The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-07-20

wedding. The tidings viii wither the
heaTtStrinys Of Henry UpsOn-if he es-
eapes my boys hatchet. ! love to look at
ye and think about IT,
The calm, bright eyes Of the queenly
captive did not finch from the malicious
hate that seemed to sloat upon her youth
and beauty. The exulting haE eat with
her back 70 the door, and graplhg long
keen bladed knife In her skinny, yellow
claws, digging the floor and loudly ex-
claiming:
4 wish that was Henry UpaOn's heart,
! do dol dot and darling the steel
savagely into the wood at every word.
An hour passed thus when q tall and
powerful man, behind whom appeared
another, older and with white hair, filed
the doorway. S0-stOpped we're Hester's
ears with the ciamors Of her blasphemics
snd raSings, that she heard no signs Of hiA
presence, nor dreamed Of It until Harold
holmes cast his sinewy arms around her
and gagged her foul mouth with his tight
hand. Father and lover were armed with
pistols only.
Cut the cords-haste,' he cried, and
with waste Of breath, for Henry Upson
had done il ere the words were spoken.
The pair had marked the fight Of the
renegade and followed in pursuit, while
their friends gave chase to the HuronS.
There was but brief time for embracing,
and, after securely binding the vcnomOus
hag and gagging her with rope that
filled her mouth and was tied behind her
head, Harold lifted the now fainting girl
IN his stout arms, and with her father,
hurried to the lake shore. There they
embarked. and pushed from the pcbbly
beach.
Hardly had this been done, when Alb.
ner with three painted savages. all that
were left Of his too eager band. rushed
into the hut.
Al . glance he discerned all.
Calling to his warriors to follow him,
and needless Of great and blazing fagot
that had rolled from the hearth to the
floor, hC rushed tn the bVAct. The moon
shed radiance clear and fair, and he saw
the fugitives yet within rifle shot
"Aim at the men," he said, as he level
ed his rife at UpsOn. Four riaes cracked
at once, and the renegade shouted with
JOY ~ he saw both father and lover sink
TO the bottom Of the canoe.
"The girl for me-the scalps for you !"
he cried. as he plunged into the placid
lake followed by his three savages.
Gagged and bound fast, Hester MaAge
watched the brand on the floor, as it be-
gan to eat into the wood and spread its
f1rs around in hungry flames.
Clara sat in the molionless canoe, and
her dark eyes were stern and dry a. the
four heads with fierce visagcs drew nearer
and nearer. The silvered waters parted
from lhe brawny throats and the sheen "f
the mOonbeams elittered upon the scalp.
ing knives barred between the white teeth
Of the Savages. Five more Of those lusty
sweeps Of dusky arms would have carried
them to the canoe, when Clara cried
"Now, father up, Harold!" and a.
she spoke the words, both sprang from
the ambush and frigned death, and the
fash Of their pistols was the last Of earth
seen by the uurOns, ere they sank for.
ever.
Abner Madge turned to regain tho
shore ere the pistols should try his lie
again, but he heard Harold cry You shall
not escape met and the heavy plnsh in
the lake told him that deadly and for.
midab!e foe was behind him, whose skill
a. swimmer was the talk Of the northern
frontiers. The renegade was no coward,
and had no lack Of faith in his own prov.
ess. He wheeled to moct his enemy, and
drew his hunting knife from his belt. As
he drew it the long hair Of the scalps at
his girdls seemed to clasp his arm to the
waist with slimy folds, and to bind his
arms to his side. Ere hc could raise il
his foe had darted upon him and buried
his dagger in his throat. He yelled with
rage and pain--brOke the Americans
fierce hold from his collar. and sank. The
next instant Harold whirld . complete
somersault in the water and thus escaped
the upward thrust Of the renegade'S hunt.
ing.kDifc. He sank, and the furious Ab.
ner rose to the top.
A strange light, red and unstable, be.
gan to fare over the. scene. He glanced
to the shore. The hut was in aaInca A
terrible VisiOn Of bound and gagged
wretch flashed upon bis mind when, witha
howl Of dreadful agony, he acknowledged
fresh wound from his implacable foe.
Harold had slaahed him across the body
below the beltl lie plunged beneath the
wave and missed the blow that Harold
struck at his neck as no rose for breath.
The weary American again sank, and
when, the fast failing renegade came up
his enemy was beneath him.
He then whirled . somersault, but did
not escape the blade; for Harold had
driven his dagger to the hilt in Abner's
thigh. The renegade, blind with the loss
Of blood, swan fecbly around in irregular
circles, and as Harold again rose, the
merciful bullet Of Henry Upson ended
the strife. The blaze Of the burning hut
shOne in tho glaring eyes Of the renegade,
as he gasped and sank to rise no more.
Harold FASTENED to the canOe, and the
evening Of the next day raw father, lover
and maiden, within the lines Of the
American army.
The hut blaxed on, and when the sun
shOne again, the blackened bones Of Hes.
ter Madge were all that remained Of the
RenegAde's Mother.
-&SAS-S
Nor UNCOMMON. The Buston Journal