and that was most - -discouraging to poor George. Dave was so busy screwing up his courage that he - -forgot all about his friend. - - - -"No; I couldn't," gasped George, falling into a chair. He was ghastly pale. "I - -couldn't ask her to accept me, let alone do another man's wooing. She thinks - -more of you. She'll accept you." - - - -"You really think so?" whispered Dave, nervously. - - - -"I know she will. You're such a fine, big figure of a man. She'll take you, - -and I'll be glad. This fever and fretting has about finished me. When she's - -yours I'll not be so bad. I'll be happy in your happiness. But, Dave, you'll - -let me see her occasionally, won't you? Go! Hurry--get it over!" - - - -"Yes; we must have it over," replied Dave, getting up with a brave, effort. - -Truly, if he carried that determined front to his lady-love he would look like - -a masterful lover. But when he got to the door he did not at all resemble a - -conqueror. - - - -"You're sure she--cares for me?" asked Dave, for the hundredth time. This - -time, as always, his friend was faithful and convincing. - - - -"I know she does. Go--hurry. I tell you I can't stand this any longer," cried - -George, pushing Dave out of the door. - - - -"You won't go--first?" whispered Dave, clinging to the door. - - - -"I won't go at all. I couldn't ask her--I don't want her--go! Get out!" - - - -Dave started reluctantly toward the adjoining cabin, from the open window of - -which came the song of the young woman who was responsible for all this - -trouble. George flung himself on his bed. What a relief to feel it was all - -over! He lay there with eves shut for hours, as it seemed. After a time Dave - -came in. George leaped to his feet and saw his friend stumbling over a chair. - -Somehow, Dave did not look as usual. He seemed changed, or shrunken, and his - -face wore a discomfited, miserable expression. - - - -"Well?" cried George, sharply. Even to his highly excited imagination this did - -not seem the proper condition for a victorious lover. - - - -"She refused--refused me," faltered Dave. "She was very sweet and kind; said - -something about being my sister--I don't remember just what--but she wouldn't - -have me." - - - -"What did you say to her?" whispered George, a paralyzing hope almost - -rendering him speechless. - - - -"I--I told her everything I could think of," replied Dave, despondently; "even - -what you said." - - - -"What I said? Dave, what did you tell her I said?" - - - -"Why, you know--about she cared for me--that you were sure of it, and that you - -didn't want her---" - - - -"Jackass!" roared George, rising out of his meekness like a lion roused from - -slumber. - - - -"Didn't you--say so?" inquired Dave, weakly. - - - -"No! No! No! Idiot!" - - - -As one possessed, George rushed out of the cabin, and a moment later stood - -disheveled and frantic before Kate. - - - -"Did that fool say I didn't love you?" he demanded. - - - -Kate looked up, startled; but as an understanding of George's wild aspect and - -wilder words dawned upon her, she resumed her usual calm demeanor. Looking - -again to see if this passionate young man was indeed George, she turned her - -face as she said: - - - -"If you mean Mr. Edwards, yes; I believe he did say as much. Indeed, from his - -manner, he seemed to have monopolized all the love near the Village of Peace." - - - -"But it's not true. I do love you. I love you to distraction. I have loved you - -ever since I first saw you. I told Dave that. Heckewelder knows it; even the - -Indians know it," cried George, protesting vehemently against the disparaging - -allusion to his affections. He did not realize he was making a most - -impassioned declaration of love. When he was quite out of breath he sat down - -and wiped his moist brow. - - - -A pink bloom tinged Kate's cheeks, and her eyes glowed with a happy light; but - -George never saw these womanly evidences of pleasure. - - - -"Of course I know you don't care for me---" - - - -"Did Mr. Edwards tell you so?" asked Kate, glancing up quickly. - - - -"Why, yes, he has often said he thought that. Indeed, he always seemed to - -regard himself as the fortunate object of your affections. I always believed - -he was." - - - -"But it wasn't true." - - - -"What?" - - - -"It's not true." - - - -"What's not true?" - - - -"Oh--about my--not caring." - - - -"Kate!" cried George, quite overcome with rapture. He fell over two chairs - -getting to her; but he succeeded, and fell on his knees to kiss her hand. - - - -"Foolish boy! It has been you all the time," whispered Kate, with her quiet - -smile. - - - - - -"Look here, Downs; come to the door. See there," said Heckewelder to Jim. - - - -Somewhat surprised at Heckewelder's grave tone, Jim got up from the - -supper-table and looked out of the door. He saw two tall Indians pacing to and - -fro under the maples. It was still early twilight and light enough to see - -clearly. One Indian was almost naked; the lithe, graceful symmetry of his dark - -figure standing out in sharp contrast to the gaunt, gaudily-costumed form of - -the other. - - - -"Silvertip! Girty!" exclaimed Jim, in a low voice. - - - -"Girty I knew, of course; but I was not sure the other was the Shawnee who - -captured you and your brother," replied Heckewelder, drawing Jim into another - -room. - - - -"What do they mean by loitering around the village? Inquired Jim, - -apprehensively. Whenever he heard Girty's name mentioned, or even thought of - -him, he remembered with a shudder the renegade's allusion to the buzzards. Jim - -never saw one of these carrion birds soaring overhead but his thoughts - -instantly reverted to the frontier ruffian and his horrible craving. - - - -"I don't know," answered Heckewelder. "Girty has been here several times of - -late. I saw him conferring with Pipe at Goshhocking. I hope there's no - -deviltry afoot. Pipe is a relentless enemy of all Christians, and Girty is a - -fiend, a hyena. I think, perhaps, it will be well for you and the girls to - -stay indoors while Girty and Silvertip are in the village." - - - -That evening the entire missionary party were gathered in Mr. Wells' room. - -Heckewelder told stories of Indian life; Nell sang several songs, and Kate - -told many amusing things said and done by the little Indian boys in her class - -at the school. Thus the evening passed pleasantly for all. - - - -"So next Wednesday I am to perform the great ceremony," remarked Heckewelder, - -laying his hand kindly on Young's knee. "We'll celebrate the first white - -wedding in the Village of Peace." - - - -Young looked shyly down at his boots; Edwards crossed one leg over the other, - -and coughed loudly to hide his embarrassment. Kate wore, as usual, her pensive - -smile; Nell's eyes twinkled, and she was about to speak, when Heckewelder's - -quizzical glance in her direction made her lips mute. - - - -"I hope I'll have another wedding on my hands soon," he said placidly. - - - -This ordinary remark had an extraordinary effect. Nell turned with burning - -cheeks and looked out of the window. Jim frowned fiercely and bit his lips. - -Edwards began to laugh, and even Mr. Wells' serious face lapsed into a smile. - - - -"I mean I've picked out a nice little Delaware squaw for Dave," said - -Heckewelder, seeing his badinage had somehow gone amiss. - - - -"Oh-h!" suddenly cried Nell, in shuddering tones. - - - -They all gazed at her in amazement. Every vestige of color had receded from - -her face, leaving it marblelike. Her eves were fixed in startled horror. - -Suddenly she relaxed her grasp on the windowsill and fell back limp and - -senseless. - - - -Heckewelder ran to the door lo look out, while the others bent over the - -unconscious girl, endeavoring to revive her. Presently a fluttering breath and - -a quivering of her dark lashes noted a return of suspended life. Then her - -beautiful eyes opened wide to gaze with wonder and fear into the grave faces - -bent so anxiously over her. - - - -"Nell, dearest, you are safe. What was it? What frightened you so?" said Kate, - -tenderly. - - - -"Oh, it was fearful!" gasped Nell, sitting up. She clung to her sister with - -one hand, while the other grasped Jim's sleeve. - - - -"I was looking out into the dark, when suddenly I beheld a face, a terrible - -face!" cried Nell. Those who watched her marveled at the shrinking, awful fear - -in her eyes. "It was right by the window. I could have touched it. Such a - -greedy, wolfish face, with a long, hooked nose! The eyes, oh! the eyes! I'll - -never forget them. They made me sick; they paralyzed me. It wasn't an Indian's - -face. It belonged to that white man, that awful white man! I never saw him - -before; but I knew him." - - - -"Girty!" said Heckewelder, who had come in with his quiet step. "He looked in - -at the window. Calm yourself, Nellie. The renegade has gone." - - - -The incident worried them all at the time, and made Nell nervous for several - -days; but as Girty had disappeared, and nothing more was heard of him, - -gradually they forgot. Kate's wedding day dawned with all the little party - -well and happy. Early in the afternoon Jim and Nell, accompanied by Kate and - -her lover, started out into the woods just beyond the clearing for the purpose - -of gathering wild flowers to decorate the cabin. - - - -"We are both thinking of--him," Jim said, after he and Nell had walked some - -little way in silence. - - - -"Yes," answered Nell, simply. - - - -"I hope--I pray Joe comes back, but if he doesn't--Nell--won't you care a - -little for me?" - - - -He received no answer. But Nell turned her face away. - - - -"We both loved him. If he's gone forever our very love for him should bring us - -together. I know--I know he would have wished that." - - - -"Jim, don't speak of love to me now," she whispered. Then she turned to the - -others. Come quickly; here are great clusters of wild clematis and goldenrod. - -How lovely! Let us gather a quantity." - - - -The young men had almost buried the girls under huge masses of the beautiful - -flowers, when the soft tread of moccasined feet caused them all to turn in - -surprise. Six savages stood waist-deep in the bushes, where they had lain - -concealed. Fierce, painted visages scowled from behind leveled rifles. - - - -"Don't yell!" cried a hoarse voice in English. Following the voice came a - -snapping of twigs, and then two other figures came into view. They were Girty - -and Silvertip. - - - -"Don't yell, er I'll leave you layin' here fer the buzzards," said the - -renegade. He stepped forward and grasped Young, at the same time speaking in - -the Indian language and pointing to a nearby tree. Strange to relate, the - -renegade apparently wanted no bloodshed. While one of the savages began to tie - -Young to the tree, Girty turned his gaze on the girls. His little, yellow eyes - -glinted; he stroked his chin with a bony hand, and his dark, repulsive face - -was wreathed in a terrible, meaning smile. - - - -"I've been layin' fer you," he croaked, eyeing Nell. "Ye're the purtiest lass, - -'ceptin' mebbe Bet Zane, I ever seed on the border. I got cheated outen her, - -but I've got you; arter I feed yer Injun preacher to ther buzzards mebbe ye'll - -larn to love me." - - - -Nell gazed one instant into the monster's face. Her terror-stricken eyes were - -piteous to behold. She tried to speak; but her voice failed. Then, like - -stricken bird, she fell on the grass. - - - - - - - -Chapter XIV. - - - -Not many miles from the Village of Peace rose an irregular chain of hills, the - -first faint indications of the grand Appalachian Mountain system. These - -ridges were thickly wooded with white oak, poplar and hickory, among which a - -sentinel pine reared here and there its evergreen head. There were clefts in - -the hills, passes lined by gray-stoned cliffs, below which ran clear brooks, - -tumbling over rocks in a hurry to meet their majestic father, the Ohio. - - - -One of these valleys, so narrow that the sun seldom brightened the merry - -brook, made a deep cut in the rocks. The head of this valley tapered until the - -walls nearly met; it seemed to lose itself in the shade of fern-faced cliffs, - -shadowed as they were by fir trees leaning over the brink, as though to search - -for secrets of the ravine. So deep and dark and cool was this sequestered nook - -that here late summer had not dislodged early spring. Everywhere was a soft, - -fresh, bright green. The old gray cliffs were festooned with ferns, lichens - -and moss. Under a great, shelving rock, damp and stained by the copper-colored - -water dripping down its side, was a dewy dell into which the sunshine had - -never peeped. Here the swift brook tarried lovingly, making a wide turn under - -the cliff, as though loth to leave this quiet nook, and then leaped once more - -to enthusiasm in its murmuring flight. - - - -Life abounded in this wild, beautiful, almost inaccessible spot. Little brown - -and yellow birds flitted among the trees; thrushes ran along the leaf-strewn - -ground; orioles sang their melancholy notes; robins and flickers darted - -beneath the spreading branches. Squirrels scurried over the leaves like little - -whirlwinds, and leaped daringly from the swinging branches or barked noisily - -from woody perches. Rabbits hopped inquisitively here and there while nibbling - -at the tender shoots of sassafras and laurel. - - - -Along this flower-skirted stream a tall young man, carrying a rifle cautiously - -stepped, peering into the branches overhead. A gray flash shot along a limb of - -a white oak; then the bushy tail of a squirrel flitted into a well-protected - -notch, from whence, no doubt, a keen little eye watched the hunter's every - -movement. - - - -The rifle was raised; then lowered. The hunter walked around the tree. - -Presently up in the tree top, snug under a knotty limb, he spied a little ball - -of gray fur. Grasping a branch of underbush, he shook it vigorously. The - -thrashing sound worried the gray squirrel, for he slipped from his retreat and - -stuck his nose Over the limb. CRACK! With a scratching and tearing of bark the - -squirrel loosened his hold and then fell; alighting with a thump. As the - -hunter picked up his quarry a streak of sunshine glinting through the tree top - -brightened his face. - - - -The hunter was Joe. - - - -He was satisfied now, for after stowing the squirrel in the pocket of his - -hunting coat he shouldered his rifle and went back up the ravine. Presently a - -dull roar sounded above the babble of the brook. It grew louder as he threaded - -his way carefully over the stones. Spots of white foam flecked the brook. - -Passing under the gray, stained cliff, Joe turned around a rocky corner, and - -came to an abrupt end of the ravine. A waterfall marked the spot where the - -brook entered. The water was brown as it took the leap, light green when it - -thinned out; and below, as it dashed on the stones, it became a beautiful, - -sheeny white. - - - -Upon a flat rock, so near the cascade that spray flew over him, sat another - -hunter. The roaring falls drowned all other sounds, yet the man roused from - -his dreamy contemplation of the waterfall when Joe rounded the corner. - - - -"I heerd four shots," he said, as Joe came up. - - - -"Yes; I got a squirrel for every shot." - - - -Wetzel led the way along a narrow foot trail which gradually wound toward the - -top of the ravine. This path emerged presently, some distance above the falls, - -on the brink of a bluff. It ran along the edge of the precipice a few yards, - -then took a course back into densely wooded thickets. Just before stepping out - -on the open cliff Wetzel paused and peered keenly on all sides. There was no - -living thing to be seen; the silence was the deep, unbroken calm of the - -wilderness. - - - -Wetzel stepped to the bluff and looked over. The stony wall opposite was only - -thirty feet away, and somewhat lower. From Wetzel's action it appeared as if - -he intended to leap the fissure. In truth, many a band of Indians pursuing the - -hunter into this rocky fastness had come out on the bluff, and, marveling at - -what they thought Wetzel's prowess, believed he had made a wonderful leap, - -thus eluding them. But he had never attempted that leap, first, because he - -knew it was well-nigh impossible, and secondly, there had never been any - -necessity for such risk. - - - -Any one leaning over this cliff would have observed, perhaps ten feet below, a - -narrow ledge projecting from the face of the rock. He would have imagined if - -he were to drop on that ledge there would be no way to get off and he would be - -in a worse predicament. - - - -Without a moment's hesitation Wetzel swung himself over the ledge. Joe - -followed suit. At one end of this lower ledge grew a hardy shrub of the - -ironwood species, and above it a scrub pine leaned horizontally out over the - -ravine. Laying his rifle down, Wetzel grasped a strong root and cautiously - -slid over the side. When all of his body had disappeared, with the exception - -of his sinewy fingers, they loosened their hold on the root, grasped the - -rifle, and dragged it down out of sight. Quietly, with similar caution, Joe - -took hold of the same root, let himself down, and when at full length swung - -himself in under the ledge. His feet found a pocket in the cliff. Letting go - -of the root, he took his rifle, and in another second was safe. - - - -Of all Wetzel's retreats--for he had many--he considered this one the safest. - -The cavern under the ledge he had discovered by accident. One day, being hotly - -pursued by Shawnees, he had been headed off on this cliff, and had let himself - -down on the ledge, intending to drop from it to the tops of the trees below. - -Taking advantage of every little aid, he hung over by means of the shrub, and - -was in the act of leaping when he saw that the cliff shelved under the ledge, - -while within reach of his feet was the entrance to a cavern. He found the cave - -to be small with an opening at the back into a split in the rock. Evidently - -the place had been entered from the rear by bears, who used the hole for - -winter sleeping quarters. By crawling on his hands and knees, Wetzel found - -the rear opening. Thus he had established a hiding place where it was almost - -impossible to locate him. He provisioned his retreat, which he always entered - -by the cliff and left by the rear. - - - -An evidence of Wetzel's strange nature, and of his love for this wild home, - -manifested itself when he bound Joe to secrecy. It was unlikely, even if the - -young man ever did get safely out of the wilderness, that any stories he might - -relate would reveal the hunter's favorite rendezvous. But Wetzel seriously - -demanded this secrecy, as earnestly as if the forest were full of Indians and - -white men, all prowling in search of his burrow. - - - -Joe was in the seventh heaven of delight, and took to the free life as a wild - -gosling takes to the water. No place had ever appealed to him as did this - -dark, silent hole far up on the side of a steep cliff. His interest in Wetzel - -soon passed into a great admiration, and from that deepened to love. - - - -This afternoon, when they were satisfied that all was well within their - -refuge, Joe laid aside his rifle, and, whistling softly, began to prepare - -supper. The back part of the cave permitted him to stand erect, and was large - -enough for comparative comfort. There was a neat, little stone fireplace, and - -several cooking utensils and gourds. From time to time Wetzel had brought - -these things. A pile of wood and a bundle of pine cones lay in one corner. - -Haunches of dried beef, bear and buffalo meat hung from pegs; a bag of parched - -corn, another of dried apples lay on a rocky shelf. Nearby hung a powder-horn - -filled with salt and pepper. In the cleft back of the cave was a spring of - -clear, cold water. - - - -The wants of woodsmen are few and simple. Joe and Wetzel, with appetites - -whetted by their stirring outdoor life, relished the frugal fare as they could - -never have enjoyed a feast. As the shadows of evening entered the cave, they - -lighted their pipes to partake of the hunter's sweetest solace, a quiet smoke. - - - -Strange as it may appear, this lonely, stern Indian-hunter and the reckless, - -impulsive boy were admirably suited for companionship. Wetzel had taken a - -liking to the young man when he led the brothers to Fort Henry. Subsequent - -events strengthened his liking, and now, many days after, Joe having followed - -him into the forest, a strong attachment had been insensibly forged between - -them. - - - -Wetzel understood Joe's burning desire to roam the forests; but he half - -expected the lad would soon grow tired of this roving life, but exactly the - -opposite symptoms were displayed. The hunter had intended to take his comrade - -on a hunting trip, and to return with him, after that was over, to Fort Henry. - -They had now been in the woods for weeks and every day in some way had Joe - -showed his mettle. Wetzel finally admitted him into the secrets of his most - -cherished hiding place. He did not want to hurt the lad's feelings by taking - -him back to the settlement; he could not send him back. So the days wore on - -swiftly; full of heart-satisfying incident and life, with man and boy growing - -closer in an intimacy that was as warm as it was unusual. - - - -Two reasons might account for this: First, there is no sane human being who is - -not better off for companionship. An exile would find something of happiness - -in one who shared his misery. And, secondly, Joe was a most acceptable - -comrade, even for a slayer of Indians. Wedded as Wetzel was to the forest - -trails, to his lonely life, to the Nemesis-pursuit he had followed for - -eighteen long years, he was still a white man, kind and gentle in his quiet - -hours, and because of this, though he knew it not, still capable of affection. - -He had never known youth; his manhood had been one pitiless warfare against - -his sworn foes; but once in all those years had his sore, cold heart warmed; - -and that was toward a woman who was not for him. His life had held only one - -purpose--a bloody one. Yet the man had a heart, and he could not prevent it - -from responding to another. In his simple ignorance he rebelled against this - -affection for anything other than his forest homes. Man is weak against hate; - -what can he avail against love? The dark caverns of Wetzel's great heart - -opened, admitting to their gloomy depths this stranger. So now a new love was - -born in that cheerless heart, where for so long a lonely inmate, the ghost of - -old love, had dwelt in chill seclusion. - - - -The feeling of comradeship which Wetzel had for Joe was something altogether - -new in the hunter's life. True he had hunted with Jonathan Zane, and - -accompanied expeditions where he was forced to sleep with another scout; but a - -companion, not to say friend, he had never known. Joe was a boy, wilder than - -an eagle, yet he was a man. He was happy and enthusiastic, still his good - -spirits never jarred on the hunter; they were restrained. He never asked - -questions, as would seem the case in any eager lad; he waited until he was - -spoken to. He was apt; he never forgot anything; he had the eye of a born - -woodsman, and lastly, perhaps what went far with Wetzel, he was as strong and - -supple as a young lynx, and absolutely fearless. - - - -On this evening Wetzel and Joe followed their usual custom; they smoked a - -while before lying down to sleep. Tonight the hunter was even more silent than - -usual, and the lad, tired out with his day's tramp, lay down on a bed of - -fragrant boughs. - - - -Wetzel sat there in the gathering gloom while he pulled slowly on his pipe. - -The evening was very quiet; the birds had ceased their twittering; the wind - -had died away; it was too early for the bay of a wolf, the wail of a panther, - -or hoot of an owl; there was simply perfect silence. - - - -The lad's deep, even breathing caught Wetzel's ear, and he found himself - -meditating, as he had often of late, on this new something that had crept into - -his life. For Joe loved him; he could not fail to see that. The lad had - -preferred to roam with the lonely Indian-hunter through the forests, to - -encounter the perils and hardships of a wild life, rather than accept the - -smile of fortune and of love. Wetzel knew that Colonel Zane had taken a liking - -to the boy, and had offered him work and a home; and, also, the hunter - -remembered the warm light he had seen in Nell's hazel eyes. Musing thus, the - -man felt stir in his heart an emotion so long absent that it was unfamiliar. - -The Avenger forgot, for a moment his brooding plans. He felt strangely - -softened. When he laid his head on the rude pillow it was with some sense of - -gladness that, although he had always desired a lonely life, and wanted to - -pass it in the fulfillment of his vow, his loneliness was now shared by a lad - -who loved him. - - - -Joe was awakened by the merry chirp of a chipmunk that every morning ran along - -the seamy side of the opposite wall of the gorge. Getting up, he went to the - -back of the cave, where he found Wetzel combing out his long hair. The lad - -thrust his hands into the cold pool, and bathed his face. The water was icy - -cold, and sent an invigorating thrill through him. Then he laughed as he took - -a rude comb Wetzel handed to him. - - - -"My scalp is nothing to make an Indian very covetous, is it?" said he, eyeing - -in admiration the magnificent black hair that fell over the hunter's - -shoulders. - - - -"It'll grow," answered Wetzel. - - - -Joe did not wonder at the care Wetzel took of his hair, nor did he - -misunderstand the hunter's simple pride. Wetzel was very careful of his rifle, - -he was neat and clean about his person, he brushed his buckskin costume, he - -polished his knife and tomahawk; but his hair received more attention than all - -else. It required much care. When combed out it reached fully to his knees. - -Joe had seen him, after he returned from a long hunt, work patiently for an - -hour with his wooden comb, and not stop until every little burr was gone, or - -tangle smoothed out. Then he would comb it again in the morning--this, of - -course, when time permitted--and twist and tie it up so as to offer small - -resistance to his slipping through the underbush. Joe knew the hunter's - -simplicity was such, that if he cut off his hair it would seem he feared the - -Indians--for that streaming black hair the Indians had long coveted and sworn - -to take. It would make any brave a famous chief, and was the theme of many a - -savage war tale. - - - -After breakfast Wetzel said to Joe: - - - -"You stay here, an' I'll look round some; mebbe I'll come back soon, and we'll - -go out an' kill a buffalo. Injuns sometimes foller up a buffalo trail, an' I - -want to be sure none of the varlets are chasin' that herd we saw to-day." - - - -Wetzel left the cave by the rear. It took him fifteen minutes to crawl to the - -head of the tortuous, stony passage. Lifting the stone which closed up the - -aperture, he looked out and listened. Then, rising, he replaced the stone, and - -passed down the wooded hillside. - - - -It was a beautiful morning; the dew glistened on the green leaves, the sun - -shone bright and warm, the birds warbled in the trees. The hunter's moccasins - -pressed so gently on the moss and leaves that they made no more sound than the - -soft foot of a panther. His trained ear was alert to catch any unfamiliar - -noise; his keen eyes sought first the remoter open glades and glens, then bent - -their gaze on the mossy bluff beneath his feet. Fox squirrels dashed from - -before him into bushy retreats; grouse whirred away into the thickets; - -startled deer whistled, and loped off with their white-flags upraised. Wetzel - -knew from the action of these denizens of the woods that he was the only - -creature, not native to these haunts, who had disturbed them this morning. - -Otherwise the deer would not have been grazing, but lying low in some close - -thicket; fox squirrels seldom or never were disturbed by a hunter twice in one - -day, for after being frightened these little animals, wilder and shyer than - -gray squirrels, remained hidden for hours, and grouse that have been flushed a - -little while before, always get up unusually quick, and fly very far before - -alighting. - - - -Wetzel circled back over the hill, took a long survey from a rocky eminence, - -and then reconnoitered the lowland for several miles. He located the herd of - -buffalo, and satisfying himself there were no Indians near--for the bison were - -grazing quietly--he returned to the cave. A soft whistle into the back door of - -the rocky home told Joe that the hunter was waiting. - - - -"Coast clear?" whispered the lad, thrusting his head out of the entrance. His - -gray eyes gleamed brightly, showing his eager spirit. - - - -The hunter nodded, and, throwing his rifle in the hollow of his arm, proceeded - -down the hill. Joe followed closely, endeavoring, as Wetzel had trained him, - -to make each step precisely in the hunter's footprints. The lad had soon - -learned to step nimbly and softly as a cat. When half way down the bill Wetzel - -paused. - - - -"See anythin'?" he whispered. - - - -Joe glanced on all sides. Many mistakes had taught him to be cautious. He had - -learned from experience that for every woodland creature he saw, there were - -ten watching his every move. Just now he could not see even a little red - -squirrel. Everywhere were sturdy hickory and oak trees, thickets and - -hazelnuts, slender ash saplings, and, in the open glades, patches of sumach. - -Rotting trees lay on the ground, while ferns nodded long, slender heads over - -the fallen monarchs. Joe could make out nothing but the colors of the woods, - -the gray of the tree trunks, and, in the openings through the forest-green, - -the dead purple haze of forests farther on. He smiled, and, shaking his head - -at the hunter, by his action admitted failure. - - - -"Try again. Dead ahead," whispered Wetzel. - - - -Joe bent a direct gaze on the clump of sassafras one hundred feet ahead. He - -searched the open places, the shadows--even the branches. Then he turned his - -eyes slowly to the right. Whatever was discernible to human vision he studied - -intently. Suddenly his eye became fixed on a small object protruding from - -behind a beech tree. It was pointed, and in color darker than the gray bark of - -the beech. It had been a very easy matter to pass over this little thing; but - -now that the lad saw it, he knew to what it belonged. - - - -"That's a buck's ear," he replied. - - - -Hardly had he finished speaking when Wetzel intentionally snapped a twig. - -There was a crash and commotion in the thicket; branches moved and small - -saplings waved; then out into the open glade bounded a large buck with a - -whistle of alarm. Throwing his rifle to a level, Joe was trying to cover the - -bounding deer, when the hunter struck up his piece. - - - -"Lad, don't kill fer the sake of killin," he said, quietly. "We have plenty of - -venison. We'll go arter a buffalo. I hev a hankerin' fer a good rump steak." - - - -Half an hour later, the hunters emerged from the forest into a wide plain of - -waving grass. It was a kind of oval valley, encircled by hills, and had been - -at one time, perhaps, covered with water. Joe saw a herd of large animals - -browsing, like cattle, in a meadow. His heart beat high, for until that moment - -the only buffalo he had seen were the few which stood on the river banks as - -the raft passed down the Ohio. He would surely get a shot at one of these huge - -fellows. - - - -Wetzel bade Joe do exactly as he did, whereupon he dropped on his hands and - -knees and began to crawl through the long grass. This was easy for the hunter, - -but very bard for the lad to accomplish. Still, he managed to keep his comrade - -in sight, which was a matter for congratulation, because the man crawled as - -fast as he walked. At length, after what to Joe seemed a very long time, the - -hunter paused. - - - -"Are we near enough?" whispered Joe, breathlessly. - - - -"Nope. We're just circlin' on 'em. The wind's not right, an' I'm afeered - -they'll get our scent." - - - -Wetzel rose carefully and peeped over the top of the grass; then, dropping on - -all fours, he resumed the advance. - - - -He paused again, presently and waited for Joe to come up. - - - -"See here, young fellar, remember, never hurry unless the bizness calls fer - -speed, an' then act like lightnin'." - - - -Thus admonishing the eager lad, Wetzel continued to crawl. It was easy for - -him. Joe wondered how those wide shoulders got between the weeds and grasses - -without breaking, or, at least, shaking them. But so it was. - - - -"Flat now," whispered Wetzel, putting his broad hand on Joe's back and - -pressing him down. "Now's yer time fer good practice. Trail yer rifle over yer - -back--if yer careful it won't slide off--an' reach out far with one arm an' - -dig yer fingers in deep. Then pull yerself forrard." - - - -Wetzel slipped through the grass like a huge buckskin snake. His long, lithe - -body wormed its way among the reeds. But for Joe, even with the advantage of - -having the hunter's trail to follow, it was difficult work. The dry reeds - -broke under him, and the stalks of saw-gass shook. He worked persistently at - -it, learning all the while, and improving with every rod. He was surprised to - -hear a swish, followed by a dull blow on the ground. Raising his head, he - -looked forward. He saw the hunter wipe his tomahawk on the grass. - - - -"Snake," whispered Wetzel. - - - -Joe saw a huge blacksnake squirming in the grass. Its head had been severed. - -He caught glimpses of other snakes gliding away, and glossy round moles - -darting into their holes. A gray rabbit started off with a leap. - - - -"We're near enough," whispered Wetzel, stopping behind a bush. He rose and - -surveyed the plain; then motioned Joe to look. - - - -Joe raised himself on his knees. As his gaze reached the level of the grassy - -plain his heart leaped. Not fifty yards away was a great, shaggy, black - -buffalo. He was the king of the herd; but ill at ease, for he pawed the grass - -and shook his huge bead. Near him were several cows and a half-grown calf. - -Beyond was the main herd, extending as far as Joe could see--a great sea of - -black humps! The lad breathed hard as he took in the grand sight. - - - -"Pick out the little fellar--the reddish-brown one--an' plug him behind the - -shoulder. Shoot close now, fer if we miss, mebbe I can't hit one, because I'm - -not used to shootin' at sich small marks." - - - -Wetzel's rare smile lighted up his dark face. Probably he could have shot a - -fly off the horn of the bull, if one of the big flies or bees, plainly visible - -as they swirled around the huge head, had alighted there. - - - -Joe slowly raised his rifle. He had covered the calf, and was about to pull - -the trigger, when, with a sagacity far beyond his experience as hunter, he - -whispered to Wetzel: - - - -"If I fire they may run toward us." - - - -"Nope; they'll run away," answered Wetzel, thinking the lad was as keen as an - -Indian. - - - -Joe quickly covered the calf again, and pulled the trigger. Bellowing loud the - -big bull dashed off. The herd swung around toward the west, and soon were - -galloping off with a lumbering roar. The shaggy humps bobbed up and down like - -hot, angry waves on a storm-blackened sea. - - - -Upon going forward, Wetzel and Joe found the calf lying dead in the grass. - - - -"You might hev did better'n that," remarked the hunter, as he saw where the - -bullet had struck. "You went a little too fer back, but mebbe thet was 'cause - -the calf stepped as you shot." - - - - - - - -Chapter XV. - - - -So the days passed swiftly, dreamily, each one bringing Joe a keener delight. - -In a single month he was as good a woodsman as many pioneers who had passed - -years on the border, for he had the advantage of a teacher whose woodcraft was - -incomparable. Besides, he was naturally quick in learning, and with all his - -interest centered upon forest lore, it was no wonder he assimilated much of - -Wetzel's knowledge. He was ever willing to undertake anything whereby he might - -learn. Often when they were miles away in the dense forest, far from their - -cave, he asked Wetzel to let him try to lead the way back to camp. And he - -never failed once, though many times he got off a straight course, thereby - -missing the easy travelling. - - - -Joe did wonderfully well, but he lacked, as nearly all white men do, the - -subtler, intuitive forest-instinct, which makes the Indian as much at home in - -the woods as in his teepee. Wetzel had this developed to a high degree. It - -was born in him. Years of training, years of passionate, unrelenting search - -for Indians, had given him a knowledge of the wilds that was incomprehensible - -to white men, and appalling to his red foes. - - - -Joe saw how Wetzel used this ability, but what it really was baffled him. He - -realized that words were not adequate to explain fully this great art. Its - -possession required a marvelously keen vision, an eye perfectly familiar with - -every creature, tree, rock, shrub and thing belonging in the forest; an eye so - -quick in flight as to detect instantly the slightest change in nature, or - -anything unnatural to that environment. The hearing must be delicate, like - -that of a deer, and the finer it is, the keener will be the woodsman. Lastly, - -there is the feeling that prompts the old hunter to say: "No game to-day." It - -is something in him that speaks when, as he sees a night-hawk circling low - -near the ground, he says: "A storm to-morrow." It is what makes an Indian at - -home in any wilderness. The clouds may hide the guiding star; the northing may - -be lost; there may be no moss on the trees, or difference in their bark; the - -ridges may be flat or lost altogether, and there may be no water-courses; yet - -the Indian brave always goes for his teepee, straight as a crow flies. It was - -this voice which rightly bade Wetzel, when he was baffled by an Indian's trail - -fading among the rocks, to cross, or circle, or advance in the direction taken - -by his wily foe. - - - -Joe had practiced trailing deer and other hoofed game, until he was true as a - -hound. Then he began to perfect himself in the art of following a human being - -through the forest. Except a few old Indian trails, which the rain had half - -obliterated, he had no tracks to discover save Wetzel's, and these were as - -hard to find as the airy course of a grosbeak. On soft ground or marshy grass, - -which Wetzel avoided where he could, he left a faint trail, but on a hard - -surface, for all the traces he left, he might as well not have gone over the - -ground at all. - - - -Joe's persistence stood him in good stead; he hung on, and the more he failed, - -the harder he tried. Often he would slip out of the cave after Wetzel had - -gone, and try to find which way he had taken. In brief, the lad became a fine - -marksman, a good hunter, and a close, persevering student of the wilderness. - -He loved the woods, and all they contained. He learned the habits of the wild - -creatures. Each deer, each squirrel, each grouse that he killed, taught him - -some lesson. - - - -He was always up with the lark to watch the sun rise red and grand over the - -eastern hills, and chase away the white mist from the valleys. Even if he was - -not hunting, or roaming the woods, if it was necessary for him to lie low in - -camp awaiting Wetzel's return, he was always content. Many hours he idled away - -lying on his back, with the west wind blowing softly over him, his eye on the - -distant hills, where the cloud shadows swept across with slow, majestic - -movement, like huge ships at sea. - - - -If Wetzel and Joe were far distant from the cave, as was often the case, they - -made camp in the open woods, and it was here that Joe's contentment was - -fullest. Twilight shades stealing down over the camp-fire; the cheery glow of - -red embers; the crackling of dry stocks; the sweet smell of wood smoke, all - -had for the lad a subtle, potent charm. - - - -The hunter would broil a venison steak, or a partridge, on the coals. Then - -they would light their pipes and smoke while twilight deepened. The oppressive - -stillness of the early evening hour always brought to the younger man a - -sensation of awe. At first he attributed this to the fact that he was new to - -this life; however, as the days passed and the emotion remained, nay, grew - -stronger, he concluded it was imparted by this close communion with nature. - -Deep solemn, tranquil, the gloaming hour brought him no ordinary fullness of - -joy and clearness of perception. - - - -"Do you ever feel this stillness?" he asked Wetzel one evening, as they sat - -near their flickering fire. - - - -The hunter puffed his pipe, and, like an Indian, seemed to let the question - -take deep root. - - - -"I've scalped redskins every hour in the day, 'ceptin' twilight," he replied. - - - -Joe wondered no longer whether the hunter was too hardened to feel this - -beautiful tranquillity. That hour which wooed Wetzel from his implacable - -pursuit was indeed a bewitching one - - - -There was never a time, when Joe lay alone in camp waiting for Wetzel, that he - -did not hope the hunter would return with information of Indians. The man - -never talked about the savages, and if he spoke at all it was to tell of some - -incident of his day's travel. One evening he came back with a large black fox - -that he had killed. - - - -"What beautiful, glossy fur!" said Joe. "I never saw a black fox before." - - - -"I've been layin' fer this fellar some time," replied Wetzel, as he began his - -first evening task, that of combing his hair. "Jest back here in a clump of - -cottonwoods there's a holler log full of leaves. Happenin' to see a blacksnake - -sneakin' round, I thought mebbe he was up to somethin', so I investigated, an' - -found a nest full of young rabbits. I killed the snake, an' arter that took an - -interest in 'em. Every time I passed I'd look in at the bunnies, an' each time - -I seen signs that some tarnal varmint had been prowlin' round. One day I - -missed a bunny, an' next day another; so on until only one was left, a peart - -white and gray little scamp. Somethin' was stealin' of 'em, an' it made me - -mad. So yistidday an' to-day I watched, an' finally I plugged this black - -thief. Yes, he's got a glossy coat; but he's a bad un fer all his fine looks. - -These black foxes are bigger, stronger an' cunniner than red ones. In every - -litter you'll find a dark one, the black sheep of the family. Because he grows - -so much faster, an' steals all the food from the others, the mother jest takes - -him by the nape of the neck an' chucks him out in the world to shift fer - -hisself. An' it's a good thing." - - - -The next day Wetzel told Joe they would go across country to seek new game - -fields. Accordingly the two set out, and tramped industriously until evening. - -They came upon a country no less beautiful than the one they had left, though - -the picturesque cliffs and rugged hills had given way to a rolling land, the - -luxuriance of which was explained by the abundant springs and streams. Forests - -and fields were thickly interspersed with bubbling springs, narrow and deep - -streams, and here and there a small lake with a running outlet. - - - -Wetzel had said little concerning this region, but that little was enough to - -rouse all Joe's eagerness, for it was to the effect that they were now in a - -country much traversed by Indians, especially runners and hunting parties - -travelling from north to south. The hunter explained that through the center - -of this tract ran a buffalo road; that the buffalo always picked out the - -straightest, lowest and dryest path from one range to another, and the Indians - -followed these first pathfinders. - - - -Joe and Wetzel made camp on the bank of a stream that night, and as the lad - -watched the hunter build a hidden camp-fire, he peered furtively around half - -expecting to see dark forms scurrying through the forest. Wetzel was extremely - -cautious. He stripped pieces of bark from fallen trees and built a little hut - -over his firewood. He rubbed some powder on a piece of punk, and then with - -flint and steel dropped two or three sparks on the inflammable substance. Soon - -he had a blaze. He arranged the covering so that not a ray of light escaped. - -When the flames had subsided, and the wood had burned down to a glowing bed of - -red, he threw aside the bark, and broiled the strips of venison they had - -brought with them. - - - -They rested on a bed of boughs which they had cut and arranged alongside a - -huge log. For hours Joe lay awake, he could not sleep. He listened to the - -breeze rustling the leaves, and shivered at the thought of the sighing wind he - -had once heard moan through the forest. Presently he turned over. The slight - -noise instantly awakened Wetzel who lifted his dark face while he listened - -intently. He spoke one word: "Sleep," and lay back again on the leaves. Joe - -forced himself to be quiet, relaxed all his muscles and soon slumbered. - - - -On the morrow Wetzel went out to look over the hunting prospects. About noon - -he returned. Joe was surprised to find some slight change in the hunter. He - -could not tell what it was. - - - -"I seen Injun sign," said Wetzel. "There's no tellin' how soon we may run agin - -the sneaks. We can't hunt here. Like as not there's Hurons and Delawares - -skulkin' round. I think I'd better take you back to the village." - - - -"It's all on my account you say that," said Joe. - - - -"Sure," Wetzel replied. - - - -"If you were alone what would you do?" - - - -"I calkilate I'd hunt fer some red-skinned game." - - - -The supreme moment had come. Joe's heart beat hard. He could not miss this - -opportunity; he must stay with the hunter. He looked closely at Wetzel. - - - -"I won't go back to the village," he said. - - - -The hunter stood in his favorite position, leaning on his long rifle, and made - -no response. - - - -"I won't go," continued Joe, earnestly. "Let me stay with you. If at any time - -I hamper you, or can not keep the pace, then leave me to shift for myself; but - -don't make me go until I weaken. Let me stay." - - - -Fire and fearlessness spoke in Joe's every word, and his gray eyes contracted - -with their peculiar steely flash. Plain it was that, while he might fail to - -keep pace with Wetzel, he did not fear this dangerous country, and, if it must - -be, would face it alone. - - - -Wetzel extended his broad hand and gave his comrade's a viselike squeeze. To - -allow the lad to remain with him was more than he would have done for any - -other person in the world. Far better to keep the lad under his protection - -while it was possible, for Joe was taking that war-trail which had for every - -hunter, somewhere along its bloody course, a bullet, a knife, or a tomahawk. - -Wetzel knew that Joe was conscious of this inevitable conclusion, for it - -showed in his white face, and in the resolve in his big, gray eyes. - - - -So there, in the shade of a towering oak, the Indian-killer admitted the boy - -into his friendship, and into a life which would no longer be play, but - -eventful, stirring, hazardous. - - - -"Wal, lad, stay," he said, with that rare smile which brightened his dark face - -like a ray of stray sunshine. "We'll hang round these diggins a few days. - -First off, we'll take in the lay of the land. You go down stream a ways an' - -scout round some, while I go up, an' then circle down. Move slow, now, an' - -don't miss nothin'." - - - -Joe followed the stream a mile or more. He kept close in the shade of willows, - -and never walked across an open glade without first waiting and watching. He - -listened to all sounds; but none were unfamiliar. He closely examined the sand - -along the stream, and the moss and leaves under the trees. When he had been - -separated from Wetzel several hours, and concluded he would slowly return to - -camp, he ran across a well-beaten path winding through the forest. This was, - -perhaps, one of the bridle-trails Wetzel had referred to. He bent over the - -worn grass with keen scrutiny. - - - -CRACK! - - - -The loud report of a heavily charged rifle rang out. Joe felt the zip of a - -bullet as it fanned his cheek. With an agile leap he gained the shelter of a - -tree, from behind which he peeped to see who had shot at him. He was just in - -time to detect the dark form of an Indian dart behind the foliage an hundred - -yards down the path. Joe expected to see other Indians, and to hear more - -shots, but he was mistaken. Evidently the savage was alone, for the tree Joe - -had taken refuge behind was scarcely large enough to screen his body, which - -disadvantage the other Indians would have been quick to note. - - - -Joe closely watched the place where his assailant had disappeared, and - -presently saw a dark hand, then a naked elbow, and finally the ramrod of a - -rifle. The savage was reloading. Soon a rifle-barrel protruded from behind the - -tree. With his heart beating like a trip-hammer, and the skin tightening on - -his face, Joe screened his body as best he might. The tree was small, but it - -served as a partial protection. Rapidly he revolved in his mind plans to - -outwit the enemy. The Indian was behind a large oak with a low limb over which - -he could fire without exposing his own person to danger. - - - -"Bang!" The Indian's rifle bellowed; the bullet crumbled the bark close to - -Joe's face. The lad yelled, loudly, staggered to his knees, and then fell into - -the path, where he lay quiet. - - - -The redskin gave an exultant shout. Seeing that the fallen figure remained - -quite motionless he stepped forward, drawing his knife as he came. He was a - -young brave, quick and eager in his movements, and came nimbly up the path to - -gain his coveted trophy, the paleface's scalp. - - - -Suddenly Joe sat up, raised his rifle quickly as thought, and fired - -point-blank at the Indian. - - - -But he missed. - - - -The redskin stopped aghast when he saw the lad thus seemingly come back to - -life. Then, realizing that Joe's aim had been futile, he bounded forward, - -brandishing his knife, and uttering infuriated yells. - - - -Joe rose to his feet with rifle swung high above his head. - - - -When the savage was within twenty feet, so near that big dark, face, swollen - -with fierce passion, could be plainly discerned, a peculiar whistling noise - -sounded over Joe's shoulder. It was accompanied, rather than followed, by a - -clear, ringing rifleshot. - - - -The Indian stopped as if he had encountered a heavy shock from a tree or stone - -barring his way. Clutching at his breast, he uttered a weird cry, and sank - -slowly on the grass. - - - -Joe ran forward to bend over the prostrate figure. The Indian, a slender, - -handsome young brave, had been shot through the breast. He held his hand - -tightly over the wound, while bright red blood trickled between his fingers, - -flowed down his side, and stained the grass. - - - -The brave looked steadily up at Joe. Shot as he was, dying as he knew himself - -to be, there was no yielding in the dark eye--only an unquenchable hatred. - -Then the eyes glazed; the fingers ceased twitching. - - - -Joe was bending over a dead Indian. - - - -It flashed into his mind, of course, that Wetzel had come up in time to save - -his life, but he did not dwell on the thought; he shrank from this violent - -death of a human being. But it was from the aspect of the dead, not from - -remorse for the deed. His heart beat fast, his fingers trembled, yet he felt - -only a strange coldness in all his being. The savage had tried to kill him, - -perhaps, even now, had it not been for the hunter's unerring aim, would have - -been gloating over a bloody scalp. - - - -Joe felt, rather than heard, the approach of some one, and he turned to see - -Wetzel coming down the path. - - - -"He's a lone Shawnee runner," said the hunter, gazing down at the dead Indian. - -"He was tryin' to win his eagle plumes. I seen you both from the hillside." - - - -"You did!" exclaimed Joe. Then he laughed. "It was lucky for me. I tried the - -dodge you taught me, but in my eagerness I missed." - - - -"Wal, you hadn't no call fer hurry. You worked the trick clever, but you - -missed him when there was plenty of time. I had to shoot over your shoulder, - -or I'd hev plugged him sooner." - - - -"Where were you?" asked Joe. - - - -"Up there by that bit of sumach?" and Wetzel pointed to an open ridge on a - -hillside not less than one hundred and fifty yards distant. - - - -Joe wondered which of the two bullets, the death-seeking one fired by the - -savage, or the life-saving missile from Wetzel's fatal weapon, had passed - -nearest to him. - - - -"Come," said the hunter, after he had scalped the Indian. - - - -"What's to be done with this savage?" inquired Joe, as Wetzel started up the - -path. - - - -"Let him lay." - - - -They returned to camp without further incident. While the hunter busied - -himself reinforcing their temporary shelter--for the clouds looked - -threatening--Joe cut up some buffalo meat, and then went down to the brook for - -a gourd of water. He came hurriedly back to where Wetzel was working, and - -spoke in a voice which he vainly endeavors to hold steady: - - - -"Come quickly. I have seen something which may mean a good deal." - - - -He led the way down to the brookside. - - - -"Look!" Joe said, pointing at the water. - - - -Here the steam was about two feet deep, perhaps twenty wide, and had just a - -noticeable current. Shortly before, it had been as clear as a bright summer - -sky; it was now tinged with yellow clouds that slowly floated downstream, each - -one enlarging and becoming fainter as the clear water permeated and stained. - -Grains of sand glided along with the current, little pieces of bark floated on - -the surface, and minnows darted to and fro nibbling at these drifting - -particles. - - - -"Deer wouldn't roil the water like that. What does it mean?" asked Joe. - - - -"Injuns, an' not fer away." - - - -Wetzel returned to the shelter and tore it down. Then he bent the branch of a - -beech tree low over the place. He pulled down another branch over the remains - -of the camp-fire. These precautions made the spot less striking. Wetzel knew - -that an Indian scout never glances casually; his roving eyes survey the - -forest, perhaps quickly, but thoroughly. An unnatural position of bush or log - -always leads to an examination. - - - -This done, the hunter grasped Joe's hand and led him up the knoll. Making his - -way behind a well-screened tree, which had been uprooted, he selected a - -position where, hidden themselves, they could see the creek. - - - -Hardly had Wetzel, admonished Joe to lie perfectly still, when from a short - -distance up the stream came the sound of splashing water; but nothing could be - -seen above the open glade, as in that direction willows lined the creek in - -dense thickets. The noise grew more audible. - - - -Suddenly Joe felt a muscular contraction pass over the powerful frame lying - -close beside him. It was a convulsive thrill such as passes through a tiger - -when he is about to spring upon his quarry. So subtle and strong was its - -meaning, so clearly did it convey to the lad what was coming, that he felt it - -himself; save that in his case it was a cold, chill shudder. - - - -Breathless suspense followed. Then into the open space along the creek glided - -a tall Indian warrior. He was knee-deep in the water, where he waded with low, - -cautious steps. His garish, befrilled costume seemed familiar to Joe. He - -carried a rifle at a low trail, and passed slowly ahead with evident distrust. - -The lad believed he recognized that head, with its tangled black hair, and - -when he saw the swarthy, villainous countenance turned full toward him, he - -exclaimed: - - - -"Girty! by---" - - - -Wetzel's powerful arm forced him so hard against the log that he could not - -complete the exclamation; but he could still see. Girty had not heard that - -stifled cry, for he continued his slow wading, and presently his tall, gaudily - -decorated form passed out of sight. - - - -Another savage appeared in the open space, and then another. Close between - -them walked a white man, with hands bound behind him. The prisoner and guards - -disappeared down stream among the willows. - - - -The splashing continued--grew even louder than before. A warrior came into - -view, then another, and another. They walked close together. Two more - -followed. They were wading by the side of a raft made of several logs, upon - -which were two prostrate figures that closely resembled human beings. - - - -Joe was so intent upon the lithe forms of the Indians that he barely got a - -glimpse of their floating prize, whatever it might have been. Bringing up the - -rear was an athletic warrior, whose broad shoulders, sinewy arms, and shaved, - -polished head Joe remembered well. It was the Shawnee chief, Silvertip. - - - -When he, too, passed out of sight in the curve of willows, Joe found himself - -trembling. He turned eagerly to Wetzel; but instantly recoiled. - - - -Terrible, indeed, had been the hunter's transformation. All calmness of facial - -expression was gone; he was now stern, somber. An intense emotion was visible - -in his white face; his eyes seemed reduced to two dark shining points, and - -they emitted so fierce, so piercing a flash, so deadly a light, that Joe could - -not bear their glittering gaze. - - - -"Three white captives, two of 'em women," uttered the hunter, as if weighing - -in his mind the importance of this fact. - - - -"Were those women on the raft?" questioned Joe, and as Wetzel only nodded, he - -continued, "A white man and two women, six warriors, Silvertip, and that - -renegade, Jim Girty!" - - - -Wetzel deigned not to answer Joe's passionate outburst, but maintained silence - -and his rigid posture. Joe glanced once more at the stern face. - - - -"Considering we'd go after Girty and his redskins if they were alone, we're - -pretty likely to go quicker now that they've got white women prisoners, eh?" - -and Joe laughed fiercely between his teeth. - - - -The lad's heart expanded, while along every nerve tingled an exquisite thrill - -of excitement. He had yearned for wild, border life. Here he was in it, with - -the hunter whose name alone was to the savages a symbol for all that was - -terrible. - - - -Wetzel evidently decided quickly on what was to be done, for in few words he - -directed Joe to cut up so much of the buffalo meat as they could stow in their - -pockets. Then, bidding the lad to follow, he turned into the woods, walking - -rapidly, and stopping now and then for a brief instant. Soon they emerged from - -the forest into more open country. They faced a wide plain skirted on the - -right by a long, winding strip of bright green willows which marked the course - -of the stream. On the edge of this plain Wetzel broke into a run. He kept this - -pace for a distance of an hundred yards, then stopped to listen intently as he - -glanced sharply on all sides, after which he was off again. - - - -Half way across this plain Joe's wind began to fail, and his breathing became - -labored; but he kept close to the hunter's heels. Once he looked back to see a - -great wide expanse of waving grass. They had covered perhaps four miles at a - -rapid pace, and were nearing the other side of the plain. The lad felt as if - -his head was about to burst; a sharp pain seized upon his side; a blood-red - -film obscured his sight. He kept doggedly on, and when utterly exhausted fell - -to the ground. - - - -When, a few minutes later, having recovered his breath, he got up, they had - -crossed the plain and were in a grove of beeches. Directly in front of him ran - -a swift stream, which was divided at the rocky head of what appeared to be a - -wooded island. There was only a slight ripple and fall of the water, and, - -after a second glance, it was evident that the point of land was not an - -island, but a portion of the mainland which divided the stream. The branches - -took almost opposite courses. - - - -Joe wondered if they had headed off the Indians. Certainly they had run fast - -enough. He was wet with perspiration. He glanced at Wetzel, who was standing - -near. The man's broad breast rose and fell a little faster; that was the only - -evidence of exertion. The lad had a painful feeling that he could never keep - -pace with the hunter, if this five-mile run was a sample of the speed he would - -be forced to maintain. - - - -"They've got ahead of us, but which crick did they take?" queried Wetzel, as - -though debating the question with himself. - - - -"How do you know they've passed?" - - - -"We circled," answered Wetzel, as he shook his head and pointed into the - -bushes. Joe stepped over and looked into the thicket. He found a quantity of - -dead leaves, sticks, and litter thrown aside, exposing to light a long, - -hollowed place on the ground. It was what would be seen after rolling over a - -log that had lain for a long time. Little furrows in the ground, holes, - -mounds, and curious winding passages showed where grubs and crickets had made - -their homes. The frightened insects were now running round wildly. - - - -"What was here? A log?" - - - -"A twenty-foot canoe was hid under thet stuff. The Injuns has taken one of - -these streams." - - - -"How can we tell which one?" - - - -"Mebbe we can't; but we'll try. Grab up a few of them bugs, go below thet - -rocky point, an' crawl close to the bank so you can jest peep over. Be - -keerful not to show the tip of your head, an' don't knock nothin' off'en the - -bank into the water. Watch fer trout. Look everywheres, an' drop in a bug now - -and then. I'll do the same fer the other stream. Then we'll come back here an' - -talk over what the fish has to say about the Injuns." - - - -Joe walked down stream a few paces, and, dropping on his knees, crawled - -carefully to the edge of the bank. He slightly parted the grass so he could - -peep through, and found himself directly over a pool with a narrow shoal - -running out from the opposite bank. The water was so clear he could see the - -pebbly bottom in all parts, except a dark hole near a bend in the shore close - -by. He did not see a living thing in the water, not a crawfish, turtle, nor - -even a frog. He peered round closely, then flipped in one of the bugs he had - -brought along. A shiny yellow fish flared up from the depths of the deep hole - -and disappeared with the cricket; but it was a bass or a pike, not a trout. - -Wetzel had said there were a few trout living near the cool springs of these - -streams. The lad tried again to coax one to the surface. This time the more - -fortunate cricket swam and hopped across the stream to safety. - - - -When Joe's eyes were thoroughly accustomed to the clear water, with its - -deceiving lights and shades, he saw a fish lying snug under the side of a - -stone. The lad thought he recognized the snub-nose, the hooked, wolfish jaw, - -but he could not get sufficient of a view to classify him. He crawled to a - -more advantageous position farther down stream, and then he peered again - -through the woods. Yes, sure enough, he had espied a trout. He well knew those - -spotted silver sides, that broad, square tail. Such a monster! In his - -admiration for the fellow, and his wish for a hook and line to try conclusions - -with him, Joe momentarily forgot his object. Remembering, he tossed out a big, - -fat cricket, which alighted on the water just above the fish. The trout never - -moved, nor even blinked. The lad tried again, with no better success. The fish - -would not rise. Thereupon Joe returned to the point where he had left WetzeL - - - -"I couldn't see nothin' over there," said the hunter, who was waiting. "Did - -you see any?' - - - -"One, and a big fellow." - - - -"Did he see you?" - - - -"No." - - - -"Did he rise to a bug?" - - - -"No, he didn't; but then maybe he wasn't hungry" answered Joe, who could not - -understand what Wetzel was driving at. - - - -"Tell me exactly what he did." - - - -"That's just the trouble; he didn't do anything," replied Joe, thoughtfully. - -"He just lay low, stifflike, under a stone. He never batted an eye. But his - -side-fins quivered like an aspen leaf." - - - -"Them side-fins tell us the story. Girty, an' his redskins hev took this - -branch," said Wetzel, positively. "The other leads to the Huron towns. - -Girty's got a place near the Delaware camp somewheres. I've tried to find it a - -good many times. He's took more'n one white lass there, an' nobody ever seen - -her agin." - - - -"Fiend! To think of a white woman, maybe a girl like Nell Wells, at the mercy - -of those red devils!" - - - -"Young fellar, don't go wrong. I'll allow Injuns is bad enough; but I never - -hearn tell of one abusin' a white woman, as mayhap you mean. Injuns marry - -white women sometimes; kill an' scalp 'em often, but that's all. It's men of - -our own color, renegades like this Girty, as do worse'n murder." - - - -Here was the amazing circumstance of Lewis Wetzel, the acknowledged unsatiable - -foe of all redmen, speaking a good word for his enemies. Joe was so - -astonished he did not attempt to answer. - - - -"Here's where they got in the canoe. One more look, an' then we're off," said - -Wetzel. He strode up and down the sandy beach; examined the willows, and - -scrutinized the sand. Suddenly he bent over and picked up an object from the - -water. His sharp eyes had caught the glint of something white, which, upon - -being examined, proved to be a small ivory or bone buckle with a piece broken - -out. He showed it to Joe. - - - -"By heavens! Wetzel, that's a buckle off Nell Well's shoe. I've seen it too - -many times to mistake it." - - - -"I was afeared Girty hed your friends, the sisters, an' mebbe your brother, - -too. Jack Zane said the renegade was hangin' round the village, an' that - -couldn't be fer no good." - - - -"Come on. Let's kill the fiend!" cried Joe, white to the lips. - - - -"I calkilate they're about a mile down stream, makin' camp fer the night. I - -know the place. There's a fine spring, an, look! D'ye see them crows flyin' - -round thet big oak with the bleached top? Hear them cawin'? You might think - -they was chasin' a hawk, or king-birds were arter 'em, but thet fuss they're - -makin' is because they see Injuns." - - - -"Well?" asked Joe, impatiently. - - - -"It'll be moonlight a while arter midnight. Well lay low an' wait, an' - -then---" - - - -The sharp click of his teeth, like the snap of a steel trap, completed the - -sentence. Joe said no more, but followed the hunter into the woods. Stopping - -near a fallen tree, Wetzel raked up a bundle of leaves and spread them on the - -ground. Then he cut a few spreading branches from a beech, and leaned them - -against a log. Bidding the lad crawl in before he took one last look around - -and then made his way under the shelter. - - - -It was yet daylight, which seemed a strange time to creep into this little - -nook; but, Joe thought, it was not to sleep, only to wait, wait, wait for the - -long hours to pass. He was amazed once more, because, by the time twilight had - -given place to darkness, Wetzel was asleep. The lad said then to himself that - -he would never again be surprised at the hunter. He assumed once and for all - -that Wetzel was capable of anything. Yet how could he lose himself in slumber? - -Feeling, as he must, over the capture of the girls; eager to draw a bead on - -the black-hearted renegade; hating Indians with all his soul and strength, and - -lying there but a few hours before what he knew would be a bloody battle, - -Wetzel calmly went to sleep. Knowing the hunter to be as bloodthirsty as a - -tiger, Joe had expected he would rush to a combat with his foes; but, no, this - -man, with his keen sagacity, knew when to creep upon his enemy; he bided that - -time, and, while he waited, slept. - - - -Joe could not close his eyes in slumber. Through the interstices in the - -branches he saw the stars come out one by one, the darkness deepened, and the - -dim outline of tall trees over the dark hill came out sharply. The moments - -dragged, each one an hour. He heard a whippoorwill call, lonely and dismal; - -then an owl hoot monotonously. A stealthy footed animal ran along the log, - -sniffed at the boughs, and then scurried away over the dry leaves. By and by - -the dead silence of night fell over all. Still Joe lay there wide awake, - -listening--his heart on fire. He was about to rescue Nell; to kill that - -hawk-nosed renegade; to fight Silvertip to the death. - - - -The hours passed, but not Joe's passionate eagerness. When at least he saw the - -crescent moon gleam silver-white over the black hilltop he knew the time was - -nigh, and over him ran thrill on thrill. - - - - - - - -Chapter XVI. - - - -When the waning moon rose high enough to shed a pale light over forest and - -field, two dark figures, moving silently from the shade of the trees, crossed - -the moonlit patches of ground, out to the open plain where low on the grass - -hung silver mists. - - - -A timber wolf, gray and gaunt, came loping along with lowered nose. A new - -scent brought the animal to a standstill. His nose went up, his fiery eyes - -scanned the plain. Two men had invaded his domain, and, with a short, dismal - -bark, he dashed away. - - - -Like spectres, gliding swiftly with noiseless tread, the two vanished. The - -long grass had swallowed them. - - - -Deserted once again seemed the plain. It became unutterably lonely. No stir, - -no sound, no life; nothing but a wide expanse bathed in sad, gray light. - - - -The moon shone steadily; the silver radiance mellowed; the stars paled before - -this brighter glory. - - - -Slowly the night hours wore away. - - - -On the other side of the plain, near where the adjoining forest loomed - -darkling, the tall grass parted to disclose a black form. Was it only a - -deceiving shade cast by a leafy branch--only a shadow? Slowly it sank, and was - -lost. Once more the gray, unwavering line of silver-crested grass tufts was - -unbroken. - - - -Only the night breeze, wandering caressingly over the grass, might have told - -of two dark forms gliding, gliding, gliding so softly, so surely, so surely - -toward the forest. Only the moon and the pale stars had eyes to see these - -creeping figures. - - - -Like avengers they moved, on a mission to slay and to save! - - - -On over the dark line where plain merged into forest they crawled. No - -whispering, no hesitating; but a silent, slow, certain progress showed their - -purpose. In single file they slipped over the moss, the leader clearing the - -path. Inch by inch they advanced. Tedious was this slow movement, difficult - -and painful this journey which must end in lightninglike speed. They rustled - -no leaf, nor snapped a twig, nor shook a fern, but passed onward slowly, like - -the approach of Death. The seconds passed as minutes; minutes as hours; an - -entire hour was spent in advancing twenty feet! - - - -At last the top of the knoll was reached. The Avenger placed his hand on his - -follower's shoulder. The strong pressure was meant to remind, to warn, to - -reassure. Then, like a huge snake, the first glided away. - - - -He who was left behind raised his head to look into the open place called the - -glade of the Beautiful Spring. An oval space lay before him, exceedingly - -lovely in the moonlight; a spring, as if a pearl, gemmed the center. An Indian - -guard stood statuelike against a stone. Other savages lay in a row, their - -polished heads shining. One slumbering form was bedecked with feathers and - -frills. Near him lay an Indian blanket, from the border of which peered two - -faces, gleaming white and sad in the pitying moonlight. - - - -The watcher quivered at the sight of those pale faces; but he must wait while - -long moments passed. He must wait for the Avenger to creep up, silently kill - -the guard, and release the prisoners without awakening the savages. If that - -plan failed, he was to rush into the glade, and in the excitement make off - -with one of the captives. - - - -He lay there waiting, listening, wrought up to the intensest pitch of fierce - -passion. Every nerve was alert, every tendon strung, and every muscle strained - -ready for the leap. - - - -Only the faint rustling of leaves, the low swish of swaying branches, the soft - -murmur of falling water, and over all the sigh of the night wind, proved to - -him that this picture was not an evil dream. His gaze sought the quiet - -figures, lingered hopefully on the captives, menacingly on the sleeping - -savages, and glowered over the gaudily arrayed form. His glance sought the - -upright guard, as he stood a dark blot against the gray stone. He saw the - -Indian's plume, a single feather waving silver-white. Then it became riveted - -on the bubbling, refulgent spring. The pool was round, perhaps five feet - -across, and shone like a burnished shield. It mirrored the moon, the twinkling - -stars, the spectre trees. - - - -An unaccountable horror suddenly swept over the watching man. His hair stood - -straight up; a sensation as of cold stole chillingly over him. Whether it was - -the climax of this long night's excitement, or anticipation of the bloody - -struggle soon to come, he knew not. Did this boiling spring, shimmering in the - -sliver moon-rays, hold in its murky depths a secret? Did these lonesome, - -shadowing trees, with their sad drooping branches, harbor a mystery? If a - -future tragedy was to be enacted here in this quiet glade, could the murmuring - -water or leaves whisper its portent? No; they were only silent, only - -unintelligible with nature's mystery. - - - -The waiting man cursed himself for a craven coward; he fought back the - -benumbing sense; he steeled his heart. Was this his vaunted willingness to - -share the Avenger's danger? His strong spirit rose up in arms; once more he - -was brave and fierce. - - - -He fastened a piercing gaze on the plumed guard. The Indian's lounging posture - -against the rock was the same as it had been before, yet now it seemed to have - -a kind of strained attention. The savage's head was poised, like that of a - -listening deer. The wary Indian scented danger. - - - -A faint moan breathed low above the sound of gently splashing water somewhere - -beyond the glade. - - - -"Woo-o-oo." - - - -The guard's figure stiffened, and became rigidly erect; his blanket slowly - -slid to his feet. - - - -"Ah-oo-o," sighed the soft breeze in the tree tops. - - - -Louder then, with a deep wail, a moan arose out of the dark gray shadows, - -swelled thrilling on the still air, and died away mournfully. - - - -"Um-m-mmwoo-o-o-o!" - - - -The sentinel's form melted into the shade. He was gone like a phantom. - - - -Another Indian rose quickly, and glanced furtively around the glade. He bent - -over a comrade and shook him. Instantly the second Indian was on his feet. - -Scarcely had he gained a standing posture when an object, bounding like a dark - -ball, shot out of the thicket and hurled both warriors to the earth. A - -moonbeam glinted upon something bright. It flashed again on a swift, sweeping - -circle. A short, choking yell aroused the other savages. Up they sprang, - -alarmed, confused. - - - -The shadow-form darted among them. It moved with inconceivable rapidity; it - -became a monster. Terrible was the convulsive conflict. Dull blows, the click - -of steel, angry shouts, agonized yells, and thrashing, wrestling sounds - -mingled together and half drowned by an awful roar like that of a mad bull. - -The strife ceased as suddenly as it had begun. Warriors lay still on the - -grass; others writhed in agony. For an instant a fleeting shadow crossed the - -open lane leading out of the glade; then it vanished. - - - -Three savages had sprung toward their rifles. A blinding flash, a loud report - -burst from the thicket overhead. The foremost savage sank lifelessly. The - -others were intercepted by a giant shadow with brandished rifle. The watcher - -on the knoll had entered the glade. He stood before the stacked rifles and - -swung his heavy gun. Crash! An Indian went down before that sweep, but rose - -again. The savages backed away from this threatening figure, and circled - -around it. - - - -The noise of the other conflict ceased. More savages joined the three who - -glided to and fro before their desperate foe. They closed in upon him, only to - -be beaten back. One savage threw a glittering knife, another hurled a stone, a - -third flung his tomahawk, which struck fire from the swinging rifle. - - - -He held them at bay. While they had no firearms he was master of the - -situation. With every sweep of his arms he brought the long rifle down and - -knocked a flint from the firelock of an enemy's weapon. Soon the Indians' guns - -were useless. Slowly then he began to edge away from the stone, toward the, - -opening where he had seen the fleeting form vanish. - - - -His intention was to make a dash for life, for he had heard a noise behind the - -rock, and remembered the guard. He saw the savages glance behind him, and - -anticipated danger from that direction, but he must not turn. A second there - -might be fatal. He backed defiantly along the rock until he gained its outer - -edge. But too late! The Indians glided before him, now behind him; he was - -surrounded. He turned around and around, with the ever-circling rifle whirling - -in the faces of the baffled foe. - - - -Once opposite the lane leading from the glade he changed his tactics, and - -plunged with fierce impetuosity into the midst of the painted throng. Then - -began a fearful conflict. The Indians fell before the sweep of his powerful - -arms; but grappled with him from the ground. He literally plowed his way - -through the struggling mass, warding off an hundred vicious blows. Savage - -after savage he flung off, until at last he had a clear path before him. - -Freedom lay beyond that shiny path. Into it he bounded. - - - -As he left the glade the plumed guard stepped from behind a tree near the - -entrance of the path, and cast his tomahawk. - - - -A white, glittering flash, it flew after the fleeing runner; its aim was true. - - - -Suddenly the moonlight path darkened in the runner's sight; he saw a million - -flashing