New-York tribune., 1869-03-29
49, RED KNIFE; rs
KIT CARSON'S LAST TRAIL
Nv LEON LEWIS.
.uTuoR oF r1IH WAGON TRAIN" "THB WITCH yiNDEk,
1.-THE WATER WOLF" ETC. ETC.


CHAPTER I.
A LIFE GLoRIoUsLY sTAKED. -et.Ir
Toward the close OF beautiful day In june
1877 man and woman, mounted upon fleet horses came
,,on0 over ono Of the great plains OF the West ana
drew rein in the shade Of clump of cotonWoous upon
,b hanks Of beautiful river They had ridden far ana
rapdly Their steods were painting, and covered Win
sweat and foam
We must give the horses breathing SPELL ssid tne
former. slipping to the ground; and his companion
nodded graceful assent as she followed his example,
The couple were evidently father and daughter
Tho man was in the prime of life, hale and hearty Win
a large frame, which was stneWy ana auheIo' "it"o'
ceasing to be refined andi prepossessng he hau 'no
KEEN shrewd look peculiar 10 the advance VI Wv
lzation and there was honest frank expression Oh
his sun Drowned face proclaimed his integrity ana
courage, .-...,,,w ,toturasoua and
ip the early flush of womanhood with pure sweet
td ins and cheeks softly flushed with the hue OF the
rose with amber curls floating behind her she was S as
graceful gazee, as light hearted as ntoIops D
as flower spirited as an uptaned as Wood
The stream by which the couple SsbrasIa at point 50
miles northwest Of Fort KeaIny; ,o ,,ntor ceoroe
Are YOU tired, Miriami asKed the nuh'eI' "o0iS0
| nona with fathery sOlcitude. -, -
aTired father" /" rejoned the maiden, with happy
laugh "Oh no How could ee tTcu h h'T ls & and
thsl Every minute has been hled wln % piea'u'0 anu
excitement. feel as fresh as yonder DlIn; ,, ,,, -,
! Tie father smiled undersandngly with look fuil OF
INC @ eS the cause OF your llghness of heart" said
hp
eItn Hilbert Earle from the mines OF Idaho, may ac-
count suspect, for your present ,a for tho
eHoSeS was that Of her lover She answered the
ances of her father however with frankness ha' az
e % father nv heart has been unusually light for
severai days past How could 1t be otherwise, since
know bne nas did Sct repy lie was looking with kndIng
eyes, over the fair owerdoted PLAN ana his next
remark showed how widely his thoughts had strayed
at wonder what mother has been doing without us al
day Miriam She must be lonely. with no one 10 SPEAK
| 4 CHI mi NJ
see onr home from this point" and his face lighted up
with soulful glow Our cottage is not more tnan seven
s He drew from his coat pockegla adjusted i TO his
sight pointing 1t in northerly direction, anu Sa on
hrongh 1t long and earnestly, toward his ranche upon
see he said at last with long, deep and
ovfn ipspration as If the sight refreshed him in every
nerve There is cottage, as plain as day. eau
see the vines yo9 pSneS 9St0S SepeS under the
bg elm sits your mother, busy at her sewing beSS LeI
she does not imagine We are looking AZ her' A0oA'
He Welded the instrument to his daughter who obeyed
his plunctio her lovely face glowing Win shes us sne
Dear motheP she mnrInured ait tIs treat to her
70 be able to sit ont under the trees without fear OF mo-
lestatoi There hostile Indians hereaoou's NO"
rS So eneI Red Knife as you have already heard was
killed Yesterday by settler, and his band has Tereaea
toward the mountains will confess Sd. S1 hnye not
felt 20 Hchthearted and careree as since we receneu
news Of Red Knes death You have Just seen now lS
Joy bubbles over me. Red KNIFE was demon' ia'uef
Miriam shuddered and her features even paed NJ INC
se never spared pale face she said striving to
For move than three wears he has ragged TO and fro
upon the plains like ravening won lie was 'ne 'fiOf
lyon w have named him appropriately, Miriam" said
the hunter "He had endish hatred OF the white race
Mr. Dane held ont his hand for the glass, and Miriam
in the act of restoring IT, when sIange gasPinE
painting sound startled them both and sent them quickly
The hunter wheeled his horse and looked down upon
fta ri,a hanly
s manner selfpossessed, but his counienance indicative
of alarm. The maiden followed his example
Her eyes the first TO discover the cause OF the
sound that had startled them detecting a mans ignfo
creeping along through the undergowh OF pushes hhg
At the same moment their presence in turn was de-
tected for the dropped suddenly among the protect
! ing bushes, as II he had been shot.
| 6An Indianr whispered Miriam, drawing from her
The hunter shook his head, continuing to watch the
spot which the man had fallen, his hand on his rne
| his manner that OF one ready for action.
Suddenly, as the man showed hsggaTd face pee[Iins
cautiously from his coneeament Mr.. Dapes anxious
"TTso 10 that yea thompson DO you take us for
The ndiSduai sddressed was silent fun minute. it
seemed from sheer amazement then he prang out from
ms hding-pace with cry Of relief and advanced swiftly
| toward the father and daughter.
backwoodsnen strong and brown and stawart, OF the
rude rough type that seems to belong TO the border His
splration His breath through his parted lips in
quick uneven gasps. He had run far and swiftly, and
i0SES What has happened, fhompson asked Dane with
keen anxiety, the mans singular appearance giving him
| a sudden shock Of alarm.
"The IndiansW gasped Thompson, scarcely able to
| command his voice. "They cOming Red Knife and
| his band-dyided-my wife-Iny childreni Help me!
"Wha talk is this ~ cried Dane agated in spite Of his
| efforts at sefcontrol "Red Knife was KILLED yes
ale was only wounded" Interrupted Thompson. "He
Is coming TO take his vengeance on us setuers lie 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 your house and mine"
my God? calculated Dane as his informant paused
IN his excited, bieathless narration.
"A horse horse 70 cried Thompson reeng with IA
tigue. 20 further on foot My Wife, my chill
dren-God pity and save themV
He looked from the hunter TO his daughter In agonized
Dane snatched the glass from Miriam's hands and
placed II to his eyes.
wife busy her needle under the reesand glanced
the dim line Of the horizon stretching away eastward
suddenly The glass dropped from his hAnds-his face
blanced to the hue Of From the west, seeming TO
band of mounted Indians riding boldly towards that
unprotected home towards that unconscious and help
WITH frc1nsd ne cry ne pst spurs to his horse and
dashed away ke maoman shouting 70 his daughter to
ward and fell IN the naidens pa holding up us h-nds
my wife /! my children I" he groaned.
There no hesitation in the soul OF the brave Miri-
am.
Mine is but single life; lie has seven pending on
As she spoke, she eaped from her saddle and with
gesture, commanded him 10 take her place
" But-yOur danger" faltered Thompson. The In
Miriam again pointed to the saddle
Co." she commanded. "Thlnk only OF your family,
sii Thompson hesltated. sweeping the horizon with
gf threatened. change his face he looked,
and he uttered wild catching the glass Mr. Dane
had let fall, and looking through IL: .
The sight lie beheld convulsed him with terror.
Not mile away, TO the west he saw coming over
ridge In the pain and approaching rapidly, considera-
Dle body OF mounted sayages.