Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-03-22
Oh APTE Err /.

CHAPTERI
A LIPK GLORIoUs sTAKEp,
Towards the close of q bsautifnidty In June,
I~GT, man and woman. mounted upon fleet
horses, came gallOping over one OF the great
piHlns OF the West, and drp W rem In the shade
Of Clump of cotton woods upon the bank of a
beautilui river. They had ridden far and rap
idly Their steeds We're painting, and covered
v IN sweat ana foam.
I'VE must give the horses a breathing SPELL
saId The former, slipping u the ground; and his
companion nodded graceful assent, he to-
lowed his example
The couple were evidently father and daugh-
ter.
The msn was I'm the prime Of life. hale and
hearty. y ith n large frame, which was siHewy
prspOssessibg. He had the keen, shire wd look
pee Uliar TO the al vaGce guards of civilization,
and there was an honest, frank expression
his sun-brown-d face that proclaimed his in
tsgrIty aud COURAGE.
In her way. his daughter was equally pic
tuTssQue and attractive.
In The early flush eff wonanhood, with a
pure. sweet, and tender face, with eyes darkly
glowing, with coral-unted lips, and cheeks
soItly flushed with tne bue of the rose. with
amber curls floating behind her, she was
frsceful as gazsIle, as light hearted a bird,
as lovely aS flower, and as spirited as an un-
tanned antelope
The stream by which the couple had halted
was Wood rIyer, branch ofthe Platte, in Ne
braska- al a point fifty mles northwest Of Fort
ksarny.
Are you tired. Miriam - asked the hunter.
Tired fatherl' reloineu the maiden, with a
happy laugh .sOh, no. How could De tired
alter a day ike this!' Every minute has been
flled with pleasure ana excitement. 1 feel as
fresh as yonder bird.
The father smiled understandingly, with a
look full OF the fondest affection.
II can guess the cause Of your lightness of
heart,' said he, smIlingIy. The return, now
daily expected, of a certain Hubert Earle, from
The mines Of Idaho, may account 1 suspect,
Tor your present gladness-"
A heightened color appeared on Mir,am's
lace. for the name mentioned was that of her
lover. She answered the glances of her father.
however, with a frankness that attested his
entire sympathy with her, and said
..True, father, my heart has been unusually
light for several days past. How could il b.
otherwise, since know that Hubert is COM
iDgl"
Mr.. Dane did not reply. He was looking,
with kindling eyes, over the fair flower dotted
PLAIN; ans his next remark show how widely
his thoughts hsd strayed.
IL wonder what mother has been doing
without us all day, Miriam. She must be
lonely, with TO one to speak TO or share her
meals. L shouldn't wonder if We could see our
home from this point and his face lighted up
with q soulful glow. tour cottage 10 not more
Ihsn seven miles distant let me s-e,'
He crew srom MS coat pocket-g glass, ADJUST
ed AZ 10 his sight, pointing II IN a northerly d.
Iection. and gszed through il long and earn
estly, towards his rancho upon Carrey's Fork
"les, see ~, ne said, at las, with long,
deep, and joyful inspiration, as if the sight re-
fr~shed him IN ey~ry nerve. There is our
cottage, as plain as day i can even see the
vines you planted before the window, Miriam
And there, on the grape vine bench. under the
bIg elm, sits your mother, busy AZ her sewipy.
Bless Der, She do~s not imagine We are LOOK
ing st her. Look. Miriam"
he yielded the instrument 10 his daughter
who ooeyed his injunction. her lovely face
glowing with smiles as she regarded the dis
TAM hCme-scene.
