The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1880-08-20

40 A'AuV' anu louliu Ills mouse open and
ms daughter absent. His experienced
eye speedily detected suspicious signs,
and q brief examination satisfied him
that party Of Indians had carried his
Marian away.
Marian Hamilton was engaged with
her household duties that same winter
afternoon, when dozen Indians ap-
peared suddenly. They offered no vio-
lence, but Immediately began their
march through the wintry woods with
her.
After they had travelled some time,
and she comprehended where she was.
she raised her head and looked about
her. Nearly the first face that met her
gaze was that Of the Usage who had suf-
fered the indignity Of whipping in the
settlement. The Indian looked tixedly
at her for moment and made sign
which she understood as token 81
friendship.
At nightfal they halted beneath
large spreading oak, where the snow
was scraped away and a fire kindled.
They had no food, nor did they make
any attempt to procure any. They
simply sat on the ground, smoked their
pipes in sullen silence, occasionally ex.
changing word or two with each other
in their own tongue.
At last they stretched themselves up
on the ground, wrapped in their blank
cts, and soon slept soundly.
Marian, too excited and nervous to
sleep, lay and wondered what her father
would do when he came home and
learned what had befallen her. She
looked toward her savage friend, and,
when couple Of weary hours had
dragged by, she saw him rise silently to
his feet, and, passing around to the OPP
posite side Of the oak, vanish like
shadow.
Another hour passed YEARLY away,
and she began to despair again, when
she caught sight Of him returning, car
rying in his arms a peculiar-looking
bundle. Stealing noiselessly to her
side, he motioned her to rise and take
away the blanket in which she had been
wrapped. When she had obeyed him
he carefully deposited his bundle in its
place, after which he raised the blanket.
and she then saw that it contained
mass of snow. SO shaped as to resemble
human form. An idea Of the Indians
stratagem now entered her mind, and
she knew that faithful friend was at
work for her.
Following his guidance, she was led
through the bushes, about a hundred
yards from the fire, to an immense
fallen tree, which had yielded to some
furious storm, where the savage paused.
He pointed to spot where an upward
curve in the trunk caused it to rise some
distance clear Of the snow, under which
was a circular hole cut through the
drifted snow down to the ground, in
which were deposited several blankets,
so arranged that she could repose with
in without suffering from contact with
the snow.
BE pointed to the opening, and in
broken English directed her to go in
and remain there until either he or some
of his friends should come to take her
y. She obeyed without moments
hesitation, and, after carefully folding
the blankets around her form, he stepped
a few feet to one side, and, carefully
raising coverlet of snow-erust, placed
it over the aperture. 1t had been so
skillfully cut that it fitted with preci-
sion, and no one passing would have
the artifce.
Bidding the girl good-by, the Indian
took the back trail for the purpose Of
communicating with the whites that he
knew were in pursuit, and informing the
father of the trick which had been played
for the rescue. Of his child.
The Indian who had executed this
clever stratagem had told his comrades
during the evening that he intended to
rise before day and pursue the same
course in advance of them for the pur-
pose of killing deer, as the party were
IN want of food. In addition to this he
friend that the girl appeared
70 sick and distressed that, if she did |
not respond to their call in the morning, |
ne had better place her on the small
lied which they had stolen from the
settler, and drag her on that until they /
again.
When morning dawned the war party |
we're astir, and, the girl still lying motion