stars; a terrible pain assailed him; he sank slowly, slowly down; - -then all was darkness. - - - - - - - -Chapter XVII. - - - -Joe awoke as from a fearsome nightmare. Returning consciousness brought a - -vague idea that he had been dreaming of clashing weapons, of yelling savages, - -of a conflict in which he had been clutched by sinewy fingers. An acute pain - -pulsed through his temples; a bloody mist glazed his eyes; a sore pressure - -cramped his arms and legs. Surely he dreamed this distress, as well as the - -fight. The red film cleared from his eyes. His wandering gaze showed the stern - -reality. - - - -The bright sun, making the dewdrops glisten on the leaves, lighted up a - -tragedy. Near him lay an Indian whose vacant, sightless eyes were fixed in - -death. Beyond lay four more savages, the peculiar, inert position of whose - -limbs, the formlessness, as it were, as if they had been thrown from a great - -height and never moved again, attested that here, too, life had been - -extinguished. Joe took in only one detail--the cloven skull of the - -nearest--when he turned away sickened. He remembered it all now. The advance, - -the rush, the fight--all returned. He saw again Wetzel's shadowy form darting - -like a demon into the whirl of conflict; he heard again that hoarse, booming - -roar with which the Avenger accompanied his blows. Joe's gaze swept the glade, - -but found no trace of the hunter. - - - -He saw Silvertip and another Indian bathing a wound on Girty's head. The - -renegade groaned and writhed in pain. Near him lay Kate, with white face and - -closed eyes. She was unconscious, or dead. Jim sat crouched under a tree to - -which he was tied. - - - -"Joe, are you badly hurt?" asked the latter, in deep solicitude. - - - -"No, I guess not; I don't know," answered Joe. "Is poor Kate dead?" - - - -"No, she has fainted." - - - -"Where's Nell?" - - - -"Gone," replied Jim, lowering his voice, and glancing at the Indians. They - -were too busy trying to bandage Girty's head to pay any attention to their - -prisoners. "That whirlwind was Wetzel, wasn't it?" - - - -"Yes; how'd you know?" - - - -"I was awake last night. I had an oppressive feeling, perhaps a presentiment. - -Anyway, I couldn't sleep. I heard that wind blow through the forest, and - -thought my blood would freeze. The moan is the same as the night wind, the - -same soft sigh, only louder and somehow pregnant with superhuman power. To - -speak of it in broad daylight one seems superstitious, but to hear it in the - -darkness of this lonely forest, it is fearful! I hope I am not a coward; I - -certainly know I was deathly frightened. No wonder I was scared! Look at these - -dead Indians, all killed in a moment. I heard the moan; I saw Silvertip - -disappear, and the other two savages rise. Then something huge dropped from - -the rock; a bright object seemed to circle round the savages; they uttered one - -short yell, and sank to rise no more. Somehow at once I suspected that this - -shadowy form, with its lightninglike movements, its glittering hatchet, was - -Wetzel. When he plunged into the midst of the other savages I distinctly - -recognized him, and saw that he had a bundle, possibly his coat, wrapped round - -his left arm, and his right hand held the glittering tomahawk. I saw him - -strike that big Indian there, the one lying with split skull. His wonderful - -daring and quickness seemed to make the savages turn at random. He broke - -through the circle, swung Nell under his arm, slashed at my bonds as he passed - -by, and then was gone as he had come. Not until after you were struck, and - -Silvertip came up to me, was I aware my bonds were cut. Wetzel's hatchet had - -severed them; it even cut my side, which was bleeding. I was free to help, to - -fight, and I did not know it. Fool that I am!" - - - -"I made an awful mess of my part of the rescue," groaned Joe. "I wonder if the - -savages know it was Wetzel." - - - -"Do they? Well, I rather think so. Did you not hear them scream that French - -name? As far as I am able to judge, only two Indians were killed instantly. - -The others died during the night. I had to sit here, tied and helpless, - -listening as they groaned and called the name of their slayer, even in their - -death-throes. Deathwind! They have named him well." - - - -"I guess he nearly killed Girty." - - - -"Evidently, but surely the evil one protects the renegade." - - - -"Jim Girty's doomed," whispered Joe, earnestly. "He's as good as dead already. - -I've lived with Wetzel, and know him. He told me Girty had murdered a settler, - -a feeble old man, who lived near Fort Henry with his son. The hunter has sworn - -to kill the renegade; but, mind you, he did not tell me that. I saw it in his - -eyes. It wouldn't surprise me to see him jump out of these bushes at any - -moment. I'm looking for it. If he knows there are only three left, he'll be - -after them like a hound on a trail. Girty must hurry. Where's he taking you?" - - - -"To the Delaware town." - - - -"I don't suppose the chiefs will let any harm befall you; but Kate and I would - -be better off dead. If we can only delay the march, Wetzel will surely - -return." - - - -"Hush! Girty's up." - - - -The renegade staggered to an upright position, and leaned on the Shawnee's - -arm. Evidently he had not been seriously injured, only stunned. Covered with - -blood from a swollen, gashed lump on his temple, he certainly presented a - -savage appearance. - - - -"Where's the yellow-haired lass?" he demanded, pushing away Silvertip's - -friendly arm. He glared around the glade. The Shawnee addressed him briefly, - -whereupon he raged to and fro under the tree, cursing with foam-flecked lips, - -and actually howling with baffled rage. His fury was so great that he became - -suddenly weak, and was compelled to sit down. - - - -"She's safe, you villainous renegade!" cried Joe. - - - -"Hush, Joe! Do not anger him. It can do no good," interposed Jim. - - - -"Why not? We couldn't be worse off," answered Joe. - - - -"I'll git her, I'll git her agin," panted Girty. "I'll keep her, an' she'll - -love me." - - - -The spectacle of this perverted wretch speaking as if he had been cheated out - -of love was so remarkable, so pitiful, so monstrous, that for a moment Joe was - -dumbfounded. - - - -"Bah! You white-livered murderer!" Joe hissed. He well knew it was not wise to - -give way to his passion; but he could not help it. This beast in human guise, - -whining for love, maddened him. "Any white woman on earth would die a thousand - -deaths and burn for a million years afterward rather than love you!" - - - -"I'll see you killed at the stake, beggin' fer mercy, an' be feed fer - -buzzards," croaked the renegade. - - - -"Then kill me now, or you may slip up on one of your cherished - -buzzard-feasts," cried Joe, with glinting eye and taunting voice. "Then go - -sneaking back to your hole like a hyena, and stay there. Wetzel is on your - -trail! He missed you last night; but it was because of the girl. He's after - -you, Girty; he'll get you one of these days, and when he does--My God!---" - - - -Nothing could be more revolting than that swarthy, evil face turned pale with - -fear. Girty's visage was a ghastly, livid white. So earnest, so intense was - -Joe's voice, that it seemed to all as if Wetzel was about to dart into the - -glade, with his avenging tomahawk uplifted to wreak an awful vengeance on the - -abductor. The renegade's white, craven heart contained no such thing as - -courage. If he ever fought it was like a wolf, backed by numbers. The - -resemblance ceased here, for even a cornered wolf will show his teeth, and - -Girty, driven to bay, would have cringed and cowered. Even now at the mention - -of Wetzel's enmity he trembled. - - - -"I'll shet yer wind," he cried, catching up his tomahawk and making for Joe. - - - -Silvertip intervened, and prevented the assault. He led Girty back to his seat - -and spoke low, evidently trying to soothe the renegade's feelings. - - - -"Silvertip, give me a tomahawk, and let me fight him," implored Joe. - - - -"Paleface brave--like Injun chief. Paleface Shawnee's prisoner--no speak - -more," answered Silvertip, with respect in his voice. - - - -"Oh, where's Nellie?" - - - -A grief-stricken whisper caught Jim's ear. He turned to see Kate's wide, - -questioning eyes fixed upon him. - - - -"Nell was rescued." - - - -"Thank God!" murmured the girl. - - - -"Come along," shouted Girty, in his harsh voice, as, grasping Kate's arm, he - -pulled the girl violently to her feet. Then, picking up his rifle, he led her - -into the forest. Silvertip followed with Joe, while the remaining Indian - -guarded Jim. - - - - - -The great council-lodge of the Delawares rang with savage and fiery eloquence. - -Wingenund paced slowly before the orators. Wise as he was, he wanted advice - -before deciding what was to be done with the missionary. The brothers had been - -taken to the chief, who immediately called a council. The Indians sat in a - -half circle around the lodge. The prisoners, with hands bound, guarded by two - -brawny braves, stood in one corner gazing with curiosity and apprehension at - -this formidable array. Jim knew some of the braves, but the majority of those - -who spoke bitterly against the palefaces had never frequented the Village of - -Peace. Nearly all were of the Wolf tribe of Delawares. Jim whispered to Joe, - -interpreting that part of the speeches bearing upon the disposal to be made of - -them. Two white men, dressed in Indian garb, held prominent positions before - -Wingenund. The boys saw a resemblance between one of these men and Jim Girty, - -and accordingly concluded he was the famous renegade, or so-called white - -Indian, Simon Girty. The other man was probably Elliott, the Tory, with whom - -Girty had deserted from Fort Pitt. Jim Girty was not present. Upon nearing - -the encampment he had taken his captive and disappeared in a ravine. - - - -Shingiss, seldom in favor of drastic measures with prisoners, eloquently urged - -initiating the brothers into the tribe. Several other chiefs were favorably - -inclined, though not so positive as Shingiss. Kotoxen was for the death - -penalty; the implacable Pipe for nothing less than burning at the stake. Not - -one was for returning the missionary to his Christian Indians. Girty and - -Elliott, though requested to speak, maintained an ominous silence. - - - -Wingenund strode with thoughtful mien before his council. He had heard all his - -wise chiefs and his fiery warriors. Supreme was his power. Freedom or death - -for the captives awaited the wave of his hand. His impassive face gave not the - -slightest inkling of what to expect Therefore the prisoners were forced to - -stand there with throbbing hearts while the chieftain waited the customary - -dignified interval before addressing the council. - - - -"Wingenund has heard the Delaware wise men and warriors. The white Indian - -opens not his lips; his silence broods evil for the palefaces. Pipe wants the - -blood of the white men; the Shawnee chief demands the stake. Wingenund says - -free the white father who harms no Indian. Wingenund hears no evil in the - -music of his voice. The white father's brother should die. Kill the companion - -of Deathwind!" - - - -A plaintive murmur, remarkable when coming from an assembly of stern-browed - -chiefs, ran round the circle at the mention of the dread appellation. - - - -"The white father is free," continued Wingenund. "Let one of my runners - -conduct him to the Village of Peace." - - - -A brave entered and touched Jim on the shoulder. - - - -Jim shook his head and pointed to Joe. The runner touched Joe. - - - -"No, no. I am not the missionary," cried Joe, staring aghast at his brother. - -"Jim, have you lost your senses?" - - - -Jim sadly shook his head, and turning to Wingenund made known in a broken - -Indian dialect that his brother was the missionary, and would sacrifice - -himself, taking this opportunity to practice the Christianity he had taught. - - - -"The white father is brave, but he is known," broke in Wingenund's deep voice, - -while he pointed to the door of the lodge. "Let him go back to his Christian - -Indians." - - - -The Indian runner cut Joe's bonds, and once more attempted to lead him from - -the lodge. Rage and misery shown in the lad's face. He pushed the runner - -aside. He exhausted himself trying to explain, to think of Indian words enough - -to show he was not the missionary. He even implored Girty to speak for him. - -When the renegade sat there stolidly silent Joe's rage burst out. - - - -"Curse you all for a lot of ignorant redskins. I am not a missionary. I am - -Deathwind's friend. I killed a Delaware. I was the companion of Le Vent de la - -Mort!" - - - -Joe's passionate vehemence, and the truth that spoke from his flashing eyes - -compelled the respect, if not the absolute belief of the Indians. The savages - -slowly shook their heads. They beheld the spectacle of two brothers, one a - -friend, the other an enemy of all Indians, each willing to go to the stake, to - -suffer an awful agony, for love of the other. Chivalrous deeds always stir an - -Indian's heart. It was like a redman to die for his brother. The indifference, - -the contempt for death, won their admiration. - - - -"Let the white father stand forth," sternly called Wingenund. - - - -A hundred somber eyes turned on the prisoners. Except that one wore a buckskin - -coat, the other a linsey one, there was no difference. The strong figures were - -the same, the white faces alike, the stern resolve in the gray eyes - -identical--they were twin brothers. - - - -Wingenund once more paced before his silent chiefs. To deal rightly with this - -situation perplexed him. To kill both palefaces did not suit him. Suddenly he - -thought of a way to decide. - - - -"Let Wingenund's daughter come," he ordered. - - - -A slight, girlish figure entered. It was Whispering Winds. Her beautiful face - -glowed while she listened to her father. - - - -"Wingenund's daughter has her mother's eyes, that were beautiful as a doe's, - -keen as a hawk's, far-seeing as an eagle's. Let the Delaware maiden show her - -blood. Let her point out the white father." - - - -Shyly but unhesitatingly Whispering Winds laid her hand Jim's arm. - - - -"Missionary, begone!" came the chieftain's command. "Thank Wingenund's - -daughter for your life, not the God of your Christians!" - - - -He waved his hand to the runner. The brave grasped Jim's arm. - - - -"Good-by, Joe," brokenly said Jim. - - - -"Old fellow, good-by," came the answer. - - - -They took one last, long look into each others' eyes. Jim's glance betrayed - -his fear--he would never see his brother again. The light in Joe's eyes was - -the old steely flash, the indomitable spirit--while there was life there was - -hope. - - - -"Let the Shawnee chief paint his prisoner black," commanded Wingenund. - - - -When the missionary left the lodge with the runner, Whispering Winds had - -smiled, for she had saved him whom she loved to hear speak; but the dread - -command that followed paled her cheek. Black paint meant hideous death. She - -saw this man so like the white father. Her piteous gaze tried to turn from - -that white face; but the cold, steely eyes fascinated her. - - - -She had saved one only to be the other's doom! - - - -She had always been drawn toward white men. Many prisoners had she rescued. - -She had even befriended her nation's bitter foe, Deathwind. She had listened - -to the young missionary with rapture; she had been his savior. And now when - -she looked into the eyes of this young giant, whose fate had rested on her all - -unwitting words, she resolved to save him. - - - -She had been a shy, shrinking creature, fearing to lift her eyes to a - -paleface's, but now they were raised clear and steadfast. - - - -As she stepped toward the captive and took his hand, her whole person radiated - -with conscious pride in her power. It was the knowledge that she could save. - -When she kissed his hand, and knelt before him, she expressed a tender - -humility. - - - -She had claimed questionable right of an Indian maiden; she asked what no - -Indian dared refuse a chief's daughter; she took the paleface for her husband. - - - -Her action was followed by an impressive silence. She remained kneeling. - -Wingenund resumed his slow march to and fro. Silvertip retired to his corner - -with gloomy face. The others bowed their heads as if the maiden's decree was - -irrevocable. - - - -Once more the chieftain's sonorous command rang out. An old Indian, wrinkled - -and worn, weird of aspect, fanciful of attire, entered the lodge and waved his - -wampum wand. He mumbled strange words, and departed chanting a long song. - - - -Whispering Winds arose, a soft, radiant smile playing over her face, and, - -still holding Joe's hand, she led him out of the lodge, through long rows of - -silent Indians, down a land bordered by teepees, he following like one in a - -dream. - - - -He expected to awaken at any minute to see the stars shining through the - -leaves. Yet he felt the warm, soft pressure of a little hand. Surely this - -slender, graceful figure was real. - - - -She bade him enter a lodge of imposing proportions. Still silent, in amazement - -and gratitude, he obeyed. - - - -The maiden turned to Joe. Though traces of pride still lingered, all her fire - -had vanished. Her bosom rose with each quick-panting breath; her lips - -quivered, she trembled like a trapped doe. - - - -But at last the fluttering lashes rose. Joe saw two velvety eyes dark with - -timid fear, yet veiling in their lustrous depths an unuttered hope and love. - - - -"Whispering Winds--save--paleface," she said, in a voice low and tremulous. - -"Fear--father. Fear--tell--Wingenund--she--Christian." - - - - - -Indian summer, that enchanted time, unfolded its golden, dreamy haze over the - -Delaware village. The forests blazed with autumn fire, the meadows boomed in - -rich luxuriance. All day low down in the valleys hung a purple smoke which - -changed, as the cool evening shades crept out of the woodland, into a cloud of - -white mist. All day the asters along the brooks lifted golden-brown faces to - -the sun as if to catch the warning warmth of his smile. All day the plains and - -forests lay in melancholy repose. The sad swish of the west wind over the tall - -grass told that he was slowly dying way before his enemy, the north wind. The - -sound of dropping nuts was heard under the motionless trees. - - - -For Joe the days were days of enchantment. His wild heart had found its mate. - -A willing captive he was now. All his fancy for other women, all his memories - -faded into love for his Indian bride. - - - -Whispering Winds charmed the eye, mind, and heart. Every day her beauty seemed - -renewed. She was as apt to learn as she was quick to turn her black-crowned - -head, but her supreme beauty was her loving, innocent soul. Untainted as the - -clearest spring, it mirrored the purity and simplicity of her life. Indian she - -might be, one of a race whose morals and manners were alien to the man she - -loved, yet she would have added honor to the proudest name. - - - -When Whispering Winds raised her dark eyes they showed radiant as a lone star; - -when she spoke low her voice made music. - - - -"Beloved," she whispered one day to him, "teach the Indian maiden more love - -for you, and truth, and God. Whispering Winds yearns to go to the Christians, - -but she fears her stern father. Wingenund would burn the Village of Peace. The - -Indian tribes tremble before the thunder of his wrath. Be patient, my chief. - -Time changes the leaves, so it will the anger of the warriors. Whispering - -Winds' will set you free, and be free herself to go far with you toward the - -rising sun, where dwell your people. She will love, and be constant, as the - -northern star. Her love will be an eternal spring where blossoms bloom ever - -anew, and fresh, and sweet. She will love your people, and raise Christian - -children, and sit ever in the door of your home praying for the west wind to - -blow. Or, if my chief wills, we shall live the Indian life, free as two eagles - -on their lonely crag." - - - -Although Joe gave himself up completely to his love for his bride, he did not - -forget that Kate was in the power of the renegade, and that he must rescue - -her. Knowing Girty had the unfortunate girls somewhere near the Delaware - -encampment, he resolved to find the place. Plans of all kinds he resolved in - -his mind. The best one he believed lay through Whispering Winds. First to find - -the whereabouts of Girty; kill him if possible, or at least free Kate, and - -then get away with her and his Indian bride. Sanguine as he invariably was, he - -could not but realize the peril of this undertaking. If Whispering Winds - -betrayed her people, it meant death to her as well as to him. He would far - -rather spend the remaining days of his life in the Indian village, than doom - -the maiden whose love had saved him. Yet he thought he might succeed in - -getting away with her, and planned to that end. His natural spirit, daring, - -reckless, had gained while he was associated with Wetzel. - - - -Meanwhile he mingled freely with the Indians, and here, as elsewhere, his - -winning personality, combined with his athletic prowess, soon made him well - -liked. He was even on friendly terms with Pipe. The swarthy war chief liked - -Joe because, despite the animosity he had aroused in some former lovers of - -Whispering Winds, he actually played jokes on them. In fact, Joe's pranks - -raised many a storm; but the young braves who had been suitors for Wingenund's - -lovely daughter, feared the muscular paleface, and the tribe's ridicule more; - -so he continued his trickery unmolested. Joe's idea was to lead the savages to - -believe he was thoroughly happy in his new life, and so he was, but it suited - -him better to be free. He succeeded in misleading the savages. At first he was - -closely watched, the the vigilance relaxed, and finally ceased. - - - -This last circumstance was owing, no doubt, to a ferment of excitement that - -had suddenly possessed the Delawares. Council after council was held in the - -big lodge. The encampment was visited by runner after runner. Some important - -crisis was pending. - - - -Joe could not learn what it all meant, and the fact that Whispering Winds - -suddenly lost her gladsome spirit and became sad caused him further anxiety. - -When he asked her the reason for her unhappiness, she was silent. Moreover, - -he was surprised to learn, when he questioned her upon the subject of their - -fleeing together, that she was eager to go immediately. While all this - -mystery puzzled Joe, it did not make any difference to him or in his plans. It - -rather favored the latter. He understood that the presence of Simon Girty and - -Elliott, with several other renegades unknown to him, was significant of - -unrest among the Indians. These presagers of evil were accustomed to go from - -village to village, exciting the savages to acts of war. Peace meant the - -downfall and death of these men. They were busy all day and far into the - -night. Often Joe heard Girty's hoarse voice lifted in the council lodge. Pipe - -thundered incessantly for war. But Joe could not learn against whom. - -Elliott's suave, oily oratory exhorted the Indians to vengeance. But Joe could - -not guess upon whom. He was, however, destined to learn. - - - -The third day of the councils a horseman stopped before Whispering Winds' - -lodge, and called out. Stepping to the door, Joe saw a white man, whose dark, - -keen, handsome face seemed familiar. Yet Joe know he had never seen this - -stalwart man. - - - -"A word with you," said the stranger. His tone was curt, authoritative, as - -that of a man used to power. - - - -"As many as you like. Who are you?" - - - -"I am Isaac Zane. Are you Wetzel's companion, or the renegade Deering?" - - - -"I am not a renegade any more than you are. I was rescued by the Indian girl, - -who took me as her husband," said Joe coldly. He was surprised, and did not - -know what to make of Zane's manner. - - - -"Good! I'm glad to meet you," instantly replied Zane, his tone and expression - -changing. He extended his hand to Joe. "I wanted to be sure. I never saw the - -renegade Deering. He is here now. I am on my way to the Wyandot town. I have - -been to Fort Henry, where my brother told me of you and the missionaries. When - -I arrived here I heard your story from Simon Girty. If you can, you must get - -away from here. If I dared I'd take you to the Huron village, but it's - -impossible. Go, while you have a chance." - - - -"Zane, I thank you. I've suspected something was wrong. What is it?" - - - -"Couldn't be worse," whispered Zane, glancing round to see if they were - -overheard. "Girty and Elliott, backed by this Deering, are growing jealous of - -the influence of Christianity on the Indians. They are plotting against the - -Village of Peace. Tarhe, the Huron chief, has been approached, and asked to - -join in a concerted movement against religion. Seemingly it is not so much the - -missionaries as the converted Indians, that the renegades are fuming over. - -They know if the Christian savages are killed, the strength of the - -missionaries' hold will be forever broken. Pipe is wild for blood. These - -renegades are slowly poisoning the minds of the few chiefs who are favorably - -disposed. The outlook is bad! bad!" - - - -"What can I do?" - - - -"Cut out for yourself. Get away, if you can, with a gun. Take the creek below, - -follow the current down to the Ohio, and then make east for Fort Henry. - - - -"But I want to rescue the white girl Jim Girty has concealed here somewhere." - - - -"Impossible! Don't attempt it unless you want to throw your life away. - -Buzzard Jim, as we call Girty, is a butcher; he has probably murdered the - -girl." - - - -"I won't leave without trying. And there's my wife, the Indian girl who saved - -me. Zane, she's a Christian. She wants to go with me. I can't leave her." - - - -"I am warning you, that's all. If I were you I'd never leave without a try to - -find the white girl, and I'd never forsake my Indian bride. I've been through - -the same thing. You must be a good woodsman, or Wetzel wouldn't have let you - -stay with him. Pick out a favorable time and make the attempt. I suggest you - -make your Indian girl show you where Girty is. She knows, but is afraid to - -tell you, for she fears Girty. Get your dog and horse from the Shawnee. That's - -a fine horse. He can carry you both to safety. Take him away from Silvertip." - - - -"How?" - - - -"Go right up and demand your horse and dog. Most of these Delawares are - -honest, for all their blood-shedding and cruelty. With them might is right. - -The Delawares won't try to get your horse for you; but they'll stick to you - -when you assert your rights. They don't like the Shawnee, anyhow. If Silvertip - -refuses to give you the horse, grab him before he can draw a weapon, and beat - -him good. You're big enough to do it. The Delawares will be tickled to see - -you pound him. He's thick with Girty; that's why he lays round here. Take my - -word, it's the best way. Do it openly, and no one will interfere." - - - -"By Heavens, Zane, I'll give him a drubbing. I owe him one, and am itching to - -get hold of him." - - - -"I must go now. I shall send a Wyandot runner to your brother at the village. - -They shall be warned. Good-by. Good luck. May we meet again." - - - -Joe watched Zane ride swiftly down the land and disappear in the shrubbery. - -Whispering Winds came to the door of the lodge. She looked anxiously at him. - -He went within, drawing her along with him, and quickly informed her that he - -had learned the cause of the council, that he had resolved to get away, and - -she must find out Girty's hiding place. Whispering Winds threw herself into - -his arms, declaring with an energy and passion unusual to her, that she would - -risk anything for him. She informed Joe that she knew the direction from which - -Girty always returned to the village. No doubt she could find his retreat. - -With a cunning that showed her Indian nature, she suggested a plan which Joe - -at once saw was excellent. After Joe got his horse, she would ride around the - -village, then off into the woods, where she could leave the horse and return - -to say he had run away from her. As was their custom during afternoons, they - -would walk leisurely along the brook, and, trusting to the excitement created - -by the councils, get away unobserved. Find the horse, if possible rescue the - -prisoner, and then travel east with all speed. - - - -Joe left the lodge at once to begin the working out of the plan. Luck favored - -him at the outset, for he met Silvertip before the council lodge. The Shawnee - -was leading Lance, and the dog followed at his heels. The spirit of Mose had - -been broken. Poor dog, Joe thought, he had been beaten until he was afraid to - -wag his tail at his old master. Joe's resentment blazed into fury, but he kept - -cool outwardly. - - - -Right before a crowd of Indians waiting for the council to begin, Joe planted - -himself in front of the Shawnee, barring his way. - - - -"Silvertip has the paleface's horse and dog," said Joe, in a loud voice. - - - -The chief stared haughtily while the other Indians sauntered nearer. They all - -knew how the Shawnee had got the animals, and now awaited the outcome of the - -white man's challenge. - - - -"Paleface--heap--liar," growled the Indian. His dark eyes glowed craftily, - -while his hand dropped, apparently in careless habit, to the haft of his - -tomahawk. - - - -Joe swung his long arm; his big fist caught the Shawnee on the jaw, sending - -him to the ground. Uttering a frightful yell, Silvertip drew his weapon and - -attempted to rise, but the moment's delay in seizing the hatchet, was fatal to - -his design. Joe was upon him with tigerlike suddenness. One kick sent the - -tomahawk spinning, another landed the Shawnee again on the ground. Blind with - -rage, Silvertip leaped up, and without a weapon rushed at his antagonist; but - -the Indian was not a boxer, and he failed to get his hands on Joe. Shifty and - -elusive, the lad dodged around the struggling savage. One, two, three hard - -blows staggered Silvertip, and a fourth, delivered with the force of Joe's - -powerful arm, caught the Indian when he was off his balance, and felled him, - -battered and bloody, on the grass. The surrounding Indians looked down at the - -vanquished Shawnee, expressing their approval in characteristic grunts. - - - -With Lance prancing proudly, and Mose leaping lovingly beside him, Joe walked - -back to his lodge. Whispering Winds sprang to meet him with joyful face. She - -had feared the outcome of trouble with the Shawnee, but no queen ever bestowed - -upon returning victorious lord a loftier look of pride, a sweeter glance of - -love, than the Indian maiden bent upon her lover. - - - -Whispering Winds informed Joe that an important council was to be held that - -afternoon. It would be wise for them to make the attempt to get away - -immediately after the convening of the chiefs. Accordingly she got upon Lance - -and rode him up and down the village lane, much to the pleasure of the - -watching Indians. She scattered the idle crowds on the grass plots, she dashed - -through the side streets, and let every one in the encampment see her clinging - -to the black stallion. Then she rode him out along the creek. Accustomed to - -her imperious will, the Indians thought nothing unusual. When she returned an - -hour later, with flying hair and disheveled costume, no one paid particular - -attention to her. - - - -That afternoon Joe and his bride were the favored of fortune. With Mose - -running before them, they got clear of the encampment and into the woods. - -Once in the forest Whispering Winds rapidly led the way east. When they - -climbed to the top of a rocky ridge she pointed down into a thicket before - -her, saying that somewhere in this dense hollow was Girty's hut. Joe hesitated - -about taking Mose. He wanted the dog, but in case he had to run it was - -necessary Whispering Winds should find his trail, and for this he left the dog - -with her. - - - -He started down the ridge, and had not gone a hundred paces when over some - -gray boulders he saw the thatched roof of a hut. So wild and secluded was the - -spot, that he would never have discovered the cabin from any other point than - -this, which he had been so fortunate as to find. - - - -His study and practice under Wetzel now stood him in good stead. He picked out - -the best path over the rough stones and through the brambles, always keeping - -under cover. He stepped as carefully as if the hunter was behind him. Soon he - -reached level ground. A dense laurel thicket hid the cabin, but he knew the - -direction in which it lay. Throwing himself flat on the ground, he wormed his - -way through the thicket, carefully, yet swiftly, because he knew there was no - -time to lose. Finally the rear of the cabin stood in front of him. - - - -It was made of logs, rudely hewn, and as rudely thrown together. In several - -places clay had fallen from chinks between the timbers, leaving small holes. - -Like a snake Joe slipped close to the hut. Raising his head he looked through - -one of the cracks. - - - -Instantly he shrank back into the grass, shivering with horror. He almost - -choked in his attempt to prevent an outcry. - - - - - - - -Chapter XVIII. - - - -The sight which Joe had seen horrified him, for several moments, into helpless - -inaction. He lay breathing heavily, impotent, in an awful rage. As he - -remained there stunned by the shock, he gazed up through the open space in the - -leaves, trying to still his fury, to realize the situation, to make no hasty - -move. The soft blue of the sky, the fleecy clouds drifting eastward, the - -fluttering leaves and the twittering birds--all assured him he was wide awake. - -He had found Girty's den where so many white women had been hidden, to see - -friends and home no more. He had seen the renegade sleeping, calmly sleeping - -like any other man. How could the wretch sleep! He had seen Kate. It had been - -the sight of her that had paralyzed him. To make a certainty of his fears, he - -again raised himself to peep into the hole. As he did so a faint cry came from - -within. - - - -Girty lay on a buffalo robe near a barred door. Beyond him sat Kate, huddled - -in one corner of the cabin. A long buckskin thong was knotted round her waist, - -and tied to a log. Her hair was matted and tangled, and on her face and arms - -were many discolored bruises. Worse still, in her plaintive moaning, in the - -meaningless movement of her head, in her vacant expression, was proof that her - -mind had gone. She was mad. Even as an agonizing pity came over Joe, to be - -followed by the surging fire of rage, blazing up in his breast, he could not - -but thank God that she was mad! It was merciful that Kate was no longer - -conscious of her suffering. - - - -Like leaves in a storm wavered Joe's hands as he clenched them until the nails - -brought blood. "Be calm, be cool," whispered his monitor, Wetzel, ever with - -him in spirit. But God! Could he be cool? Bounding with lion-spring he hurled - -his heavy frame against the door. - - - -Crash! The door was burst from its fastenings. - - - -Girty leaped up with startled yell, drawing his knife as he rose. It had not - -time to descend before Joe's second spring, more fierce even than the other, - -carried him directly on top of the renegade. As the two went down Joe caught - -the villain's wrist with a grip that literally cracked the bones. The knife - -fell and rolled away from the struggling men. For an instant they tumbled - -about on the floor, clasped in a crushing embrace. The renegade was strong, - -supple, slippery as an eel. Twice he wriggled from his foe. Gnashing his - -teeth, he fought like a hyena. He was fighting for life--life, which is never - -so dear as to a coward and a murderer. Doom glared from Joe's big eyes, and - -scream after scream issued from the renegade's white lips. - - - -Terrible was this struggle, but brief. Joe seemingly had the strength of ten - -men. Twice he pulled Girty down as a wolf drags a deer. He dashed him against - -the wall, throwing him nearing and nearer the knife. Once within reach of the - -blade Joe struck the renegade a severe blow on the temple and the villain's - -wrestling became weaker. Planting his heavy knee on Girty's breast, Joe - -reached for the knife, and swung it high. Exultantly he cried, mad with lust - -for the brute's blood. - - - -But the slight delay saved Girty's life. - - - -The knife was knocked from Joe's hand and he leaped erect to find himself - -confronted by Silvertip. The chief held a tomahawk with which he had struck - -the weapon from the young man's grasp, and, to judge from his burning eyes and - -malignant smile, he meant to brain the now defenseless paleface. - - - -In a single fleeting instant Joe saw that Girty was helpless for the moment, - -that Silvertip was confident of his revenge, and that the situation called for - -Wetzel's characteristic advice, "act like lightnin'." - - - -Swifter than the thought was the leap he made past Silvertip. It carried him - -to a wooden bar which lay on the floor. Escape was easy, for the door was - -before him and the Shawnee behind, but Joe did not flee! He seized the bar and - -rushed at the Indian. Then began a duel in which the savage's quickness and - -cunning matched the white man's strength and fury. Silvertip dodged the - -vicious swings Joe aimed at him; he parried many blows, any one of which would - -have crushed his skull. Nimble as a cat, he avoided every rush, while his dark - -eyes watched for an opening. He fought wholly on the defensive, craftily - -reserving his strength until his opponent should tire. - - - -At last, catching the bar on his hatchet, he broke the force of the blow, and - -then, with agile movement, dropped to the ground and grappled Joe's legs. Long - -before this he had drawn his knife, and now he used it, plunging the blade - -into the young man's side. - - - -Cunning and successful as was the savage's ruse, it failed signally, for to - -get hold of the Shawnee was all Joe wanted. Feeling the sharp pain as they - -fell together, he reached his hand behind him and caught Silvertip's wrist. - -Exerting all his power, he wrenched the Indian's arm so that it was not only - -dislocated, but the bones cracked. - - - -Silvertip saw his fatal mistake, but he uttered no sound. Crippled, though he - -was, he yet made a supreme effort, but it was as if he had been in the hands - -of a giant. The lad handled him with remorseless and resistless fury. Suddenly - -he grasped the knife, which Silvertip had been unable to hold with his - -crippled hand, and thrust it deeply into the Indian's side. - - - -All Silvertip's muscles relaxed as if a strong tension had been removed. - -Slowly his legs straightened, his arms dropped, and from his side gushed a - -dark flood. A shadow crept over his face, not dark nor white, but just a - -shadow. His eyes lost their hate; they no longer saw the foe, they looked - -beyond with gloomy question, and then