Dear mother she murmHred. alt is a
treat 10 her TO be able to sit ont under the trees
without fear of mOlestailon. There are
hostile Indians nereaeouts now-are there,
fatheIl'
mo. Red Knife, ven have already heard,
was killed yesterday by a settler and his band
has rstIeated towards the mountains 1 will
confess. Miriam that during all the time We
have been IN the West, have not felt so light
hearted and care free rs since We r' celved
news of Red KnIfe's death. You have Just
seen how this JOY bubbles over in me. Red
knife was demon. rather than a savage
Miriam se euddsrsd, and her features even
paIed AZ the memory of the ludiin mentioned
He never spared pale face" she "a q, strIv-
ing 10 speIk calmly. "Desolation and cruelty
marked his path. For more than three years
he has ragged TO and fro upon the plains like
rav-ning wolf. He was the terror of the bor-
der"
You have named him appropriately,
Miriam" said the hunter. he had a fisadish
hatred OF the white race, and his victims have
been many
Mr Dane held out his hand for the glass, and
Miriam was in the act of restoring IL, when d
strange, gasping, painting sound startled them
both, and sent them quickly TO their saddles
The hunter wheeled his horse and looked
Gown upon the river bank, from which direc-
ton the sound had come, his manner self vos-
sessed, but his countenance Indicative of alarm.
The maiden followed his example.
Her eyes were the FIRST 10 discover the cause
OF the sound that had startled them, Directing
mans figure creeping along through The un-
GergIowth of bushes lining the shore.
Al the same moment, their presence in turn
was Directed. for the man dropped suddenly
among the protecting bushes, as il he had been
shot.
IAN Indianl'' whispered Miriam, drawing
from her bosom q revolver.
The hunter shook his head, continuing TO
watch the spot at which the man had fallen,
his hand on ms rifle, his manner that OF one
re1c tor action
Suddenly, as the man showed a haggard face
peenng cautiously from his concealment, Mr..
Danes ANXIOUS countenance broke ito a smile,
and ne cried out:
"HaIo, i that you. Thompson Do you
busiest"
The individual addressed was silent a full
minute, as IL seemed, irom sheer amaZement;
Inen he sprang out from his hiding place WITH
cry of relief, and advanced swiftly towards
The father and daughter.
He was a man OF middle age Of the ordinary
type of oackwOCdsmen, strong and brown and
Stalwart, of the rude, rough type that seems to
b"iopg 70 The border His face was hagg1rd
and " bite, although covered With perspiraIion. n.
His breath came through his parted lips IN
quick, uneven ga3ps- He hac run far and
swiftly, and looked as IL about to drop from
"W hat has happened, Thompson ~ asked
Dane, with keeL anxiety The mans singular
appearance giving him q sudden shock o1
alarm.
.The Ipdiansr' gaspef Thompson, scar ael v
able 10 command his voice. They are comm.
Eed Knife and his baud-dIyided-my wife =
nv CHILDREN! Help me! Help me,-
What talk is tins" cried Dane, agit1ted in
spite OF ms efforts at self control. .R ID knife
Was killed yesterday"
"He was only wounded" interrupted
Thompson 'sHe Is coming 70 take his We n
geance settlers He has divided his band
into two They were mp AZ the Deer Fork this
morning, and are now coming this way. The
points 10 be struck are Your house and mine.
MY GOde' CALCULATED Dane, as his nfor IN =
snt paused IN his excited, breathiess Rafra-
ton.
"a horse. horse" cried Thompson, reeling
with fatigue- Il An 60 no further on foot.
My wife, my children-God pity and save
them"
He looked from the hunter to his daue hter IN
agonized and mute supplication.
Dane snatched the glass from Mriam's hands
and placed IL 10 his eyes.
He looked 70 the horthward-saw his pretty
cottage, his wife busy at her needle under the
tre6s-and glanced AZ the dim line of the hori.
con stretching away eastward and westward
frOm has home.
SuddenIy the gIass dropped from his hands
his face blanc had 70 the hue Of snow. From
ne west, seeming 10 eIse. &c from the clouds OF
scarlet and gold, ne hsd beheld band o
mounted Indians riding boldly towards ina
unprotected home, towards tnat unconsciou:
ana helpless woman.