The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1876-08-24

comforting, and hence he did not tell his
wife of the discovery.
1t would only alarm her, he thought,
and without, perhaps, any good result.
He simply told her he had discovered
bear tracks near by, and thatshe and the
child must stay within or close to the
house during his absence.
Several days afterwards, Rufus Bran
son heard his dogs in the timber down
by the river, and knowing they never
opened without good cause, ne caught
up his rife and fastened to where they
were barking. They had struck fresh
bear trail, and, as he arrived in sight,
they fairly lifted it, going off in
straight line down the river.
The chase led him several miles, and
when at last he got shot that finished
bruins career, he found that it was three
or four o'clock in the afternoon. Swing
ing his meat to a sapling out OF reach
of wolves, he started for home to get his
horse and return and fetch it in that
night.
Taking a near cut as he approached
the cabin from the western side, where
the timber grew heavy up to within a
few yards of the building, and conse
quently he could not see the clearing, or
what might be transporting there, until
he had passed through the wood.
Thus it was that, when within short
distance Of his home, he heard a wild,
piercing shrek, but he could only guess
that something terrible was taking place
beyond the screen of bushes and leaves
Uttering a loud shout that his presence
might sooner be known, Branson sprang
forward like a wounded buck-a great
fear in his heart, for he had only too
clearly recognized in that scream the
agonizing voice of his wife.
1t took but moment for him to clear
the intervening timber and underground,
and as he dashed out into the clearing
holding his rife ready for instant use, he ,
in one swift glance all that s
had taken place, and what was further I
10 fear.
Near the end of tue cabin, facing the
cliff, of which have spoken, stood the :
mother, her face as pallid as death, her +
arms outstretched, her staring eyes fixed ;
Upon the precipitOus heights up which :
he figure of an Indian was struggling.
My child! my child" was all the :
woman said, and Branson saw that the a
,undle in the Indians arms was the form -
# their only child, Maggie.
Firm of heart, and with nerves as =
teady as the rocks around, the father :,
or a moment quailed and covered a
nder, what his quick senses told him, Z
vas the deadly peril of the little one. 7
But he was quick to recover. =,
The Indian was drawing away step by ~
tep, he was increasing the distance, and Il
s he occasionally glanced backward and
ownward, the parents saw in his hid
OusIy painted counteuance the fell pur- W
ose that actuated the abductor. u
God aid mel" Branson muttertd as el
e raised his rife, glancing through the n
gifts, and touched the trigger. u
The Indian started violently at the &
lot. He was hit, but not badly, and 1
it'll a yell of devilish triumph he passed m
pward. c'
"Too low, by a couple of inches" said nj
low, calm voice at the settlers elbow. "A
Branson started as though he himself lie
ad been shot. Where was this man &C
ON? Who was he? Neither had seen OF
i'm approach. But there was no time W
r explanations. The stranger, man al al
.ther below than above ordinary VI
eight, whose fine athletic form fully III
sPlayed by his closely fitting buckskin 10
1rments, stepped quickly forward a few u
ices, and firmly planted his left foot in =,
lvance, threw up an unusually long ~ ~
fe as though preparing to fire. ~ W
" For Gods sake, stranger be careful W W.
my childV cried Branson, while the "a q.
,anized mother uttered an audible III
aver -
" It's our only chance; l know that W
ldian," was the quick reply, and the -. ~
arp click, click, of the hammer, as it VI u.
as drawn back, told that the critical VI
Oment had come "C