were fixed cold in death. Silvertip died - -as he had lived--a chief. - - - -Joe glared round for Girty. He was gone, having slipped away during the fight. - -The lad turned to release the poor prisoner, when he started back with a cry - -of fear. Kate lay bathed in a pool of blood--dead. The renegade, fearing she - -might be rescued, had murdered her, and then fled from the cabin. - - - -Almost blinded by horror, and staggering with weakness, Joe turned to leave - -the cabin. Realizing that he was seriously, perhaps dangerously, wounded he - -wisely thought he must not leave the place without weapons. He had marked the - -pegs where the renegade's rifle hung, and had been careful to keep between - -that and his enemies. He took down the gun and horns, which were attached to - -it, and, with one last shuddering glance at poor Kate, left the place. - - - -He was conscious of a queer lightness in his head, but he suffered no pain. - -His garments were dripping with blood. He did not know how much of it was his, - -or the Indian's. Instinct rather than sight was his guide. He grew weaker and - -weaker; his head began to whirl, yet he kept on, knowing that life and freedom - -were his if he found Whispering Winds. He gained the top of the ridge; his - -eyes were blurred, his strength gone. He called aloud, and then plunged - -forward on his face. He heard dimly, as though the sound were afar off, the - -whine of a dog. He felt something soft and wet on his face. Then consciousness - -left him. - - - -When he regained his senses he was lying on a bed of ferns under a projecting - -rock. He heard the gurgle of running water mingling with the song of birds. - -Near him lay Mose, and beyond rose a wall of green thicket. Neither Whispering - -Winds nor his horse was visible. - - - -He felt a dreamy lassitude. He was tired, but had no pain. Finding he could - -move without difficulty, he concluded his weakness was more from loss of blood - -than a dangerous wound. He put his hand on the place where he had been - -stabbed, and felt a soft, warm compress such as might have been made by a - -bunch of wet leaves. Some one had unlaced his hunting-shirt--for he saw the - -strings were not as he usually tied them--and had dressed the wound. Joe - -decided, after some deliberation, that Whispering Winds had found him, made - -him as comfortable as possible, and, leaving Mose on guard, had gone out to - -hunt for food, or perhaps back to the Indian encampment. The rifle and horns - -he had taken from Girty's hut, together with Silvertip's knife, lay beside - -him. - - - -As Joe lay there hoping for Whispering Winds' return, his reflections were not - -pleasant. Fortunate, indeed, he was to be alive; but he had no hope he could - -continue to be favored by fortune. Odds were now against his escape. Girty - -would have the Delawares on his trail like a pack of hungry wolves. He could - -not understand the absence of Whispering Winds. She would have died sooner - -than desert him. Girty had, perhaps, captured her, and was now scouring the - -woods for him. - - - -"I'll get him next time, or he'll get me," muttered Joe, in bitter wrath. He - -could never forgive himself for his failure to kill the renegade. - - - -The recollection of how nearly he had forever ended Girty's brutal career - -brought before Joe's mind the scene of the fight. He saw again Buzzard Jim's - -face, revolting, unlike anything human. There stretched Silvertip's dark - -figure, lying still and stark, and there was Kate's white form in its winding, - -crimson wreath of blood. Hauntingly her face returned, sad, stern in its cold - -rigidity,. - - - -"Poor girl, better for her to be dead," he murmured. "Not long will she be - -unavenged!" - - - -His thoughts drifted to the future. He had no fear of starvation, for Mose - -could catch a rabbit or woodchuck at any time. When the strips of meat he had - -hidden in his coat were gone, he could start a fire and roast more. What - -concerned him most was pursuit. His trail from the cabin had been a bloody - -one, which would render it easily followed. He dared not risk exertion until - -he had given his wound time to heal. Then, if he did escape from Girty and the - -Delawares, his future was not bright. His experiences of the last few days had - -not only sobered, but brought home to him this real border life. With all his - -fire and daring he new he was no fool. He had eagerly embraced a career which, - -at the present stage of his training, was beyond his scope--not that he did - -not know how to act in sudden crises, but because he had not had the necessary - -practice to quickly and surely use his knowledge. - - - -Bitter, indeed, was his self-scorn when he recalled that of the several - -critical positions he had been in since his acquaintance with Wetzel, he had - -failed in all but one. The exception was the killing of Silvertip. Here his - -fury had made him fight as Wetzel fought with only his every day incentive. He - -realized that the border was no place for any save the boldest and most - -experienced hunters--men who had become inured to hardship, callous as to - -death, keen as Indians. Fear was not in Joe nor lack of confidence; but he had - -good sense, and realized he would have done a wiser thing had he stayed at - -Fort Henry. Colonel Zane was right. The Indians were tigers, the renegades - -vultures, the vast untrammeled forests and plains their covert. Ten years of - -war had rendered this wilderness a place where those few white men who had - -survived were hardened to the spilling of blood, stern even in those few quiet - -hours which peril allowed them, strong in their sacrifice of all for future - -generations. - - - -A low growl from Mose broke into Joe's reflections. The dog had raised his - -nose from his paws and sniffed suspiciously at the air. The lad heard a slight - -rustling outside, and in another moment was overjoyed at seeing Whispering - -Winds. She came swiftly, with a lithe, graceful motion, and flying to him like - -a rush of wind, knelt beside him. She kissed him and murmured words of - -endearment. - - - -"Winds, where have you been?" he asked her, in the mixed English and Indian - -dialect in which they conversed. - - - -She told him the dog had led her to him two evenings before. He was - -insensible. She had bathed and bandaged his wound, and remained with him all - -that night. The next day, finding he was ill and delirious, she decided to - -risk returning to the village. If any questions arose, she could say he had - -left her. Then she would find a way to get back to him, bringing healing herbs - -for his wound and a soothing drink. As it turned out Girty had returned to the - -camp. He was battered and bruised, and in a white heat of passion. Going at - -once to Wingenund, the renegade openly accused Whispering Winds of aiding her - -paleface lover to escape. Wingenund called his daughter before him, and - -questioned her. She confessed all to her father. - - - -"Why is the daughter of Wingenund a traitor to her race?" demanded the chief. - - - -"Whispering Winds is a Christian." - - - -Wingenund received this intelligence as a blow. He dismissed Girty and sent - -his braves from his lodge, facing his daughter alone. Gloomy and stern, he - -paced before her. - - - -"Wingenund's blood might change, but would never betray. Wingenund is the - -Delaware chief," he said. "Go. Darken no more the door of Wingenund's wigwam. - -Let the flower of the Delawares fade in alien pastures. Go. Whispering Winds - -is free!" - - - -Tears shone brightly in the Indian girl's eyes while she told Joe her story. - -She loved her father, and she would see him no more. - - - -"Winds is free," she whispered. "When strength returns to her master she can - -follow him to the white villages. Winds will live her life for him." - - - -"Then we have no one to fear?" asked Joe. - - - -"No redman, now that the Shawnee chief is dead." - - - -"Will Girty follow us? He is a coward; he will fear to come alone." - - - -"The white savage is a snake in the grass." - - - -Two long days followed, during which the lovers lay quietly in hiding. On the - -morning of the third day Joe felt that he might risk the start for the Village - -of Peace. Whispering Winds led the horse below a stone upon which the invalid - -stood, thus enabling him to mount. Then she got on behind him. - - - -The sun was just gilding the horizon when they rode out of the woods into a - -wide plain. No living thing could be seen. Along the edge of the forest the - -ground was level, and the horse traveled easily. Several times during the - -morning Joe dismounted beside a pile of stones or a fallen tree. The miles - -were traversed without serious inconvenience to the invalid, except that he - -grew tired. Toward the middle of the afternoon, when they had ridden perhaps - -twenty-five miles, they crossed a swift, narrow brook. The water was a - -beautiful clear brown. Joe made note of this, as it was an unusual - -circumstance. Nearly all the streams, when not flooded, were green in color. - -He remembered that during his wanderings with Wetzel they had found one stream - -of this brown, copper-colored water. The lad knew he must take a roundabout - -way to the village so that he might avoid Indian runners or scouts, and he - -hoped this stream would prove to be the one he had once camped upon. - - - -As they were riding toward a gentle swell or knoll covered with trees and - -shrubbery, Whispering Winds felt something warm on her hand, and, looking, was - -horrified to find it covered with blood. Joe's wound had opened. She told him - -they must dismount here, and remain until he was stronger. The invalid himself - -thought this conclusion was wise. They would be practically safe now, since - -they must be out of the Indian path, and many miles from the encampment. - -Accordingly he got off the horse, and sat down on a log, while Whispering - -Winds searched for a suitable place in which to erect a temporary shelter. - - - -Joe's wandering gaze was arrested by a tree with a huge knotty formation near - -the ground. It was like many trees, but this peculiarity was not what struck - -Joe. He had seen it before. He never forgot anything in the woods that once - -attracted his attention. He looked around on all sides. Just behind him was - -an opening in the clump of trees. Within this was a perpendicular stone - -covered with moss and lichens; above it a beech tree spread long, graceful - -branches. He thrilled with the remembrance these familiar marks brought. This - -was Beautiful Spring, the place where Wetzel rescued Nell, where he had killed - -the Indians in that night attack he would never forget. - - - - - - - -Chapter XIX. - - - -One evening a week or more after the disappearance of Jim and the girls, - -George Young and David Edwards, the missionaries, sat on the cabin steps, - -gazing disconsolately upon the forest scenery. Hard as had been the ten years - -of their labor among the Indians, nothing had shaken them as the loss of their - -young friends. - - - -"Dave, I tell you your theory about seeing them again is absurd," asserted - -George. "I'll never forget that wretch, Girty, as he spoke to Nell. Why, she - -just wilted like a flower blasted by fire. I can't understand why he let me - -go, and kept Jim, unless the Shawnee had something to do with it. I never - -wished until now that I was a hunter. I'd go after Girty. You've heard as - -well as I of his many atrocities. I'd rather have seen Kate and Nell dead than - -have them fall into his power. I'd rather have killed them myself!" - - - -Young had aged perceptibly in these last few days. The blue veins showed at - -his temples; his face had become thinner and paler, his eyes had a look of - -pain. The former expression of patience, which had sat so well on him, was - -gone. - - - -"George, I can't account for my fancies or feelings, else, perhaps, I'd be - -easier in mind," answered Dave. His face, too, showed the ravages of grief. - -"I've had queer thoughts lately, and dreams such as I never had before. - -Perhaps it's this trouble which has made me so nervous. I don't seem able to - -pull myself together. I can neither preach nor work." - - - -"Neither can I! This trouble has hit you as hard as it has me. But, Dave, - -we've still our duty. To endure, to endure--that is our life. Because a beam - -of sunshine brightened, for a brief time, the gray of our lives, and then - -faded away, we must not shirk nor grow sour and discontented." - - - -"But how cruel is this border life!" - - - -"Nature itself is brutal." - - - -"Yes, I know, and we have elected to spend our lives here in the midst of this - -ceaseless strife, to fare poorly, to have no pleasure, never to feel the - -comfort of a woman's smiles, nor the joy of a child's caress, all because out - -in the woods are ten or twenty or a hundred savages we may convert." - - - -"That is why, and it is enough. It is hard to give up the women you love to a - -black-souled renegade, but that is not for my thought. What kills me is the - -horror for her--for her." - - - -"I, too, suffer with that thought; more than that, I am morbid and depressed. - -I feel as if some calamity awaited us here. I have never been superstitious, - -nor have I had presentiments, but of late there are strange fears in my mind." - - - -At this juncture Mr. Wells and Heckewelder came out of the adjoining cabin. - - - -"I had word from a trustworthy runner to-day. Girty and his captives have not - -been seen in the Delaware towns," aid Heckewelder. - - - -"It is most unlikely that he will take them to the towns," replied Edwards. - -"What do you make of his capturing Jim?" - - - -"For Pipe, perhaps. The Delaware Wolf is snapping his teeth. Pipe is - -particularly opposed to Christianity, and--what's that?" - - - -A low whistle from the bushes near the creek bank attracted the attention of - -all. The younger men got up to investigate, but Heckewelder detained them. - - - -"Wait," he added. "There is no telling what that signal may mean." - - - -They waited with breathless interest. Presently the whistle was repeated, and - -an instant later the tall figure of a man stepped from behind a thicket. He - -was a white man, but not recognizable at that distance, even if a friend. The - -stranger waved his hand as if asking them to be cautious, and come to him. - - - -They went toward the thicket, and when within a few paces of the man Mr. Wells - -exclaimed: - - - -"It's the man who guided my party to the village. It is Wetzel!" - - - -The other missionaries had never seen the hunter though, of course, they were - -familiar with his name, and looked at him with great curiosity. The hunter's - -buckskin garments were wet, torn, and covered with burrs. Dark spots, - -evidently blood stains, showed on his hunting-shirt. - - - -"Wetzel?" interrogated Heckewelder. - - - -The hunter nodded, and took a step behind the bush. Bending over he lifted - -something from the ground. It was a girl. It was Nell! She was very white--but - -alive. A faint, glad smile lighted up her features. - - - -Not a word was spoken. With an expression of tender compassion Mr. Wells - -received her into his arms. The four missionaries turned fearful, questioning - -eyes upon the hunter, but they could not speak. - - - -"She's well, an' unharmed," said Wetzel, reading their thoughts, "only worn - -out. I've carried her these ten miles." - - - -"God bless you, Wetzel!" exclaimed the old missionary. "Nellie, Nellie, can - -you speak?" - - - -"Uncle dear--I'm--all right," came the faint answer. - - - -"Kate? What--of her?" whispered George Young with lips as dry as corn husks. - - - -"I did my best," said the hunter with a simple dignity. Nothing but the - -agonized appeal in the young man's eyes could have made Wetzel speak of his - -achievement. - - - -"Tell us," broke in Heckewelder, seeing that fear had stricken George dumb. - - - -"We trailed 'em an' got away with the golden-haired lass. The last I saw of - -Joe he was braced up agin a rock fightin' like a wildcat. I tried to cut Jim - -loose as I was goin' by. I s'pect the wust fer the brothers an' the other - -lass." - - - -"Can we do nothing?" asked Mr. Wells. - - - -"Nothin'!" - - - -"Wetzel, has the capturing of James Downs any significance to you?" inquired - -Heckewelder. - - - -"I reckon so." - - - -"What?" - - - -"Pipe an' his white-redskin allies are agin Christianity." - - - -"Do you think we are in danger?" - - - -"I reckon so." - - - -"What do you advise?" - - - -"Pack up a few of your traps, take the lass, an' come with me. I'll see you - -back in Fort Henry." - - - -Heckewelder nervously walked up to the tree and back again. Young and Edwards - -looked blankly at one another. They both remembered Edward's presentiment. Mr. - -Wells uttered an angry exclamation. - - - -"You ask us to fail in our duty? No, never! To go back to the white - -settlements and acknowledge we were afraid to continue teaching the Gospel to - -the Indians! You can not understand Christianity if you advise that. You have - -no religion. You are a killer of Indians." - - - -A shadow that might have been one of pain flitted over the hunter's face. - - - -"No, I ain't a Christian, an' I am a killer of Injuns," said Wetzel, and his - -deep voice had a strange tremor. "I don't know nothin' much 'cept the woods - -an' fields, an' if there's a God fer me He's out thar under the trees an' - -grass. Mr. Wells, you're the first man as ever called me a coward, an' I - -overlook it because of your callin'. I advise you to go back to Fort Henry, - -because if you don't go now the chances are aginst your ever goin'. - -Christianity or no Christianity, such men as you hev no bisness in these - -woods." - - - -"I thank you for your advice, and bless you for your rescue of this child; but - -I can not leave my work, nor can I understand why all this good work we have - -done should be called useless. We have converted Indians, saved their souls. - -Is that not being of some use, of some good here?" - - - -"It's accordin' to how you look at it. Now I know the bark of an oak is - -different accordin' to the side we see from. I'll allow, hatin' Injuns as I - -do, is no reason you oughtn't to try an' convert 'em. But you're bringin' on a - -war. These Injuns won't allow this Village of Peace here with its big fields - -of corn, an' shops an' workin' redskins. It's agin their nature. You're only - -sacrificin' your Christian Injuns." - - - -"What do you mean?" asked Mr. Wells, startled by Wetzel's words. - - - -"Enough. I'm ready to guide you to Fort Henry." - - - -"I'll never go." - - - -Wetzel looked at the other men. No one would have doubted him. No one could - -have failed to see he knew that some terrible anger hovered over the Village - -of Peace. - - - -"I believe you, Wetzel, but I can not go," said Heckewelder, with white face. - - - -"I will stay," said George, steadily. - - - -"And I," said Dave. - - - -Wetzel nodded, and turned to depart when George grasped his arm. The young - -missionary's face was drawn and haggard; he fixed an intense gaze upon the - -hunter. - - - -"Wetzel, listen;" his voice was low and shaken with deep feeling. "I am a - -teacher of God's word, and I am as earnest in that purpose as you are in your - -life-work. I shall die here; I shall fill an unmarked grave; but I shall have - -done the best I could. This is the life destiny has marked out for me, and I - -will live it as best I may; but in this moment, preacher as I am, I would give - -all I have or hope to have, all the little good I may have done, all my life, - -to be such a man as you. For I would avenge the woman I loved. To torture, to - -kill Girty! I am only a poor, weak fellow who would be lost a mile from this - -village, and if not, would fall before the youngest brave. But you with your - -glorious strength, your incomparable woodcraft, you are the man to kill Girty. - -Rid the frontier of this fiend. Kill him! Wetzel, kill him! I beseech you for - -the sake of some sweet girl who even now may be on her way to this terrible - -country, and who may fall into Girty's power--for her sake, Wetzel, kill him. - -Trail him like a bloodhound, and when you find him remember my broken heart, - -remember Nell, remember, oh, God! remember poor Kate!" - - - -Young's voice broke into dry sobs. He had completely exhausted himself, so - -that he was forced to lean against the tree for support. - - - -Wetzel spoke never a word. He stretched out his long, brawny arm and gripped - -the young missionary's shoulder. His fingers clasped hard. Simple, without - -words as the action was, it could not have been more potent. And then, as he - -stood, the softer look faded slowly from his face. A ripple seemed to run over - -his features, which froze, as it subsided, into a cold, stone rigidity. - - - -His arm dropped; he stepped past the tree, and, bounding lightly as a deer, - -cleared the creek and disappeared in the bushes. - - - -Mr. Wells carried Nell to his cabin where she lay for hours with wan face and - -listless languor. She swallowed the nourishing drink an old Indian nurse - -forced between her teeth; she even smiled weakly when the missionaries spoke - -to her; but she said nothing nor seemed to rally from her terrible shock. A - -dark shadow lay always before her, conscious of nothing present, living over - -again her frightful experience. Again she seemed sunk in dull apathy. - - - -"Dave, we're going to loose Nell. She's fading slowly," said George, one - -evening, several days after the girl's return. "Wetzel said she was unharmed, - -yet she seems to have received a hurt more fatal than a physical one. It's her - -mind--her mind. If we cannot brighten her up to make her forget, she'll die." - - - -"We've done all within our power. If she could only be brought out of this - -trance! She lies there all day long with those staring eyes. I can't look into - -them. They are the eyes of a child who has seen murder." - - - -"We must try in some way to get her out of this stupor, and I have an idea. - -Have you noticed that Mr. Wells has failed very much in the last few weeks?" - - - -"Indeed I have, and I'm afraid he's breaking down. He has grown so thin, eats - -very little, and doesn't sleep. He is old, you know, and, despite his zeal, - -this border life is telling on him." - - - -"Dave, I believe he knows it. Poor, earnest old man! He never says a word - -about himself, yet he must know he is going down hill. Well, we all begin, - -sooner or later, that descent which ends in the grave. I believe we might stir - -Nellie by telling her Mr. Wells' health is breaking." - - - -"Let us try." - - - -A hurried knock on the door interrupted their conversation. - - - -"Come in," said Edwards. - - - -The door opened to admit a man, who entered eagerly. - - - -"Jim! Jim!" exclaimed both missionaries, throwing themselves upon the - -newcomer. - - - -It was, indeed, Jim, but no answering smile lighted his worn, distressed face - -while he wrung his friends' hands. - - - -"You're not hurt?" asked Dave. - - - -"No, I'm uninjured." - - - -"Tell us all. Did you escape? Did you see your brother? Did you know Wetzel - -rescued Nell?" - - - -"Wingenund set me free in spite of many demands for my death. He kept Joe a - -prisoner, and intends to kill him, for the lad was Wetzel's companion. I saw - -the hunter come into the glade where we camped, break through the line of - -fighting Indians and carry Nell off." - - - -"Kate?" faltered Young, with ashen face. - - - -"George, I wish to God I could tell you she is dead," answered Jim, nervously - -pacing the room. "But she was well when I last saw her. She endured the hard - -journey better than either Nell or I. Girty did not carry her into the - -encampment, as Silvertip did Joe and me, but the renegade left us on the - -outskirts of the Delaware town. There was a rocky ravine with dense - -undergrowth where he disappeared with his captive. I suppose he has his den - -somewhere in that ravine." - - - -George sank down and buried his face in his arms; neither movement nor sound - -betokened consciousness. - - - -"Has Wetzel come in with Nell? Joe said he had a cave where he might have - -taken her in case of illness or accident." - - - -"Yes, he brought her back," answered Edwards, slowly. - - - -"I want to see her," said Jim, his haggard face expressing a keen anxiety. - -"She's not wounded? hurt? ill?" - - - -"No, nothing like that. It's a shock which she can't get over, can't forget." - - - -"I must see her," cried Jim, moving toward the door. - - - -"Don't go," replied Dave, detaining him. "Wait. We must see what's best to be - -done. Wait till Heckewelder comes. He'll be here soon. Nell thinks you're - -dead, and the surprise might be bad for her." - - - -Heckewelder came in at that moment, and shook hands warmly with Jim. - - - -"The Delaware runner told me you were here. I am overjoyed that Wingenund - -freed you," said the missionary. "It is a most favorable sign. I have heard - -rumors from Goshocking and Sandusky that have worried me. This good news more - -than offsets the bad. I am sorry about your brother. Are you well?" - - - -"Well, but miserable. I want to see Nell. Dave tells me she is not exactly - -ill, but something is wrong with her. Perhaps I ought not to see her just - -yet." - - - -"It'll be exactly the tonic for her," replied Heckewelder. "She'll be - -surprised out of herself. She is morbid, apathetic, and, try as we may, we - -can't interest her. Come at once." - - - -Heckewelder had taken Jim's arm and started for the door when he caught sight - -of Young, sitting bowed and motionless. Turning to Jim he whispered: - - - -"Kate?" - - - -"Girty did not take her into the encampment," answered Jim, in a low voice. - -"I hoped he would, because the Indians are kind, but he didn't. He took her to - -his den." - - - -Just then Young raised his face. The despair in it would have melted a heart - -of stone. It had become the face of an old man. - - - -"If only you'd told me she had died," he said to Jim, "I'd have been man - -enough to stand it, but--this--this kills me--I can't breathe!" - - - -He staggered into the adjoining room, where he flung himself upon a bed. - - - -"It's hard, and he won't be able to stand up under it, for he's not strong," - -whispered Jim. - - - -Heckewelder was a mild, pious man, in whom no one would ever expect strong - -passion; but now depths were stirred within his heart that had ever been - -tranquil. He became livid, and his face was distorted with rage. - - - -"It's bad enough to have these renegades plotting and working against our - -religion; to have them sow discontent, spread lies, make the Indians think we - -have axes to grind, to plant the only obstacle in our path--all this is bad; - -but to doom an innocent white woman to worse than death! What can I call it!" - - - -"What can we do?" asked Jim. - - - -"Do? That's the worst of it. We can do nothing, nothing. We dare not move." - - - -"Is there no hope of getting Kate back?" - - - -"Hope? None. That villain is surrounded by his savages. He'll lie low now for - -a while. I've heard of such deeds many a time, but it never before came so - -close home. Kate Wells was a pure, loving Christian woman. She'll live an - -hour, a day, a week, perhaps, in that snake's clutches, and then she'll die. - -Thank God!" - - - -"Wetzel has gone on Girty's trail. I know that from his manner when he left - -us," said Edwards. - - - -"Wetzel may avenge her, but he can never save her. It's too late. Hello---" - - - -The exclamation was called forth by the appearance of Young, who entered with - -a rifle in his hands. - - - -"George, where are you going with that gun?" asked Edwards, grasping his - -friend by the arm. - - - -"I'm going after her," answered George wildly. He tottered as he spoke, but - -wrenched himself free from Dave. - - - -"Come, George, listen, listen to reason," interposed Heckewelder, laying hold - -of Young. "You are frantic with grief now. So are all of us. But calm - -yourself. Why, man, you're a preacher, not a hunter. You'd be lost, you'd - -starve in the woods before getting half way to the Indian town. This is - -terrible enough; don't make it worse by throwing your life away. Think of us, - -your friends; think of your Indian pupils who rely so much on you. Think of - -the Village of Peace. We can pray, but we can't prevent these border crimes. - -With civilization, with the spread of Christianity, they will pass away. Bear - -up under this blow for the sake of your work. Remember we alone can check such - -barbarity. But we must not fight. We must sacrifice all that men hold dear, - -for the sake of the future." - - - -He took the rifle away from George, and led him back into the little, dark - -room. Closing the door he turned to Jim and Dave. - - - -"He is in a bad way, and we must carefully watch him for a few days." - - - -"Think of George starting out to kill Girty!" exclaimed Dave. "I never fired a - -gun, but yet I'd go too." - - - -"So would we all, if we did as our hearts dictate," retorted Heckewelder, - -turning fiercely upon Dave as if stung. "Man! we have a village full of - -Christians to look after. What would become of them? I tell you we've all we - -can do here to outwit these border ruffians. Simon Girty is plotting our ruin. - -I heard it to-day from the Delaware runner who is my friend. He is jealous of - -our influence, when all we desire is to save these poor Indians. And, Jim, - -Girty has killed our happiness. Can we ever recover from the misery brought - -upon us by poor Kate's fate?" - - - -The missionary raised his hand as if to exhort some power above. - - - -"Curse the Girty's!" he exclaimed in a sudden burst of uncontrollable passion. - -"Having conquered all other obstacles, must we fail because of wicked men of - -our own race? Oh, curse them!" - - - -"Come," he said, presently, in a voice which trembled with the effort he made - -to be calm. "We'll go in to Nellie." - - - -The three men entered Mr. Wells' cabin. The old missionary, with bowed head - -and hands clasped behind his back, was pacing to and fro. He greeted Jim with - -glad surprise. - - - -"We want Nellie to see him," whispered Heckewelder. "We think the surprise - -will do her good." - - - -"I trust it may," said Mr. Wells. - - - -"Leave it to me." - - - -They followed Heckewelder into an adjoining room. A torch flickered over the - -rude mantle-shelf, lighting up the room with fitful flare. It was a warm - -night, and the soft breeze coming in the window alternately paled and - -brightened the flame. - - - -Jim saw Nell lying on the bed. Her eyes were closed, and her long, dark lashes - -seemed black against the marble paleness of her skin. - - - -"Stand behind me," whispered Heckewelder to Jim. - - - -"Nellie," he called softly, but only a faint flickering of her lashes answered - -him. - - - -"Nellie, Nellie," repeated Heckewelder, his deep, strong voice thrilling. - - - -Her eyes opened. They gazed at Mr. Wells on one side, at Edwards standing at - -the foot of the bed, at Heckewelder leaning over her, but there was no - -recognition or interest in her look. - - - -"Nellie, can you understand me?" asked Heckewelder, putting into his voice all - -the power and intensity of feeling of which he was capable. - - - -An almost imperceptible shadow of understanding shone in her eyes. - - - -"Listen. You have had a terrible shock, and it has affected your mind. You - -are mistaken in what you think, what you dream of all the time. Do you - -understand? You are wrong!" - - - -Nell's eyes quickened with a puzzled, questioning doubt. The minister's - -magnetic, penetrating voice had pierced her dulled brain. - - - -"See, I have brought you Jim!" - - - -Heckewelder stepped aside as Jim fell on his knees by the bed. He took her - -cold hands in his and bent over her. For the moment his voice failed. - - - -The doubt in Nell's eyes changed to a wondrous gladness. It was like the - -rekindling of a smoldering fire. - - - -"Jim?" she whispered. - - - -"Yes, Nellie, it's Jim alive and well. It's Jim come back to you." - - - -A soft flush stained her white face. She slipped her arm tenderly around his - -neck, and held her cheek close to his. - - - -"Jim," she murmured. - - - -"Nellie, don't you now me?" asked Mr. Wells, trembling, excited. This was the - -first word she had spoken in four days. - - - -"Uncle!" she exclaimed, suddenly loosening her hold on Jim, and sitting up in - -bed, then she gazed wildly at the others. - - - -"Was it all a horrible dream?" - - - -Mr. Wells took her hand soothingly, but he did not attempt to answer her - -question. He looked helplessly at Heckewelder, but that missionary was - -intently studying the expression on Nell's face. - - - -"Part of it was a dream," he answered,impressively. - - - -"Then that horrible man did take us away?" - - - -"Yes." - - - -"Oh-h! but we're free now? This is my room. Oh, tell me?" - - - -"Yes, Nellie, you're safe at home now." - - - -"Tell--tell me," she cried, shudderingly, as she leaned close to Jim and - -raised a white, imploring face to his. "Where is Kate?--Oh! Jim--say, say she - -wasn't left with Girty?" - - - -"Kate is dead," answered Jim, quickly. He could not endure the horror in her - -eyes. He deliberately intended to lie, as had Heckewelder. - - - -It was as if the tension of Nell's nerves was suddenly relaxed. The relief - -from her worst fear was so great that her mind took in only the one - -impression. Then, presently, a choking cry escaped her, to be followed by a - -paroxysm of sobs. - - - - - - - -Chapter XX. - - - -Early on the following day Heckewelder, astride his horse, appeared at the - -door of Edwards' cabin. - - - -"How is George?" he inquired of Dave, when the latter had opened the door. - - - -"He had a bad night, but is sleeping now. I think he'll be all right after a - -time," answered Dave. - - - -"That's well. Nevertheless keep a watch on him for a few days." - - - -"I'll do so." - - - -"Dave, I leave matters here to your good judgment. I'm off to Goshocking to - -join Zeisberger. Affairs there demand our immediate attention, and we must - -make haste." - - - -"How long do you intend to be absent?" - - - -"A few days; possibly a week. In case of any unusual disturbance among the - -Indians, the appearance of Pipe and his tribe, or any of the opposing - -factions, send a fleet runner at once to warn me. Most of my fears have been - -allayed by Wingenund's attitude toward us. His freeing Jim in face of the - -opposition of his chiefs is a sure sign of friendliness. More than once I have - -suspected that he was interested in Christianity. His daughter, Whispering - -Winds, exhibited the same intense fervor in religion as has been manifested by - -all our converts. It may be that we have not appealed in vain to Wingenund and - -his daughter; but their high position in the Delaware tribe makes it impolitic - -for them to reveal a change of heart. If we could win over those two we'd have - -every chance to convert the whole tribe. Well, as it is we must be thankful - -for Wingenund's friendship. We have two powerful allies now. Tarhe, the - -Wyandot chieftain, remains neutral, to be sure, but that's almost as helpful - -as his friendship." - - - -"I, too, take a hopeful view of the situation," replied Edwards. - - - -"We'll trust in Providence, and do our best," said Heckewelder, as he turned - -his horse. "Good-by." - - - -"Godspeed!" called Edwards, as his chief rode away. - - - -The missionary resumed his work of getting breakfast. He remained in doors all - -that day, except for the few moments when he ran over to Mr. Wells' cabin to - -inquire regarding Nell's condition. He was relieved to learn she was so much - -better that she had declared her intention of moving about the house. Dave - -kept a close watch on Young. He, himself, was suffering from the same blow - -which had prostrated his friend, but his physical strength and fortitude were - -such that he did not weaken. He was overjoyed to see that George rallied, and - -showed no further indications of breaking down. - - - -True it was, perhaps, that Heckewelder's earnest prayer on behalf of the - -converted Indians had sunk deeply into George's heart and thus kept it from - -breaking. No stronger plea could have been made than the allusion to those - -gentle, dependent Christians. No one but a missionary could realize the - -sweetness, the simplicity, the faith, the eager hope for a good, true life - -which had been implanted in the hearts of these Indians. To bear it in mind, - -to think of what he, as a missionary and teacher, was to them, relieved him of - -half his burden, and for strength to bear the remainder he went to God. For - -all worry there is a sovereign cure, for all suffering there is a healing - -balm; it is religious faith. Happiness had suddenly flashed with a - -meteor-like radiance into Young's life only to be snuffed out like a candle in - -a windy gloom, but his work, his duty remained. So in his trial he learned the - -necessity of resignation. He chaffed no more at the mysterious, seemingly - -brutal methods of nature; he questioned no more. He wondered no more at the - -apparent indifference of Providence. He had one hope, which was to be true to - -his faith, and teach it to the end. - - - -Nell mastered her grief by an astonishing reserve of strength. Undoubtedly it - -was that marvelously merciful power which enables a person, for the love of - -others, to bear up under a cross, or even to fight death himself. As Young - -had his bright-eyed Indian boys and girls, who had learned Christianity from - -him, and whose future depended on him, so Nell had her aged and weakening - -uncle to care for and cherish. - - - -Jim's attentions to her before the deep affliction had not been slight, but - -now they were so marked as to be unmistakable. In some way Jim seemed changed - -since he had returned from the Delaware encampment. Although he went back to - -the work with his old aggressiveness, he was not nearly so successful as he - -had been before. Whether or not this was his fault, he took his failure deeply - -to heart. There was that in his tenderness which caused Nell to regard him, in - -one sense, as she did her uncle. Jim, too, leaned upon her, and she accepted - -his devotion where once she had repelled it. She had unconsciously betrayed a - -great deal when she had turned so tenderly to him in the first moments after - -her recognition, and he remembered it. He did not speak of love to her; he let - -a thousand little acts of kindness, a constant thoughtfulness of her plead his - -cause. - - - -The days succeeding Heckewelder's departure were remarkable for several - -reasons. Although the weather was enticing, the number of visiting Indians - -gradually decreased. Not a runner from any tribe came into the village, and - -finally the day dawned when not a single Indian from the outlying towns was - -present to hear the preaching. - - - -Jim spoke, as usual. After several days had passed and none but converted - -Indians made up the congregation, the young man began to be uneasy in mind. - - - -Young and Edwards were unable to account for the unusual absence from worship, - -yet they did not see in it anything to cause especial concern. Often there had - -been days without