Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1869-04-03
CHAPTER I.
a LIFE oLontorsLY srA1ED /!

the great plalns OF Tic w est, nnu GREW TDin
in the shade Of a cIgmp OF cotton woods
upon the bank of beautiful river. They
had ridden far and rapidly. Their stceds
were painting, and covered with sweat and
foam. @ ..
we must give the horses q breathing
spell,' said the former, slipping To the
ground and his companion nodded grace.
tul assent, as she followed his example.
Tie couple were evidently father and
daughter.
The man was in Tie prime of life, hale
and hearty, with large frame, which was
sinewy and athletic, without ceaaing to be
refined and prepossessing. lie had the keen,
shrcw6 look peculiar to The advance. guards
of civilization, and there was an honest,
frank expression en- his sun Drowned face
! that proclaimed his integrity and courage.
In her way, his daughter was equally pic
turssque and attractive.
/ In the early flush of womanhood, with q
/ pure, sweet, and teutier face, VITA eyes dark
, iy glowing, with coraitinted lips, and
! cheeks softly flushed with the hue of the
/ rose, with amber curls floating behind her,
size was graceful as u gazcle rs light
4 ed as a bird, as lovely Us q flower, and as
| spirited as an untamed antelope.
I The stream by which the couple had halt
cd was Wood river, a branch OF the Platte
! in Nebraska, at u point fifty miles north
west of Fort Kcarny,
Are you tired, Miriam : asked the hunt
er George Dane, with fatherly solicitude.
Tired, father 2 reioined the maiden, will
o happy laugh. Oh no. How could be
tired after day like this Z Every minut,
has been filed with pleasure and excite
nicnt ] feel as fresh us yondCr Dird.'
Tho f.thnr s,,ilnl npln,Si nlinQly will
look full of the fontlcst affection.
Il can guess the cause of your lightnes
Of heart, said he, smilingly, The return
now daily expected, of certain Huber
Earle, from the mines Il Idaho, may account
suspect, for your present gladness.'
heightened COLOR appeared on Miriam
face, for the name mentioned Was that o
her lover. she answered the slances of he
father, however, with fran6ness that Vt
tested his entire sympathy with her aa'
said
True, father, my heart has been unusuall.
light for several days past. How could ]
5e otherwise, since / know that Hubert !
c1miug2' ..-.H s....
Mr.. Dane did not reply He was looking
with kindling eyes, over the fair flower
dotted plain; and his next remark SHOWED
how widely his thoughts had strayed.
I wonder what mpthtr has seen doinI
without lis all day, Miriam. She must b
lonely, with no one to speak 10 OF share lie
meals. ! shouldn't wonder if we could Sc
our home from this point and his fac
lighted up with a soulful CLAW, Oar cot
tage is not more than seven miles distant
let me seef ....- ..i.
He drew from his coat a pocket glass
adjusted it to.his sight pointing it in
IL ,-r'l
long and earnestly towards his ranGhe upo
Carey's Fork.
Yes, see IT. he said, at last, with
long, deep. and Joyful Inspiration, as if til
sight refreshed him in every nerve. 'fhei
is our cottage, as plain as day. can eve
see the vines gen planted before the window
Miriam. And there, on the grape-vir
" bench, under the big elm, sits your mothe
y busy at her sewing. Bless her She dot
not imagine We afe lacking ut her. Looi
Miriam
He Yielded the instrument to his daugl
> ter, who obeyed his Injunction, her love-
face gnwing Sith smiles as she rcgarde
the distant scene.
Dear mother = she murmured. at is
treat 10 her to lie able to sit out under Il
trees without fear or molcstation. The
are no hostile Indians hcreabouts now-al
there, father e
No. Red knife, as you have alrend
heard, was killed yesterday by n settler, al
; his band has retTeRted towards the mou
taius. l will confess, Miriam, that dnrlI
all the time we lave been in the West
ss have not felt SO light hearted and care-lr
in as since We received news of Red kniI,
death. You have Just seen how this j.
bubbles over in me. Red Knife was q d
mon, rather than savage
/, Miriam shuddered, and her features ev
- paled at the memory Of the Indian mcntic
10 ed. -
He never spared a pale face she sal
- striving TO speak calmly. 'Desolation e,
cruelty marked his path. For more til
three years he has ragged to and fro up
% the plains like ravening wolf He was t
y terror of the border
III You have named him appropriate
Miriam, said the hunter lie had iier
ish hatred OF the white race, and his V
tins have been many
Mr. Dane held oEt his hand for the gla
} and Miriam was in the act of restoring
when strange, gaspi9g painting sou
startled them both, and sent them quicl
to their saddles.
The hunter wheeled his horse and look
down upon the river bank, from VIII
nd direction the sound had come, his man
self possessed, but his countenance in
- catiye of alarm. The maiden followed
example. "a. r a..gl f- aa
!! Her eyes were tho first TO discover
cause of the sound that had startled th'
Ill detecting q mah's figure creeping al'
throug Is the undergrosth of bushes lin
the shore.
At the same moment, their presence
IA. soI . Il