Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-28

well-trained savage. 1t was she who indi-
Gated to Clendenin that they must not be
encountered by hsgs No. l, No. and No.
8, who were wondering, and even now plan
ming fight. 1t was she who brought the
withes with which these hags were tied to
Young naples, one hand behind each and
one hand tree, with a convenient gourd of
water not far from each. 1t was 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 de-
vice, that the trail might not be found. She
discovered 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
on 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 horse for six men. The
horses, therefore, were hardly help in mat
ter of time, but they were a convenience in
fording creeks, and in carrying such pro-
visions as they needed to carry from
one camp to the next Curwen dis
liked to fire a single unnecessary shot; and
to carry a haunch of venison for a day even
was better than to risk exposure by firing a
rife. Rachel Clendenin explained 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 San
dusky to the Ohio. They could not under
stand 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 warpath to the
south only the afternoon before. Had Cur
wen not crossed their trial at night, he
would have seen it, and it would have con-
fused him. Rachel knew their object
it was a settlement 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 at
tempt 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 gladly have put her upon
his own horse, but she refused absolutely,
with the only approach to cheerfulness
which showed itself in all her dogged action
and eloquence o. gesture. She would not
keep them back; that was clear enough.
But, so soon as they were clear of the buck
ewes 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 Curwen's horror, she told,
as well as by gesture she could, the story of
L. IL IL, Il
was fascinated by the easy gesture 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 con the
warpath." In one cabin two men had
been killed-in another, three. She was
most careful to say that they
did not cucumber themselves with prisoners.
When Harry asked, with uneasiness. what
would become of the women whom Glen
denim 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, in
deed, was that he would come sooner. She
had tbs reason for unwillingness to make
any delay. At the fords, where naturally
there was little pause for the better man.
agement, she drove men and horses across
with a certain passion. 1t was clear that
she was resolved that daylight of that day
should put the largest possible distance
between them and her companions of yes
terday. Even when night came, she would
not permit halt. 1t was within an hour o.
midnight when the relentless fury, as Zapoly
called her, in a queer pity for the tender
feeet of men who could not keep up with hel
savage energy, acquiesced in the biYouaC
which, against her purpose, Harry insisted
in making.
But before any semblance of daybreak
they were on the alert again. "She be no
one fury" Zapoly said this time, "she b.
-wot you call him, one fate, mid one wip
go, 60. go, ever to 60" But he went, Iikt
the rest of them, and it was well he did
By moonlight they left their lair, which
was no more. Daylight showed that sht
had been quite right in her geography. Al
the sun rose they came into a trail still
larger than this they had been following
Curwen learned afterward that this was thu
great war trail which led northward to thu
lakes. He knew where it would lead him
as he followed it south. For, so long as tn,
course of the Muskingum served it, it fol
lowed the valley of that river.
''Go, go, ALWAYS CO." Not for momen
for a stick which has worked through tn,
SOuHI udAull DOOL. hdIuly d mOmSub 10
pack that has turned on a pony's back
Go, go, always go. She made them drink a
they crossed the rivers, and what they at
they must eat as they marched.
And as the evening gathered in, Harr,
Curwen had reason to bless her for the rag
with which she had driven them to thi
speed. For now the dull Scotehman him
self, who was, ii possible, a worse woodmal
than Zapoly, began to recognize sign
which showed that men had been here be
fore. Once and again sapling had beer
recently cut of, and this by steel ak o.
hatchet. At last the path was marked dis
tinctly by woodmen's blazes, which they al
understood. No one needed urging now
The footmen fairly ran, Rachel Clendeniu
with her brother, leading the file. As sh
came out from the forest, into what was evi
IDENTIFY partly opened clearing, she sprani
uponthe trunk of large buckeye which haC
fallen, and, with an instant gesture, com
manded the silence of the rest. Curwen
who was the next of the party, sprang from
his horse, and stood in an instant by he
side.
They could see the settlers cabin, thu
thick smoke from the chimney marked tn,
hour. But the girl pointed to what no ont
could have failed to see-two giant Indial
forms, one at each side of the little windoy
of the cabin-evidently watching it to pre-
vent escape. What was at the door the.
could not see. Zapoly raised his rife, bu
Rachel flung it down-and she was right
All the men in succession sprang from tn
fallen log. Two of the party, with NOR
spirit than could have been expected, rushe
toward the window. As they did so, the,
drew shots from different quarters, for tn
i