The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-03-27
CHAPTER

AUTHOR OF 1.-THE WAGON TkAINy' THE WITCH
FINDER" "THE WATER WOLF" ETC.
CHAPTER
sa.s "A LIFE aLoRIoUsuYs srAKEDl asacsd 's'
Towards the close Of beautiful day in June,
1867, q man and woman, mounted upon feet
horses came gailoping over one Of the great
Of clump of cotton,woods upon the bank of q
beautiful river. They had ridden far and rapid
~. Their steeds were, painting, and covered
with sweat and foam. 10 ,sfrlSeiI
eve must give the,horsea Q, breathing SPELL"
said the former, slipping to the ground and his
companion nodded agraceful assent, as she fol-
lowed his example. ~ MISC liza
The couple were evidently father and daughter.
The man was I'M the; prime Of life, hale md
hearty, With a large frame, which was slnswy
and Athletic, Without ceasing to be refined and
prepossessing. He had the keen, shrewd look
peculiar to the advanoe-guartls of oivilizatiodS
and there was an honest, frank expression ON
his sun-browned face that proclaimed his integ-
rity and eoarage. sIIoQ rfCrfg n1ffsVu
In her way, his daughter was equally pic-
turesq6S and attractive. $50 n6sSfu EastEEA
In the early flush of womanhood, with pure,
sweet and tender face, With eyes daFklyf gl0yi
ing. With coral-tinted lips, and cheekl softly
AuShed, with the hue ofF the rose Win aaanbsE
COkA3 x1V4VAuk U6u1uQ HOE, sue wa ~ ~
gaelic, as ght-hearted a., . bird, q legay q
flower, and as spirited as an untamed antelope.
The stream by which the couple haa halted
was Weed river, branch of the Platte, ID NJ
braska, ct 2 point fifty railes porthrwest Of Fort
Kearny.
"Are you tired, Miriam ?" asked the hunter,
George Dsne with fatherly solicitude.sA
"Tired, father ?" rejoined the maiden, with
happx 1ssgh; 4 9h ;noss How seuhs I,betire&
after day like this Every minute has been
hlled with pleasure and excitement. I feel a.
fresh as yonder. bird"
The father smiled understandingly, with
look full q the fondest affection ss' ,'s1s@'e
II can gussssthe cause of your lightnsss of
heart said he, smilingiy.f " The return, now
daily expected, Of q certain Hubert Earle, from
the mines OF Idaho, may account, I suspect, for
your present gladnsss.nN Hs TEX fE3EE n W 4
A heightened color appeared on Miriam's face,
for the name mentioned was that of her lover,
She answered the glances Of her father, however,
with frankness that attestsd hiss entire SYM
pathy with her, and said; S@9
"True, father, my heart has been unusually
Light for several days past How could it be
otherwise, since I know that Hubert Il coming ?"
Mr.. Dane did not reply. He was looking.
with kindling eyes, over. the fair fower-dotted
PLAIN; and his next remark showed how widely
his thoughts had strsyed. =.
81 wonder what mother has been doing With.
out US all day, Miriam. She mns b lonely,
with no 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 mp with soul
fal glow. "Onr cottage IL not more than seven
miles distant; let me see 2" ~
He drew from his coat pocket glass, adjusted
it to his sight, pointing'it in northerly direc-
tiOn, and gazed through IL long and earnestly.
towards his rancho upon Carreys Fork
Yes, I see it." he said, at last, with along.
deep, and joyful inspiration, a. If the sightre.
freshed him in every nerve. "There is our Get
tage. as plain as day. Lean even see the vines
you planted before the windows. Miriam. And
there, on the grapevine bench, under Che 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 glow.
ing with smiles as she regarded the distant home.
scene.
dear mother ~ she murmured. "Itvis
treat to her to be able to sit out under the @rees
without fear of molestation. There are no hos.
tileandians hereabouts nbw-are there, fsther2s
o. Rcd Knife. q You have already heard,
wa4killed yesterday BY settler and HI band
has retreated towards the mountains. I will
confess, Miriam, that during all the time We
have been in the West, have not felt 70 LIGHT.
hearted aud care-free as since we received news
of Red Knife's death. You have lust seen how
this bubbles ever in me. .. Red knife was a de-
mon. rather than . savage" 4 J881 8f
Miriam shuddered, and her festares even paled
at the memory of the Indian mentioned.
He never spared pale face" she said striy.
ing TO speak camly. . Doxols ton and crueitv
marked his path. For more than three years he
has ragged to and fro upon the plains like n
ravening wolf. He was the terror OF the border"
You have named him appropriately, Miriam. v
said the hunter " He had i Rendish hatred Of
the whole race, and his victims have been many"
Mr. Dane held out his hand for the glass, and
Miriam was in the act of restoring it, when q
strange, 8asping. painting sound startled tain
both, and sent them quickly to their saddles. =
The hunter wheeled his horse aSd lookei
down upon the river-bank from which, direotionn
the sound had come, his manner self.possess.d
but his countenance indicative of alarm. The
maiden followed his example. .,s.
Her eyes wsresshe Rst to discover The cas,ae AZ
the sound that had startled them. deteatinp
mans figure creeping along through the under.
growth of bushes lining the shore
At the same moment, their presence in tura
was detected, for the man dropped suddenly
among the protecting bushes, - Il he had been
shot.
IAN Indian ~ whispsrsd Miriam, drawing
from her bosom a revolver.
The hunter shook III hsad, ! oontinuine ,to
watch the spot ~ wiick The NAN had fallen. his
haad on biz rias. his manner th,t Of pps ready
4 Il y