The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-12-01

ant growth of vines and creepers of every
description. From this thicket he beheld
thin curl of smoke arise, followed by the
report Of rifle and a single war-whoop.
Before he could move or speak, the old
negro had fallen heavily from his seat into
the water, and two savages were seen to
spring into the river, and with their rifles
held above their heads, gain the boat,
now drifting with the current.
With cry of horror, the Young man
grasped his rifle, and rushing forward,
would have plunged over the precipice,
had not the strong hand Of the hunter,
laid open his shoulder, arrested his steps.
tbingp
"Hands of, old man, sayl Nv ses.
ter-and Mary must save them!n
you must and you shall. Follow me
at once! If the Indians see YOU, thcv
will push across the river, and they will be
lost forever"
by this time the Indians had placed
themselves in the bow and stern of the
boat, and were sculling her along, keeping
her in the current. The boat was large
and heavy, and their progress was not
rapid. But the young man saw at a
glance that his companion was right: and
accustomed to yield implicit obedience to
his dictates, he turned reluc, antly and fol-
lowed him down the same narrow pass
which had brought them to the hut.
Back, Snarl stay here, sirrah !" said
the hunter to the dog, who would have
followed them. "And now, nv bow.
look to your tools, we have work ahead !"
Away, like bloodhounds on the trail.
they started down the rocky path. The
sun had set and the twilight glimmer
which was left, served only to throw
strange, dark shadows over their rugged
pathway, but with the firm, unerring tread
OF hunters "in mountain land,s they
dashed forward at full speed. The con
trast between the two was great. The
one, furious and half demented at the idea
that those he loved best on earth were in
the hands Of the brutal savages, grasped
his rifle with very death grip, and with
cienched teeth, spraDg and bounded like a
wild deer startled from his covert. The
other, older and more accustomed to re-
straining outward signs of emotion, went
as swiftly, but with the long, measured
tread Of pursuing panther, taking care
as he went, to look to the printing of his
rifie, and to loosen his long hunting-knife
in its scabbard.-Few were the minutes
'hsSGgh shsy sss%sa ks hsJ hoa ss ssdjEb @ jb
level beach of the cove. It was, as we
have said before, little, pebbly place,
few yards square, with hills coming gently
down to it upon three sides. On that
side fnrthest, but only few yards distant
from the shore lay giant oak, which had
been. uprooted in some long previous
storm, and which now reclined, like fal.
len monarch, in stern and silent majesty,
with its gisnt arms still lifted up towards
heaven. Behind this natural rampant,
the two hunters placed themselves, with
the long barrels of their rifles supported
by its trunk.
The harvest moon had now risen in all
ITS splendor, shedding a glorious flood of
light over the scene. The riser seemed
one bed of liquid silver. The fog was ris-
ing, and the distant hills stealing out
through their hazy azure mantle, seemed
like ghostly sentinels or mountains in
dream-land. The nearer forests, as they
seemed to Chamber up the steep hill-sides,
were here tipped with silver, here wrapped
in impenetrable gloom. A little ridge
which ran out into the river from one end
Of the cove, giving it its peculiar shape,
was crowned by bristling array ofyoune
forest trees that stood out with strange
distinctness against the clear blue sky.
BE still, boyw p said the old man, in
whisper; as the youth moved uneasily in
his position. "They will be here soon."
All was still, indeed. The river did make
a low, ripping, splashing noise among the
bushes that hung down into its waves,
and an owl in neighboring tree sent
forth his long and melancholy hooting but
all else was calm and noiseless.
Curse that OWL" muttered the old
man, forgetting his own injunctions, ut
was just that way he hooted this night
FIVE years ago."
The young man shuddered, as the tale
Of horror he had listened to was thus
brought to his mind, and made him re.
fleet how soon the same fate might fall
upon his sister and his bride.
A moment more and the low splash Of
oars is heard another, and the boat swept
rapidly around the projecting point which
formed the upper end of the cove. In the
bright moonlight every figure was plainly
discernable. In the stern, sat small In
dian, steering, and occasionally speaking
to the two girls in the middle Of the boat,
who, with terrified countenances, lay clasp
ed in each others arms, as if for protec-
ton. In front stood tall and magnifi.
cent looking fellow, in ell the war6nery Of
an Indian Chief with scalp-lock, fsath-
ers, paint, and silver bracelets. lie, too,
handled sn oar, while his rife lay at his
feet.
AS the boat came near enough for them
to distinguish the features Of those on