Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-12-15

OF no aVdil,-Slo laQ out one an
swer: 81 am hunters daughter and
a hunters wife" She told them that
knowing how useful Nero would be
to them in their search, she had Sc
cretly taken a horse and followed
them.
The party first rode to Tom Coop
er's hut, and there having dismounted,
leading their horses through the for
est, followed the trail, as only men
long accustomed to savage life can
do. At night they lay on the ground,
covered with their thick bear-skin
cloaks. For Susan only they heaped
up bed of dried leaves but she
refused to occupy it, saying it was
her duty to bear the same hardships
they did. Ever since their depart
ure she had shown no sign of sorrow.
Although slight and delieately form
ed, she had never appeared fatigued
her whole soul was absorbed in one
longing desire, TO find her husbands
body; for from the first she had
abandoned the hope of ever again
seeing him in life. This desire sup
ported her through everything.
Early the next morning they were
again on the trail. About noon, as
they were crossing a small brook, the
hound suddenly dashed away from
them, and was lost in the thicket.
At first they fancied they might have
crossed the track Of deer or wolf ;
but long mournful howl soon told
the sad truth, for not far from the
brook lay the faithful dog, on the
dead body of his master, which was
pierced by an Indian arrow.
The murderer had apparently been
afraid to approach on account of the
dogs, for the body was left as it had
fallen-not even the rife was gone.
No sign of Indians could be discov-
cred save one small footprint, which
was instantly pronounced to be that
of squaw. Susan showed no grlet
at the sight of the body; she main
+o;oo1 +I,o co,a,o forooJ aol1,poca aoJ
seemed comforted that it was found.
Old Wilton stayed with her to remove
all that now remained of her darling
husband, and his two sons again set
out on the trail, which soon led them
into the open prairie.
They continued riding all that af-
ternoon, and the next morning were
again on the track, which they follow
ed to the banks of wide but shall
low stream. There they saw the
remains of fire. One of the broth
ers thrust his hand among the ashes,
which were still warm. They crossed
| the river, and in the soft sand on the
opposite bank saw again the print of
small, moccasined footsteps. Here
they were at a loss; for the rank
prairie grass had been consumed by
one of those fearful fires so common
in the prairies.
They were on the point of aban-
doning the pursuit, when Richard,
the younger of the two, called his
brothers attention to Nero, who had
of his own accord left his mistress to
accompany them, as if he now under
stood what they were about. The
hound was trotting to and fro, as if
endeavoring to pick out cold scent.
Edward laughed at his brother, and
pointed to the track of a deer that
had come to drink at the river.
AT last he agreed to follow Nero,
who was now cantering slowly across
the prairie. The pace gradually in
creased, until. on q spot where the
grass had grown more luxuriantly
than elsewhere, Nero threw up his
nose, gave deep bay, and started off
at so furious pace, that although
well mounted, they had great difficult
ty in keeping up with him. He soon
brought them to the borders of anoth-
er forest, where, finding it impossi
BILE to take their horses farther, they
tethered them to tree, and set off
again on foot. They lost sight of
the hound, but still from time to time
heard his loud baying far away.
At last they fancied it sounded
nearer instead of becoming less dis
tinct; and of this they were soon
convinced. They still went on in the
direction whence the sound proceed
ed, until they saw Nero sitting with
his fore-paws against the trunk of q
tree, no longer mouthing like well
trained hound, but yelling like fury.
They looked up, but could see moth
ing; until at last Edward espied a
large hollow about halfway up the
trunk. 81 was right, you see," he
said. "After all, it's nothing but a
bear; but we may as we'll shoot the
brute that has given us so much trou-
ble."
They set to work Immediately with
their axes to fell the tree. 1t began
to totter, when dark object, they
could not tell what in the dim twi-
light, crawled from its place of con-
cealment to the extremity of a branch,
and from thence sprang into the next
tree. Snatching up their rifles, they
both fired together; when, 10 their
astonishment, instead of a bear, a
young Indian squaw, with wild yell,
fell to the ground. They ran to the
spot where she lay motionless, and
carried her to the borders of the