The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-05-07

little boy whom she had so often dressed
when he was a baby. But, just as he
had known her, not by her person, but
by her voice, she recognized in him, not
his boy voice, but his fathers. The cleo
trio spark flashed across, and she was her
self again.
But they could not understand each
others words, any better than she and
Sarah Paris had understood each other.
And the assistance she rendered, from
this moment, not only to her brother, but
to Curwen, Zapoly, and the other three,
was not the assistance of a white woman,
but that of a well-trained savage. Is was
she who indicated to Clenden1n that they
must not be encumbered by hays No. l,
and even now planning flight. 1t was
she who brought the withes with which
these hags were tied to young naples, one
hand behind each and one hand free, with
a convenient gourd Of water not far from
each. 1t wa she who led Clendenin to
the creek, made him walk some hundred
yards in it to lose his trail, and then to
leave it by the most careful device, that
that trail might not be found. She dis
covered from him, he hardly knew how,
where on the same creek Curwen's party
were encamped, and by the time when
they were all awake, not two hours from
the time Clendenin had left them, she and
he relieved the anxiety of his commander,
by appearing or the side of the creek to
which they had not crossed. From this
moment she was the guide, SO absolutely
needed, for the lost party.
The condition, easy enough to describe,
was difficult enough to handle. Curwen's
party had three horses for six men. The
horses, therefore, were hardly a help in
matter of time, but they were a convent
ence in fording creeks and in carrying
such provision as they needed to carry,
from n camp to the next. Curwen dis
liked to fire a single unnecessary shot
and to carry a haunch of venison for a
by firing a rifle. Rachel Clendenin ex-
planned by counting fingers and by signs
of the suns passage, that they were still
two days from the Muskingum, where
they would. strike the old war-trail from
what we call Sandusky to the Ohio. They
could not understand what she meant, but
they did see that her object was to cover
these two days march as promptly as
might be. Her own masters had gone off
on the war-path to the south, only the
afternoon before. Had Curwen not
crossed their trail at night, he would have
seen it, and it would have confused him.
Rachel knew their object-it was a set
Element a few Kentuckians had made, on
the north side of the Ohio. But with her
broken English, and with every gesture
of dissent, she warned Curwen and her
brother against any attempt to follow
them. The best their party could do was
to reach the Muskingum trail, still we'll to
the east Of them. Her own lords had but
just returned from it, and before her own
escape and Curwen's perfectly visible
track was discovered, all must be beyond
pursuit, She hardly gave them time to
fasten the packs on their horses, before
she led them on their way.
Curwen would hardly have put her
upon his own horse, but she refused abso-
lutely, with the only approach to cheer
fulness which showed itself in all her
logged action and %eloquence of gesture.
She would not keep them back, that was
clear enough.
But, so o 0 as they were clear of the
buckeyes and naples and in the broad
trail of the open prairie, Curwen called
her to walk by his side. 1t was clear
that not only her party but many parties
had recently come this way, and, to Cur
wed's horror, she told, as well as by ges-
ture she could, the story Of what may be
called their campaign. He was fascinated
by the easy gesteture by which she made
clear to him things where neither he nor
she had available words; and, as the day
went on, this sign language became more
and more easy to him. 1t was only too
certain that the Indians were on the
war-path." In one cabin two Wen had
been killed in another, three. She was
most careful to say that they did not en-
cumber themselves with prisoners. When
Harry asked, with uneasiness, what would
become of the whom C%lendenin
had tied, Rachel Clendenin expressed the
only terror which she showed all = that
day. 1t was certain that one, at least, of
the men of the party, would appear at the
lodge again, before nightfall. Her fear,
indeed, was that he would come soone
She had this reason for unwillin gness to
make any delay. At the fords, where
naturally there was a little pause for the
better management, she drove men and
horses across with a certain passion. 1t
was clear that she was resolved that day
light of that day should put the largest
possible distance between them and her
companions of yesterday. Even when
night came she would not permit a halt.
1t was within an hour of midnight when
the relentless fury, as Zapoly called her,
in a queer pity for the tender feet of men
who could not keep up with her savage
energy, acquiesced in the bivouac which,
against her purpose, Harry insisted in
making.
But before any semblance of day-break,
they were on the alert again. "She be
not n Fury" poor zapoly said this time,
" she be-wot you call him, one Fate,
mid n wip-go, go, go, ever to 60"
But he went, like the rest of them, and 1t
was well he did.
By moonlight they left their lair, which
was no more. Daylight showed that she
had been quite right in her geography.
A - A. e,o 1850 H. o.oo 14o n troll