New-York tribune., 1870-04-25
CHAPTER I.

nm, ccnI.r 1IIr ANn SAXAGE.


fhe afternoon was hnethe Great Plain in fun verduc
And Kit Carson in the midst of this beauteous solitude,
was as happy as the birds around him.
He was riding eastward the Santa Fc route, just
east Of Fort Larned in Kansas.
At length he drew rein.
lie had reached an afuent Of the Arkansas River and
found himself in the edge of considerable growth OF
timber by which the banks of this aluent were lined
Looking through openings in the verdure before him,
he saw, half mile away, TO the eastward, single
horscman approaching at an easy pace.
What" he calculated. " That fellow must be red
skin-nore or less red-skn anyhow. And yet he has
white woman on the horse him. What still more
singular that white woman TO DC sleeping. What
can tins meanf
Continuing advance the strange hOrseman was soon
near enough 10 be with considerable dtinctness by
the watcher.
"There's minkery here" muttcrCd Kit, under his
breath. his eyes lighting up sternly. That woman
is Mt taking this ride into the redskn country of her
own will"
In minute more the stranger reached the creek, in
which he proceeded TO water his horse Indian pony
81 know him now" said Kit to himself. 1t is that in
fernal Fleet Foot, the half-breed."
The savage thus designated one Of the most vii
lanousooking fellows the scout had ever encountered
His long, tangled hair, his hideous features, his
wretched garb his dirty complexion his black, bloodshot
eyes, all gave him most repusive aspect. His arms
for he carried hunting knife revolver and rifle, in
actually startling
The recognition of the savage having been thus com
peed Kit turned his gances upon the object the savage
was holding upon the pony in front of him.
This object, as Kit Lad said, a white woman, or
rather a white girl Her long, fair hair disheyeed
flying wildly about her shoulders and half hiding her
face but il could De that her features deathy
pale and scratched and bleeding in places, as If she had
been struggling terribly with her captor. That she
captive Kit instantly knew by the fact that her hands
tied behind her, and he next saw that she was not
sleeping had at first supposed-nor dead, as he had
an instant feared-bu that she was in deathIke
swoon!
Ignorant Of the gaze bent upon him, the halfbreed,
whose arm stin encirced the slight figure, pushed away
disheyeed hair from the pallid features, that lie
might look upon them.
For moment he seemed fascinated with the view of
the pale fair couutenance rarely beautiful in its
deahke riddity and then he bent his head and kissed
the halfpared lips, not once merely, but again and
Tii. tires me out said Kit to himself 81 must
change my position httle-ust enough to get the girls
head out of line-and then"
At this instant and ust the scout began moving into
yond the face OF lis captive ground his eyes
encountered the tracks left by Kits horse.
In another instant he had detected CarsonS presence
g." II Is you, eh Mr.. Fleet Foot r. called the scout
see it Is yon added the scout Who is that with
youlp 49,
Hold on a minute, Mr.. Fleet Foot" said the scout
what more Z" the response.
calm ener y " know that she has been stolen ana IL
"We, what theni" was all the savage degned to an
"The ease is Just this. continued Carson "You viii
have % deliver the gri up to me, that may take her
"Tat viii never do rejoned the halfbreed bluntly.
"This girl is nothing 10 you nor have you any claim
upOn me. Why should we guarTelY am as mech "a
wnIte edskn, aud the young lady might have
worse fate than to become my WIFE even II she she be- De.
comes my wife unwngy Ihere Is no possible can Tor
you interfere with me The course for You to take
Mr. Carson is to go your own way aud mind your own
As he ceased speaking, he uttered wild cry of
mdnd tO his pony which instantly bounded away to the
The scout raised his rife.
The figure OF the miscIcant was nOw fully uncovered
presenting fair mark, but Kit was compelled to realize
% VIEW t Of G the bounding h eserae aons U % & %SY %o % the he
greates risk Of killing the caltDe o,,o+o tis ,o,ro
pressed wrath breaking forth. Were it for s.ci
hCing the girl But can at least pursue nm ,o.;
nal bounded away at the top of his speed.
1t long time before the chase thus begun showed
which horse could make the best time. The pony
carrying the most weight hut he much fresher than
the scouts horse 50 that the one cTcgm;ance for time
creased weight told upon the pony. The scout COM
II shall catch him." muttered Kit, again speaking
under his breath. How can save the girl from his
At this moment a wild cry of dismay burst from the
Just before him. not ten rods disent he had marked
deep and abrupt depression in The pan the bed OF one
of those creeks so numerous in that region
Ar quick gituing, the hunted mIscTcant had com
pretended that he could not this creek at that fr
pace the depression being too wide for flying leap
He had also comprehended that he could not stop the
pouy's Wild pace ia season TO avoid it,.
Tie scout all this too, ana smiled grlmly he
realized that "a tumble inevitable.
IL in vain that the half breed reduced to one hand,
pulled upon the rcins, saving ana jerking the ponys
mouth The animal would neither turn stop, and in
another instant had hurled himself into the abrupt abyss
actually turning SOmersaut in the air and sending
Fleet Foot and the girl flying through space to the O
pOste slope Of the creek.
At that same moment IL seemed. the scout threw
bis back upon his launches az the very edge of the
creek, aud slipped from his saddle, revolver IN hand
81 have now Fleet Foot" he shouted, leaplng TO-
ward the prostrate savage.
But terrible had been the shock as quick as had
been the scouts movements, the halfbrced had gathered
had sought and found his unconscious captive; had
huntius.knfe and revolver; had placed
himself III double posture OF assault ana defense beside
the nOuOucsS tGure ana thus, az the instant OF hlls
advance, ne found that the desperate ruiian was still
active stl deadly, still undaunted.
- Not step nearer was the haif-Dreeds defiant cry
while his face giOwed like furnace. :" AIN still master
of the life of this girl aud of yours At touch, at
breath viii re upon you with one hand, while
plunge this knife into the girls heart with the other
I've said IL, and swear it,"
Ryeted To the spot he had gained scout stood erect
ten feet distant from the revolver directed AT him
not ten feet from the knife upfted above the bosom OF
daring 10 STIR nor even TO breathe lest the halfbreed
should fulfill his terrible menace.
"It the first and last me" said Kit in narrating
these things aiterward, THAT was ever heed on Tie
GrOssttd!'
And there the two men stood, thus motionless and
silent thus glarng AT each other with that helpless gr
between them!
CHATTER III.
DAUGHTER OF THE PLAINS.
The strange which had arisen between the scout
and the savage had singular termination.