visitation to the Village of Peace. - - - -Finally Jim went to consult Glickhican. He found the Delaware at work in the - -potato patch. The old Indian dropped his hoe and bowed to the missionary. A - -reverential and stately courtesy always characterized the attitude of the - -Indians toward the young white father. - - - -"Glickhican, can you tell me why no Indians have come here lately?" - - - -The old chief shook his head. - - - -"Does their absence signify ill to the Village of Peace?" - - - -"Glickhican saw a blackbird flitting in the shadow of the moon. The bird - -hovered above the Village of Peace, but sang no song." - - - -The old Delaware vouchsafed no other than this strange reply. - - - -Jim returned to his cabin decidedly worried. He did not at all like - -Glickhican's answer. The purport of it seemed to be that a cloud was rising on - -the bright horizon of the Christian village. He confided his fears to Young - -and Edwards. After discussing the situation, the three missionaries decided to - -send for Heckewelder. He was the leader of the Mission; he knew more of Indian - -craft than any of them, and how to meet it. If this calm in the heretofore - -busy life of the Mission was the lull before a storm, Heckewelder should be - -there with his experience and influence. - - - -"For nearly ten years Heckewelder has anticipated trouble from hostile - -savages," said Edwards, "but so far he has always averted it. As you know, he - -has confined himself mostly to propitiating the Indians, and persuading them - -to be friendly, and listen to us. We'll send for him." - - - -Accordingly they dispatched a runner to Goshocking. In due time the Indian - -returned with the startling news that Heckewelder had left the Indian village - -days before, as had, in fact, all the savages except the few converted ones. - -The same held true in the case of Sandusky, the adjoining town. Moreover, it - -had been impossible to obtain any news in regard to Zeisberger. - - - -The missionaries were now thoroughly alarmed, and knew not what to do. They - -concealed the real state of affairs from Nell and her uncle, desiring to keep - -them from anxiety as long as possible. That night the three teachers went to - -bed with heavy hearts. - - - -The following morning at daybreak, Jim was awakened from a sound sleep by some - -one calling at his window. He got up to learn who it was, and, in the gray - -light, saw Edwards standing outside. - - - -"What's the matter?" questioned Jim, hurriedly. - - - -"Matter enough. Hurry. Get into your clothes," replied Edwards. "As soon as - -you are dressed, quietly awaken Mr. Wells and Nellie, but do not frighten - -them." - - - -"But what's the trouble?" queried Jim, as he began to dress. - - - -"The Indians are pouring into the village as thickly as flying leaves in - -autumn." - - - -Edwards' exaggerated assertion proved to be almost literally true. No sooner - -had the rising sun dispelled the mist, than it shone on long lines of marching - -braves, mounted warriors, hundreds of packhorses approaching from the forests. - -The orderly procession was proof of a concerted plan on the part of the - -invaders. - - - -From their windows the missionaries watched with bated breath; with wonder and - -fear they saw the long lines of dusky forms. When they were in the clearing - -the savages busied themselves with their packs. Long rows of teepees sprung up - -as if by magic. The savages had come to stay! The number of incoming visitors - -did not lessen until noon, when a few straggling groups marked the end of the - -invading host. Most significant of all was the fact that neither child, - -maiden, nor squaw accompanied this army. - - - -Jim appraised the number at six or seven hundred, more than had ever before - -visited the village at one time. They were mostly Delawares, with many - -Shawnees, and a few Hurons among them. It was soon evident, however, that for - -the present, at least, the Indians did not intend any hostile demonstration. - -They were quiet in manner, and busy about their teepees and camp-fires, but - -there was an absence of the curiosity that had characterized the former - -sojourns of Indians at the peaceful village. - - - -After a brief consultation with his brother missionaries, who all were opposed - -to his preaching that afternoon, Jim decided he would not deviate from his - -usual custom. He held the afternoon service, and spoke to the largest - -congregation that had ever sat before him. He was surprised to find that the - -sermon, which heretofore so strongly impressed the savages, did not now arouse - -the slightest enthusiasm. It was followed by a brooding silence of a boding, - -ominous import. - - - -Four white men, dressed in Indian garb, had been the most attentive listeners - -to Jim's sermon. He recognized three as Simon Girty, Elliott and Deering, the - -renegades, and he learned from Edwards that the other was the notorious McKee. - -These men went through the village, stalking into the shops and cabins, and - -acting as do men who are on a tour of inspection. - - - -So intrusive was their curiosity that Jim hurried back to Mr. Well's cabin and - -remained there in seclusion. Of course, by this time Nell and her uncle knew - -of the presence of the hostile savages. They were frightened, and barely - -regained their composure when the young man assured them he was certain they - -had no real cause for fear. - - - -Jim was sitting at the doorstep with Mr. Wells and Edwards when Girty, with - -his comrades, came toward them. The renegade leader was a tall, athletic man, - -with a dark, strong face. There was in it none of the brutality and ferocity - -which marked his brother's visage. Simon Girty appeared keen, forceful, - -authoritative, as, indeed, he must have been to have attained the power he - -held in the confederated tribes. His companions presented wide contrasts. - -Elliott was a small, spare man of cunning, vindictive aspect; McKee looked, as - -might have been supposed from his reputation, and Deering was a fit mate for - -the absent Girty. Simon appeared to be a man of some intelligence, who had - -used all his power to make that position a great one. The other renegades were - -desperadoes. - - - -"Where's Heckewelder?" asked Girty, curtly, as he stopped before the - -missionaries. - - - -"He started out for the Indian towns on the Muskingong," answered Edwards. - -"But we have had no word from either him or Zeisberger." - - - -"When d'ye expect him?" - - - -"I can't say. Perhaps to-morrow, and then, again, maybe not for a week." - - - -"He is in authority here, ain't he?" - - - -"Yes; but he left me in charge of the Mission. Can I serve you in any way?" - - - -"I reckon not," said the renegade, turning to his companions. They conversed - -in low tones for a moment. Presently McKee, Elliott and Deering went toward - -the newly erected teepees. - - - -"Girty, do you mean us any ill will?" earnestly asked Edwards. He had met the - -man on more than one occasion, and had no hesitation about questioning him. - - - -"I can't say as I do," answered the renegade, and those who heard him believed - -him. "But I'm agin this redskin preachin', an' hev been all along. The injuns - -are mad clear through, an' I ain't sayin' I've tried to quiet 'em any. This - -missionary work has got to be stopped, one way or another. Now what I waited - -here to say is this: I ain't quite forgot I was white once, an' believe you - -fellars are honest. I'm willin' to go outer my way to help you git away from - -here." - - - -"Go away?" echoed Edwards. - - - -"That's it," answered Girty, shouldering his rifle. - - - -"But why? We are perfectly harmless; we are only doing good and hurt no one. - -Why should we go?" - - - -"'Cause there's liable to be trouble," said the renegade, significantly. - - - -Edwards turned slowly to Mr. Wells and Jim. The old missionary was trembling - -visibly. Jim was pale; but more with anger than fear. - - - -"Thank you, Girty, but we'll stay," and Jim's voice rang clear. - - - - - - - -Chapter XXI. - - - -"Jim, come out here," called Edwards at the window of Mr. Wells' cabin. - - - -The young man arose from the breakfast table, and when outside found Edwards - -standing by the door with an Indian brave. He was a Wyandot lightly built, - -lithe and wiry, easily recognizable as an Indian runner. When Jim appeared - -the man handed him a small packet. He unwound a few folds of some oily skin to - -find a square piece of birch bark, upon which were scratched the following - -words: - - - -"Rev. J. Downs. Greeting. - - - -"Your brother is alive and safe. Whispering Winds rescued him by taking him as - -her husband. Leave the Village of Peace. Pipe and Half King have been - -influenced by Girty. - - - -"Zane." - - - -"Now, what do you think of that?" exclaimed Jim, handing the message to - -Edwards. "Thank Heaven, Joe was saved!" - - - -"Zane? That must be the Zane who married Tarhe's daughter," answered Edwards, - -when he had read the note. "I'm rejoiced to hear of your brother." - - - -"Joe married to that beautiful Indian maiden! Well, of all wonderful things," - -mused Jim. "What will Nell say?" - - - -"We're getting warnings enough. Do you appreciate that?" asked Edwards. - -"'Pipe and Half King have been influenced by Girty.' Evidently the writer - -deemed that brief sentence of sufficient meaning." - - - -"Edwards, we're preachers. We can't understand such things. I am learning, at - -least something every day. Colonel Zane advised us not to come here. Wetzel - -said, 'Go back to Fort Henry.' Girty warned us, and now comes this peremptory - -order from Isaac Zane." - - - -"Well?" - - - -"It means that these border men see what we will not admit. We ministers have - -such hope and trust in God that we can not realize the dangers of this life. I - -fear that our work has been in vain." - - - -"Never. We have already saved many souls. Do not be discouraged." - - - -All this time the runner had stood near at hand straight as an arrow. - -Presently Edwards suggested that the Wyandot was waiting to be questioned, and - -accordingly he asked the Indian if he had anything further to communicate. - - - -"Huron--go by--paleface." Here he held up both hands and shut his fists - -several times, evidently enumerating how many white men he had seen. - -"Here--when--high--sun." - - - -With that he bounded lightly past them, and loped off with an even, swinging - -stride. - - - -"What did he mean?" asked Jim, almost sure he had not heard the runner aright. - - - -"He meant that a party of white men are approaching, and will be here by noon. - -I never knew an Indian runner to carry unreliable information. We have joyful - -news, both in regard to your brother, and the Village of Peace. Let us go in - -to tell the others." - - - -The Huron runner's report proved to be correct. Shortly before noon signals - -from Indian scouts proclaimed the approach of a band of white men. Evidently - -Girty's forces had knowledge beforehand of the proximity of this band, for the - -signals created no excitement. The Indians expressed only a lazy curiosity. - -Soon several Delaware scouts appeared, escorting a large party of - -frontiersmen. - - - -These men turned out to be Captain Williamson's force, which had been out on - -an expedition after a marauding tribe of Chippewas. This last named tribe had - -recently harried the remote settlers, and committed depredations on the - -outskirts of the white settlements eastward. The company was composed of men - -who had served in the garrison at Fort Pitt, and hunters and backwoodsmen from - -Yellow Creek and Fort Henry. The captain himself was a typical borderman, - -rough and bluff, hardened by long years of border life, and, like most - -pioneers, having no more use for an Indian than for a snake. He had led his - -party after the marauders, and surprised and slaughtered nearly all of them. - -Returning eastward he had passed through Goshocking, where he learned of the - -muttering storm rising over the Village of Peace, and had come more out of - -curiosity than hope to avert misfortune. - - - -The advent of so many frontiersmen seemed a godsend to the perplexed and - -worried missionaries. They welcomed the newcomers most heartily. Beds were - -made in several of the newly erected cabins; the village was given over for - -the comfort of the frontiersmen. Edwards conducted Captain Williamson through - -the shops and schools, and the old borderman's weather-beaten face expressed a - -comical surprise. - - - -"Wal, I'll be durned if I ever expected to see a redskin work," was his only - -comment on the industries. - - - -"We are greatly alarmed by the presence of Girty and his followers," said - -Edwards. "We have been warned to leave, but have not been actually threatened. - -What do you infer from the appearance here of these hostile savages?" - - - -"It hardly 'pears to me they'll bother you preachers. They're agin the - -Christian redskins, that's plain." - - - -"Why have we been warned to go?" - - - -"That's natural, seein' they're agin the preachin'." - - - -"What will they do with the converted Indians?" - - - -"Mighty onsartin. They might let them go back to the tribes, but 'pears to me - -these good Injuns won't go. Another thing, Girty is afeered of the spread of - -Christianity." - - - -"Then you think our Christians will be made prisoners?" - - - -"'Pears likely." - - - -"And you, also, think we'd do well to leave here." - - - -"I do, sartin. We're startin' for Fort Henry soon. You'd better come along - -with us." - - - -"Captain Williamson, we're going to stick it out, Girty or no Girty." - - - -"You can't do no good stayin' here. Pipe and Half King won't stand for the - -singin', prayin' redskins, especially when they've got all these cattle and - -fields of grain." - - - -"Wetzel said the same." - - - -"Hev you seen Wetzel?" - - - -"Yes; he rescued a girl from Jim Girty, and returned her to us." - - - -"That so? I met Wetzel and Jack Zane back a few miles in the woods. They're - -layin' for somebody, because when I asked them to come along they refused, - -sayin' they had work as must be done. They looked like it, too. I never hern - -tell of Wetzel advisin' any one before; but I'll say if he told me to do a - -thing, by Gosh! I'd do it." - - - -"As men, we might very well take the advice given us, but as preachers we must - -stay here to do all we can for these Christian Indians. One thing more: will - -you help us?" - - - -"I reckon I'll stay here to see the thing out," answered Williamson. Edwards - -made a mental note of the frontiersman's evasive answer. - - - -Jim had, meanwhile, made the acquaintance of a young minister, John Christy by - -name, who had lost his sweetheart in one of the Chippewa raids, and had - -accompanied the Williamson expedition in the hope he might rescue her. - - - -"How long have you been out?" asked Jim. - - - -"About four weeks now," answered Christy. "My betrothed was captured five - -weeks ago yesterday. I joined Williamson's band, which made up at Short Creek - -to take the trail of the flying Chippewas, in the hope I might find her. But - -not a trace! The expedition fell upon a band of redskins over on the - -Walhonding, and killed nearly all of them. I learned from a wounded Indian - -that a renegade had made off with a white girl about a week previous. Perhaps - -it was poor Lucy." - - - -Jim related the circumstances of his own capture by Jim Girty, the rescue of - -Nell, and Kate's sad fate. - - - -"Could Jim Girty have gotten your girl?" inquired Jim, in conclusion. - - - -"It's fairly probable. The description doesn't tally with Girty's. This - -renegade was short and heavy, and noted especially for his strength. Of - -course, an Indian would first speak of some such distinguishing feature. - -There are, however, ten or twelve renegades on the border, and, excepting Jim - -Girty, one's as bad as another." - - - -"Then it's a common occurrence, this abducting girls from the settlements?" - - - -"Yes, and the strange thing is that one never hears of such doings until he - -gets out on the frontier." - - - -"For that matter, you don't hear much of anything, except of the wonderful - -richness and promise of the western country." - - - -"You're right. Rumors of fat, fertile lands induce the colonist to become a - -pioneer. He comes west with his family; two out of every ten lose their - -scalps, and in some places the average is much greater. The wives, daughters - -and children are carried off into captivity. I have been on the border two - -years, and know that the rescue of any captive, as Wetzel rescued your friend, - -is a remarkable exception." - - - -"If you have so little hope of recovering your sweetheart, what then is your - -motive for accompanying this band of hunters?" - - - -"Revenge!" - - - -"And you are a preacher?" Jim's voice did not disguise his astonishment. - - - -"I was a preacher, and now I am thirsting for vengeance," answered Christy, - -his face clouding darkly. "Wait until you learn what frontier life means. You - -are young here yet; you are flushed with the success of your teaching; you - -have lived a short time in this quiet village, where, until the last few days, - -all has been serene. You know nothing of the strife, of the necessity of - -fighting, of the cruelty which makes up this border existence. Only two years - -have hardened me so that I actually pant for the blood of the renegade who has - -robbed me. A frontiersman must take his choice of succumbing or cutting his - -way through flesh and bone. Blood will be spilled; if not yours, then your - -foe's. The pioneers run from the plow to the fight; they halt in the cutting - -of corn to defend themselves, and in winter must battle against cold and - -hardship, which would be less cruel if there was time in summer to prepare for - -winter, for the savages leave them hardly an opportunity to plant crops. How - -many pioneers have given up, and gone back east? Find me any who would not - -return home to-morrow, if they could. All that brings them out here is the - -chance for a home, and all that keeps them out here is the poor hope of - -finally attaining their object. Always there is a possibility of future - -prosperity. But this generation, if it survives, will never see prosperity and - -happiness. What does this border life engender in a pioneer who holds his own - -in it? Of all things, not Christianity. He becomes a fighter, keen as the - -redskin who steals through the coverts." - - - - - -The serene days of the Village of Peace had passed into history. Soon that - -depraved vagabond, the French trader, with cheap trinkets and vile whisky, - -made his appearance. This was all that was needed to inflame the visitors. - -Where they had been only bold and impudent, they became insulting and abusive. - -They execrated the Christian indians for their neutrality; scorned them for - -worshiping this unknown God, and denounced a religion which made women of - -strong men. - - - -The slaughtering of cattle commenced; the despoiling of maize fields, and - -robbing of corn-cribs began with the drunkenness. - - - -All this time it was seen that Girty and Elliott consulted often with Pipe and - -Half King. The latter was the only Huron chief opposed to neutrality toward - -the Village of Peace, and he was, if possible, more fierce in his hatred than - -Pipe. The future of the Christian settlement rested with these two chiefs. - -Girty and Elliott, evidently, were the designing schemers, and they worked - -diligently on the passions of these simple-minded, but fierce, warlike chiefs. - - - -Greatly to the relief of the distracted missionaries, Heckewelder returned to - -the village. Jaded and haggard, he presented a travel-worn appearance. He - -made the astonishing assertions that he had been thrice waylaid and assaulted - -on his way to Goshocking; then detained by a roving band of Chippewas, and - -soon after his arrival at their camping ground a renegade had run off with a - -white woman captive, while the Indians west of the village were in an uproar. - -Zeisberger, however, was safe in the Moravian town of Salem, some miles west - -of Goshocking. Heckewelder had expected to find the same condition of affairs - -as existed in the Village of Peace; but he was bewildered by the great array - -of hostile Indians. Chiefs who had once extended friendly hands to him, now - -drew back coldly, as they said: - - - -"Washington is dead. The American armies are cut to pieces. The few thousands - -who had escaped the British are collecting at Fort Pitt to steal the Indian's - -land." - - - -Heckewelder vigorously denied all these assertions, knowing they had been - -invented by Girty and Elliott. He exhausted all his skill and patience in the - -vain endeavor to show Pipe where he was wrong. Half King had been so well - -coached by the renegades that he refused to listen. The other chiefs - -maintained a cold reserve that was baffling and exasperating. Wingenund took - -no active part in the councils; but his presence apparently denoted that he - -had sided with the others. The outlook was altogether discouraging. - - - -"I'm completely fagged out," declared Heckewelder, that night when he returned - -to Edwards' cabin. He dropped into a chair as one whose strength is entirely - -spent, whose indomitable spirit has at last been broken. - - - -"Lie down to rest," said Edwards. - - - -"Oh, I can't. Matters look so black." - - - -"You're tired out and discouraged. You'll feel better to-morrow. The situation - -is not, perhaps, so hopeless. The presence of these frontiersmen should - -encourage us." - - - -"What will they do? What can they do?" cried Heckewelder, bitterly. "I tell - -you never before have I encountered such gloomy, stony Indians. It seems to me - -that they are in no vacillating state. They act like men whose course is - -already decided upon, and who are only waiting." - - - -"For what?" asked Jim, after a long silence. - - - -"God only knows! Perhaps for a time; possibly for a final decision, and, it - -may be, for a reason, the very thought of which makes me faint." - - - -"Tell us," said Edwards, speaking quietly, for he had ever been the calmest of - -the missionaries. - - - -"Never mind. Perhaps it's only my nerves. I'm all unstrung, and could suspect - -anything to-night." - - - -"Heckewelder, tell us?" Jim asked, earnestly. - - - -"My friends, I pray I am wrong. God help us if my fears are correct. I believe - -the Indians are waiting for Jim Girty. - - - - - - - -Chapter XXII. - - - -Simon Girty lolled on a blanket in Half King's teepee. He was alone, awaiting - -his allies. Rings of white smoke curled lazily from his lips as he puffed on a - -long Indian pipe, and gazed out over the clearing that contained the Village - -of Peace. - - - -Still water has something in its placid surface significant of deep channels, - -of hidden depths; the dim outline of the forest is dark with meaning, - -suggestive of its wild internal character. So Simon Girty's hard, bronzed face - -betrayed the man. His degenerate brother's features were revolting; but his - -own were striking, and fell short of being handsome only because of their - -craggy hardness. Years of revolt, of bitterness, of consciousness of wasted - -life, had graven their stern lines on that copper, masklike face. Yet despite - -the cruelty there, the forbidding shade on it, as if a reflection from a dark - -soul, it was not wholly a bad countenance. Traces still lingered, faintly, of - -a man in whom kindlier feelings had once predominated. - - - -In a moment of pique Girty had deserted his military post at Fort Pitt, and - -become an outlaw of his own volition. Previous to that time he had been an - -able soldier, and a good fellow. When he realized that his step was - -irrevocable, that even his best friends condemned him, he plunged, with anger - -and despair in his heart, into a war upon his own race. Both of his brothers - -had long been border ruffians, whose only protection from the outraged - -pioneers lay in the faraway camps of hostile tribes. George Girty had so sunk - -his individuality into the savage's that he was no longer a white man. Jim - -Girty stalked over the borderland with a bloody tomahawk, his long arm - -outstretched to clutch some unfortunate white woman, and with his hideous - -smile of death. Both of these men were far lower than the worst savages, and - -it was almost wholly to their deeds of darkness that Simon Girty owed his - -infamous name. - - - -To-day White Chief, as Girty was called, awaited his men. A slight tremor of - -the ground caused him to turn his gaze. The Huron chief, Half King, - -resplendent in his magnificent array, had entered the teepee. He squatted in - -a corner, rested the bowl of his great pipe on his knee, and smoked in - -silence. The habitual frown of his black brow, like a shaded, overhanging - -cliff; the fire flashing from his eyes, as a shining light is reflected from a - -dark pool; his closely-shut, bulging jaw, all bespoke a nature, lofty in its - -Indian pride and arrogance, but more cruel than death. - - - -Another chief stalked into the teepee and seated himself. It was Pipe. His - -countenance denoted none of the intelligence that made Wingenund's face so - -noble; it was even coarser than Half King's, and his eyes, resembling live - -coals in the dark; the long, cruel lines of his jaw; the thin, tightly-closed - -lips, which looked as if they could relax only to utter a savage command, - -expressed fierce cunning and brutality. - - - -"White Chief is idle to-day," said Half King, speaking in the Indian tongue. - - - -"King, I am waiting. Girty is slow, but sure," answered the renegade. - - - -"The eagle sails slowly round and round, up and up," replied Half King, with - -majestic gestures, "until his eye sees all, until he knows his time; then he - -folds his wings and swoops down from the blue sky like the forked fire. So - -does White Chief. But Half King is impatient." - - - -"To-day decides the fate of the Village of Peace," answered Girty, - -imperturbably. - - - -"Ugh!" grunted Pipe. - - - -Half King vented his approval in the same meaning exclamation. - - - -An hour passed; the renegade smoked in silence; the chiefs did likewise. - - - -A horseman rode up to the door of the teepee, dismounted, and came in. It was - -Elliott. He had been absent twenty hours. His buckskin suit showed the effect - -of hard riding through the thickets. - - - -"Hullo, Bill, any sign of Jim?" was Girty's greeting to his lieutenant. - - - -"Nary. He's not been seen near the Delaware camp. He's after that chap who - -married Winds." - - - -"I thought so. Jim's roundin' up a tenderfoot who will be a bad man to handle - -if he has half a chance. I saw as much the day he took his horse away from - -Silver. He finally did fer the Shawnee, an' almost put Jim out. My brother - -oughtn't to give rein to personal revenge at a time like this." Girty's face - -did not change, but his tone was one of annoyance. - - - -"Jim said he'd be here to-day, didn't he?" - - - -"To-day is as long as we allowed to wait." - - - -"He'll come. Where's Jake and Mac?" - - - -"They're here somewhere, drinkin' like fish, an' raisin' hell." - - - -Two more renegades appeared at the door, and, entering the teepee, squatted - -down in Indian fashion. The little wiry man with the wizened face was McKee; - -the other was the latest acquisition to the renegade force, Jake Deering, - -deserter, thief, murderer--everything that is bad. In appearance he was of - -medium height, but very heavily, compactly built, and evidently as strong as - -an ox. He had a tangled shock of red hair, a broad, bloated face; big, dull - -eyes, like the openings of empty furnaces, and an expression of beastliness. - - - -Deering and McKee were intoxicated. - - - -"Bad time fer drinkin'," said Girty, with disapproval in his glance. - - - -"What's that ter you?" growled Deering. "I'm here ter do your work, an' I - -reckon it'll be done better if I'm drunk." - - - -"Don't git careless," replied Girty, with that cool tone and dark look such as - -dangerous men use. "I'm only sayin' it's a bad time fer you, because if this - -bunch of frontiersmen happen to git onto you bein' the renegade that was with - -the Chippewas an' got thet young feller's girl, there's liable to be trouble." - - - -"They ain't agoin' ter find out." - - - -"Where is she?" - - - -"Back there in the woods." - - - -"Mebbe it's as well. Now, don't git so drunk you'll blab all you know. We've - -lots of work to do without havin' to clean up Williamson's bunch," rejoined - -Girty. "Bill, tie up the tent flaps an' we'll git to council." - - - -Elliott arose to carry out the order, and had pulled in the deer-hide flaps, - -when one of them was jerked outward to disclose the befrilled person of Jim - -Girty. Except for a discoloration over his eye, he appeared as usual. - - - -"Ugh!" grunted Pipe, who was glad to see his renegade friend. - - - -Half King evinced the same feeling. - - - -"Hullo," was Simon Girty's greeting. - - - -"'Pears I'm on time fer the picnic," said Jim Girty, with his ghastly leer. - - - -Bill Elliott closed the flaps, after giving orders to the guard to prevent any - -Indians from loitering near the teepee. - - - -"Listen," said Simon Girty, speaking low in the Delaware language. "The time - -is ripe. We have come here to break forever the influence of the white man's - -religion. Our councils have been held; we shall drive away the missionaries, - -and burn the Village of Peace." - - - -He paused, leaning forward in his exceeding earnestness, with his bronzed face - -lined by swelling veins, his whole person made rigid by the murderous thought. - -The he hissed between his teeth: "What shall we do with these Christian - -Indians?" - - - -Pipe raised his war-club, struck it upon the ground; then handed it to Half - -King. - - - -Half King took the club and repeated the action. - - - -Both chiefs favored the death penalty. - - - -"Feed 'em to ther buzzards," croaked Jim Girty. - - - -Simon Girty knitted his brow in thought. The question of what to do with the - -converted Indians had long perplexed him. - - - -"No," said he; "let us drive away the missionaries, burn the village, and take - -the Indians back to camp. We'll keep them there; they'll soon forget." - - - -"Pipe does not want them," declared the Delaware. - - - -"Christian Indians shall never sit round Half King's fire," cried the Huron. - - - -Simon Girty knew the crisis had come; that but few moments were left him to - -decide as to the disposition of the Christians; and he thought seriously. - -Certainly he did not want the Christians murdered. However cruel his life, and - -great his misdeeds, he was still a man. If possible, he desired to burn the - -village and ruin the religious influence, but without shedding blood. Yet, - -with all his power, he was handicapped, and that by the very chiefs most - -nearly under his control. He could not subdue this growing Christian influence - -without the help of Pipe and Half King. To these savages a thing was either - -right or wrong. He had sown the seed of unrest and jealousy in the savage - -breasts, and the fruit was the decree of death. As far as these Indians were - -concerned, this decision was unalterable. - - - -On the other hand, if he did not spread ruin over the Village of Peace, the - -missionaries would soon get such a grasp on the tribes that their hold would - -never be broken. He could not allow that, even if he was forced to sacrifice - -the missionaries along with their converts, for he saw in the growth of this - -religion his own downfall. The border must be hostile to the whites, or it - -could no longer be his home. To be sure, he had aided the British in the - -Revolution, and could find a refuge among them; but this did not suit him. - - - -He became an outcast because of failure to win the military promotion which he - -had so much coveted. He had failed among his own people. He had won a great - -position in an alien race, and he loved his power. To sway men--Indians, if - -not others--to his will; to avenge himself for the fancied wrong done him; to - -be great, had been his unrelenting purpose. - - - -He knew he must sacrifice the Christians, or eventually lose his own power. He - -had no false ideas about the converted Indians. He knew they were innocent; - -that they were a thousand times better off than the pagan Indians; that they - -had never harmed him, nor would they ever do so; but if he allowed them to - -spread their religion there was an end of Simon Girty. - - - -His decision was characteristic of the man. He would sacrifice any one, or - -all, to retain his supremacy. He knew the fulfillment of the decree as laid - -down by Pipe and Half King would be known as his work. His name, infamous now, - -would have an additional horror, and ever be remembered by posterity in - -unspeakable loathing, in unsoftening wrath. He knew this, and deep down in his - -heart awoke a numbed chord of humanity that twinged with strange pain. What - -awful work he must sanction to keep his vaunted power! More bitter than all - -was the knowledge that to retain this hold over the indians he must commit a - -deed which, so far as the whites were concerned, would take away his great - -name, and brand him a coward. - - - -He briefly reviewed his stirring life. Singularly fitted for a leader, in a - -few years he had risen to the most powerful position on the border. He - -wielded more influence than any chief. He had been opposed to the invasion of - -the pioneers, and this alone, without his sagacity or his generalship, would - -have given him control of many tribes. But hatred for his own people, coupled - -with unerring judgment, a remarkable ability to lead expeditions, and his - -invariable success, had raised him higher and higher until he stood alone. He - -was the most powerful man west of the Alleghenies. His fame was such that the - -British had importuned him to help them, and had actually, in more than one - -instance, given him command over British subjects. - - - -All of which meant that he had a great, even tough an infamous name. No matter - -what he was blamed for; no matter how many dastardly deeds had been committed - -by his depraved brothers and laid to his door, he knew he had never done a - -cowardly act. That which he had committed while he was drunk he considered as - -having been done by the liquor, and not by the man. He loved his power, and he - -loved his name. - - - -In all Girty's eventful, ignoble life, neither the alienation from his people, - -the horror they ascribed to his power, nor the sacrifice of his life to stand - -high among the savage races, nor any of the cruel deeds committed while at - -war, hurt him a tithe as much as did this sanctioning the massacre of the - -Christians. - - - -Although he was a vengeful, unscrupulous, evil man, he had never acted the - -coward. - - - -Half King waited long for Girty to speak; since he remained silent, the wily - -Huron suggested they take a vote on the question. - - - -"Let us burn the Village of Peace, drive away the missionaries, and take the - -Christians back to the Delaware towns--all without spilling blood," said - -Girty, determined to carry his point, if possible. - - - -"I say the same," added Elliott, refusing the war-club held out to him by Half - -King. - - - -"Me, too," voted McKee, not so drunk but that he understood the lightninglike - -glance Girty shot at him. - - - -"Kill 'em all; kill everybody," cried Deering in drunken glee. He took the - -club and pounded with it on the ground. - - - -Pipe repeated his former performance, as also did Half King, after which he - -handed the black, knotted symbol of death to Jim Girty. - - - -Three had declared for saving the Christians, and three for the death penalty. - - - -Six pairs of burning eyes were fastened on the Deaths-head. - - - -Pipe and Half King were coldly relentless; Deering awoke to a brutal - -earnestness; McKee and Elliott watched with bated breath. These men had formed - -themselves into a tribunal to decide on the life or death of many, and the - -situation, if not the greatest in their lives, certainly was one of vital - -importance. - - - -Simon Girty cursed all the fates. He dared not openly oppose the voting, and - -he could not, before those cruel but just chiefs, try to influence his - -brother's vote. - - - -As Jim Girty took the war-club, Simon read in his brother's face the doom of - -the converted Indians and he muttered to himself: - - - -"Now tremble an' shrink, all you Christians!" - - - -Jim was not in a hurry. Slowly he poised the war-club. He was playing as a cat - -plays with a mouse; he was glorying in his power. The silence was that of - -death. It signified the silence of death. The war-club descended with - -violence. - - - -"Feed the Christians to ther buzzards!" - - - - - - - -Chapter XXIII. - - - -"I have been here before," said Joe to Whispering Winds. "I remember that - -vine-covered stone. We crawled over it to get at Girty and Silvertip. There's - -the little knoll; here's the very spot where I was hit by a flying tomahawk. - -Yes, and there's the spring. Let me see, what did Wetzel call this spot?" - - - -"Beautiful Spring," answered the Indian girl. - - - -"That's it, and it's well named. What a lovely place!" - - - -Nature had been lavish in the beautifying of this inclosed dell. It was about - -fifty yards wide, and nestled among little, wooded knolls and walls of gray, - -lichen-covered stone. Though the sun shone brightly into the opening, and the - -rain had free access to the mossy ground, no stormy winds ever entered this - -well protected glade. - - - -Joe reveled in the beauty of the scene, even while he was too weak to stand - -erect. He suffered no pain from his wound, although he had gradually grown - -dizzy, and felt as if the ground was rising before him. He was glad to lie - -upon the mossy ground in the little cavern under the cliff. - - - -Upon examination his wound was found to have opened, and was bleeding. His - -hunting coat was saturated with blood. Whispering Winds washed the cut, and - -dressed it with cooling leaves. Then she rebandaged it tightly with Joe's - -linsey handkerchiefs, and while he rested comfortable she gathered bundles of - -ferns, carrying them to the little cavern. When she had a large quantity of - -these she sat down near Joe, and began to weave the long stems into a kind of - -screen. The fern stalks were four feet long and half a foot wide; these she - -deftly laced together, making broad screens which would serve to ward off the - -night dews. This done, she next built a fireplace with flat stones. She found - -wild apples, plums and turnips on the knoll above the glade. Then she cooked - -strips of meat which had been brought with them. Lance grazed on the long - -grass just without the glade, and Mose caught two rabbits. When darkness - -settled down Whispering Winds called the dog within the cavern, and hung the - -screens before the opening. - - - -Several days passed. Joe rested quietly, and began to recover strength. - -Besides the work of preparing their meals, Whispering Winds had nothing to do - -save sit near the invalid and amuse or interest him so that he would not fret - -or grow impatient, while his