The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-04-03
A smile Of triumph lighted up the duskY

A smile Of triumph lighted up the duSky
face of her captnr.
docs the white fawn ask why she was
brought here2" he said, with savage exul-
tation; 'then VII tell her-because Ponto
loves herl She has stolen his heart; he
will make her his squawl Her pale face
friends are gone, they are swept from the
face of the earth; she has no one upon
whom to lean but Ponto. lie is her only
friend"
"But my parents ?" exclaimed the fright
ened girl, clasping her hands. -rs.a..
'Are dead!"
Ruth echoed these words in whisper,
failing to realize their full meaning. But
when the chief told her all, she sank
upon the furs and wept long and bit
terly.
clears are childish, " said the chief, at
length "Let the white fawn dry her eyes;
leI uer TeuueuiDer bIe ID W pe tue SQudW VI
atgreat chief"
Ruth shuddered bat, wiping her eyes,
she said:-
"Where is Sam -Carter2"
"You will never see him again" All
swered the savage, jealously ''He thinks
you dead, as do all the pale face vii
layers"
Then he told her of his ruse-the plac-
ing of the dead girl in the house, previous
to firing it. Ruth listened, feeling that all
was lost. Again her mind became bewil-
dered. With shudder she hidher face in
the furs, while the savage stole stealthily
from the cave.
u u
week had passed since the events we
have recorded. 'Tho Indians had attacked
Deerfeld; butthe whites-saved by Ruth
Hall timely warninH-were prepared, and
they were driven off.
When Sam Carter returned and found the
cottage burned, and was shown the rude
grave that contained Ruth's remains-thei
villagers told him-his grief was over
whelming; and it was a long time before
he could recover, ever, in a measure from
the effects of the terrible blow. He vowed
dreadful vengeance on the Indians who
had committed the deed of blood; and
eonr,ra5 tba y,intipfy
off every savage who came in his way.
He did not doubt Ruth's tragic fate;
that she could be living never entered his
mind. One thing puzzled him exceedingly,
and that was the absence of the Indian
chief Ponto. Since the burning of Ruths
home, he had not been seen by any of the
settlers. He had disappeared; but why,
and where ihe had gone, no one could
tell.
Meanwhile. affairs were approaching a
crisis. King Philip and his followers were
making a last despairing effort. Baads. of
.savages inundated, as it We're, the country
in all directions. A general massacre of
settlers was inaugurated. Deerfeld, aban-
doned by its inhabitants, was burned to the
ground. Rapine, pillage and bloodshed,
held ghastly carnival.
The end at length came. King Phillip,
killed by one of his own tribe, his warriors
scattered and their homes destroyed, moth
ing remained for them but to sue for peace.
This the whites readily granted; and thus
peace was restored.
Then it was that the fate of Ponto was
learned. He had joined the Indians and,
few days previous to King Phillips death,
he had been shot dead for an act of treachey.
His crime-or at least the savages con-
sidered it such-was the disclosure made to
some of his white friends of the intended
destruction Of Deerfeld.
One night, short time after this Sam
Carter was standing beside the ruins of Ruth
Halls home. He was wrapped in gloomy
! thoughts. Almost ,unconsciously his gaze
wandered toward the distant hills; and as
he did SO, superstitious thrill ran through
him, for he could see, cleaning in the
darkness, a dim and fring light 1t
seemed like candle set in the window of q
l.ouse.
Sam Carter was neither nervous nor
cowardly, but as he hastily advanced to-
ward it, bis limbs trembled and his heart
beat painfully. 1t was not long before he
reached the spot; then he saw that it was q
candle set in rouLd hole in the side of
the hill, as he had at first supposed.
A closer examination revealed the en-
trance of cave. But it was not without
great difficulty that he forced opened the
door and entered, a strange, vague hope
filling his heart. As he advanced few
PAGES, figure came out of the shadows,
saying
"Ponto, is it you?'
The young man reco gnized the voice of
Ruth Hall. He recoiled with a startled
cry.
Gracious Heavens" was the exclama-