, 1883-10-27

child mad been born. There, slowly
consuming, were all the household
treasures which she and her husband
had collected with such pleasure and
self-denIal. Where now was her
husband ? She turned her head and
beheld the village she had left a
scene OF riot and carnage. Dwelling
houses in flames, women and child
ren fleeing for their lives, men muir
dered without the means of resist
ance. A conviction that so had her
husband met his fate stabbed heart
like q dagger. All, if they could
but pave died together! Knowing
to what atrocious cruelties the In
dians subjected their prisoners, Mrs.
Garth, rne prayed rather for the death
Of he husband than his capture.
EnyyT0&t,she herself was reserved
she trembled to think. Had she
possessed the means of courting
death it seemed to her that in that
hour she would have courage to re-
lease herself and child.
That night the babe moaned and
cried constantly. When they were
about to mount their horses in the
morning one of the Indians spoke to
hiscOmpanions and they both glanced
toward her. She felt that they were
talking Of her and her last living
child, and she strained it to her
breast. The two Indians whose con-
versation had so alarmed her then
separated without betraying any
hostile intention. Ina few moments
the Chief, who had been engaged
in saddling her pony, motioned her
to arise and mount As she gained
her feet her arms were suddenly
seized from behind so forcible was
the grasp that her child fell from her
embrace and lay upon the ground.
The Indian who had motioned to her
ran forward and snatching up the in
FAINT whirled it twice or thrice about
his head and then, in full view of
the pi hiOned mother, and with her
Wild scream ringing i'm the still
morning air, he dashed its head
against tree.
The Indians commanded the near
ly insensible mother to mount her
horse. BY strong effort of will she
retained her consciousness. She
knew that her life rested upon her
being no hinderance to the party.
Her movements seemed to be di-
rected by one powerful Chief. He it
was who supplied her with food,
who took charge of her pony, who
held the rope that was knotted about
her waist. From their actions they
evidently feared pursuit. After the
first day they travelled only yat night,
lying sls ambush. through the day.
They never relaxed their vigilant
watch upon her. They showed by
their actions that her escape was
never to be made. She prayed for
death, she so feared what the diabol-
ical ingenuity of her captors might
have in store for her. Then again
she thought Of her husband, and
cherished faint hope that some day
they might be reunited.
After about ten days OF fight their
party was joined by another band of
Indians. They had some prisoners,
one woman and two children. No
intercourse was allowed between the
captives. The woman appeared
scarcely able to retain her seat in the
saddle. A day or two after the con-
junction Of the parties her captOrs
tied her to a tree, and with wild yells
and frantic gestures discharged their
poisoned arrows ut her and left her
to die. Little did Mrs. Carthorne
imagine that upon the remains of
this unfortunate woman were to fall
Richard Carthorne's tears and they
were to be inferred as the bones of
his wife.
In this harassed life Of anguish and
isolation Mrs. CarthOrue soon lost all
count Of time. Day after day she
road among her captors silent and
despairing. When they reached
their Indian village all the squaws
and papoooses came out to meet the
braves. The Chief who had taken
charge of Mrs. Carthorne now hand
ed her over to his squaw, who re-
ceived her with an expressive grunt.
The light indoor Taiment in which
she had been taken prisoner was now
In rags. The winter was beginning
to set in, and she suffered from cold.
The light slippers were soon worn
from her feet. These the squaws re-
PLACED with moccasins, and an old
blanket was given her Her long,
black hair, uncombed, hung down
upon her shoulders like that Of the
red women. After she had been
with them for some time they, for
some reason which she never ascer-
tanned, stained her skin with some
decoction which likened her COM
plexion to their own. They treated
her like one Of themselves. She had
the same coarse fare, She wore the
same slOvenly attire. Still she awas
their prisoner, and they never let
her out of their sight. When they
came in conference with the whites
she was more zealously watched, and
was never allowed to be seen by her
countrymen. So passed four weary
years. A stolid apathy had over
grown her former CHEEKY vivacity.
She had learned to speak the Indian
language, and the sound Of her own
mother tongue would have been for
pfdn IN bar aor Tho 1ogt E1nolfab