The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-04-02
CHAPTER /.
ALLIE nLnnIouaLY srAKRpl

Allie oLoRIoUsLY sTAKRDl
Towards the close Of beautiful day in June,
1861, a man and woman mounted upon fleet
horses, came galloping over one Of the great
plains Of the West, aud drew reinin the shade
OF q clump Of cott0n-wOods upon the bank Of
abaauiiml river. Thoy had ridden far aud
rapidly. Their steeds were painting, and
covered with sweat and foam.
"We must givo the horses q breathing
SPELL" sail the former, slipping to the
ground; and bis companion nodded a
graceful assent, az sho followed his example.
Tho couple wtro evidently father and
daughter.
The man was in the prime Of lifo, hale and
hearty, with a large frame, which was sinowy
and athletic, without ceaAing to be refined
and prepossessing. He had the keen, shrewd
look peculiar TO the advanco-guards OF civil
cation, and there was an honest, frank ex-
precision on hts sun-browned face that pro-
claimed his integrity and courage.
In hor way, his daughter was equally pic
turoBque aud attractive.
In the early flush Of womanhood, with a
pure, sweet, and tender lace, with eyes
darkiy glowing, With coral-tinted lips, and
checks softly flushed with the hue OF the rose,
with amber curlH floating behind her, she
was a. graceful A. a gazelle as i~ght-hearted
sas a bird, as lovely as a Hover, and a. spirit
cd AZ an untamed antelope.
The stream by which tho couple had halted
was Wood river, a branch Of tho Platte, ia
Nebraska, at a point fifty miles northwest Of
Fort Koarney.
Are you tired, Miriam :" asked the
hunter, George Dane, with fatherly solici.
Tired, father ?" rejoiued the maiden, with
a happy laugh. "OL, no. How could | be
tired alter q day like this? Every minute
has been filled with pleasure and excitement.
i feel as fresh as wonder bird"
Tho father smiled understandingly, with a
look full OF the fondest affection.
II can guess tho cause OF your lightness
OF heart said he, smilingly. "The return,
now daily expected, Of. . certain Hubert
Earle, from the mines Of Idaho, may account,
! suspect, for your present gladness."
A heightened color appeared on Miriam'H
face, for the name mentioned was that Of her
lover. She answered the glances of her
father, however, with a fr9nknoss that at
tested his entire sympathy with her, and said
True, father, my heart has been unusual
ly light for several days past. How could IL
lie otherwise, since / know that Hubertis
coming2'
Mr. Dane did not reply. Ho was looking.
with hndling eyes, over the fair ilOwer-dOt.
ted plain; and his next rCmark showed how
widely his thoughts had strayed.
II wonder what mother has been doing
without MS all day, Marian. She must be
lonely, with no one To speak 10 or share her
meals. l shouldn't wonder IL we could sec
our homo from this point and his face
lighted up with a soulful glow. 'Our cot
tage Is not more than seven miles distant;
let me seer A.....
He drew from his coat a pockets glass, adj
justed it to his sight, pointing it in a north.
cry direction, aud gaZed through IL long and
earnestly, towards his rancho upon Carrey's
Fork,
ayes, I see It," nc said, at last, with a
long, deep, aud joyful inspiration, as il the
sight refreshed him in every nerve. "Thore
is our cottage, as plain IA day. / can even
see the vines you planted before the windows,
Miriam. Aud there, ON the grapevine bench,
under the big elm, rits your mother, busy at
her sewing. Bless herl She does not mag.
inc we are looking ut her. Look, Miriam.
Ho yielded the instrument To his daughter,
who obeyod his injunction, her lovely face
glowing with smiles al rho regarded the dis
tant home scene .
Dear mothcrl' she mumurod. at Is a
treat TO be able to sit out under the trees
without fear OF molcstation, There arc no
hostile Indians borcabouts now are there
fAtherp
hoard, was killed l%cstcrday by a settler, aud
his band has rotToated towards the noun
tains. l will confess, Miriam, that during
all the tin Q We have been in tho We I lhavol,
not felt so light'hHarted aud ears-lroe ~
since We heard the news Of Rcd Knifo's death.
You have just seen how this Joy bubbles over
in me. Red Knife was a demon, rather than
a savage"
Miriam shuddered, and her features even
paled at the memory of the Indian men
hNNA n"
''He never spared a pale face" she said,
striving tn speak calmly. "DesOlatlOn aud
cruelty marked his path. For moro than
three years ho has "a ged to aud fro upon the
plains like a rayering vol. He was the
terror OF the blTd r."
"You have named him appropriately, Mi
RAM" said tho hunter. HE had a iendish
hatred OF the white race, and his Victims have
been many" ~ o.
Mr. Dane held ont Lis hand for the glass,
and miriam WAS in the act OF restoring it,
when a strange, gasping, painting sound
staItlt d them both, aud sent Them quickly to-
their saddles.
M hunter wheeled his horse and looked
down upon the riyer-bank, nom which direc-
tiron the sound had come, his manner self
possessed, but his countenance indicative of
alarm. The maiden fOn0wed his example.
Her eyes were the first to discover the
cause Of tho sound that had ~stirtled them,
detecting a man Il figure creeping along
through the underground Of bushes lining
the shore.
At the SAM moment, their presence I'M
turn was detected, for the man dropped sud-
denly among the protruding bushes, as II he
had been shOt.
IAN Indianf" whispered Miriam, drawing
from her bosom areWlyer.
The hunter shook his head, continuing TO
watch the spot at which the man had fallen,
his hand on his rifle, his manner that Of enc
ready for action.
Suddenly, as the man showed a haggard
TACO peerlng cautiously from his conceal
ment, MIR. Danes anxious countenance broke
into q smile, and he cried out;
HALO It's that you Thompson Do you
kskS us LOT Indians that yon skulk there in
The individual addressed was silent a full
minute, as II seemed, from sheer amaze
ment; then he sprang out from his hiding
place with a cry uf relief and advanced
swiftly tOwards tile fnhef and daughter.