The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-08-27

gully, which crossed 1t at Ialr rlne-sno'
distance from the stump.
Arthur, young as he was, had ALREADY
become an excellent marksman, having
for two wears possessed a rifle OF his
own, which father had bought him, ana
which was almost always in his hands.
We had no doubt that, with anything
like an ordinary chance, he would put a
ball through the turkeys head, and re-
turn in triumph.
But somehow, after he went out, a
sudden thought seemed to strike mother.
Wasn't it strange that turkey should
come so far out of the woods, and keep
up such a gobbling in the hollowp No,
not strange, perhaps, nor very unusual ;
and she wondered at her own uneasl-
ness. But her nerves had been shaken
by poor Jason's incident.
| The house had half story in front,
with two small windows above the
ground rooms, and mothers feelings
impelled her to run up there for a better
view. She wished to see where father
was, and perhaps might discover some
thing of the wild turkey.
Twas close at her side. We saw father
with his rifle away off across the fields,
and the negroes at distance from him,
engaged in their work. The stump, too,
was visible nearly to its foot, and at in
tervals we caught site of Arthur care
fully working his way in half-circuit
toward the gully.
Father had evidently heard the tur-
key, and was warily approaching the
spot where it seemed to be. His half
STOPPING posture showed that he feared
the bird might get upon the stump and
see him.
Suddenly mother started, and her face
had a look of CHASTITY terror. Something
which certainly was no turkey rose a
little above the stump, between its shat
tered rim and the grass of the bank. |
saw it, too, and my blood ran cold.
1t was something that greatly resem-
bled the head of an Indian. We felt
that the face must be peering through
the grass toward my father, while we
saw the black, cleaning hair behind.
Without doubt it was Seminole war
rior in ambush, watching fathers APP
proach.
Mother gave an agonized cry, "What
shall doP-oh! what shall do?" she
exclaimed.
Would not any signal or cutlery she
could make be misunderstood at such a
distance, and only hasten the catastro-
phe, since father was still thirty rods
beyond the Indian, and eighty from the
houseP Then where was Arthur, who
had now disappearedp And should she
by sudden alarm cause him to show
himself, might not the Seminole rise up
and shoot him on the spotp She was
dizzy with her sense of the dreadful sit
uation.
But in moment 1 called out to her,
"There's Arthur, mother! there's Ar
thur" for | saw him among the rank
grass, lying flat upon the ground, with
in good rifleshot of the stump, which he
seemed to be watching intently.
Once again the Indians head was
shown slightly, and we got an instant's
glimpse of Arthur's rifle. But the black
hair disappeared, and the weapon was
lowered.
Father was now so near the scene of
danger that we had no alternative but
to watch. Terrible as was her anxiety,
mother now felt that Arthur had discov-
cred what kind of game the old stump
contained. She knew that the Indian
could not fire at father without exposing
his own head, and that the moment it
appeared it would be covered by her
brave boys rifle.
How our hearts beat for the few mo-
ments that interviewed! Another gobble
came from the stump. Father was
working his way stealthily toward it in
anticipation OF prize, and Arthur lay
still as death in the grass.
All at once we saw the sunlight glance
upon mass of long raven hair that
rose slowly above the gnarled wood
which had hidden it.. Father was within
six rods of the spot. 1t was dreadful
moment.
Our eyes turned to Arthur. The grass
in front of the slight knoll where he lay
was not high enough to interfere with
his aim as his elbow rested on the
ground. We could see him drop his
young face against the breech of his
gun. The barrel cleaned for a single
instant, puff of smoke streamed from
the muzzle, and he leaped to his feet.
But there was still more sudden leap
from the old stump, for an Indian, with
flying hair, and with his rifle still
clutched in his hand, sprang up and fell
dead against the slope which had con-
cealed him from fathers view.
The reunion which followed, when we
all ran into each others arms, joyful,
yet thrilled with CONSERVATION, will not
dwell upon.
We found the dead enemy to be a
tall young warrior, hideously painted,
and having in his belt Ratchet and q
knife.
He had no doubt entered the gully
from the swamp, and seeing father at
distance, had attempted to decoy him
within gunshot by initiating a wild tur-
key.
The occasion proved to be the only
one in which the Seminole war was
brought home to us, as the successes of
the United States troops afterward kept
the Indians at a distance from our neigh
borhood.- George II. Conner, IN Harper's
Young People.
Been Away.
| HHelloi Is that Won %,