Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-03-31

upon Carrey's Fork.
eyes, see:it," he said. at last, with a
long, deep, and joyful inspiration, as il
the sight refreshed him in every nerve.
There is oar cottage, as plain as day
I can even see the vines you planted be-
fore the windows, Miriam. And there,
on the grapevine bench, under the big
elm, sits your mother, busy at her sewing.
Bless her She does not imagine We are
looking at her. Look, Miriam"
He yielded the instrument to his
daughter, who obeyed his injunction, her
lovely face glowing with smiles as she
regarded the distant home SCENE
"Dear mother r. she murmured. at
is treat to her to be able to sit out uu-
der the trees without fear of molestation.
There are no hostile Indians hereabouts
now-are there, father 7"
"No. Red Knife, az you have already
heard, was killed yesterday by a settler,
| and his band has retreated towards the
mountains. I will confess, Miriam, that
during oil the time we have been in the
West. have not felt so light hearted and
care free as since we received news OF
Red Knife's death. You have just seen
how this JOY bubbles over in me. Red
Knife was demon, rather than saw.
age c.as T @ &
! Miriam shuddered, and her features
even paled at the memory of the Indian
mentioned.
"He never spared a pale face che
said, striving to speak calmly. "Desola-
ton and cruelty marked his path. For
more than three years he has ragged t.
and fro upon the plains like a ravenlng
wolf. He was the terror of the border" )"
"You have named him appropriately,
! Miriam" said the hunter. "He had a
fiendish hatred of the white race, and his
victims have been many .''1m .e5
Mr. Dane held out his hand for the
glass, and Miriam was in the act of re
storing it, when strange, gasping, pant
ing sound startled them both, and sent
them quickly to their saddles.
The hunter wheeled his horse and
looked down upon the river-bank, from
which direction the sound had come, his
manner self possessed, but his counte-
nance indicative OF alarm. The maiden
followed his example. ga- 70 j
Her eyes were the first to discover the
cause of the sound that had started them,
detecting mans figure creeping along
through the underground of bushes lin
ing the shore g e
AT the same moment, their presence
in turn was detected, for the man dropped
suddenly among the protecting bushes, as
if he had been shot. ~
"An Indian?" whispered Miriam,
| drawing from her bosom revolver. aa
The hunter shook his head, continuing
to wa -ch the spot at which the man had
fallen, mis- hand on his rifle, his manner
that of one ready for action.
Sudden y, as the man showed hag-
gard face peering cautiously from his
concealment, Mr.. Dane'ssansious counte-
nance broke into smile, and he cried
out ..... a#
"Hallo Is that you, thompson Do
you take us for Indians, that you skulk
there in the bushes p
The individual addressed was silent a
full minute, as it seemed, from sheer
amazement ); then he sprang out from his
hiding place with cry of relief, and adj
vanced swiftly towards the father and
daughter. n..
He was man of middle age, of the or
dinary type Of backwoodsmen, strong and
brown and stalwart, of the rude, rough
type that seems to belong to the border.
His face was haggard and white, although
covered with perspiration. is breath
came through his painted lips in quick,
uneven gasps. He had run far and look.
ed as if about to drop from fatigue.
"What has happened, Thompson?"
asked Dane, with keen anxiety, the man s
singular appearance giving him sudden
shock of alarm. @
"The Indians!" gasped Thompson
scarcely able to command his voice
They are coming Red Knife and his
band-divided-my wife-my children
Help me Help me /"
"What talk is this? ?" cried Dane, agi-
tated in spite of his efforts at self control
"Red Knife was killed yesterday"
"He was only wounded" interrupted
Thompson. "He is coming to take his
vengeance ON US settlers. He has divided
his band into two. They were up at the
Deer Fork this morning, and are now
coming this way. The points to be struck
arc your house and mine"
"My God y evacuated Dane, as his in
formant paused in his excited, broathless
narration. .a7r--7 H
"a horse! horser cried Thompson
reeling with fatigue. II can go no further
on foot. My wife, my cnildren-Goe
pity and save them!'
He looked from the hunter to his daugh
ter in agonized and muto supplication.
Dane snatched the glass from Miriam E
hands and placed it to his eyes.
He looked to the northward-saw his
pretty cottage, his wife busy at her needl
under the trees-and glanced at the din
line of the horizon stretching away east
ward and westward from his home.
SUDDENLY The glass dropped from hi
hands-his face blanched to the hue o
snow From the west, seeming to emerg
from the clouds of scarlet and gold, h
had beheid a band of mounted Indian
riding boldly towards that unprotected
home, towards that unconscious and help
less woman.
With frenzied cry, he put spurs t
his horse, and dashed away like mad
man, shouting to his daughter to follow