wound was healing. - - - -They talked about their future prospects. After visiting the Village of Peace, - -they would go to Fort Henry, where Joe could find employment. They dwelt upon - -the cabin they would build, and passed many happy moments planning a new home. - -Joe's love of the wilderness had in no wise diminished; but a blow on his head - -from a heavy tomahawk, and a vicious stab in the back, had lessened his zeal - -so far that he understood it was not wise to sacrifice life for the pleasures - -of the pathless woods. He could have the last without the danger of being shot - -at from behind every tree. He reasoned that it would be best for him to take - -his wife to Fort Henry, there find employment, and devote his leisure time to - -roaming in the forest. - - - -"Will the palefaces be kind to an Indian who has learned to love them?" - -Whispering Winds asked wistfully of Joe. - - - -"Indeed they will," answered Joe, and he told her the story of Isaac Zane; how - -he took his Indian bride home; how her beauty and sweetness soon won all the - -white people's love. "It will be so with you, my wife." - - - -"Whispering Winds knows so little," she murmured. - - - -"Why, you are learning every day, and even if such was not the case, you know - -enough for me." - - - -"Whispering Winds will be afraid; she fears a little to go." - - - -"I'll be glad when we can be on the move," said Joe, with his old impatient - -desire for action. "How soon, Winds, can we set off?" - - - -"As many days," answered the Indian girl, holding up five fingers. - - - -"So long? I want to leave this place." - - - -"Leave Beautiful Spring?" - - - -"Yes, even this sweet place. It has a horror for me. I'll never forget the - -night I first saw that spring shining in the moonlight. It was right above the - -rock that I looked into the glade. The moon was reflected in the dark pool, - -and as I gazed into the shadowy depths of the dark water I suddenly felt an - -unaccountable terror; but I oughtn't to have the same feeling now. We are - -safe, are we not?" - - - -"We are safe," murmured Whispering Winds. - - - -"Yet I have the same chill of fear whenever I look at the beautiful spring, - -and at night as I awake to hear the soft babble of running water, I freeze - -until my heart feels like cold lead. Winds, I'm not a coward; but I can't help - -this feeling. Perhaps, it's only the memory of that awful night with Wetzel." - - - -"An Indian feels so when he passes to his unmarked grave," answered Winds, - -gazing solemnly at him. "Whispering Winds does not like this fancy of yours. - -Let us leave Beautiful Spring. You are almost well. Ah! if Whispering Winds - -should lose you! I love you!" - - - -"And I love you, my beautiful wild flower," answered Joe, stroking the dark - -head so near his own. - - - -A tender smile shone on his face. He heard a slight noise without the cave, - -and, looking up, saw that which caused the smile to fade quickly. - - - -"Mose!" he called, sharply. The dog was away chasing rabbits. - - - -Whispering Winds glanced over her shoulder with a startled cry, which ended in - -a scream. - - - -Not two yards behind her stood Jim Girty. - - - -Hideous was his face in its triumphant ferocity. He held a long knife in his - -hand, and, snarling like a mad wolf, he made a forward lunge. - - - -Joe raised himself quickly; but almost before he could lift his hand in - -defense, the long blade was sheathed in his breast. - - - -Slowly he sank back, his gray eyes contracting with the old steely flash. The - -will to do was there, but the power was gone forever. - - - -"Remember, Girty, murderer! I am Wetzel's friend," he cried, gazing at his - -slayer with unutterable scorn. - - - -Then the gray eyes softened, and sought the blanched face of the stricken - -maiden. - - - -"Winds," he whispered faintly. - - - -She was as one frozen with horror. - - - -The gray eyes gazed into hers with lingering tenderness; then the film of - -death came upon them. - - - -The renegade raised his bloody knife, and bent over the prostrate form. - - - -Whispering Winds threw herself upon Girty with the blind fury of a maddened - -lioness. Cursing fiercely, he stabbed her once, twice, three times. She fell - -across the body of her lover, and clasped it convulsively. - - - -Girty gave one glance at his victims; deliberately wiped the gory knife on - -Wind's leggins, and, with another glance, hurried and fearful, around the - -glade, he plunged into the thicket. - - - -An hour passed. A dark stream crept from the quiet figures toward the spring. - -It dyed the moss and the green violet leaves. Slowly it wound its way to the - -clear water, dripping between the pale blue flowers. The little fall below the - -spring was no longer snowy white; blood had tinged it red. - - - -A dog came bounding into the glade. He leaped the brook, hesitated on the - -bank, and lowered his nose to sniff at the water. He bounded up the bank to - -the cavern. - - - -A long, mournful howl broke the wilderness's quiet. - - - -Another hour passed. The birds were silent; the insects still. The sun sank - -behind the trees, and the shades of evening gathered. - - - -The ferns on the other side of the glade trembled. A slight rustle of dead - -leaves disturbed the stillness. The dog whined, then barked. The tall form of - -a hunter rose out of the thicket, and stepped into the glade with his eyes - -bent upon moccasin tracks in the soft moss. - - - -The trail he had been following led him to this bloody spring. - - - -"I might hev knowed it," he muttered. - - - -Wetzel, for it was he, leaned upon his long rifle while his keen eyes took in - -the details of the tragedy. The whining dog, the bloody water, the motionless - -figures lying in a last embrace, told the sad story. - - - -"Joe an' Winds," he muttered. - - - -Only a moment did he remain lost in sad reflection A familiar moccasin-print - -in the sand on the bank pointed westward. He examined it carefully. - - - -"Two hours gone," he muttered. "I might overtake him." - - - -Then his motions became swift. With two blows of his tomahawk he secured a - -long piece of grapevine. He took a heavy stone from the bed of the brook. He - -carried Joe to the spring, and, returning for Winds, placed her beside her - -lover. This done, he tied one end of the grapevine around the stone, and wound - -the other about the dead bodies. - - - -He pushed them off the bank into the spring. As the lovers sank into the deep - -pool they turned, exposing first Winds' sad face, and then Joe's. Then they - -sank out of sight. Little waves splashed on the shore of the pool; the ripple - -disappeared, and the surface of the spring became tranquil. - - - -Wetzel stood one moment over the watery grave of the maiden who had saved him, - -and the boy who had loved him. In the gathering gloom his stalwart form - -assumed gigantic proportions, and when he raised his long arm and shook his - -clenched fist toward the west, he resembled a magnificent statue of dark - -menace. - - - -With a single bound he cleared the pool, and then sped out of the glade. He - -urged the dog on Girty's trail, and followed the eager beast toward the west. - -As he disappeared, a long, low sound like the sigh of the night wind swelled - -and moaned through the gloom. - - - - - - - -Chapter XXIV. - - - -When the first ruddy rays of the rising sun crimsoned the eastern sky, Wetzel - -slowly wound his way down a rugged hill far west of Beautiful Spring. A white - -dog, weary and footsore, limped by his side. Both man and beast showed - -evidence of severe exertion. - - - -The hunter stopped in a little cave under a projecting stone, and, laying - -aside his rifle, began to gather twigs and sticks. He was particular about - -selecting the wood, and threw aside many pieces which would have burned well; - -but when he did kindle a flame it blazed hotly, yet made no smoke. - - - -He sharpened a green stick, and, taking some strips of meat from his pocket, - -roasted them over the hot flame. He fed the dog first. Mose had crouched close - -on the ground with his head on his paws, and his brown eyes fastened upon the - -hunter. - - - -"He had too big a start fer us," said Wetzel, speaking as if the dog were - -human. It seemed that Wetzel's words were a protest against the meaning in - -those large, sad eyes. - - - -Then the hunter put out the fire, and, searching for a more secluded spot, - -finally found one on top of the ledge, where he commanded a good view of his - -surroundings. The weary dog was asleep. Wetzel settled himself to rest, and - -was soon wrapped in slumber. - - - -About noon he awoke. He arose, stretched his limbs, and then took an easy - -position on the front of the ledge, where he could look below. Evidently the - -hunter was waiting for something. The dog slept on. It was the noonday hour, - -when the stillness of the forest almost matched that of midnight. The birds - -were more quiet than at any other time during daylight. - - - -Wetzel reclined there with his head against the stone, and his rifle resting - -across his knees. - - - -He listened now to the sounds of the forest. The soft breeze fluttering among - -the leaves, the rain-call of the tree frog, the caw of crows from distant - -hilltops, the sweet songs of the thrush and oriole, were blended together - -naturally, harmoniously. - - - -But suddenly the hunter raised his head. A note, deeper than the others, a - -little too strong, came from far down the shaded hollow. To Wetzel's trained - -ear it was a discord. He manifested no more than this attention, for the - -birdcall was the signal he had been awaiting. He whistled a note in answer - -that was as deep and clear as the one which had roused him. - - - -Moments passed. There was no repetition of the sound. The songs of the other - -birds had ceased. Besides Wetzel there was another intruder in the woods. - - - -Mose lifted his shaggy head and growled. The hunter patted the dog. In a few - -minutes the figure of a tall man appeared among the laurels down the slope. He - -stopped while gazing up at the ledge. Then, with noiseless step, he ascended - -the ridge, climbed the rocky ledge, and turned the corner of the stone to face - -Wetzel. The newcomer was Jonathan Zane. - - - -"Jack, I expected you afore this," was Wetzel's greeting. - - - -"I couldn't make it sooner," answered Zane. "After we left Williamson and - -separated, I got turned around by a band of several hundred redskins makin' - -for the Village of Peace. I went back again, but couldn't find any sign of the - -trail we're huntin'. Then I makes for this meetin' place. I've been goin' for - -some ten hours, and am hungry." - - - -"I've got some bar ready cooked," said Wetzel, handing Zane several strips of - -meat. - - - -"What luck did you have?" - - - -"I found Girty's trail, an old one, over here some eighteen or twenty miles, - -an' follered it until I went almost into the Delaware town. It led to a hut in - -a deep ravine. I ain't often surprised, but I wus then. I found the dead body - -of that girl, Kate Wells, we fetched over from Fort Henry. Thet's sad, but it - -ain't the surprisin' part. I also found Silvertip, the Shawnee I've been - -lookin' fer. He was all knocked an' cut up, deader'n a stone. There'd been - -somethin' of a scrap in the hut. I calkilate Girty murdered Kate, but I - -couldn't think then who did fer Silver, though I allowed the renegade might - -hev done thet, too. I watched round an' seen Girty come back to the hut. He - -had ten Injuns with him, an' presently they all made fer the west. I trailed - -them, but didn't calkilate it'd be wise to tackle the bunch single-handed, so - -laid back. A mile or so from the hut I came across hoss tracks minglin' with - -the moccasin-prints. About fifteen mile or from the Delaware town, Girty left - -his buckskins, an' they went west, while he stuck to the hoss tracks. I was - -onto his game in a minute. I cut across country fer Beautiful Spring, but I - -got there too late. I found the warm bodies of Joe and thet Injun girl, Winds. - -The snake hed murdered them." - - - -"I allow Joe won over Winds, got away from the Delaware town with her, tried - -to rescue Kate, and killed Silver in the fight. Girty probably was surprised, - -an' run after he had knifed the girl." - - - -"'Pears so to me. Joe had two knife cuts, an' one was an old wound." - - - -"You say it was a bad fight?" - - - -"Must hev been. The hut was all knocked in, an' stuff scattered about. Wal, - -Joe could go some if he onct got started." - - - -"I'll bet he could. He was the likeliest lad I've seen for many a day." - - - -"If he'd lasted, he'd been somethin' of a hunter an' fighter." - - - -"Too bad. But Lord! you couldn't keep him down, no more than you can lots of - -these wild young chaps that drift out here." - - - -"I'll allow he had the fever bad." - - - -"Did you hev time to bury them?" - - - -"I hedn't time fer much. I sunk them in the spring." - - - -"It's a pretty deep hole," said Zane, reflectively. "Then, you and the dog - -took Girty's trail, but couldn't catch up with him. He's now with the renegade - -cutthroats and hundreds of riled Indians over there in the Village of Peace." - - - -"I reckon you're right." - - - -A long silence ensued,. Jonathan finished his simple repast, drank from the - -little spring that trickled under the stone, and, sitting down by the dog, - -smoothed out his long silken hair. - - - -"Lew, we're pretty good friends, ain't we?" he asked, thoughtfully. - - - -"Jack, you an' the colonel are all the friends I ever hed, 'ceptin' that boy - -lyin' quiet back there in the woods." - - - -"I know you pretty well, and ain't sayin' a word about your runnin' off from - -me on many a hunt, but I want to speak plain about this fellow Girty." - - - -"Wal?" said Wetzel, as Zane hesitated. - - - -"Twice in the last few years you and I have had it in for the same men, both - -white-livered traitors. You remember? First it was Miller, who tried to ruin - -my sister Betty, and next it was Jim Girty, who murdered our old friend, as - -good an old man as ever wore moccasins. Wal, after Miller ran off from the - -fort, we trailed him down to the river, and I points across and says, 'You or - -me?' and you says, 'Me.' You was Betty's friend, and I knew she'd be avenged. - -Miller is lyin' quiet in the woods, and violets have blossomed twice over his - -grave, though you never said a word; but I know it's true because I know you." - - - -Zane looked eagerly into the dark face of his friend, hoping perhaps to get - -some verbal assurance there that his belief was true. But Wetzel did not - -speak, and he continued: - - - -"Another day not so long ago we both looked down at an old friend, and saw his - -white hair matted with blood. He'd been murdered for nothin'. Again you and - -me trailed a coward and found him to be Jim Girty. I knew you'd been huntin' - -him for years, and so I says, 'Lew, you or me?' and you says, 'Me.'" I give in - -to you, for I knew you're a better man than me, and because I wanted you to - -have the satisfaction. Wal, the months have gone by, and Jim Girty's still - -livin' and carryin' on. Now he's over there after them poor preachers. I ain't - -sayin', Lew, that you haven't more agin him than me, but I do say, let me in - -on it with you. He always has a gang of redskins with him; he's afraid to - -travel alone, else you'd had him long ago. Two of us'll have more chance to - -get him. Let me go with you. When it comes to a finish, I'll stand aside while - -you give it to him. I'd enjoy seein' you cut him from shoulder to hip. After - -he leaves the Village of Peace we'll hit his trail, camp on it, and stick to - -it until it ends in his grave." - - - -The earnest voice of the backwoodsman ceased. Both men rose and stood facing - -each other. Zane's bronzed face was hard and tense, expressive of an - -indomitable will; Wetzel's was coldly dark, with fateful resolve, as if his - -decree of vengeance, once given, was as immutable as destiny. The big, horny - -hands gripped in a viselike clasp born of fierce passion, but no word was - -spoken. - - - -Far to the west somewhere, a befrilled and dedizened renegade pursued the wild - -tenor of his ways; perhaps, even now steeping his soul in more crime, or - -staining his hands a deeper red, but sleeping or waking, he dreamed not of - -this deadly compact that meant his doom. - - - -The two hunters turned their stern faces toward the west, and passed silently - -down the ridge into the depths of the forest. Darkness found them within - -rifle-shot of the Village of Peace. With the dog creeping between them, they - -crawled to a position which would, in daylight, command a view of the - -clearing. Then, while one stood guard, the other slept. - - - -When morning dawned they shifted their position to the top of a low, - -fern-covered cliff, from which they could see every movement in the village. - -All the morning they watched with that wonderful patience of men who knew how - -to wait. The visiting savages were quiet, the missionaries moved about in and - -out of the shops and cabins; the Christian indians worked industriously in the - -fields, while the renegades lolled before a prominent teepee. - - - -"This quiet looks bad," whispered Jonathan to Wetzel. No shouts were heard; - -not a hostile Indian was seen to move. - - - -"They've come to a decision," whispered Jonathan, and Wetzel answered him: - - - -"If they hev, the Christians don't know it." - - - -An hour later the deep pealing of the church bell broke the silence. The - -entire band of Christian Indians gathered near the large log structure, and - -then marched in orderly form toward the maple grove where the service was - -always held in pleasant weather. This movement brought the Indians within - -several hundred yards of the cliff where Zane and Wetzel lay concealed. - - - -"There's Heckewelder walking with old man Wells," whispered Jonathan. "There's - -Young and Edwards, and, yes, there's the young missionary, brother of Joe. - -'Pears to me they're foolish to hold service in the face of all those riled - -Injuns." - - - -"Wuss'n foolish," answered Wetzel. - - - -"Look! By gum! As I'm a livin' sinner there comes the whole crowd of hostile - -redskins. They've got their guns, and--by Gum! they're painted. Looks bad, - -bad! Not much friendliness about that bunch!" - - - -"They ain't intendin' to be peaceable." - - - -"By gum! You're right. There ain't one of them settin' down. 'Pears to me I - -know some of them redskins. There's Pipe, sure enough, and Kotoxen. By gum! - -If there ain't Shingiss; he was friendly once." - - - -"None of them's friendly." - - - -"Look! Lew, look! Right behind Pipe. See that long war-bonnet. As I'm a born - -sinner, that's your old friend, Wingenund. 'Pears to me we've rounded up all - -our acquaintances." - - - -The two bordermen lay close under the tall ferns and watched the proceedings - -with sharp eyes. They saw the converted Indians seat themselves before the - -platform. The crowd of hostile Indians surrounded the glade on all sides, - -except on, which, singularly enough, was next to the woods. - - - -"Look thar!" exclaimed Wetzel, under his breath. He pointed off to the right - -of the maple glade. Jonathan gazed in the direction indicated, and saw two - -savages stealthily slipping through the bushes, and behind trees. Presently - -these suspicious acting spies, or scouts, stopped on a little knoll perhaps an - -hundred yards from the glade. - - - -Wetzel groaned. - - - -"This ain't comfortable," growled Zane, in a low whisper. "Them red devils are - -up to somethin' bad. They'd better not move round over here." - - - -The hunters, satisfied that the two isolated savages meant mischief, turned - -their gaze once more toward the maple grove. - - - -"Ah! Simon you white traitor! See him, Lew, comin' with his precious gang," - -said Jonathan. "He's got the whole thing fixed, you can plainly see that. Bill - -Elliott, McKee; and who's that renegade with Jim Girty? I'll allow he must be - -the fellar we heard was with the Chippewas. Tough lookin' customer; a good - -mate fer Jim Girty! A fine lot of border-hawks!" - - - -"Somethin' comin' off," whispered Wetzel, as Zane's low growl grew - -unintelligible. - - - -Jonathan felt, rather than saw, Wetzel tremble. - - - -"The missionaries are consultin'. Ah! there comes one! Which? I guess it's - -Edwards. By gum! who's that Injun stalkin' over from the hostile bunch. Big - -chief, whoever he is. Blest if it ain't Half King!" - - - -The watchers saw the chief wave his arm and speak with evident arrogance of - -Edwards, who, however, advanced to the platform and raise his hand to address - -the Christians. - - - -"Crack!" - - - -A shot rang out from the thicket. Clutching wildly at his breast, the - -missionary reeled back, staggered, and fell. - - - -"One of those skulkin' redskins has killed Edwards," said Zane. "But, no; he's - -not dead! He's gettin' up. Mebbe he ain't hurt bad. By gum! there's Young - -comin' forward. Of all the fools!" - - - -It was indeed true that Young had faced the Indians. Half King addressed him - -as he had the other; but Young raised his hand and began speaking. - - - -"Crack!" - - - -Another shot rang out. Young threw up his hands and fell heavily. The - -missionaries rushed toward him. Mr. Wells ran round the group, wringing his - -hands as if distracted. - - - -"He's hard hit," hissed Zane, between his teeth. "You can tell that by the way - -he fell." - - - -Wetzel did not answer. He lay silent and motionless, his long body rigid, and - -his face like marble. - - - -"There comes the other young fellar--Joe's brother. He'll get plugged, too," - -continued Zane, whispering rather to himself than to his companion. "Oh, I - -hoped they'd show some sense! It's noble for them to die for Christianity, but - -it won't do no good. By gum! Heckewelder has pulled him back. Now, that's good - -judgment!" - - - -Half King stepped before the Christians and addressed them. He held in his - -hand a black war-club, which he wielded as he spoke. - - - -Jonathan's attention was now directed from the maple grove to the hunter - -beside him. He had heard a slight metallic click, as Wetzel cocked his rifle. - -Then he saw the black barrel slowly rise. - - - -"Listen, Lew. Mebbe it ain't good sense. We're after Girty, you remember; and - -it's a long shot from here--full three hundred yards." - - - -"You're right, Jack, you're right," answered Wetzel, breathing hard. - - - -"Let's wait, and see what comes off." - - - -"Jack, I can't do it. It'll make our job harder; but I can't help it. I can - -put a bullet just over the Huron's left eye, an' I'm goin' to do it." - - - -"You can't do it, Lew; you can't! It's too far for any gun. Wait! Wait!" - -whispered Jonathan, laying his hand on Wetzel's shoulder. - - - -"Wait? Man, can't you see what the unnamable villain is doin'?" - - - -"What?" asked Zane, turning his eyes again to the glade. - - - -The converted Indians sat with bowed heads. Half King raised his war-club, and - -threw it on the ground in front of them. - - - -"He's announcin' the death decree!" hissed Wetzel. - - - -"Well! if he ain't!" - - - -Jonathan looked at Wetzel's face. Then he rose to his knees, as had Wetzel, - -and tightened his belt. He knew that in another instant they would be speeding - -away through the forest. - - - -"Lew, my rifle's no good fer that distance. But mebbe yours is. You ought to - -know. It's not sense, because there's Simon Girty, and there's Jim, the men - -we're after. If you can hit one, you can another. But go ahead, Lew. Plug - -that cowardly redskin!" - - - -Wetzel knelt on one knee, and thrust the black rifle forward through the fern - -leaves. Slowly the fatal barrel rose to a level, and became as motionless as - -the immovable stones. - - - -Jonathan fixed his keen gaze on the haughty countenance of Half King as he - -stood with folded arms and scornful mien in front of the Christians he had - -just condemned. - - - -Even as the short, stinging crack of Wetzel's rifle broke the silence, - -Jonathan saw the fierce expression of Half King's dark face change to one of - -vacant wildness. His arms never relaxed from their folded position. He fell, - -as falls a monarch of the forest trees, a dead weight. - - - - - - - -Chapter XXV. - - - -"Please do not preach to-day," said Nell, raising her eyes imploringly to - -Jim's face. - - - -"Nellie, I must conduct the services as usual. I can not shirk my duty, nor - -let these renegades see I fear to face them." - - - -"I have such a queer feeling. I am afraid. I don't want to be left alone. - -Please do not leave me." - - - -Jim strode nervously up and down the length of the room. Nell's worn face, her - -beseeching eyes and trembling hands touched his heart. Rather than almost - -anything else, he desired to please her, to strengthen her; yet how could he - -shirk his duty? - - - -"Nellie, what is it you fear?" he asked, holding her hands tightly. - - - -"Oh, I don't know what--everything. Uncle is growing weaker every day. Look - -at Mr. Young; he is only a shadow of his former self, and this anxiety is - -wearing Mr. Heckewelder out. He is more concerned than he dares admit. You - -needn't shake your head, for I know it. Then those Indians who are waiting, - -waiting--for God only knows what! Worse than all to me, I saw that renegade, - -that fearful beast who made way with poor dear Kate!" - - - -Nell burst into tears, and leaned sobbing on Jim's shoulder. - - - -"Nell, I've kept my courage only because of you," replied Jim, his voice - -trembling slightly. - - - -She looked up quickly. Something in the pale face which was bent over her told - -that now, if ever, was the time for a woman to forget herself, and to cheer, - -to inspire those around her. - - - -"I am a silly baby, and selfish!" she cried, freeing herself from his hold. - -"Always thinking of myself." She turned away and wiped the tears from her - -eyes. "Go, Jim, do you duty; I'll stand by and help you all a woman can." - - - - - -The missionaries were consulting in Heckewelder's cabin. Zeisberger had - -returned that morning, and his aggressive, dominating spirit was just what - -they needed in an hour like this. He raised the downcast spirits of the - -ministers. - - - -"Hold the service? I should say we will," he declared, waving his hands. - -"What have we to be afraid of?" - - - -"I do not know," answered Heckewelder, shaking his head doubtfully. "I do not - -know what to fear. Girty himself told me he bore us no ill will; but I hardly - -believe him. All this silence, this ominous waiting perplexes, bewilders me." - - - -"Gentlemen, our duty at least is plain," said Jim, impressively. "The faith of - -these Christian Indians in us is so absolute that they have no fear. They - -believe in God, and in us. These threatening savages have failed signally to - -impress our Christians. If we do not hold the service they will think we fear - -Girty, and that might have a bad influence." - - - -"I am in favor of postponing the preaching for a few days. I tell you I am - -afraid of Girty's Indians, not for myself, but for these Christians whom we - -love so well. I am afraid." Heckewelder's face bore testimony to his anxious - -dread. - - - -"You are our leader; we have but to obey," said Edwards. "Yet I think we owe - -it to our converts to stick to our work until we are forced by violence to - -desist." - - - -"Ah! What form will that violence take?" cried Heckewelder, his face white. - -"You cannot tell what these savages mean. I fear! I fear!" - - - -"Listen, Heckewelder, you must remember we had this to go through once - -before," put in Zeisberger earnestly. "In '78 Girty came down on us like a - -wolf on the fold. He had not so many Indians at his beck and call as now; but - -he harangued for days, trying to scare us and our handful of Christians. He - -set his drunken fiends to frighten us, and he failed. We stuck it out and - -won. He's trying the same game. Let us stand against him, and hold our - -services as usual. We should trust in God!" - - - -"Never give up!" cried Jim. - - - -"Gentlemen, you are right; you shame me, even though I feel that I understand - -the situation and its dread possibilities better than any one of you. Whatever - -befalls we'll stick to our post. I thank you for reviving the spirit in my - -cowardly heart. We will hold the service to-day as usual and to make it more - -impressive, each shall address the congregation in turn." - - - -"And, if need be, we will give our lives for our Christians," said Young, - -raising his pale face. - - - - - -The deep mellow peals of the church bell awoke the slumbering echoes. - -Scarcely had its melody died away in the forest when a line of Indians issued - -from the church and marched toward the maple grove. Men, women, youths, - -maidens and children. - - - -Glickhican, the old Delaware chief, headed the line. His step was firm, his - -head erect, his face calm in its noble austerity. His followers likewise - -expressed in their countenances the steadfastness of their belief. The - -maidens' heads were bowed, but with shyness, not fear. The children were - -happy, their bright faces expressive of the joy the felt in the anticipation - -of listening to their beloved teachers. - - - -This procession passed between rows of painted savages, standing immovable, - -with folded arms, and somber eyes. - - - -No sooner had the Christians reached the maple grove, when from all over the - -clearing appeared hostile Indians, who took positions near the knoll where the - -missionaries stood. - - - -Heckewelder's faithful little band awaited him on the platform. The converted - -Indians seated themselves as usual at the foot of the knoll. The other - -savages crowded closely on both sides. They carried their weapons, and - -maintained the same silence that had so singularly marked their mood of the - -last twenty-four hours. No human skill could have divined their intention. - -This coldness might be only habitual reserve, and it might be anything else. - - - -Heckewelder approached at the same time that Simon Girty and his band of - -renegades appeared. With the renegades were Pipe and Half King. These two came - -slowly across the clearing, passed through the opening in the crowd, and - -stopped close to the platform. - - - -Heckewelder went hurriedly up to his missionaries. He seemed beside himself - -with excitement, and spoke with difficulty. - - - -"Do not preach to-day. I have been warned again," he said, in a low voice. - - - -"Do you forbid it?" inquired Edwards. - - - -"No, no. I have not that authority, but I implore it. Wait, wait until the - -Indians are in a better mood." - - - -Edwards left the group, and, stepping upon the platform, faced the Christians. - - - -At the same moment Half King stalked majestically from before his party. He - -carried no weapon save a black, knotted war-club. A surging forward of the - -crowd of savages behind him showed the intense interest which his action had - -aroused. He walked forward until he stood half way between the platform and - -the converts. He ran his evil glance slowly over the Christians, and then - -rested it upon Edwards. - - - -"Half King's orders are to be obeyed. Let the paleface keep his mouth closed," - -he cried in the Indian tongue. The imperious command came as a thunderbolt - -from a clear sky. The missionaries behind Edwards stood bewildered, awaiting - -the outcome. - - - -But Edwards, without a moment's hesitation, calmly lifted his hand and spoke. - - - -"Beloved Christians, we meet to-day as we have met before, as we hope to meet - -in---" - - - -"Spang!" - - - -The whistling of a bullet over the heads of the Christians accompanied the - -loud report of a rifle. All presently plainly heard the leaden missile strike. - -Edwards wheeled, clutching his side, breathed hard, and then fell heavily - -without uttering a cry. He had been shot by an Indian concealed in the - -thicket. - - - -For a moment no one moved, nor spoke. the missionaries were stricken with - -horror; the converts seemed turned to stone, and the hostile throng waited - -silently, as they had for hours. - - - -"He's shot! He's shot! Oh, I feared this!" cried Heckewelder, running forward. - -The missionaries followed him. Edwards was lying on his back, with a bloody - -hand pressed to his side. - - - -"Dave, Dave, how is it with you?" asked Heckewelder, in a voice low with fear. - - - -"Not bad. It's too far out to be bad, but it knocked me over," answered - -Edwards, weakly. "Give me--water." - - - -They carried him from the platform, and laid him on the grass under a tree. - - - -Young pressed Edwards' hand; he murmured something that sounded like a prayer, - -and then walked straight upon the platform, as he raised his face, which was - -sublime with a white light. - - - -"Paleface! Back!" roared Half King, as he waved his war-club. - - - -"You Indian dog! Be silent!" - - - -Young's clear voice rolled out on the quiet air so imperiously, so powerful in - -its wonderful scorn and passion, that the hostile savages were overcome by - -awe, and the Christians thrilled anew with reverential love. - - - -Young spoke again in a voice which had lost its passion, and was singularly - -sweet in its richness. - - - -"Beloved Christians, if it is God's will that we must die to prove our faith, - -then as we have taught you how to live, so we can show you how to die---" - - - -"Spang!" - - - -Again a whistling sound came with the bellow of an overcharged rifle; again - -the sickening thud of a bullet striking flesh. - - - -Young fell backwards from the platform. - - - -The missionaries laid him beside Edwards, and then stood in shuddering - -silence. A smile shone on Young's pale face; a stream of dark blood welled - -from his breast. His lips moved; he whispered: - - - -"I ask no more--God's will." - - - -Jim looked down once at his brother missionaries; then with blanched face, but - -resolute and stern, he marched toward the platform. - - - -Heckewelder ran after him, and dragged him back. - - - -"No! no! no! My God! Would you be killed? Oh! I tried to prevent this!" cried - -Heckewelder, wringing his hands. - - - -One long, fierce, exultant yell pealed throughout the grove. It came from - -those silent breasts in which was pent up hatred; it greeted this action which - -proclaimed victory over the missionaries. - - - -All eyes turned on Half King. With measured stride he paced to and fro before - -the Christian Indians. - - - -Neither cowering nor shrinking marked their manner; to a man, to a child, they - -rose with proud mien, heads erect and eyes flashing. This mighty chief with - -his blood-thirsty crew could burn the Village of Peace, could annihilate the - -Christians, but he could never change their hope and trust in God. - - - -"Blinded fools!" cried Half King. "The Huron is wise; he tells no lies. Many - -moons ago he told the Christians they were sitting half way between two angry - -gods, who stood with mouths open wide and looking ferociously at each other. - -If they did not move back out of the road they would be ground to powder by - -the teeth of one or the other, or both. Half King urged them to leave the - -peaceful village, to forget the paleface God; to take their horses, and - -flocks, and return to their homes. The Christians scorned the Huron King's - -counsel. The sun has set for the Village of Peace. The time has come. Pipe and - -the Huron are powerful. They will not listen to the paleface God. They will - -burn the Village of Peace. Death to the Christians!" - - - -Half King threw the black war-club with a passionate energy on the grass - -before the Indians. - - - -They heard this decree of death with unflinching front. Even the children were - -quiet. Not a face paled, not an eye was lowered. - - - -Half King cast their doom in their teeth. The Christians eyed him with - -unspoken scorn. - - - -"My God! My God! It is worse than I thought!" moaned Heckewelder. "Utter ruin! - -Murder! Murder!" - - - -In the momentary silence which followed his outburst, a tiny cloud of - -blue-white smoke came from the ferns overhanging a cliff. - - - -Crack! - - - -All heard the shot of a rifle; all noticed the difference between its clear, - -ringing intonation and the loud reports of the other two. All distinctly heard - -the zip of a bullet as it whistled over their heads. - - - -All? No, not all. One did not hear that speeding bullet. He who was the - -central figure in this tragic scene, he who had doomed the Christians might - -have seen that tiny puff of smoke which heralded his own doom, but before the - -ringing report could reach his ears a small blue hole appeared, as if by - -magic, over his left eye, and pulse, and sense, and life had fled forever. - - - -Half King, great, cruel chieftain, stood still for an instant as if he had - -been an image of stone; his haughty head lost its erect poise, the fierceness - -seemed to fade from his dark face, his proud plume waved gracefully as he - -swayed to and fro, and then fell before the Christians, inert and lifeless. - - - -No one moved; it was as if no one breathed. The superstitious savages awaited - -fearfully another rifle shot; another lightning stroke, another visitation - -from the paleface's God. - - - -But Jim Girty, with a cunning born of his terrible fear, had recognized the - -ring of that rifle. He had felt the zip of a bullet which could just as - -readily have found his brain as Half King's. He had stood there as fair a mark - -as the cruel Huron, yet the Avenger had not chosen him. Was he reserved for a - -different fate? Was not such a death too merciful for the frontier Deathshead? - -He yelled in his craven fear: - - - -"Le vent de la Mort!" - - - -The well known, dreaded appellation aroused the savages from a fearful stupor - -into a fierce manifestation of hatred. A tremendous yell rent the air. - -Instantly the scene changed. - - - - - - - -Chapter XXVI. - - - -In the confusion the missionaries carried Young and Edwards into Mr. Wells' - -cabin. Nell's calm, white face showed that she had expected some such - -catastrophe as this, but she of all was the least excited. Heckewelder left - -them at the cabin and hurried away to consult Captain Williamson. While - -Zeisberger, who was skilled in surgery, attended to the wounded men, Jim - -barred the heavy door, shut the rude, swinging windows, and made the cabin - -temporarily a refuge from prowling savages. - - - -Outside the clamor increased. Shrill yells rent the air, long, rolling - -war-cries sounded above all the din. The measured stamp of moccasined feet, - -the rush of Indians past the cabin, the dull thud of hatchets struck hard into - -the trees--all attested to the excitement of the savages, and the imminence of - -terrible danger. - - - -In the front room of Mr. Wells' cabin Edwards lay on a bed, his face turned to - -the wall, and his side exposed. There was a bloody hole in his white skin. - -Zeisberger was probing for the bullet. He had no instruments, save those of - -his own manufacture, and they were darning needles with bent points, and a - -long knife-blade ground thin. - - - -"There, I have it," said Zeisberger. "Hold still, Dave. There!" As Edwards - -moaned Zeisberger drew forth the bloody bullet. "Jim, wash and dress