The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-10-29
Eph examined the barge critically.

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active little woman climbed up higher.
"Jabe, 1t seems as II some one ha,
been up here not long since. There's
marks where the branches are broken
and-and-oh, I've found a piece o.
cloth on twig."
"The barge must have brought him
then," said Jabe; "but where can he
be?"
"He" responded Eph; "You mean
they. Don't you see there's six oars In
the boat? And they're all Frenchmen,
too" he added, referring to the crew,
not the oars.
'Jabel label" cried Nellie, exoitedly,
81 see men on an island about half O
mile away. They're walking up and
down the shore as II they were looking
for something"
"Do you see any boats?" asked Eph.
"No."
'This is their barge, and Its drifted
away from them, argued Eph, logically,
land II so they're in bad way. What
do they look like2"
81 think they're Frenchmen. There's
one large man that wears q sword and
appears to give orders"
Strange that French soldiers should
come to such place" said Jabe.
81 see something elsel" cried Nellie,
more excitedly than before.
"What is it9" asked her husband.
81 see another island with four people
on it, and they are watching the others.
One looks like squaw and the other
like -like-oh, Jabel But can't tell.
Their backs are turned this way"
81 wish | could get up there" growled
Jabe, and then, restraining his impa-
tience, he added: "And do the others
look like Frenchmen, too2"
"0b, no! They look like-Jabe! Jabe!
here come the Indiansl They've come
around the point OF an island, and
they're going straight toward the
Frenchmen, who don't appear to see
them"
"Then we'll have to look out" said
Eph; "for they'll unite forces and come
in search Of the barge. We'd better get
away from this place at once" A volley
Of rifles followed the last remark.
They're firing on the Frenchmen,"
cried Nellie, "but l can't see through
the smoke. 1t rises now and the savages
are striking at them with knives and
tomahswks. Two Of the men jumped in
the river. An Indian fires at them and
one sinks. Oh, Jabel Its q dreadful
sightp
"Be careful, Nellie, that you don't
fall" said her husband, anxiously.
"Itsall over, continued Nellie. "Most
Of the men we're killed at the first fire,
and the rest didn't make any resistance.
Now the Indians are scalping the dead"
Where is the officer?"
"He jumped in the river and was shot
or drowned"
"Cowardl' muttered Jabe. "Why
didn't he die fghting2 But where are
the people you saw on another island2"
81 lost sight Of them and they've gone,
/ don't know where"
81 don't understand It," said Jabe.
"The French are their allies. Why did
they attack them?"
Its plain enough to me-" said Eph,
"They've been following us for two
days; they lost US among the islands,
and then they came upon the French
men, and they said to themselves: Here
are the fellows that led US such
chase; and then they went In without
asking any questions. Perhaps they
didn't care as long as they got few
scalps."
"Jabel' cried Nellie, "they'vo found
some one hiding and dragged him out
He seems to be talking to them and
pointing TO the dead men,"
"He's explaining the mistake to
them" said Jabe.
"They don't believe him." continued
Nellie. "Some OF them are throwing
wood on the fire; they're tying his
hands and feet. Don't you hear him
scream? / think he's negro, and they're
going to burn him. Oh, Jabe, must
come DOWN.
She had already commenced the de-
scent, and with her husbands aid,
reached the ground, pale and trembling.
Then she sat down and wept hyster-
ically.
The shrieks Of the victim, partly
drowned by the yells Of his tormentors,
soon died away, and dead silence fell
upon the group Of fugitives, broken oc-
casionally by a sob from Nellie.
So engrossed we're they by thoughts Of
the tragic scene enacted so near them,
and by hopes and fears Of their own safety
that they were notaware Of the presence
Of stranger whose curious eyes were
them from behind tho cover
Of the trunk Of the tree. Then, recog-
nizing Jabe's voice, ho stepped boldly
forth and advanced toward the group
with noiseless steps, when Nellie raised
her head, uttered shrek, and, rushing
threw her arms around tho
new conner.
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