The Portland daily press., 1892-12-13

station, an | was, afeard You uns was
alone. How'd Ner git Their word tibet
therGheyennes tbesc comm! geE
sLee Hutchins brought us the word,
answered Mrs. Gilbert, alighting from
Hero's back. a
II bet Lee wouldn't let Lois be ker-
ried off by er Cheyenne eft he he'd ter
wade through fire an rattlesnakes up to
his collar button" laughed the old set
tier, who must have his joke no matter
what danger threatened
II reckon not" said Mrs. Gilbert,
willing to help her neighbor along with
his joking. 'sHe seemed dead set on
coming along with us, but drove him
back to his duty"
"What was thet" asked old Silas
ITO warn the folks over on Plum
creek know that none'of them has
heard of the outbreak yet. told him
we could get along by ourselves this
far"
''Good for you uns! But I'll bet yer
Lee wished thar was no Plum Greek set
tlemint when he watched Lois march of
with yer" f,e rs
Like as not laughed Mrs. Gilbert,
s.for he rode off kind of grim and silent,
and kept looking behind him, asif he'd
lost something. s
..sReckon he he'd, too-his heart, Pm
thinkin, Ell, Lois?" and old Silas, some
what angular sides shook with laughter.
ss'sWaal, / amt b1amin Lee none. a gal
who kin shoulder her dads shot pouches
and his shootin iron, not ter mention
her bein ther purtiest an best larnt gal
on Their purary, is enough ter create a
kindly all goneness of any feller's heart.
Mrs. Gilbert could not repress laugh
at the old borderman's queer speech,
while Lois strove to bury her bushes
under the shadow Of her sunbonnet
"Thar's Mary Jane an Betty Rowland
comm ter welcome you uns,' he an
nounced, as his wife, a rotund little
woman of about forty-eight, with a
beaming, kindly face, and the wife Of
one of the settlers hurried toward them
from the cabin.
ssHowdy do, Miss Gilbert and Lois?'
Mrs Jordan greeted them. I'm plumb
glad we've come. I've jest been a-worry-
in bout you ups way up the river thar
by yerselves ever sence we uns heerd
that them mean copper skinned var
minis was burnin cabins and chopin
people ter pieces with thar tony
hatchets.
wasn't you two scared nigh to death
to come all them three miles by your
selvess" Mrs. Betty Rowland inquired
sympathetically.
mo" said Lois; ssmother and de-
cided to keep as cool as we could, Chey-
ennes or no Cheyennes."
ssYer'd sure been er soldier, Lois, eli
yer'd been boy,D old Silas broke in,
s.But I'm plumb sure some chap with a
leetle yaller mustache who ranges on
ther puraries south O you uns is mighty
thankful as yer jest wot yer air-a pow
erful good gal"
"Come on inter Their house, invited
Mrs. Jordan smilingly. "Silas would
joke for solid week eff no one Rendered
him, even eff ther ole scratch was waitin
ter kerry him off"
Eyes, yer women folks go on in; we
men folks hev got ter fly round, like a
grasshopper in a purary fire, an git
things more in shape for them red
scamps," said old Silas.
Lois started with the other women
into the cabin, but turned and came
back to HERDS side. Laying one arm
caressingly over his smooth neck, she
said:
"Goodby, Hero. If the Cheyennes
get you, we'll never meet again.
"I'll lead him up inter ther, bluffs whaI
we uns hey did Their other critters" said
old Silas. He'll be safer up thar, an
don't think Their Injuns will go nosin
round them bluffs. They'll most likely
keep in s'arch O. cabins.
Lois released her pet and suffered old
Silas to lead him away toward the river.
| Then she hurried to the cabin, where the
women were busy making such prepa-
rations as were deemed best Lois was
soon assisting them in various ways.
There was an abundance of loose rock
on the hill where old Silas' cabin stood.
The few men outside hastily threw up a
wall, which would serve as sort OF
breastworks, before the cabin. They
also made numerous loopholes in the
sides Of the cabin and got their little
stock of weapons ready.
The women were just as busy in their
particular department. They baked
bread, cooked great quantities of meat,
and Lois and Betty Rowland carried
bucket after bucket Of water till they
had filed a large barrel.
This preparation was a wise one, tc
say the least, should they happen to be
besieged by the redskins for two OF
three days, as was not at all unlikely.
By. two o'clock in the afternoon the
rude preparations were finished, and the
tired band of settlers gathered around
the table to partake of their late din
ner. ~
The, meal was not yet over when
Lois, who had begged to act as guard
while the others dined, caught the out
line ofsa long file of horsemen sweer
over prairie ridge some distance away
to the south.
'Mr. Jordan" she called; 'Ecome here
Mt once"
q u -