Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-06-17

and-and-oh, I've found piece Of
cloth on twig."
"The barge must have brought him.
them" said Jabe; "but where can he
be?"
Her 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.
"Jabe! label" cried Nellie, excitedly.
81 see men on an island about half q
mile away. They're walking up and
down the shore as II they were looking
for something"
DO You see any boats9" asked Eph.
"No."
This is their barge, and its drifted
away from them." argued Eph, logically,
''and If so they're in bad way. What
do they look ike?'
81 think they're FreneAmen. There's
ono large man that wears sword and
appears to give orders"
"Strange that French soldiers should
come to such place." said Jabe.
81 see something elsew cried Nellie,
more excitedly than before.
what ia it?" asked her husband.
81 see another island with four people
on it, and they are watching tho others.
One looks like a squaw and the other
like-like-eh. Jabe! But can't tell.
Their backs are turned this way"
Il wish I could get up therer' growled
Jabe, and then, restraining his impa-
thence, he added: "And do the others
look like Frenchmen, too?"
sob, no! They look like-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"
"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 Nel<ie, but l can't see through
the smoke 1t rises now and the savageA
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! it's dreadful
sight!'
BE careful, Nellie, that you don't
| fall" said her husband, anxiously.
'Its all over" continued Nellie. "NIost
| of tho 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 oflicer?"
HE jumped in the river and was shot
| or drowned"
| Coward" muttered Jabc. "Why
didn't he die fighting? But where are
the people you saw on another island?"
Il lost sight of them and they've gone,
l don't know where"
II don't understand it," said Jabe.
1.-The French are their allies. Why did
they attack them?'
Its plain enough to NO." 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: Hero
are the follows that led us such a
chase;' and then they went in without
asking any questions. Perhaps they
didn't care as long as they got q few
scalps."
| "Jabe!' cried Nellie, "thcy've found
some one hiding and dragged him out
| He seems to be talking to them and
pointing to the dead men,"
Hes 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, l 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 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 notaware Of the presence
of 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 Gfour
with noiseless steps, when Nellie raised
her head, uttered a shrek, and, rushing
forward, threw her arms around the
new conner.
"Arielr' exclaimed her husband, very
much in the tone Of man who had seen
;Z;z1l1||fEk
X#&.3. ~ ~S~