this - -wound. It isn't bad. Dave will be all right in a couple of days. Now I'll look - -at George." - - - -Zeisberger hurried into the other room. Young lay with quiet face and closed - -eyes, breathing faintly. Zeisberger opened the wounded man's shirt and exposed - -the wound, which was on the right side, rather high up. Nell, who had followed - -Zeisberger that she might be of some assistance if needed, saw him look at the - -wound and then turn a pale face away for a second. That hurried, shuddering - -movement of the sober, practical missionary was most significant. Then he bent - -over Young and inserted on of the probes into the wound. He pushed the steel - -an inch, two, three, four inches into Young's breast, but the latter neither - -moved nor moaned. Zeisberger shook his head, and finally removed the - -instrument. He raised the sufferer's shoulder to find the bed saturated with - -blood. The bullet wound extended completely through the missionary's body, and - -was bleeding from the back. Zeisberger folded strips of linsey cloth into - -small pads and bound them tightly over both apertures of the wound. - - - -"How is he?" asked Jim, when the amateur surgeon returned to the other room, - -and proceeded to wash the blood from his hands. - - - -Zeisberger shook his head gloomily. - - - -"How is George?" whispered Edwards, who had heard Jim's question. - - - -"Shot through the right lung. Human skill can not aid him! Only God can save." - - - -"Didn't I hear a third shot?" whispered Dave, gazing round with sad, - -questioning eyes. "Heckewelder?" - - - -"Is safe. He has gone to see Williamson. You did hear a third shot. Half King - -fell dead with a bullet over his left eye. He had just folded his arms in a - -grand pose after his death decree to the Christians." - - - -"A judgment of God!" - - - -"It does seem so, but it came in the form of leaden death from Wetzel's - -unerring rifle. Do you hear all that yelling? Half King's death has set the - -Indians wild." - - - -There was a gentle knock at the door, and then the word, "Open," in - -Heckewelder's voice. - - - -Jim unbarred the door. Heckewelder came in carrying over his shoulder what - -apparently was a sack of meal. He was accompanied by young Christy. - -Heckewelder put the bag down, opened it, and lifted out a little Indian boy. - -The child gazed round with fearful eyes. - - - -"Save Benny! Save Benny!" he cried, running to Nell, and she clasped him - -closely in her arms. - - - -Heckewelder's face was like marble as he asked concerning Edwards' condition. - - - -"I'm not badly off," said the missionary with a smile. - - - -"How's George?" whispered Heckewelder. - - - -No one answered him. Zeisberger raised his hands. All followed Heckewelder - -into the other room, where Young lay in the same position as when first - -brought in. Heckewelder stood gazing down into the wan face with its terribly - -significant smile. - - - -"I brought him out here. I persuaded him to come!" whispered Heckewelder. - -"Oh, Almighty God!" he cried. His voice broke, and his prayer ended with the - -mute eloquence of clasped hands and uplifted, appealing face. - - - -"Come out," said Zeisberger, leading him into the larger room. The others - -followed, and Jim closed the door. - - - -"What's to be done?" said Zeisberger, with his practical common sense. "What - -did Williamson say? Tell us what you learned?" - - - -"Wait--directly," answered Heckewelder, sitting down and covering his face - -with his hands. There was a long silence. At length he raised his white face - -and spoke calmly: - - - -"Gentlemen, the Village of Peace is doomed. I entreated Captain Williamson to - -help us, but he refused. Said he dared not interfere. I prayed that he would - -speak at least a word to Girty, but he denied my request." - - - -"Where are the converts?" - - - -"Imprisoned in the church, every one of them except Benny. Mr. Christy and I - -hid the child in the meal sack and were thus able to get him here. We must - -save him." - - - -"Save him?" asked Nell, looking from Heckewelder to the trembling Indian boy. - - - -"Nellie, the savages have driven all our Christians into the church, and shut - -them up there, until Girty and his men shall give the word to complete their - -fiendish design. The converts asked but one favor--an hour in which to pray. - -It was granted. The savages intend to murder them all." - - - -"Oh! Horrible! Monstrous!" cried Nell. "How can they be so inhuman?" She - -lifted Benny up in her arms. "They'll never get you, my boy. We'll save - -you--I'll save you!" The child moaned and clung to her neck. - - - -"They are scouring the clearing now for Christians, and will search all the - -cabins. I'm positive." - - - -"Will they come here?" asked Nell, turning her blazing eyes on Heckewelder. - - - -"Undoubtedly. We must try to hide Benny. Let me think; where would be a good - -place? We'll try a dark corner of the loft." - - - -"No, no," cried Nell. - - - -"Put Benny in Young's bed," suggested Jim. - - - -"No, no," cried Nell. - - - -"Put him in a bucket and let him down in the well," whispered Edwards, who had - -listened intently to the conversation. - - - -"That's a capital place," said Heckewelder. "But might he not fall out and - -drown?" - - - -"Tie him in the bucket," said Jim. - - - -"No, no, no," cried Nell. - - - -"But Nellie, we must decide upon a hiding place, and in a hurry." - - - -"I'll save Benny." - - - -"You? Will you stay here to face those men? Jim Girty and Deering are - -searching the cabins. Could you bear it to see them? You couldn't." - - - -"Oh! No, I believe it would kill me! That man! that beast! will he come here?" - -Nell grew ghastly pale, and looked as if about to faint. She shrunk in horror - -at the thought of again facing Girty. "For God's sake, Heckewelder, don't let - -him see me! Don't let him come in! Don't!" - - - -Even as the imploring voice ceased a heavy thump sounded on the door. - - - -"Who's there?" demanded Heckewelder. - - - -Thump! Thump! - - - -The heavy blows shook the cabin. The pans rattled on the shelves. No answer - -came from without. - - - -"Quick! Hide Benny! It's as much as our lives are worth to have him found - -here," cried Heckewelder in a fierce whisper, as he darted toward the door. - - - -"All right, all right, in a moment," he called out, fumbling over the bar. - - - -He opened the door a moment later and when Jim Girty and Deering entered he - -turned to his friends with a dread uncertainty in his haggard face. - - - -Edwards lay on the bed with wide-open eyes staring at the intruders. Mr. Wells - -sat with bowed head. Zeisberger calmly whittled a stick, and Jim stood bolt - -upright, with a hard light in his eyes. - - - -Nell leaned against the side of a heavy table. Wonderful was the change that - -had transformed her from a timid, appealing, fear-agonized girl to a woman - -whose only evidence of unusual excitement were the flame in her eyes and the - -peculiar whiteness of her face. - - - -Benny was gone! - - - -Heckewelder's glance returned to the visitors. He thought he had never seen - -such brutal, hideous men. - - - -"Wal, I reckon a preacher ain't agoin' to lie. Hev you seen any Injun - -Christians round here?" asked Girty, waving a heavy sledge-hammer. - - - -"Girty, we have hidden no Indians here," answered Heckewelder, calmly. - - - -"Wal, we'll hev a look, anyway," answered the renegade. - - - -Girty surveyed the room with wolfish eyes. Deering was so drunk that he - -staggered. Both men, in fact, reeked with the vile fumes of rum. Without - -another word they proceeded to examine the room, by looking into every box, - -behind a stone oven, and in the cupboard. They drew the bedclothes from the - -bed, and with a kick demolished a pile of stove wood. Then the ruffians passed - -into the other apartments, where they could be heard making thorough search. - -At length both returned to the large room, when Girty directed Deering to - -climb a ladder leading to the loft, but because Deering was too much under the - -influence of liquor to do so, he had to go himself. He rummaged around up - -there for a few minutes, and then came down. - - - -"Wal, I reckon you wasn't lyin' about it," said Girty, with his ghastly leer. - - - -He and his companion started to go out. Deering had stood with bloodshot eyes - -fixed on Nell while Girty searched the loft, and as they passed the girl on - -their way to the open air, the renegade looked at Girty as he motioned with - -his head toward her. His besotted face expressed some terrible meaning. - - - -Girty had looked at Nell when he first entered, but had not glanced twice at - -her. As he turned now, before going out of the door, he fixed on her his - -baleful glance. His aspect was more full of meaning than could have been any - -words. A horrible power, of which he was boastfully conscious, shone from his - -little, pointed eyes. His mere presence was deadly. Plainly as if he had - -spoken was the significance of his long gaze. Any one could have translated - -that look. - - - -Once before Nell had faced it, and fainted when its dread meaning grew clear - -to her. But now she returned his gaze with one in which flashed lightning - -scorn, and repulsion, in which glowed a wonderful defiance. - - - -The cruel face of this man, the boastful barbarity of his manner, the long, - -dark, bloody history which his presence recalled, was, indeed, terrifying - -without the added horror of his intent toward her, but not the - -self-forgetfulness of a true woman sustained her. - - - -Girty and Deering backed out of the door. Heckewelder closed it, and dropped - -the bar in place. - - - -Nell fell over the table with a long, low gasp. Then with one hand she lifted - -her skirt. Benny walked from under it. His big eyes were bright. The young - -woman clasped him again in her arms. Then she released him, and, laboring - -under intense excitement, ran to the window. - - - -"There he goes! Oh, the horrible beast! If I only had a gun and could shoot! - -Oh, if only I were a man! I'd kill him. To think of poor Kate! Ah! he intends - -the same for me!" - - - -Suddenly she fell upon the floor in a faint. Mr. Wells and Jim lifted her on - -the bed beside Edwards, where they endeavored to revive her. It was some - -moments before she opened her eyes. - - - -Jim sat holding Nell's hand. Mr. Wells again bowed his head. Zeisberger - -continued to whittle a stick, and Heckewelder paced the floor. Christy stood - -by with every evidence of sympathy for this distracted group. Outside the - -clamor increased. - - - -"Just listen!" cried Heckewelder. "Did you ever hear the like? All drunk, - -crazy, fiendish! They drank every drop of liquor the French traders had. - -Curses on the vagabond dealers! Rum has made these renegades and savages wild. - -Oh! my poor, innocent Christians!" - - - -Heckewelder leaned his head against the mantle-shelf. He had broken down at - -last. Racking sobs shook his frame. - - - -"Are you all right again?" asked Jim of Nell. - - - -"Yes." - - - -"I am going out, first to see Williamson, and then the Christians," he said, - -rising very pale, but calm. - - - -"Don't go!" cried Heckewelder. "I have tried everything. It was all of no - -use." - - - -"I will go," answered Jim. - - - -"Yes, Jim, go," whispered Nell, looking up into his eyes. It was an earnest - -gaze in which a faint hope shone. - - - -Jim unbarred the door and went out. - - - -"Wait, I'll go along," cried Zeisberger, suddenly dropping his knife and - -stick. - - - -As the two men went out a fearful spectacle met their eyes. The clearing was - -alive with Indians. But such Indians! They were painted demons, maddened by - -rum. Yesterday they had been silent; if they moved at all it had been with - -deliberation and dignity. To-day they were a yelling, running, blood-seeking - -mob. - - - -"Awful! Did you ever see human beings like these?" asked Zeisberger. - - - -"No, no!" - - - -"I saw such a frenzy once before, but, of course, only in a small band of - -savages. Many times have I seen Indians preparing for the war-path, in search - -of both white men and redskins. They were fierce then, but nothing like this. - -Every one of these frenzied fiends is honest. Think of that! Every man feels - -it his duty to murder these Christians. Girty has led up to this by cunning, - -and now the time is come to let them loose." - - - -"It means death for all." - - - -"I have given up any thought of escaping," said Zeisberger, with the calmness - -that had characterized his manner since he returned to the village. "I shall - -try to get into the church." - - - -"I'll join you there as soon as I see Williamson." - - - -Jim walked rapidly across the clearing to the cabin where Captain Williamson - -had quarters. The frontiersmen stood in groups, watching the savages with an - -interest which showed little or no concern. - - - -"I want to see Captain Williamson," said Jim to a frontiersman on guard at the - -cabin door. - - - -"Wal, he's inside," drawled the man. - - - -Jim thought the voice familiar, and he turned sharply to see the sun-burnt - -features of Jeff Lynn, the old riverman who had taken Mr. Wells' party to Fort - -Henry. - - - -"Why, Lynn! I'm glad to see you," exclaimed Jim. - - - -"Purty fair to middlin'," answered Jeff, extending his big hand. "Say, how's - -the other one, your brother as wus called Joe?" - - - -"I don't know. He ran off with Wetzel, was captured by Indians, and when I - -last heard of him he had married Wingenund's daughter." - - - -"Wal, I'll be dog-goned!" Jeff shook his grizzled head and slapped his leg. "I - -jest knowed he'd raise somethin'." - - - -"I'm in a hurry. Do you think Captain Williamson will stand still and let all - -this go on?" - - - -"I'm afeerd so.' - - - -Evidently the captain heard the conversation, for he appeared at the cabin - -door, smoking a long pipe. - - - -"Captain Williamson, I have come to entreat you to save the Christians from - -this impending massacre." - - - -"I can't do nuthin'," answered Williamson, removing his pipe to puff forth a - -great cloud of smoke. - - - -"You have eighty men here!" - - - -"If we interfered Pipe would eat us alive in three minutes. You preacher - -fellows don't understand this thing. You've got Pipe and Girty to deal with. - -If you don't know them, you'll be better acquainted by sundown." - - - -"I don't care who they are. Drunken ruffians and savages! That's enough. Will - -you help us? We are men of your own race, and we come to you for help. Can you - -withhold it?" - - - -"I won't hev nuthin' to do with this bizness. The chiefs hev condemned the - -village, an' it'll hev to go. If you fellars hed been careful, no white blood - -would hev been spilled. I advise you all to lay low till it's over." - - - -"Will you let me speak to your men, to try and get them to follow me?" - - - -"Heckewelder asked that same thing. He was persistent, and I took a vote fer - -him just to show how my men stood. Eighteen of them said they'd follow him; - -the rest wouldn't interfere." - - - -"Eighteen! My God!" cried Jim, voicing the passion which consumed him. "You - -are white men, yet you will stand by and see these innocent people murdered! - -Man, where's your humanity? Your manhood? These converted Indians are savages - -no longer, they are Christians. Their children are as good, pure, innocent as - -your own. Can you remain idle and see these little ones murdered?" - - - -Williamson made no answer, the men who had crowded round were equally silent. - -Not one lowered his head. many looked at the impassioned missionary; others - -gazed at the savages who were circling around the trees brandishing their - -weapons. If any pitied the unfortunate Christians, none showed it. They were - -indifferent, with the indifference of men hardened to cruel scenes. - - - -Jim understood, at last, as he turned from face to face to find everywhere - -that same imperturbability. These bordermen were like Wetzel and Jonathan - -Zane. The only good Indian was a dead Indian. Years of war and bloodshed, of - -merciless cruelty at the hands of redmen, of the hard, border life had - -rendered these frontiersmen incapable of compassion for any savage. - - - -Jim no longer restrained himself. - - - -"Bordermen you may be, but from my standpoint, from any man's, from God's, you - -are a lot of coldly indifferent cowards!" exclaimed Jim, with white, quivering - -lips. "I understand now. Few of you will risk anything for Indians. You will - -not believe a savage can be a Christian. You don't care if they are all - -murdered. Any man among you--any man, I say--would step out before those - -howling fiends and boldly demand that there be no bloodshed. A courageous - -leader with a band of determined followers could avert this tragedy. You might - -readily intimidate yonder horde of drunken demons. Captain Williamson, I am - -only a minister, far removed from a man of war and leader, as you claim to be, - -but, sir, I curse you as a miserable coward. If I ever get back to - -civilization I'll brand this inhuman coldness of yours, as the most infamous - -and dastardly cowardice that ever disgraced a white man. You are worse than - -Girty!" - - - -Williamson turned a sickly yellow; he fumbled a second with the handle of his - -tomahawk, but made no answer. The other bordermen maintained the same careless - -composure. What to them was the raving of a mad preacher? - - - -Jim saw it and turned baffled, fiercely angry, and hopeless. As he walked away - -Jeff Lynn took his arm, and after they were clear of the crowd of frontiersmen - -he said: - - - -"Young feller, you give him pepper, an' no mistake. An' mebbe you're right - -from your side the fence. But you can't see the Injuns from our side. We - -hunters hevn't much humanity--I reckon that's what you called it--but we've - -lost so many friends an' relatives, an' hearn of so many murders by the reddys - -that we look on all of 'em as wild varmints that should be killed on sight. - -Now, mebbe it'll interest you to know I was the feller who took the vote - -Williamson told you about, an' I did it 'cause I had an interest in you. I wus - -watchin' you when Edwards and the other missionary got shot. I like grit in a - -man, an' I seen you had it clear through. So when Heckewelder comes over I - -talked to the fellers, an' all I could git interested was eighteen, but they - -wanted to fight simply fer fightin' sake. Now, ole Jeff Lynn is your friend. - -You just lay low until this is over." - - - -Jim thanked the old riverman and left him. He hardly knew which way to turn. - -He would make one more effort. He crossed the clearing to where the renegades' - -teepee stood. McKee and Elliott were sitting on a log. Simon Girty stood - -beside them, his hard, keen, roving eyes on the scene. The missionary was - -impressed by the white leader. There was a difference in his aspect, a wilder - -look than the others wore, as if the man had suddenly awakened to the fury of - -his Indians. Nevertheless the young man went straight toward him. - - - -"Girty, I come---" - - - -"Git out! You meddlin' preacher!" yelled the renegade, shaking his fist at - -Jim. - - - -Simon Girty was drunk. - - - -Jim turned from the white fiends. He knew his life to them was not worth a - -pinch of powder. - - - -"Lost! Lost! All lost!" he exclaimed in despair. - - - -As he went toward the church he saw hundreds of savages bounding over the - -grass, brandishing weapons and whooping fiendishly. They were concentrating - -around Girty's teepee, where already a great throng had congregated. Of all - -the Indians to be seen not one walked. They leaped by Jim, and ran over the - -grass nimble as deer. - - - -He saw the eager, fire in their dusky eyes, and the cruelly clenched teeth - -like those of wolves when they snarl. He felt the hissing breath of many - -savages as they raced by him. More than one whirled a tomahawk close to Jim's - -head, and uttered horrible yells in his ear. They were like tigers lusting for - -blood. - - - -Jim hurried to the church. Not an Indian was visible near the log structure. - -Even the savage guards had gone. He entered the open door to be instantly - -struck with reverence and awe. - - - -The Christians were singing. - - - -Miserable and full of sickening dread though Jim was, he could not but realize - -that the scene before him was one of extraordinary beauty and pathos. The - -doomed Indians lifted up their voices in song. Never had they sung so - -feelingly, so harmoniously. - - - -When the song ended Zeisberger, who stood upon a platform, opened his Bible - -and read: - - - -"In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting - -kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord, thy Redeemer." - - - -In a voice low and tremulous the venerable missionary began his sermon. - - - -The shadow of death hovered over these Christian martyrs; it was reflected in - -their somber eyes, yet not one was sullen or sad. The children who were too - -young to understand, but instinctively feeling the tragedy soon to be enacted - -there, cowered close to their mothers. - - - -Zeisberger preached a touching and impressive, though short, sermon. At its - -conclusion the whole congregation rose and surrounded the missionary. The men - -shook his hands, the women kissed them, the children clung to his legs. It was - -a wonderful manifestation of affection. - - - -Suddenly Glickhican, the old Delaware chief, stepped on the platform, raised - -his hand and shouted one Indian word. - - - -A long, low wail went up from the children and youths; the women slowly, - -meekly bowed their heads. The men, due to the stoicism of their nature and the - -Christianity they had learned, stood proudly erect awaiting the death that had - -been decreed. - - - -Glickhican pulled the bell rope. - - - -A deep, mellow tone pealed out. - - - -The sound transfixed all the Christians. No one moved. - - - -Glickhican had given the signal which told the murderers the Christians were - -ready. - - - -"Come, man, my God! We can't stay here!" cried Jim to Zeisberger. - - - -As they went out both men turned to look their last on the martyrs. The death - -knell which had rung in the ears of the Christians, was to them the voice of - -God. Stern, dark visages of men and the sweet, submissive faces of women were - -uplifted with rapt attention. A light seemed to shine from these faces as if - -the contemplation of God had illumined them. - - - -As Zeisberger and Jim left the church and hurried toward the cabins, they saw - -the crowd of savages in a black mass round Girty's teepee. The yelling and - -leaping had ceased. - - - -Heckewelder opened the door. Evidently he had watched for them. - - - -"Jim! Jim!" cried Nell, when he entered the cabin. "Oh-h! I was afraid. Oh! I - -am glad you're back safe. See, this noble Indian has come to help us." - - - -Wingenund stood calm and erect by the door. - - - -"Chief, what will you do?" - - - -"Wingenund will show you the way to the big river," answered the chieftain, in - -his deep bass. - - - -"Run away? No, never! That would be cowardly. Heckewelder, you would not go? - -Nor you, Zeisberger? We may yet be of use, we may yet save some of the - -Christians." - - - -"Save the yellow-hair," sternly said Wingenund. - - - -"Oh, Jim, you don't understand. The chief has come to warn me of Girty. He - -intends to take me as he has others, as he did poor Kate. did you not see the - -meaning in his eyes to-day? How they scorched me! Ho! Jim, take me away! Save - -me! Do not leave me here to that horrible fate? Oh! Jim, take me away!" - - - -"Nell, I will take you," cried Jim, grasping her hands. - - - -"Hurry! There's a blanket full of things I packed for you," said Heckewelder. - -"Lose no time. Ah! hear that! My Heavens! what a yell!" Heckewelder rushed to - -the door and looked out. "There they go, a black mob of imps; a pack of hungry - -wolves! Jim Girty is in the lead. How he leaps! How he waves his sledge! He - -leads the savages toward the church. Oh! it's the end!" - - - -"Benny? Where's Benny?" cried Jim, hurriedly lacing the hunting coat he had - -flung about him. - - - -"Benny's safe. I've hidden him. I'll get him away from here," answered young - -Christy. "Go! Now's your time. Godspeed you!" - - - -"I'm ready," declared Mr. Wells. "I--have--finished!" - - - -"There goes Wingenund! He's running. Follow him, quick! Good-by! Good-by! God - -be with you!" cried Heckewelder. - - - -"Good-by! Good-by!" - - - -Jim hurried Nell toward the bushes where Wingenund's tall form could dimly be - -seen. Mr. Wells followed them. On the edge of the clearing Jim and Nell turned - -to look back. - - - -They saw a black mass of yelling, struggling, fighting savages crowding around - -the church. - - - -"Oh! Jim, look back! Look back!" cried Nell, holding hard to his hand. "Look - -back! See if Girty is coming!" - - - - - - - -Chapter XXVII. - - - -At last the fugitives breathed free under the gold and red cover of the woods. - -Never speaking, never looking back, the guide hurried eastward with long - -strides. His followers were almost forced to run in order to keep him in - -sight. He had waited at the edge of the clearing for them, and, relieving Jim - -of the heavy pack, which he swung slightly over his shoulder, he set a pace - -that was most difficult to maintain. The young missionary half led, half - -carried Nell over the stones and rough places. Mr. Wells labored in the rear. - - - -"Oh! Jim! Look back! Look back! See if we are pursued!" cried Nell frequently, - -with many a earful glance into the dense thickets. - - - -The Indian took a straight course through the woods. He leaped the brooks, - -climbed the rough ridges, and swiftly trod the glades that were free of - -windfalls. His hurry and utter disregard for the plain trail left behind, - -proved his belief in the necessity of placing many miles between the fugitives - -and the Village of Peace. Evidently they would be followed, and it would be a - -waste of valuable time to try to conceal their trail. Gradually the ground - -began to rise, the way become more difficult, but Wingenund never slackened - -his pace. Nell was strong, supple, and light of foot. She held her own with - -Jim, but time and time again they were obliged to wait for her uncle. Once he - -was far behind. Wingenund halted for them at the height of a ridge where the - -forest was open. - - - -"Ugh!" exclaimed the chieftain, as they finished the ascent. He stretched a - -long arm toward the sun; his falcon eye gleamed. - - - -Far in the west a great black and yellow cloud of smoke rolled heavenward. It - -seemed to rise from out the forest, and to hang low over the trees; then it - -soared aloft and grew thinner until it lost its distinct line far in the - -clouds. The setting sun stood yet an hour high over a distant hill, and burned - -dark red through the great pall of smoke. - - - -"Is it a forest fire?" asked Nell, fearfully. - - - -"Fire, of course, but---" Jim did not voice his fear; he looked closely at - -Wingenund. - - - -The chieftain stood silent a moment as was his wont when addressed. The dull - -glow of the sun was reflected in the dark eyes that gazed far away over forest - -and field. - - - -"Fire," said Wingenund, and it seemed that as he spoke a sterner shadow - -flitted across his bronzed face. "The sun sets to-night over the ashes of the - -Village of Peace. - - - -He resumed his rapid march eastward. With never a backward glance the saddened - -party followed. Nell kept close beside Jim, and the old man tramped after them - -with bowed head. The sun set, but Wingenund never slackened his stride. - -Twilight deepened, yet he kept on. - - - -"Indian, we can go no further to-night, we must rest," cried Jim, as Nell - -stumbled against him, and Mr. Wells panted wearily in the rear. - - - -"Rest soon," replied the chief, and kept on. - - - -Darkness had settled down when Wingenund at last halted. The fugitives could - -see little in the gloom, but they heard the music of running water, and felt - -soft moss beneath their feet. - - - -They sank wearily down upon a projecting stone. The moss was restful to their - -tired limbs. Opening the pack they found food with which to satisfy the - -demands of hunger. Then, close under the stone, the fugitives sank into - -slumber while the watchful Indian stood silent and motionless. - - - -Jim thought he had but just closed his eyes when he felt a gentle pressure on - -his arm. - - - -"Day is here," said the Indian. - - - -Jim opened his eyes to see the bright red sun crimsoning the eastern hills, - -and streaming gloriously over the colored forests. He raised himself on his - -elbow to look around. Nell was still asleep. The blanket was tucked close to - -her chin. Her chestnut hair was tumbled like a schoolgirl's; she looked as - -fresh and sweet as the morning. - - - -"Nell, Nell, wake up," said Jim, thinking the while how he would love to kiss - -those white eyelids. - - - -Nell's eyes opened wide; a smile lay deep in their hazel shadows. - - - -"Where a I? Oh, I remember," she cried, sitting up. "Oh, Jim, I had such a - -sweet dream. I was at home with mother and Kate. Oh, to wake and find it all a - -dream! I am fleeing for life. But, Jim, we are safe, are we not?" - - - -"Another day, and we'll be safe." - - - -"Let us fly," she cried, leaping up and shaking out her crumpled skirt. - -"Uncle, come!" - - - -Mr. Wells lay quietly with his mild blue eyes smiling up at her. He neither - -moved nor spoke. - - - -"Eat, drink," said the chief, opening the pack. - - - -"What a beautiful place," exclaimed Nell, taking the bread and meat handed to - -her. "This is a lovely little glade. Look at those golden flowers, the red and - -purple leaves, the brown shining moss, and those lichen-covered stones. Why! - -Some one has camped here. See the little cave, the screens of plaited ferns, - -and the stone fireplace." - - - -"It seems to me this dark spring and those gracefully spreading branches are - -familiar," said Jim. - - - -"Beautiful Spring," interposed Wingenund. - - - -"Yes, I know this place," cried Nell excitedly. "I remember this glade though - -it was moonlight when I saw it. Here Wetzel rescued me from Girty." - - - -"Nell, you're right," replied Jim. "How strange we should run across this - -place again." - - - -Strange fate, indeed, which had brought them again to Beautiful Spring! It was - -destined that the great scenes of their lives were to be enacted in this mossy - -glade. - - - -"Come, uncle, you are lazy," cried Nell, a touch of her old roguishness making - -playful her voice. - - - -Mr. Wells lay still, and smiled up at them. - - - -"You are not ill?" cried Nell, seeing for the first time how pallid was his - -face. - - - -"Dear Nellie, I am not ill. I do not suffer, but I am dying," he answered, - -again with that strange, sweet smile. - - - -"Oh-h-h!" breathed Nell, falling on her knees. - - - -"No, no, Mr. Wells, you are only weak; you will be all right again soon," - -cried Jim. - - - -"Jim, Nellie, I have known all night. I have lain here wakeful. My heart never - -was strong. It gave out yesterday, and now it is slowly growing weaker. Put - -your hand on my breast. Feel. Ah! you see! My life is flickering. God's will - -be done. I am content. My work is finished. My only regret is that I brought - -you out to this terrible borderland. But I did not know. If only I could see - -you safe from the peril of this wilderness, at home, happy, married." - - - -Nell bent over him blinded by her tears, unable to see or speak, crushed by - -this last overwhelming blow. Jim sat on the other side of the old missionary, - -holding his hand. For many moments neither spoke. They glanced at the pale - -face, watching with eager, wistful eyes for a smile, or listening for a word. - - - -"Come," said the Indian. - - - -Nell silently pointed toward her uncle. - - - -"He is dying," whispered Jim to the Indian. - - - -"Go, leave me," murmured Mr. Wells. "You are still in danger." - - - -"We'll not leave you," cried Jim. - - - -"No, no, no," sobbed Nell, bending over to kiss him. - - - -"Nellie, may I marry you to Jim?" whispered Mr. Wells into her ear. "He has - -told me how it is with him. He loves you, Nellie. I'd die happier knowing I'd - -left you with him." - - - -Even at that moment, with her heart almost breaking, Nell's fair face flushed. - - - -"Nell, will you marry me?" asked Jim, softly. Low though it was, he had heard - -Mr. Wells' whisper. - - - -Nell stretched a little trembling hand over her uncle to Jim, who inclosed it - -in his own. Her eyes met his. Through her tears shone faintly a light, which, - -but for the agony that made it dim, would have beamed radiant. - - - -"Find the place," said Mr. Wells, handing Jim a Bible. It was the one he - -always carried in his pocket. - - - -With trembling hand Jim turned the leaves. At last he found the lines, and - -handed the book back to the old man. - - - -Simple, sweet and sad was that marriage service. Nell and Jim knelt with hands - -clasped over Mr. Wells. The old missionary's voice was faint; Nell's responses - -were low, and Jim answered with deep and tender feeling. Beside them stood - -Wingenund, a dark, magnificent figure. - - - -"There! May God bless you!" murmured Mr. Wells, with a happy smile, closing - -the Bible. - - - -"Nell, my wife!" whispered Jim, kissing her hand. - - - -"Come!" broke in Wingenund's voice, deep, strong, like that of a bell. - - - -Not one of them had observed the chief as he stood erect, motionless, poised - -like a stag scenting the air. His dark eyes seemed to pierce the purple-golden - -forest, his keen ear seemed to drink in the singing of the birds and the - -gentle rustling of leaves. Native to these haunts as were the wild creatures, - -they were no quicker than the Indian to feel the approach of foes. The breeze - -had borne faint, suspicious sounds. - - - -"Keep--the--Bible," said Mr. Wells, "remember--its--word." His hand closely - -clasped Nell's, and then suddenly loosened. His pallid face was lighted by a - -meaning, tender smile which slowly faded--faded, and was gone. The venerable - -head fell back. The old missionary was dead. - - - -Nell kissed the pale, cold brow, and then rose, half dazed and shuddering. - -Jim was vainly trying to close the dead man's eyes. She could no longer look. - -On rising she found herself near the Indian chief. He took her fingers in his - -great hand, and held them with a strong, warm pressure. Strangely thrilled, - -she looked up at Wingenund. His somber eyes, fixed piercingly on the forest, - -and his dark stern face, were, as always, inscrutable. No compassion shone - -there; no emotion unbefitting a chieftain would ever find expression in that - -cold face, but Nell felt a certain tenderness in this Indian, a response in - -his great heart. Felt it so surely, so powerfully that she leaned her head - -against him. She knew he was her friend. - - - -"Come," said the chief once more. He gently put Nell aside before Jim arose - -from his sad task. - - - -"We can not leave him unburied," expostulated Jim. - - - -Wingenund dragged aside a large stone which formed one wall of the cavern. - -Then he grasped a log which was half covered by dirt, and, exerting his great - -strength, pulled it from its place. There was a crash, a rumble, the jar of a - -heavy weight striking the earth, then the rattling of gravel, and, before Nell - -and Jim realized what had happened, the great rock forming the roof of the - -cavern slipped down the bank followed by a small avalanche. the cavern was - -completely covered. Mr. Wells was buried. A mossy stone marked the old - -missionary's grave. - - - -Nell and Jim were lost in wonder and awe. - - - -"Ugh!" cried the chief, looking toward the opening in the glade. - - - -Fearfully Nell and Jim turned, to be appalled by four naked, painted savages - -standing with leveled rifles. Behind them stood Deering and Jim Girty. - - - -"Oh, God! We are lost! Lost! Lost!" exclaimed Jim, unable to command himself. - -Hope died in his heart. - - - -No cry issued from Nell's white lips. She was dazed by this final blow. Having - -endured so much, this last misfortune, apparently the ruin of her life, - -brought no added suffering, only a strange, numb feeling. - - - -"Ah-huh! Thought you'd give me the slip, eh?" croaked Girty, striding forward, - -and as he looked at Wingenund his little, yellow eyes flared like flint. "Does - -a wolf befriend Girty's captives? Chief you hev led me a hard chase." - - - -Wingenund deigned no reply. He stood as he did so often, still and silent, - -with folded arms, and a look that was haughty, unresponsive. - - - -The Indians came forward into the glade, and one of them quickly bound Jim's - -hands behind his back. The savages wore a wild, brutish look. A feverish - -ferocity, very near akin to insanity, possessed them. They were not quiet a - -moment, but ran here and there, for no apparent reason, except, possibly, to - -keep in action with the raging fire in their hearts. The cleanliness which - -characterized the normal Indian was absent in them; their scant buckskin dress - -was bedraggled and stained. They were still drunk with rum and the lust for - -blood. Murder gleamed from the glance of their eyes. - - - -"Jake, come over here," said Girty to his renegade friend. "Ain't she a - -prize?" - - - -Girty and Deering stood before the poor, stricken girl, and gloated over her - -fair beauty. She stood as when first transfixed by the horror from which she - -had been fleeing. Her pale face was lowered, her hands clenched tightly in the - -folds of her skirt. - - - -Never before had two such coarse, cruel fiends as Deering and Girty encumbered - -the earth. Even on the border, where the best men were bad, they were the - -worst. Deering was yet drunk, but Girty had recovered somewhat from the - -effects of the rum he had absorbed. The former rolled his big eyes and nodded - -his shaggy head. He was passing judgment, from his point of view, on the fine - -points of the girl. - - - -"She cer'aintly is," he declared with a grin. "She's a little beauty. Beats - -any I ever seen!" - - - -Jim Girty stroked his sharp chin with dirty fingers. His yellow eyes, his - -burnt saffron skin, his hooked nose, his thin lips--all his evil face seemed - -to shine with an evil triumph. to look at him was painful. To have him gaze at - -her was enough to drive any woman mad. - - - -Dark stains spotted the bright frills of his gaudy dress, his buckskin coat - -and leggins, and dotted his white eagle plumes. Dark stains, horribly - -suggestive, covered him from head to foot. Blood stains! The innocent blood - -of Christians crimsoned his renegade's body, and every dark red blotch cried - -murder. - - - -"Girl, I burned the Village of Peace to git you," growled Girty. "Come here!" - - - -With a rude grasp that tore open her dress, exposing her beautiful white - -shoulder and bosom, the ruffian pulled her toward him. His face was transfixed - -with a fierce joy, a brutal passion. - - - -Deering looked on with a drunken grin, while his renegade friend hugged the - -almost dying girl. The Indians paced the glade with short strides like leashed - -tigers. The young missionary lay on the moss with closed eyes. He could not - -endure the sight of Nell in Girty's