The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-03-26
CHAPTER I.

bank of a beautiful river. Ihey had
ridden far and rapidly. Their steedS
were painting, and covered with sweat
and foam.
" We must give the horses a breath
ing spell, said the former, slipping to
tic Ground; and his companion nod
ded a graceful assent, as she followed
i example.
The couple were evidently father
and daughter.
TEe man was in the prime of life,
hale and hearty, with a large frame,
which was sinewy and athletic, with
out ceasiDg to be refned and prepos-
ses>ing. lie had the keen, shrewd
look peculiar 10 the advance guards
Of civilization, and there was an hon
esr, frank expression on his sun
Drowned face that proclaimed his In
tcprity and courage.
In her way, his daughter was equal
ly picturesque and attractive.
In the early flush Of womanhOOd,
with a pure, sweet and tender face,
with eyes dark ly glowing, with coral
tinted lips, and cheeks softly flushed
with the hue of the rose, with amber
carls floating behind her, she was as
graceful as a gazelle, as ligkt-hearted
as bird, as lovely az o flower. and as
spirited as an untamed antelope.
The stream by which the couple
had halted was Wood River, branch
Of the Platte, in Nebraska, at point
fifty miles northwest of Fort Kearny.
Are you tired, Miriam?" asked
the hunter, George Dane, with father
~ solicitude.
Tired, father?" rejoined the maid
en-, with a happy laugh. Oh, no.
How could | be tired after day like
this? livery minute has been filled
| with pleasure and excitement. | feel
as fresh as yOnder bird.
The father smiled understandingly,
with look full of the fondest affec
ton.
Il can guess the cause Of your
iightness of heart" said ne smIlingly.
1.-The return, now daily expected, of
certain Hubert Earle, from the
mines of Idaho, may account, | sus
pecf, for your present gladness."
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 a frankness that attested his en-
tire sympathy with her, and said:
True, father. my heart has been
unusually light for several days past
How could it be otherwise, since [
know that Hubert is comingY
Mr.. Dane did not reply. He was
looking, with kindling eyes, over tie
fair flower dotted plain; and his next
remark showed how widely his
thoughts bad strayed.
4" 1 wonder what mother has been
doing without Us all day, Miriam. She
must be lonely, with no enc to speak
to or share her meals. | shouldn't
wonder if we could see our home from
this point" and his face lighted up
with a soulful glow. Our cottage is
not more than seven miles distant; let
me seeY'
He drew from his coat a pocket
glass, adjusted to his sight, pointing
il in a northerly direction, and gazed
through it long and earnestly. towards
his rancho upon Carrey's Fork.
Yes, | see il" he said, at last,
with long, deep and joyful inspira-
ton, as if the sight refreshed him in
every nerve. There is our cottage,
as plain as day. / can even see the
v mes you planted before the windows,
| Miriam. And there, on the grape
vine bench, under the 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 glowing with smiles as
she regarded the distant hOme-scene.
Dear mother!" she murmured.
1t Is treat to her to be able to sit
out under the trees without fear of
molestation. There are no hostile
Indians 'hereabouts now-are there,
father?"
mo. Red Knife, as you have
already heard, was Killed yesterday
by settler, and his band has retreat
ed towards 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 Knife's death. You have just
seen how this joy bubbles over in me.
Ked Knife was demon, ratEer than
a savage"
Miriam shuddered. and her features
even paled at the memory OF the In
dian mentioned.
He never spared a pale face" she
said, striving to speak calmly. " Desc
lation and cruelty marked his path.
For more than three years he has
ragged to and fro upon the plains like
a ravening wolf He was the terror
of the border"
You have named him appropri-
ately, Miriam, said the hunter. He
had a fendish hatred of the white
race, and his victims have been
many"
Mr.. Dane held out his hand for the
glass, aud Miriam was in the act of
restoring it, when a strange, gasping,
painting sound .rtled them both,
and sent them quickly to their sad
! dies.
The hunter wheeled his horse and
looked down upon the river bank,
from which direction the sound had
come, his manner self possessed, but
his eouutenance indicative of alarm.
The maiden followed his example.
Her eyes were the first to discover
the cause of the sound that had
startled them, detecting a mans
figure creeping along through the
underground Of bushes lining the
shore.
AT the same moment, their pres
ence In turn was detected, for the
man dropped suddenly among the
projecting bushes, as if he had been
An indiana" whispered Miriam
drawing from her bosom a revolver.
The hunter shook his head, con-
tinulng to watch the spot at which