Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-06-11

confidence in his friend and lieutenant,
Renwick, he felt that he was by no
means his superior in military skill.
But IL Marden were by his side
"a strange boy. that Ariel, and fam
ciful name" said Rcnwick, breaking in
upon his reverie. Ibid you ever notice
how shy he is and how eagerly he lis
tened when you spoke of Marden? He
seems to be devoted to him."
'Marden is man OTTO gain the conf
dence and love of all who come in con-
tact with him." replied Selwyn. BE
sides, he saved the boys life, and he has
been in his service ever since. You
know that Indian gratitude is proverb-
ial."
''He Is brave as lion, too" continued
Renwick, land as cunning as fox or a
redskin, else he would not have under
taken such long Journeys through the
woods with nothing to rely on but his
own sagacity, or instinct, as you may
choose to term it,"
Tnstinct is the lowest form of rea-
son" was the reply. sit belongs to ami
mails and not to men. 1t Is the off.
spring OF practical experience, some
times aided by heredity. A mechanic
does not accomplish his work by in
stinct but by skill derived from prac-
tice, and If his father and grandfather
were mechanics he inherits from them
mysterious aid to his ingenuity of
which no is unconscious, and which we
call natural transmission, as we find
names for other things which we can
not explain"
'Hharn hn}nF pn 70
marks, Selwyn became aware that his
friend was fast asleep. Silence reigned
in the camp; the fires were smoldering
in their ashes, like human passions;
dim shadows revealed the sentinels at
their posts, watohful as the stars and Us
silent Wrapped in blanket, his back
resting against tree, Brant, the Mo-
hawk chief, sat motionless, bat not
asleep. From the dense forest in the
rear Of the camp came the boot of an
owl. After an interval Of a minute
tho cry was echoed at a distance
on the opposite side of the stream. If
any ono had been Watching the red
chief they would scarcely have been
aware that he had changed his position,
SO deep was the obsourity; but he was
not there. Again the dismal sound
tolled forth like funeral bell, and had
Ats echo as before; again and again and
then it ceased. The sentinels were
changed; Selwyn, sleepless and vigilant,
inspected the posts. ALI was we'll. The
red chief rested in the same place; but
his eyes shone like panther's in the
darkness, and there was q fresh scalp at
his belt.
The hour before dawn was the time
when the sentinels were most vigilant,
for 1t WAS the hour when an attack was
most to DO expected, but when the sun
arose there was no appearance Of the
enemy. Brant secured the timber in
the rear Of the camp and found nothing
except the carcass Of a Huron minus his
soelp and with knife-cut in his breast
Selwyn's anxiety was rather increased
by this impressive silence, and he was
impatiently awaiting the return of
scouts, when sentinel observed canoe
coming up the stream and keeping close
to the opposite shore. Then it suddenly
shot across the stream, and Jabe and
another ranger sprang up the bank and
over the breastwork. He was the bearer
Of letter to Selwyn from the COM
mander Of Oswego.
The young soldier eagerly broke the
soal. The dispatch was brief, After
thanking Selwyn for his patriotism and
energy In coming to his relief, Colonel
Mercer requested him to hold his posi-
ton as long as he deemed it prudent;
but If threatened by superior force, he
was to fall back on the fort, which he
(Morcer) was resolved to defend to the
last extremity.
Observing that Jabe's face wore an
unusually grave expression, Selwyn
kindly inquired tho reason, when the
honest ranger informed him that when
Ariel learned that his master was q
prisoner to the enemy, he seemed for q
time to be overwhelmed with grief,
from which, however, ne soon recovered.
But I knew" said Jabe, ''that some-
thing. was working in his mind, and
wasn't surprised to hear, just before I
left the fort, that he had disappeared
with his canoe, and know as well as If
he told me that he's gone in search of
his niaster-may be to Montreal"