North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1869-03-31
RED KNIFE,
BY LEON LEWIS.
CHAPTER I.
A LIFE GLORIOUsLY sTAKED

lOWhru tue ClOSc Vi u DcduGIAuA
Il juno, 1867, man and woman, mounted
upon feet horses, came galloping over one
OF the great plains Of the west, and drew
rein in the shade OF cump OF cotton
8 woods upon the bank of a beautiful river
They had ridden far and rapidly. Their
steeds were painting, and covered with
sweat and foam.
1--WE must give the horses breathing
B spell," said the former, slipping to the
II ground, and his companion nodded a
graceful ascent, as she followed his exam
pie.
The couple were evidently father and
dau ghter.
M The man was in the prime Of life, hale
~ and hearty, with large frame, which was
M sinewy and athletic, without ceasing to be
n refined and prepossessing. lie had the
keen, shrewd look, peculiar to the ad-
& vance guards of civilization, and there
81 was an honest, frank expression on his
! sun-browned face that proclaimed his
Z integrity and courage.
In her way, his daughter was equally
picturesque and attractive.
In the early flush of womanhood, with
b pure, sweet, and tender face, with eyes
darkly glowing, with coral tinted lips. and
D cheeks softly flushed with the hue Of the
4 rose, with amber curls floating behind her,
she was Us graceful as razelle, as light
hearted as bird, as lovely as flower,
and as spirited US an untamed antelope.
The stream by which the couple had
halted was Wood river, branch of the
Platte, in Nebraska. at point 50 miles
northwest Of Fort Kearny.
"Are you tired. Miriam p asked the
hunter, George Dane, with fatherly
soicitude.
Tired, father p rejoined the maiden,
with a happy laugh. "yh, no. How
could be tired, after day like this I?
Every minute has been filed with pleasure
and excitement. feel as fresh as yonder
bird"
The father smiled understandingly, with
look full Of the fondest affection.
II can guess the cause OF your lightness
Of heart" said he, smilingly. 1.-The return
now daily expected, Of certain Hubert
Earle, from the mines of ldnliu, may
account, suspect, for your present
glauness."
A heightened color appeared on Mir
iams lace, for the name mentioned was
that of her lever. She answered the CLAN.
ces Of her father, however, with frank
ness that attested his entire sympathy
with her, and said:
''rrue, father, my heart has been
unusually light for several days past
q How could it he otherwise, since l know
that lut,ert is comingY'
Mr. Dane did not reply. He was look
ing, with kindling eyes, over the fair
flower dotted plain and his next remark
showed hsw widely his thoughts had
strayed.
Il Il wonder what mother has been doing
without Us all day, Miriam. She must he
lonely. with no one to speak N Or shar
her meals. l shOuidn't wonder it we
could see our home from this point and
his fave lighted up with Il soulful glow.
'Our cottage is not more than seven miles
distant; let me see?'
- lle drew from his c mt a pockct-ylasS,
adjusted it to his sight, pointing it in ii
nurtheriy direction, and sazed through it,
long and earnestly, toward his ranchs
upon Carrcy's fork.
Yes, see it, he said at last, with a
long, deep and joyful inspiration, as if the
sight refreshed hlm in every ne We. 'Therc
is our cottage, us plain as day. l can even
see the vines you planted before the win
dow, Miriam. All there, on the grapes
vine benc ., under the big elm sits your
mother, busy at her sewing. Bless her
She does not imagine We are looking at
her. Look, Miriam
lie 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 - she murmured, sit is
a treat to her to be able to sit out under
the trees without fear of mo estation.-
There ale no hostile Indians hereabouts
now are there. father?''
mo; Red KNIFE, as you have a!read J
heard, was killed yesterday by a settler,
and bis band has retrea,ed toward the
mountains. will confess, Miriam, that
during all the time we have been in the
west, have not felt so light. hearted and
care free as since We received news OF
Red Knifes death. You have just seen
. how this Joy bubbles over in me. Red
Knife was demon, rather than savage" :"
Miriam shuddered, and her features
even paled at the memory Of the Indian
mentioned.
'.He never spared pale face she said,
striving to speak calmly. "Desolatlon and
cruelty marked his path. For more than
three years he has ragged to and fro upon
the plains like u r,ving wolf lie was the
terror of the border"
You have named him appropriately
Miriam,'' said the hunter. He had q
fendish 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 re-
storing it, when IA strange, gasping, pant
ing sound startled them both, and sen
4 nhem quickly to their saddles.
The hunter wheeled his horse ant
looked down upon the river-bank, from
which direction the sound had come, hi
manner self possessed, and his countenanc
indicative Of alarm? The maiden follow
ed his example.
Her eyes were the frst to discover tn
cause Of the sound that had startle,
them, detecting mans figure creepin;
along through the underground Of bush ).
lining the shore.
At the same moment, their presence il
turn was detected, for the man droppe,
suddenly among the protecting bushes, Il
If he had been shot.
''An Indian?' whispered Miriam, draw
ing from her bosom a revolver.
The hunter shook his head, CONTINUING
t. watch the spot at which the man ha'
fallen, his hand on his rifle, his manne
that of one ready for action.
Suddenly, as the man showed q ha. gar
face peering cautiously from his conceal
ment, MIR. Danes anxious ccuntenanc
broke into smile, and he cried out:
''IIalo! Is that you, Thompson d
Won take ns for Indians that YOU skull