arms. - - - -No one noticed Wingenund. He stood back a little, half screened by drooping - -branches. Once again the chief's dark eyes gleamed, his head turned a trifle - -aside, and, standing in the statuesque position habitual with him when - -resting, he listened, as one who hears mysterious sounds. Suddenly his keen - -glance was riveted on the ferns above the low cliff. He had seen their - -graceful heads quivering. Then two blinding sheets of flame burst from the - -ferns. - - - -Spang! Spang! - - - -The two rifle reports thundered through the glade. Two Indians staggered and - -fell in their tracks--dead without a cry. - - - -A huge yellow body, spread out like a panther in his spring, descended with a - -crash upon Deering and Girty. The girl fell away from the renegade as he went - -down with a shrill screech, dragging Deering with him. Instantly began a - -terrific, whirling, wrestling struggle. - - - -A few feet farther down the cliff another yellow body came crashing down to - -alight with a thud, to bound erect, to rush forward swift as a leaping deer. - -The two remaining Indians had only time to draw their weapons before this - -lithe, threatening form whirled upon them. Shrill cries, hoarse yells, the - -clash of steel and dull blows mingled together. One savage went down, twisted - -over, writhed and lay still. The other staggered, warded of lightninglike - -blows until one passed under his guard, and crashed dully on his head. Then he - -reeled, rose again, but only to have his skull cloven by a bloody tomahawk. - - - -The victor darted toward the whirling mass. - - - -"Lew, shake him loose! Let him go!" yelled Jonathan Zane, swinging his bloody - -weapon. - - - -High above Zane's cry, Deering's shouts and curses, Girty's shrieks of fear - -and fury, above the noise of wrestling bodies and dull blows, rose a deep - -booming roar. - - - -It was Wetzel's awful cry of vengeance. - - - -"Shake him loose," yelled Jonathan. - - - -Baffled, he ran wildly around the wrestlers. Time and time again his gory - -tomahawk was raised only to be lowered. He found no opportunity to strike. - -Girty's ghastly countenance gleamed at him from the whirl of legs, and arms - -and bodies. Then Wetzel's dark face, lighted by merciless eyes, took its - -place, and that gave way to Deering's broad features. The men being clad alike - -in buckskin, and their motions so rapid, prevented Zane from lending a helping - -hand. - - - -Suddenly Deering was propelled from the mass as if by a catapult. His body - -straightened as it came down with a heavy thud. Zane pounced upon it with - -catlike quickness. Once more he swung aloft the bloody hatchet; then once more - -he lowered it, for there was no need to strike. The renegade's side was torn - -open from shoulder to hip. A deluge of blood poured out upon the moss. Deering - -choked, a bloody froth formed on his lips. His fingers clutched at nothing. - -His eyes rolled violently and then were fixed in an awful stare. - - - -The girl lying so quiet in the woods near the old hut was avenged! - - - -Jonathan turned again to Wetzel and Girty, not with any intention to aid the - -hunter, but simply to witness the end of the struggle. - - - -Without the help of the powerful Deering, how pitifully weak was the - -Deathshead of the frontier in the hands of the Avenger! - - - -Jim Girty's tomahawk was thrown in one direction and his knife in another. He - -struggled vainly in the iron grip that held him. - - - -Wetzel rose to his feet clutching the renegade. With his left arm, which had - -been bared in the fight, he held Girty by the front of his buckskin shirt, and - -dragged him to that tree which stood alone in the glade. He pushed him against - -it, and held him there. - - - -The white dog leaped and snarled around the prisoner. - - - -Girty's hands pulled and tore at the powerful arm which forced him hard - -against the beech. It was a brown arm, and huge with its bulging, knotted, - -rigid muscles. A mighty arm, strong as the justice which ruled it. - - - -"Girty, thy race is run!" Wetzel's voice cut the silence like a steel whip. - - - -The terrible, ruthless smile, the glittering eyes of doom seemed literally to - -petrify the renegade. - - - -The hunter's right arm rose slowly. The knife in his hand quivered as if with - -eagerness. The long blade, dripping with Deering's blood, pointed toward the - -hilltop. - - - -"Look thar! See 'em! Thar's yer friends!" cried Wetzel. - - - -On the dead branches of trees standing far above the hilltop, were many great, - -dark birds. They sat motionless as if waiting. - - - -"Buzzards! Buzzards!" hissed Wetzel. - - - -Girty's ghastly face became an awful thing to look upon. No living countenance - -ever before expressed such fear, such horror, such agony. He foamed at the - -mouth, he struggled, he writhed. With a terrible fascination he watched that - -quivering, dripping blade, now poised high. - - - -Wetzel's arm swung with the speed of a shooting star. He drove the blade into - -Girty's groin, through flesh and bone, hard and fast into the tree. He nailed - -the renegade to the beech, there to await his lingering doom. - - - -"Ah-h! Ah-h! Ah-h!" shrieked Girty, in cries of agony. He fumbled and pulled - -at the haft of the knife, but could not loosen it. He beat his breast, he tore - -his hair. His screams were echoed from the hilltop as if in mockery. - - - -The white dog stood near, his hair bristling, his teeth snapping. - - - -The dark birds sat on the dead branches above the hilltop, as if waiting for - -their feast. - - - - - - - -Chapter XXVIII. - - - -Zane turned and cut the young missionary's bonds. Jim ran to where Nell was - -lying on the ground, and tenderly raised her head, calling to her that they - -were saved. Zane bathed the girl's pale face. Presently she sighed and opened - -her eyes. - - - -Then Zane looked from the statuelike form of Wingenund to the motionless - -figure of Wetzel. The chief stood erect with his eyes on the distant hills. - -Wetzel remained with folded arms, his cold eyes fixed upon the writhing, - -moaning renegade. - - - -"Lew, look here," said Zane, unhesitatingly, and pointed toward the chief. - - - -Wetzel quivered as if sharply stung; the cold glitter in hie eyes changed to - -lurid fire. With upraised tomahawk he bounded across the brook. - - - -"Lew, wait a minute!" yelled Zane. - - - -"Wetzel! wait, wait!" cried Jim, grasping the hunter's arm; but the latter - -flung him off, as the wind tosses a straw. - - - -"Wetzel, wait, for God's sake, wait!" screamed Nell. She had risen at Zane's - -call, and now saw the deadly resolve in the hunter's eyes. Fearlessly she - -flung herself in front of him; bravely she risked her life before his mad - -rush; frantically she threw her arms around him and clung to his hands - -desperately. - - - -Wetzel halted; frenzied as he was at the sight of his foe, he could not hurt a - -woman. - - - -"Girl, let go!" he panted, and his broad breast heaved. - - - -"No, no, no! Listen, Wetzel, you must not kill the chief. He is a friend." - - - -"He is my great foe!" - - - -"Listen, oh! please listen!" pleaded Nell. "He warned me to flee from Girty; - -he offered to guide us to Fort Henry. He has saved my life. For my sake, - -Wetzel, do not kill him! Don't let me be the cause of his murder! Wetzel, - -Wetzel, lower your arm, drop your hatchet. For pity's sake do not spill more - -blood. Wingenund is a Christian!" - - - -Wetzel stepped back breathing heavily. His white face resembled chiseled - -marble. With those little hands at his breast he hesitated in front of the - -chief he had hunted for so many long years. - - - -"Would you kill a Christian?" pleaded Nell, her voice sweet and earnest. - - - -"I reckon not, but this Injun ain't one," replied Wetzel slowly. - - - -"Put away your hatchet. Let me have it. Listen, and I will tell you, after - -thanking you for this rescue. Do you know of my marriage? Come, please listen! - -Forget for a moment your enmity. Oh! you must be merciful! Brave men are - -always merciful!" - - - -"Injun, are you a Christian?" hissed Wetzel. - - - -"Oh! I know he is! I know he is!" cried Nell, still standing between Wetzel - -and the chief. - - - -Wingenund spoke no word. He did not move. His falcon eyes gazed tranquilly at - -his white foe. Christian or pagan, he would not speak one word to save his - -life. - - - -"Oh! tell him you are a Christian," cried Nell, running to the chief. - - - -"Yellow-hair, the Delaware is true to his race." - - - -As he spoke gently to Nell a noble dignity shone upon his dark face. - - - -"Injun, my back bears the scars of your braves' whips," hissed Wetzel, once - -more advancing. - - - -"Deathwind, your scars are deep, but the Delaware's are deeper," came the calm - -reply. "Wingenund's heart bears two scars. His son lies under the moss and - -ferns; Deathwind killed him; Deathwind alone knows his grave. Wingenund's - -daughter, the delight of his waning years, freed the Delaware's great foe, and - -betrayed her father. Can the Christian God tell Wingenund of his child?" - - - -Wetzel shook like a tree in a storm. Justice cried out in the Indian's deep - -voice. Wetzel fought for mastery of himself. - - - -"Delaware, your daughter lays there, with her lover," said Wetzel firmly, and - -pointed into the spring. - - - -"Ugh!" exclaimed the Indian, bending over the dark pool. He looked long into - -its murky depths. Then he thrust his arm down into the brown water. - - - -"Deathwind tells no lie," said the chief, calmly, and pointed toward Girty. - -The renegade had ceased struggling, his head was bowed upon his breast. "The - -white serpent has stung the Delaware." - - - -"What does it mean?" cried Jim. - - - -"Your brother Joe and Whispering Winds lie in the spring," answered Jonathan - -Zane. "Girty murdered them, and Wetzel buried the two there." - - - -"Oh, is it true?" cried Nell. - - - -"True, lass," whispered Jim, brokenly, holding out his arms to her. Indeed, - -he needed her strength as much as she needed his. The girl gave one shuddering - -glance at the spring, and then hid her face on her husband's shoulder. - - - -"Delaware, we are sworn foes," cried Wetzel. - - - -"Wingenund asks no mercy." - - - -"Are you a Christian?" - - - -"Wingenund is true to his race." - - - -"Delaware, begone! Take these weapons an' go. When your shadow falls shortest - -on the ground, Deathwind starts on your trail." - - - -"Deathwind is the great white chief; he is the great Indian foe; he is as sure - -as the panther in his leap; as swift as the wild goose in his northern flight. - -Wingenund never felt fear." The chieftain's sonorous reply rolled through the - -quiet glade. "If Deathwind thirsts for Wingenund's blood, let him spill it - -now, for when the Delaware goes into the forest his trail will fade." - - - -"Begone!" roared Wetzel. The fever for blood was once more rising within him. - - - -The chief picked up some weapons of the dead Indians, and with haughty stride - -stalked from the glade. - - - -"Oh, Wetzel, thank you, I knew---" Nell's voice broke as she faced the hunter. - -She recoiled from this changed man. - - - -"Come, we'll go," said Jonathan Zane. "I'll guide you to Fort Henry." He - -lifted the pack, and led Nell and Jim out of the glade. - - - -They looked back once to picture forever in their minds the lovely spot with - -its ghastly quiet bodies, the dark, haunting spring, the renegade nailed to - -the tree, and the tall figure of Wetzel as he watched his shadow on the - -ground. - - - - - -When Wetzel also had gone, only two living creatures remained in the - -glade--the doomed renegade, and the white dog. The gaunt beast watched the man - -with hungry, mad eyes. - - - -A long moan wailed through the forest. It swelled mournfully on the air, and - -died away. The doomed man heard it. He raised his ghastly face; his dulled - -senses seemed to revive. He gazed at the stiffening bodies of the Indians, at - -the gory corpse of Deering, at the savage eyes of the dog. - - - -Suddenly life seemed to surge strong within him. - - - -"Hell's fire! I'm not done fer yet," he gasped. "This damned knife can't kill - -me; I'll pull it out." - - - -He worked at the heavy knife hilt. Awful curses passed his lips, but the blade - -did not move. Retribution had spoken his doom. - - - -Suddenly he saw a dark shadow moving along the sunlit ground. It swept past - -him. He looked up to see a great bird with wide wings sailing far above. He - -saw another still higher, and then a third. He looked at the hilltop. The - -quiet, black birds had taken wing. They were floating slowly, majestically - -upward. He watched their graceful flight. How easily they swooped in wide - -circles. he remembered that they had fascinated him when a boy, long, long - -ago, when he had a home. Where was that home? He had one once. Ah! the long, - -cruel years have rolled back. A youth blotted out by evil returned. He saw a - -little cottage, he saw the old Virginia homestead, he saw his brothers and his - -mother. - - - -"Ah-h!" A cruel agony tore his heart. He leaned hard against the knife. With - -the pain the present returned, but the past remained. All his youth, all his - -manhood flashed before him. The long, bloody, merciless years faced him, and - -his crimes crushed upon him with awful might. - - - -Suddenly a rushing sound startled him. He saw a great bird swoop down and - -graze the tree tops. Another followed, and another, and then a flock of them. - -He saw their gray, spotted breasts and hooked beaks. - - - -"Buzzards," he muttered, darkly eyeing the dead savages. The carrion birds - -were swooping to their feast. - - - -"By God! He's nailed me fast for buzzards!" he screamed in sudden, awful - -frenzy. "Nailed fast! Ah-h! Ah-h! Ah-h! Eaten alive by buzzards! Ah-h! Ah-h! - -Ah-h!" - - - -He shrieked until his voice failed, and then he gasped. - - - -Again the buzzards swooped overhead, this time brushing the leaves. One, a - -great grizzled bird, settled upon a limb of the giant oak, and stretched its - -long neck. Another alighted beside him. Others sailed round and round the dead - -tree top. - - - -The leader arched his wings, and with a dive swooped into the glade. He - -alighted near Deering's dead body. He was a dark, uncanny bird, with long, - -scraggy, bare neck, a wreath of white, grizzled feathers, a cruel, hooked - -beak, and cold eyes. - - - -The carrion bird looked around the glade, and put a great claw on the dead - -man's breast. - - - -"Ah-h! Ah-h!" shrieked Girty. His agonized yell of terror and horror echoed - -mockingly from the wooded bluff. - - - -The huge buzzard flapped his wings and flew away, but soon returned to his - -gruesome feast. His followers, made bold by their leader, floated down into - -the glade. Their black feathers shone in the sun. They hopped over the moss; - -they stretched their grizzled necks, and turned their heads sideways. - - - -Girty was sweating blood. It trickled from his ghastly face. All the suffering - -and horror he had caused in all his long career was as nothing to that which - -then rended him. He, the renegade, the white Indian, the Deathshead of the - -frontier, panted and prayed for a merciful breath. He was exquisitely alive. - -He was human. - - - -Presently the huge buzzard, the leader, raised his hoary head. He saw the man - -nailed to the tree. The bird bent his head wisely to one side, and then - -lightly lifted himself into the air. He sailed round the glade, over the - -fighting buzzards, over the spring, and over the doomed renegade. He flew out - -of the glade, and in again. He swooped close to Girty. His broad wings - -scarcely moved as he sailed along. - - - -Girty tried to strike the buzzard as he sailed close by, but his arm fell - -useless. He tried to scream, but his voice failed. - - - -Slowly the buzzard king sailed by and returned. Every time he swooped a little - -nearer, and bent his long, scraggy neck. - - - -Suddenly he swooped down, light and swift as a hawk; his wide wings fanned the - -air; he poised under the tree, and then fastened sharp talons in the doomed - -man's breast. - - - - - - - -Chapter XXIX. - - - -The fleeting human instinct of Wetzel had given way to the habit of years. - -His merciless quest for many days had been to kill the frontier fiend. Now - -that it had been accomplished, he turned his vengeance into its accustomed - -channel, and once more became the ruthless Indian-slayer. - - - -A fierce, tingling joy surged through him as he struck the Delaware's trail. - -Wingenund had made little or no effort to conceal his tracks; he had gone - -northwest, straight as a crow flies, toward the Indian encampment. He had a - -start of sixty minutes, and it would require six hours of rapid traveling to - -gain the Delaware town. - - - -"Reckon he'll make fer home," muttered Wetzel, following the trail with all - -possible speed. - - - -The hunter's method of trailing an Indian was singular. Intuition played as - -great a part as sight. He seemed always to divine his victim's intention. Once - -on the trail he was as hard to shake off as a bloodhound. Yet he did not, by - -any means, always stick to the Indian's footsteps. With Wetzel the direction - -was of the greatest importance. - - - -For half a mile he closely followed the Delaware's plainly marked trail. Then - -he stopped to take a quick survey of the forest before him. He abruptly left - -the trail, and, breaking into a run, went through the woods as fleetly and - -noiselessly as a deer, running for a quarter of a mile, when he stopped to - -listen. All seemed well, for he lowered his head, and walked slowly along, - -examining the moss and leaves. Presently he came upon a little open space - -where the soil was a sandy loam. He bent over, then rose quickly. He had come - -upon the Indian's trail. Cautiously he moved forward, stopping every moment to - -listen. In all the close pursuits of his maturer years he had never been a - -victim of that most cunning of Indian tricks, an ambush. He relied solely on - -his ear to learn if foes were close by. The wild creatures of the forest were - -his informants. As soon as he heard any change in their twittering, humming or - -playing--whichever way they manifested their joy or fear of life--he became as - -hard to see, as difficult to hear as a creeping snake. - - - -The Delaware's trail led to a rocky ridge and there disappeared. Wetzel made - -no effort to find the chief's footprints on the flinty ground, but halted a - -moment and studied the ridge, the lay of the land around, a ravine on one - -side, and a dark impenetrable forest on the other. He was calculating his - -chances of finding the Delaware's trail far on the other side. Indian - -woodcraft, subtle, wonderful as it may be, is limited to each Indian's - -ability. Savages, as well as other men, were born unequal. One might leave a - -faint trail through the forest, while another could be readily traced, and a - -third, more cunning and skillful than his fellows, have flown under the shady - -trees, for all the trail he left. But redmen followed the same methods of - -woodcraft from tradition, as Wetzel had learned after long years of study and - -experience. - - - -And now, satisfied that he had divined the Delaware's intention, he slipped - -down the bank of the ravine, and once more broke into a run. He leaped - -lightly, sure-footed as a goat, from stone to stone, over fallen logs, and the - -brawling brook. At every turn of the ravine, at every open place, he stopped - -to listen. - - - -Arriving on the other side of the ridge, he left the ravine and passed along - -the edge of the rising ground. He listened to the birds, and searched the - -grass and leaves. He found not the slightest indication of a trail where he - -had expected to find one. He retraced his steps patiently, carefully, - -scrutinizing every inch of the ground. But it was all in vain. Wingenund had - -begun to show his savage cunning. In his warrior days for long years no chief - -could rival him. His boast had always been that, when Wingenund sought to - -elude his pursuers, his trail faded among the moss and the ferns. - - - -Wetzel, calm, patient, resourceful, deliberated a moment. The Delaware had not - -crossed this rocky ridge. He had been cunning enough to make his pursuer think - -such was his intention. The hunter hurried to the eastern end of the ridge for - -no other reason than apparently that course was the one the savage had the - -least reason to take. He advanced hurriedly because every moment was precious. - -Not a crushed blade of grass, a brushed leaf, an overturned pebble nor a - -snapped twig did he find. He saw that he was getting near to the side of the - -ridge where the Delaware's trail had abruptly ended. Ah! what was there? A - -twisted bit of fern, with the drops of dew brushed off. Bending beside the - -fern, Wetzel examined the grass; it was not crushed. A small plant with - -triangular leaves of dark green, lay under the fern. Breaking off one of these - -leaves, he exposed its lower side to the light. The fine, silvery hair of fuzz - -that grew upon the leaf had been crushed. Wetzel know that an Indian could - -tread so softly as not to break the springy grass blades, but the under side - -of one of these leaves, if a man steps on it, always betrays his passage - -through the woods. To keen eyes this leaf showed that it had been bruised by a - -soft moccasin. Wetzel had located the trail, but was still ignorant of its - -direction. Slowly he traced the shaken ferns and bruised leaves down over the - -side of the ridge, and at last, near a stone, he found a moccasin-print in the - -moss. It pointed east. The Delaware was traveling in exactly the opposite - -direction to that which he should be going. He was, moreover, exercising - -wonderful sagacity in hiding his trail. This, however, did not trouble Wetzel, - -for if it took him a long time to find the trail, certainly the Delaware had - -expended as much, or more, in choosing hard ground, logs or rocks on which to - -tread. - - - -Wetzel soon realized that his own cunning was matched. He trusted no more to - -his intuitive knowledge, but stuck close to the trail, as a hungry wolf holds - -to the scent of his quarry. - - - -The Delaware trail led over logs, stones and hard-baked ground, up stony - -ravines and over cliffs. The wily chief used all of his old skill; he walked - -backward over moss and sand where his footprints showed plainly; he leaped - -wide fissures in stony ravines, and then jumped back again; he let himself - -down over ledges by branches; he crossed creeks and gorges by swinging himself - -into trees and climbing from one to another; he waded brooks where he found - -hard bottom, and avoided swampy, soft ground. - - - -With dogged persistence and tenacity of purpose Wetzel stuck to this gradually - -fading trail. Every additional rod he was forced to go more slowly, and take - -more time in order to find any sign of his enemy's passage through the - -forests. One thing struck him forcibly. Wingenund was gradually circling to - -the southwest, a course that took him farther and farther from the Delaware - -encampment. - - - -Slowly it dawned upon Wetzel that the chief could hardly have any reason for - -taking this circling course save that of pride and savage joy in misleading, - -in fooling the foe of the Delawares, in deliberately showing Deathwind that - -there was one Indian who could laugh at and loose him in the forests. To - -Wetzel this was bitter as gall. To be led a wild goose chase! His fierce heart - -boiled with fury. His dark, keen eyes sought the grass and moss with terrible - -earnestness. Yet in spite of the anger that increased to the white heat of - -passion, he became aware of some strange sensation creeping upon him. He - -remembered that the Delawares had offered his life. Slowly, like a shadow, - -Wetzel passed up and down the ridges, through the brown and yellow aisles of - -the forest, over the babbling brooks, out upon the golden-flecked - -fields--always close on the trail. - - - -At last in an open part of the forest, where a fire had once swept away the - -brush and smaller timber, Wetzel came upon the spot where the Delaware's trail - -ended. - - - -There in the soft, black ground was a moccasin-print. The forest was not - -dense; there was plenty of light; no logs, stones or trees were near, and yet - -over all that glade no further evidence of the Indian's trail was visible. - - - -It faded there as the great chief had boasted it would. - - - -Wetzel searched the burnt ground; he crawled on his hands and knees; again and - -again he went over the surroundings. The fact that one moccasin-print pointed - -west and the other east, showed that the Delaware had turned in his tracks, - -was the most baffling thing that had ever crossed the hunter in all his wild - -wanderings. - - - -For the first time in many years he had failed. He took his defeat hard, - -because he had been successful for so long he thought himself almost - -infallible, and because the failure lost him the opportunity to kill his great - -foe. In his passion he cursed himself for being so weak as to let the prayer - -of a woman turn him from his life's purpose. - - - -With bowed head and slow, dragging steps he made his way westward. The land - -was strange to him, but he knew he was going toward familiar ground. For a - -time he walked quietly, all the time the fierce fever in his veins slowly - -abating. Calm he always was, except when that unnatural lust for Indians' - -blood overcame him. - - - -On the summit of a high ridge he looked around to ascertain his bearings. He - -was surprised to find he had traveled in a circle. A mile or so below him - -arose the great oak tree which he recognized as the landmark of Beautiful - -Spring. He found himself standing on the hill, under the very dead tree to - -which he had directed Girty's attention a few hours previous. - - - -With the idea that he would return to the spring to scalp the dead Indians, he - -went directly toward the big oak tree. Once out of the forest a wide plain lay - -between him and the wooded knoll which marked the glade of Beautiful Spring. - -He crossed this stretch of verdant meadow-land, and entered the copse. - - - -Suddenly he halted. His keen sense of the usual harmony of the forest, with - -its innumerable quiet sounds, had received a severe shock. He sank into the - -tall weeds and listened. Then he crawled a little farther. Doubt became - -certainty. A single note of an oriole warned him, and it needed not the quick - -notes of a catbird to tell him that near at hand, somewhere, was human life. - - - -Once more Wetzel became a tiger. The hot blood leaped from his heart, firing - -all his veins and nerves. But calmly noiseless, certain, cold, deadly as a - -snake he began the familiar crawling method of stalking his game. - - - -On, on under the briars and thickets, across the hollows full of yellow - -leaves, up over stony patches of ground to the fern-covered cliff overhanging - -the glade he glided--lithe, sinuous, a tiger in movement and in heart. - - - -He parted the long, graceful ferns and gazed with glittering eyes down into - -the beautiful glade. - - - -He saw not the shining spring nor the purple moss, nor the ghastly white - -bones--all that the buzzards had left of the dead--nor anything, save a - -solitary Indian standing erect in the glade. - - - -There, within range of his rifle, was his great Indian foe, Wingenund. - - - -Wetzel sank back into the ferns to still the furious exultations which almost - -consumed him during the moment when he marked his victim. He lay there - -breathing hard, gripping tightly his rifle, slowly mastering the passion that - -alone of all things might render his aim futile. - - - -For him it was the third great moment of his life, the last of three moments - -in which the Indian's life had belonged to him. Once before he had seen that - -dark, powerful face over the sights of his rifle, and he could not shoot - -because his one shot must be for another. Again had that lofty, haughty - -figure stood before him, calm, disdainful, arrogant, and he yielded to a - -woman's prayer. - - - -The Delaware's life was his to take, and he swore he would have it! He - -trembled in the ecstasy of his triumphant passion; his great muscles rippled - -and quivered, for the moment was entirely beyond his control. Then his passion - -calmed. Such power for vengeance had he that he could almost still the very - -beats of his heart to make sure and deadly his fatal aim. Slowly he raised - -himself; his eyes of cold fire glittered; slowly he raised the black rifle. - - - -Wingenund stood erect in his old, grand pose, with folded arms, but his eyes, - -instead of being fixed on the distant hills, were lowered to the ground. - - - -An Indian girl, cold as marble, lay at his feet. Her garments were wet, and - -clung to her slender form. her sad face was frozen into an eternal rigidity. - - - -By her side was a newly dig grave. - - - -The bead on the front sight of the rifle had hardly covered the chief's dark - -face when Wetzel's eye took in these other details. He had been so absorbed in - -his purpose that he did not dream of the Delaware's reason for returning to - -the Beautiful Spring. - - - -Slowly Wetzel's forefinger stiffened; slowly he lowered the black rifle. - - - -Wingenund had returned to bury Whispering Winds. - - - -Wetzel's teethe clenched, an awful struggle tore his heart. Slowly the rifle - -rose, wavered and fell. It rose again, wavered and fell. Something terrible - -was wrong with him; something awful was awakening in his soul. - - - -Wingenund had not made a fool of him. The Delaware had led him a long chase, - -had given him the slip in the forest, not to boast of it, but to hurry back to - -give his daughter Christian burial. - - - -Wingenund was a Christian! - - - -Had he not been, once having cast his daughter from him, he would never have - -looked upon her face again. - - - -Wingenund was true to his race, but he was a Christian. - - - -Suddenly Wetzel's terrible temptation, his heart-racking struggle ceased. He - -lowered the long, black rifle. He took one last look at the chieftain's dark, - -powerful face. - - - -Then the Avenger fled like a shadow through the forest. - - - - - - - -Chapter XXX. - - - -It was late afternoon at Fort Henry. The ruddy sun had already sunk behind the - -wooded hill, and the long shadows of the trees lengthened on the green square - -in front of the fort. - - - -Colonel Zane stood in his doorway watching the river with eager eyes. A few - -minutes before a man had appeared on the bank of the island and hailed. The - -colonel had sent his brother Jonathan to learn what was wanted. The latter had - -already reached the other shore in his flatboat, and presently the little boat - -put out again with the stranger seated at the stern. - - - -"I thought, perhaps, it might be Wetzel," mused the colonel, "though I never - -knew of Lew's wanting a boat." - - - -Jonathan brought the man across the river, and up the winding path to where - -Colonel Zane was waiting. - - - -"Hello! It's young Christy!" exclaimed the colonel, jumping off the steps, and - -cordially extending his hand. "Glad to see you! Where's Williamson. How did - -you happen over here?" - - - -"Captain Williamson and his men will make the river eight or ten miles above," - -answered Christy. "I came across to inquire about the young people who left - -the Village of Peace. Was glad to learn from Jonathan they got out all right." - - - -"Yes, indeed, we're all glad. Come and sit down. Of course you'll stay over - -night. You look tired and worn. Well, no wonder, when you saw that Moravian - -massacre. You must tell me about it. I saw Sam Brady yesterday, and he spoke - -of seeing you over there. Sam told me a good deal. Ah! here's Jim now." - - - -The young missionary came out of the open door, and the two young men greeted - -each other warmly. - - - -"How is she?" asked Christy, when the first greetings had been exchanged. - - - -"Nell's just beginning to get over the shock. She'll be glad to see you." - - - -"Jonathan tells me you got married just before Girty came up with you at - -Beautiful Spring." - - - -"Yes; it is true. In fact, the whole wonderful story is true, yet I cannot - -believe as yet. You look thin and haggard. When we last met you were well." - - - -"That awful time pulled me down. I was an unwilling spectator of all that - -horrible massacre, and shall never get over it. I can still see the fiendish - -savages running about with the reeking scalps of their own people. I actually - -counted the bodies of forty-nine grown Christians and twenty-seven children. - -An hour after you left us the church was in ashes, and the next day I saw the - -burned bodies. Oh! the sickening horror of the scene! It haunts me! That - -monster Jim Girty killed fourteen Christians with his sledge-hammer." - - - -"Did you hear of his death?" asked Colonel Zane. - - - -"Yes, and a fitting end it was to the frontier 'Skull and Cross-bones'." - - - -"It was like Wetzel to think of such a vengeance." - - - -"Has Wetzel come in since?" - - - -"No. Jonathan says he went after Wingenund, and there's no telling when he'll - -return." - - - -"I hoped he would spare the Delaware." - - - -"Wetzel spare an Indian!" - - - -"But the chief was a friend. He surely saved the girl." - - - -"I am sorry, too, because Wingenund was a fine Indian. But Wetzel is - -implacable." - - - -"Here's Nell, and Mrs. Clarke too. Come out, both of you," cried Jim. - - - -Nell appeared in the doorway with Colonel Zane's sister. The two girls came - -down the steps and greeted the young man. The bride's sweet face was white and - -thin, and there was a shadow in her eyes. - - - -"I am so glad you got safely away from--from there," said Christy, earnestly. - - - -"Tell me of Benny?" asked Nell, speaking softly. - - - -"Oh, yes, I forgot. Why, Benny is safe and well. He was the only Christian - -Indian to escape the Christian massacre. Heckewelder hid him until it was all - -over. He is going to have the lad educated." - - - -"Thank Heaven!" murmured Nell. - - - -"And the missionaries?" inquired Jim, earnestly. - - - -"Were all well when I left, except, of course, Young. He was dying. The - -others will remain out there, and try to get another hold, but I fear it's - -impossible." - - - -"It is impossible, not because the Indian does not want Christianity, but - -because such white men as the Girty's rule. The beautiful Village of Peace - -owes its ruin to the renegades," said Colonel Zane impressively. - - - -"Captain Williamson could have prevented the massacre," remarked Jim. - - - -"Possibly. It was a bad place for him, and I think he was wrong not to try," - -declared the colonel. - - - -"Hullo!" cried Jonathan Zane, getting up from the steps where he sat listening - -to the conversation. - - - -A familiar soft-moccasined footfall sounded on the path. All turned to see - -Wetzel come slowly toward them. His buckskin hunting costume was ragged and - -worn. He looked tired and weary, but the dark eyes were calm. - - - -It was the Wetzel whom they all loved. - - - -They greeted him warmly. Nell gave him her hands, and smiled up at him. - - - -"I'm so glad you've come home safe," she said. - - - -"Safe an' sound, lass, an' glad to find you well," answered the hunter, as he - -leaned on his long rifle, looking from Nell to Colonel Zane's sister. "Betty, - -I allus gave you first place among border lasses, but here's one as could run - -you most any kind of a race," he said, with the rare smile which so warmly - -lighted his dark, stern face. - - - -"Lew Wetzel making compliments! Well, of all things!" exclaimed the colonel's - -sister. - - - -Jonathan Zane stood closely scanning Wetzel's features. Colonel Zane, - -observing his brother's close scrutiny of the hunter, guessed the cause, and - -said: - - - -"Lew, tell us, did you see Wingenund over the sights of your rifle?" - - - -"Yes," answered the hunter simply. - - - -A chill seemed to strike the hearts of the listeners. That simple answer, - -coming from Wetzel, meant so much. Nell bowed her head sadly. Jim turned away - -biting his lip. Christy looked across the valley. Colonel Zane bent over and - -picked up some pebbles which he threw hard at the cabin wall. Jonathan Zane - -abruptly left the group, and went into the house. - - - -But the colonel's sister fixed her large, black eyes on Wetzel's face. - - - -"Well?" she asked, and her voice rang. - - - -Wetzel was silent for a moment. He met here eyes with that old, inscrutable - -smile in his own. A slight shade flitted across his face. - - - -"Betty, I missed him," he said, calmly, and, shouldering his long rifle, he - -strode away. - - - - - -Nell and Jim walked along the bluff above the river. Twilight was deepening. - -The red glow in the west was slowly darkening behind the boldly defined hills. - - - -"So it's all settled, Jim, that we stay here," said Nell. - - - -"Yes, dear. Colonel Zane has offered me work, and a church besides. We are - -very fortunate, and should be contented. I am happy because you're my wife, - -and yet I am sad when I think of--him. Poor Joe!" - - - -"Don't you ever think we--we wronged him?" whispered Nell. - - - -"No, he wished it. I think he knew how he would end. No, we did not wrong him; - -we loved him." - - - -"Yes, I loved him--I loved you both," said Nell softly. - - - -"Then let us always think of him as he would have wished." - - - -"Think of him? Think of Joe? I shall never forget. In winter, spring and - -summer I shall remember him, but always most in autumn. For I shall see that - -beautiful glade with its gorgeous color and the dark, shaded spring where he - -lies asleep." - - - - - -The years rolled by with their changing seasons; every autumn the golden - -flowers bloomed richly, and the colored leaves fell softly upon the amber moss - -in the glade of Beautiful Spring. - - - -The Indians camped there no more; they shunned the glade and called it the - -Haunted Spring. They said the spirit of a white dog ran there at night, and - -the Wind-of-Death mourned over the lonely spot. - - - -At long intervals an Indian chief of lofty frame and dark, powerful face - -stalked into the glade to stand for many moments silent and motionless. - - - -And sometimes at twilight when the red glow of the sun had faded to gray, a - -stalwart hunter slipped like a shadow out of the thicket, and leaned upon a - -long, black rifle while he gazed sadly into the dark spring, and listened to - -the sad murmur of the waterfall. The twilight deepened while he stood - -motionless. The leaves fell into the water with a soft splash, a whippoorwill - -caroled his melancholy song. - - - -From the gloom of the forest came a low sigh which swelled thrillingly upon - -the quiet air, and then died away like the wailing of the night wind. - - - -Quiet reigned once more over the dark, murky grave of the boy who gave his - -love and his life to the wilderness. - - - - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg Etext of The Spirit of the Border, by Grey - - - diff --git a/old/old/sprtb10.zip b/old/old/sprtb10.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 857053d..0000000 --- a/old/old/sprtb10.zip +++ /dev/null |