Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-12-06

tuS sohtH-i'h W s"' "N"es "" ~~sNs"
hill.
Every stroke of the light oars carriet
her farther anil farther away from heI
friends.
Finally she realized more forcibly Oh,
full danger ~ her position.
Livery lone tire and clump of bushe'
that lcomel up dimly on the hanks OF
either side % her In her imagination
must rvcal u lurking resiskin.
She KEEP, on. however. and strove dill
gently To drown all thought % peril Il
herself IN thinking of the great dangel
~ the settlers at Jorlan's should the
siege L. renewed with ~ much force ~
the Cheycnncs had displayed In IA.
early part Z that night.
"why should feary' Lois ask~i her
elf. "lIc Is risking his life for other.
Why should no, ~
The though; encouraged her. and sh'
urgel the skiif forward with all ppssibl,
sIssi.
II WA. more than three miles by the
river Co the Gilbert shanty. hut Loi,
made the trip without encountering an,
adveniur. worth recording.
When shc stepped from the skin
which she left at the foot 81 the bluffs
all her old courage seemed % return.
She lid not. however, lay all prccau
ton aside. IA. rcconnoiiercd the patl
before her very carfully as she wen, To
wari the cave where the gccis had beer
concealed.
She had prepared 10 see her sod home
In ruins. Imagine her surprise when
it, rough dark outlines aro-c before her
standing undisturb~l In it, rocky niche,
The Indians hal not yet l-cn there,
or .ls. they had considered the rude
hahitaiion ~ tco vast insignihcancs d
destroy.
Reaching the little cavern up among
the bluffs shc Displaced the rocks Ai the
entrance with grca, cautiousness. TAX
ing ou, the can ~ powder she hastily
Transferred II a. the skif.
With u grateful heart Lois was push,
Ing ,h. little loat away from the shore,
Suddenly the clouds overhead pari~i fcr
moment. lr,iin; the moon pDur A
shower ~ silvcry rays across the lnsom
~ IN. Arkansts. The next moment a
savage whoop from the opIn~iie hank
rang wildly out on the nigh, air.
With a sudden terror Lots realized
that she had ls-n detected by a lurking
r-,lskin.
Almost Immediately an arrow whirred
through the air dangerously close 10 the
girls head.
Fillel with alarm though she was. abe
did not lo~- command ~ herself
Grasping the oars firmly Ia her well
trained hands. she pushed daun'lessly
forward down the river.
II .he hal but one enemy 20 contend
with she Eel, pretty confident % her own
ABILITY ,opro,cci herself. Her father. ~.
voly-r. carefully loai-l. lay ly her side
and IN. knew how to discharge n.
She larrd not. however. hoI- for so
easy an escape. I, was not at all likely
,ha, the Indian who hal spiei her was
alone.
Glancing over her shoulder A. she
piled the CAR she caught sight - thrre
stalwart Chcyenncs running rapidly
along sand lar which extended for
some distance into ih. stream.
Another glance sufiiccd to show her
that they were trying tounl0o~ena large
canc. which was partly imb-ldcd In the
heavy sand.
The canoc was one which her father
had mad. and had l-cn carried by the
Last rise 20 the riyer to the lar on th.
opposite .ide. Having no imm~iia,.
use for the cano- b. had not taken the
time 10 reclaim u from where the waves
had stranded II.
Little th. Gilbert family. who had
enjoyed many trils down the nver In
it, rude cavity. dreamed that u would
ever serve their enemies as craft In
which one II Its members would b.
pursucd.
Lois observed with feeling of thank
iulness that the Indians were founder
Ing about In the sand. n u In hopeless
condition ~ getting the canoe launched
They're In the quicksand a, the edge
~ IN. lar.' she cri.d "a h.rself. shoot.
Ing another glanc. toward her focs.
"All th. better for me- Ill have =
COOL start before they get out Of that
,and."
With u courageous heart LOIS sent the
,kih. with iis dOubly precious cargo.
boupding lik. frightened bird over the
water.
Two arrrows sped after her. but she
was ALREADY tao far from the vexed war
riors. struggling on the verge Of the
quicksand. 10 prove an easy target.
A curtain ~ dense clouds again swept
acr,Ss the moons face. rendering oh
ject. along the riy-r dim and uncertain.
aud greatly increasing the vexation of
the Indians.
Not for one moment did Lois Gilbert
.lac ken th. speed a, which she was urg'
ing her skin forward.
The qui,.k-and ON the bar opposite her
home AMI where Nose Gilbert had once
had AN unpleasant experience might
ieiricud her In delaying the Cheyrnne'
Tor a short time. but she knew they
would be able to extricaie themselves
and secure the canoe. All too scon they
would be hurrying after her.
In the meantime. though, she put forth
every effort TO make as great headway
a. possible before the pursuit actually
began.
she was not wrong In her belief that
the sayages would be able Ia free them
selves from the quicksand.
She had not proceeded far around q
small bend In the river when the un'
mistakablc dip. dip Of canoes paddles
fell on her ears.
They're really after the now In earn
est," she told herself. "Well. I'm a
good way ahead, and III try to keep that
way"
Taking u dep breath. she bent to he'
task with rerswed energy.
The little Ioat seemed fairly To ny
along over the water. but fast as u
went she could still hear the dip. dip OF
her enemy's paddles as they came stead
lily onward after her.
The moon was diinly visible now be
hind mass Of tilmy clouds and objects
were l-coming family discernible.
Lois glanced back 10 ascertain u pos
sible how near her puruers were.
She could just make out the dull ont
line of the long canoe and its dnsky &C
cupanis ~ they swept around the lend
She could not. however. estimate the
distance be.ween herself and them