Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-06


one large man that wears a sword and
appears to give orders" ~
ssStrange that French soldiers should
come to such place. said Jabe.
81 see something elsew cried Nellie.
more excitcdly than before.
s.What is it?" asked her husband.
ST sec another island with four people
on it, and they are watching the others-
One looks like a squaw and the other
-like-oh. label But I can't tell.
Their backs are turned this way"
81 wish could get up there!'' growled
Jabe, and then, restraining his ;mpa-
thence, he added: 'sAnd do the others
look like Freachmcn, too"
ooh, no! They look Hke-Jabe! Jabe!
here come the Indians! They've come
around the point of an island, and
they're going straight toward the
Frenchmen, who don't appear to see
them.''
ssThen we'll have to look OUT said
Eph; 'sfor 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 I can't see through
the smoke. 1t rises now and the savages
are striking at them with knives and
tomahawks. Two of the men jumped in
the river. An Indian fires at them and
one sinks. Oh, Jabe! its a dreadful
sight!''
''Be careful, Nellie, that you don't
fall" said her husband, anxiously.
''Its all over, continued Nellie. s'Most
of the men were 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
''Coward!'' muttered JADE. 'sWhy
didn't he die fighting? But where are
the people you saw on another island?"
ST lost sight of them and they've gone.
I don't know where"
81 don't understand it," said Jabe.
1.-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 ds such .
chase;' and then they went in without
asking any questions. Perhaps they
didn't care as long as they got few
scalps."
''Jaber' cried Nellie, ''they've 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, 1 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-
icaIly.
The shriel1s 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 sob from Nellie.
So engrossed were they by thoughts of
the tragic scene enacted SO near them,
and by hopes and fears of their own safety
that they were not aware of the presence
of u stranger whose curious eyes were
regarding them from behind the cover
of the trunk of the tree. Then, recog-
nizing Jabe's voice. he stepped boldly
forth and advanced toward the group
with noiseless steps, when Nellie raised
her head, uttered shrek, and, rushing
forward, threw her arms around the
new conner.
TO BE CONTINUED.