The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-09-13

get beyond the confines OF the campfire
without awakening any OF his captors.
But Dick proved equal to the emer-
gency. Slowly, and with the utmost
caution, he rose upon his hands and
knees. The swapping of twig he knew
| would betray him to the wMchful ears
Of those about him. On his teet at last,
he stepped over the sleeping savage
whose knife he held in his hand, and
slowly approached the Indian by whose
side his rifle was lying. That he did not
mean to leave behind, as he would need
it for his own protection and to procaFe
| food with before be would regain the
settlement. STOPPING down, his hand
was upon il, when the savage, awakened
by the slight motion he had made, es-
sayed to spring to his feet. The action
cost nim his life; for Dick plunged the
knife he still held in his hand into mis-
breast, and ne fell back with a deep
| groan.
All caution was now needless, for ev-
cry savage was awakened, and SNATCH
ing up his rife, Dick sprang out ihto the
| forest, followed by war WAoop from
tine lips OF every redskin.
| A moment only was required to show
them the situation, and to shake of the
sleep that nung heavily on their eyeiids.
| They saw their dead comrade on the
ground, and caught a glimpse of their
| prisoner as he sprang away, Then,
| with another fierce war-whoOp break =
ing from their throats, they started i'll
pursuit.
| DICKS blood ran cold as he heard the
shouts that rang through tue forest; and
| well he knew that if he again fell into
their hanus he need expect 10 mercy,
| lor they would aVenge the death OIL their
comrade by the most fendish tortures.
| With only few PAGES the start, he knew
he had not much chance of escape, but
slim as it was he determined to max
the best possible use OF it.
For hall a mile about the same dis
tanCe was kept between them, and then,
in spite OF all his efforts, they gained
upon him, and he knew that IN 4 few
moments more he would be in their
power unless he could manage to deceive
them in some manner and get them on
another track.
| The part OF the forest he was now in
was very dense, SO that only few
| struggling mOOnbeams found their way
mere and there thlOu.h the tree top.
No Indian was yet i'll sight, though they
we're scattered on every side through
the forest, trusting more to the sense ol
hearing tnan 70 10 olOWIng the trail MA de
A large tree lay on the ground before
him, and as he passed The trunk he saw
there was u cavity sufficiently large tur
nlm to force his body into t,
Here was the hiding-place he sought.
and he at once aVaIed himself OF 1t.
| Pacing mis- rltie ia before him he forced
his way i'll Ior u distance OF perhaps
twenty leet, where he lay perfectly
Quiet, although almost afraid the beat
,ng OF his heart would betlay him to his
| enemies.
Hardly was he safely ensconced when
he heard the footsteps Of the Indian, as
they hurried by. In few mOnlenCs
they mad died away; and for the tirst
time since he had plunged the khlle into
| the breast Of the savage, he experienced
a sensation Of relief Still, he knew
Cnat he could remain where ne was but
a lew moments, until assured that they
had all passed by; for ere long they
would discover their mtstake, and re-
turn TO look for his trail. He must
emerge; and by striking out in an oppo-
Sue direction from that watch he mad
been pursuing, he hoped to elude pur-
suit.
| Five, ten minutes passed, and Dick
| was on the pUiut OF emerging from bis
| hiding-place, when he was startled by
the sound OF u footstep ABOVE ais head.
An Indian was walking along the trunk,
and he could hardly tail to see the cav.
ity, and the signs he made i'll forcing an
entrance to his hidlng-place. Tue set
tier again gave way TO despair, which
was augmented a moment after, as the
savage gave shrill wloOp TO call his
companions. Tnen he knew too well
that his retreat was discovered, but he
lay perfectly quiet, hoping against his
better judgment that he might yet sue
ceed i'll escaping.
In few moments he knew, by the
sound of feet, that the saV1ges were all
together, and he heard a consultation
not one word OF which he could under.
stand, but he was not long lett in Sus.
pense as to what they had agreed upon
lie heard some at work at tue entrance
OF the trunk, while Others were heapins
brushwOod above him; and he knew by
this that his hidlng-place as discovered
and that the sayages intended burning
uim alive inside the tree.
10 describe the terrible agony thai
conYulsed the heart OF the setLler as ht
became aware of the object of his enc
mics, IS more than pen can do. He wa.
not afraid Lo die, but a death by fire il
one from which the bravest woulL
shrink. There was no chance of dyin,
by sutfOcation, for the tree was 1uu o
seams tuat admitted the air. No, deatt
would not come 10 his reliet until the rec
flames SHOULD wrap his body like wind
liugsneet. Aud this would not be done
Hours must elapse before the flames
would reach him. The tree was resin
Gus pine, and would burn briskly for t
wnlle on the outside, but the interior o
the trunk was damp, and would not ca CT
SO readily. The torIufe would be only tht
more prolonged. Death WOULD come a
last, but not until it had been eX
peIieuceu, as it were, a dozen times b,
the unhappy man within.
| ulguer and higher The red flames rost
as Lne dry brushwoOd was heaped upol
the glowing pile. Like SO many spirits
OF evil, the REQ demons worked a. thelI
terrible task. TO aVenge their comrads
was grimly in their minds; and as thu
minutes went on they listened for some
snrlek to come from the flames TO deIIgh
their savage hearts.
And our friend in his fiery prison, how
bore he the terrible ordeal? Already b,
could feel the heat, and few moments
more it would be insupporJable. Onci
he had tried to escape from his smell
but found that the aperture had been sc
securely closed up tnat it was impossi
BILE. Death by their arrows would, b,
thought, have been better than by The
danes; but this was denied him. Hot