Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1888-03-03

''""'u WIN the crowd, and tn
captain Hardy objected them where
row. There was Il narrow strip
ground between the river and t
creek that seemed a comparative
safe spot to hide in during the comil
day. The Indians would not mi
them hll evening, when they went
attack the village, and there was I
o'her boat on the river that they couI
gel To cross over As to swimmin,
the aIligators would not permit that.
They landed at last, Il sorry compan,
ana hurried on through the swamp
MARSH and on over the hummocks ii
they reached the designated spot. !
was growing daylight by that time
and they could see each others whit
faces.
Suddenly shrek was heard. ..Wher
is John' Where is my little boy?'
irantically asked 4 woman in the com
pany,
81 thought You had him." answered
the father,
u thought you had him yourself, -
She groancd in reply, and sank down
on 4 hummoek.
%,iiaye you seen him since you start
ed'' asked Captain Hardy.
ayes said the poor mother" a
brought him to the river in my arms,
and then | put him down ON the sand.
and | thought his father had him."
ana the mother sobbad outright.
Hush hush,' said Captain Hardy.
"lo-night will get your boy" but
the promise gave the distracted mother
little hope.
1t was a long, long day they spent in
lnat place The mosquitoes and sand
lilies nearly devoured them. They had
nothing to eat, and dared not shoot any
OF the game that was all around them,
But at last the sun set red in the west,
and they knew the Indians were steal
lhg up to the deserted village. Cap
tam Hardy waited a little while longer,
till it began to grow dark. Then he
went to the distressed mother, who all
day long had sat with her elbows on
her knees and her head buried in her
hard hands.
"see here he said, taking Il costly
gold watch from his vest pocket, II
want you to keep this forme till | come
back And this, too,' drawing a hand
luI of money from his pocket; land if
| never come back they are yours. But
you may expect me in few hours, and
your boy with me- Then he left
them,
Captain Hardy knew the nature of
the indians very well, and could rive n
SIlreWd guess as to their ~probableF
course OF action. He knew the next
to their thirst for revenge was their
thirst Tor fIrc-Watcr, of which he had
left an ample and undiluted stock in
ms store. Gailicd of their revenge he
reasoned that they would next seek fine
lire-water, and he knew that the ZEN
erous draughts in which they would in
'uIge would soon lay them out sense
.ess III Il long Stupor, and then he could
safely 90 back into his store.
lie knew also that the lost child, who
was i've or six years old, and a BRIGHT
little fellow, too, would naturally re-
urn to his fathers cabin, which was /
'nly Il short distance from the old cy- .
press tree to which the boat was usually :
led, and where he had often been. The I
indians would find him and take him j
prisoner, but would not harm him, as
hey would keep him to be ransomed &
y the whites; and he fully expected to :
the boy with the Indians. 5
Noisclessly he rowed his boat to the /
mding, secured it to its old place, |
hen crept as quietly as an Indian a
would have done up to TIN. little collec- |
ion Of cabins. All wa still till he X
cached his store; but inside he heard 4
'aa' drunken snores~ He also heard !
he sobs of a child-pitiful, weak, j
sobs. as if he had wcpt till he t
G could weep no more. Captain /
entered and felt around in the G
arkness till his hand touched the I
child-for he was asleep 5
lough still sobbing-then he carefully L
nj quietly took him in his arms and
lrried him to the boat, and laid him /
own on the bottom of il. He did not j
ar that the boy would wake he was o
20 exhausted to waken easily. t
Again he crept back to the store. and
'utIousIy entered. All was quiet as o
clorc' except that the breathing was II
'uder; for the Indians had taken the il
I'dlIuted whisky in liberal draughts. p
e knew just where to find what he t
lie took q sack of rice from u Il
lrlf, and two hams from u beam over n
Fad, to which they Were suspended. S
g filled his pockets with tea-then a g
'arce n costly commodity, and once ST
ore returned to the boat. The child t
Ill slept, but his sobs ceased. Can h
in Hardy put the provisions INTO the e
and then he rowed to his curious b
fe-thc hollow stump in the river.
Q iisied out his bags of gold and II
liver, hid them carefully under Il low &
at in the boat, and once more started Il
'wn stream, rowing as rapidly but 81 b
ntly as possible. Before midnight he W
as with the fugitives. ]
The JOY of the mother at the return 81
her, child, whom she had never ii
,pectcd to see, can not be described. st
le cried aloud. II
you must keep quiet said Cap. g
III Hardy, ''your lives depend upon fc
,ur sileuce." b,
lie cut Off some of the raw ham with k
S hunting knife. and gave to each of II
'e famislied party. They must eat IL
raw, for there was no time to make z
IRE, nor would ii been prudent to do III
= lie also gave them each Il handful III
rice to put in their pockets. and to g
1t attheir leisure. 1t was poor fare, b.
it was better than starving. pc
Now get into the boat MS quickly as til
'sSib'e, and don't leave any children VI
Is timc, commanded the young cap q