The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-24

~ ~ 4OAV V~AAk SAA~
orders and taken two of his company with
him 10 do Indian scouting on his " ao-
count. =.
Little more than = year before he had
been ! schoolboy. playing soldier IN the
streets Of st. Augustine with other young
sters. When tho Seminole war of 1885
broke ont, sweeping with a wave of fire and
massacre across the state. he ran away
from home md Joined a company Of volun-
tesrs. His daring and GOODNESS at the bat
tles Of the Withlscooohss and Alaqua, in
connection with the social importance of
his family had given him his ~epaulets at an
AGE whom other boys of She same years we're
still in terror Of the schoolmastsr's birch.
"Wall. lieutsnant." drawled ono of tho
mon. % he peered YEARLY into the depths
Of the dark cypress arches, "we'zs in u
Grid az, / rsckin. If We keep on we'll run
run plump into a nest OF them Injin devils.
dead shore"
Both the soldiers were crackers, bred in
the woods and swamps, good shots and
skilful hunters, though thin, slouching
figures were net ornaments to . dress pa
rade.
Keep on padding" said young LorinR
In low tones, but with an air of sternness,
which did not set we'll on his smooth face
and mischisvous black eyes, ''and wait my
orders.' Then feeling that he had asserted
his authority, no continued, with a burst Of
boyish conddenos. II toll you what it il.
Scraggs, ven have 70 GET back to that
10 can find pine.knots to cook supper,
don't you think SOP"
BLESS you, Lieutenant. dye banker to
lose yer skelp? No supper tonight but q
drink Of swamp water and a chew of raw
bacon. I'll bet there's a hundred Of red
varmints in two miles on U.S."
You're not afraid. SoraRRs, are you,"
said the youngster with a lordly air; "a
fellow who can bore a potato tossed in the
mir at q hundred yards with a rife ball,
ought to have plenty Of spunk."
IA leetle moro skeery than | war forty
year ago. answered the cracker with a
OF my inches do I reokin I've got as much
elar grit as most on en-
This talk had gone on in half whispers.
The darkness was increasing every minute,
The boyish officer in spite of his airs was
evidently uneaay,, for his eye shot continual
swamp, rs tho dueout glided at . snail's
pace. They we're nearing another bend in
the stream. when through tho tanRls of
leaf and vine there was = red CLEAN like q
huge freely. Without waiting orders
EoraqQs whirled the boat back with a pow
erful paddle, and turned to bis officer with
eyes almost starting from their sockets.
shaking his bead in warning.
'~Iniuns, Injuns. Lieutenant Will. a dozen
on 'em," he whispered. II seed the hind
ends of two anoss jis roun' the bend. Thar
must be q hummock whar they're campsd.
They're jiss got through eatin', an are
stampin' out the embers. Sh- don't speak.
Til work the old scow deep into the Cypress.
Well SEQ What tricks they're up to, seein'
we're hyar an can't get away very easy.
But. by Jimmy, my skelp kinder crawls as
II 'twould not be thar Tomorrow mornin'."
Young Loring nodded, and the paddlers
cautiously forced the boat fifty feet through
the mouth OF a black arch into tho heart Of
she swamp. Hidden here they we're nearer
the savages than before, and could hear
their movements.
It soon became clear that the party of
Seminoles had no purpose Of leaving their
camp that night, and no suspiclon of white
dropped asleep, and their slumber chorus.
which sounded not unlike the ~erunting of
the alligators in the swamp. was music to
the prisoners squatteo in their gloomy
covert.
Thres hours had passed, n the growing
their retreat proved the moon we'll up over
the tops of the trees. "Now is your time"
whispered Scraegs. ito get outer this hole
and paddle up stream for q safe landing
place and vamooss back to camp
Lieut.. LorinR answered not 4 word. His
boyish mind was deep in t~houeht-a daring
thought which thrilled him with excite
ment.
If he returned to camp as he left it there
vas sure to be q sharp reprimand. perhaps
= court martial for absence without leave.
The excuse that he was az irresponsible
lad would alone save him, and at that fancy
his heart had waxed hot with shame. But
to 90 back as %conqueror and hero-ah! that
was worth risking his scalp for.
Are 70 asleep2" whispered Scraggs
again.
NO" was the reply: Il am going to take
these redskins back to camp with me. So,
6craRgs. you two can just tie your hair on,
tor it will soon be in peril"
Tho men jumped as If they heard the
Whizz of Seminole lead.
You see ii would be a shame to sneak
back empty handed. We can't exactly take
their scalps, but We can take themselves as
. present to the general said the lngeni-
Gus youth. 1.-THE Indians are fast asleep.
Well paddle up and take their canoes.
Then I'll land on the hummock. you know,
and pick up their rifles. Then in the morn
ing We can order them to surrender on peril
of being shot down. for We shall have
loaded guns, and they'll hRvo none"
Inc Two CIACker6 RfoaneQ over this piece
Of youthful strategy, but Scraggs responded:
IAN right, Lieutenant. | s'poss we'ys got to
die some time"
The dugout left its covert and Qlidsd
silent a. q shadow into the open stream. A
few strokes brought them in full sight of
the Indian camp. The island where the
savages lay was we'll Swallowed by trees, but
their forms could be dimly seen stretched
on the earth. Silently the little party de-
tached the two oanoes. and towed them to
. secure position, where they fastened them
20 a cypress tree fifty yards from shore.
Az tho boat approached the shore on its
second more dangerous mission, Young
Loring slipped Oh his boots and stepped
into the oozs. regardless of mocoasins and
TAttlers. SoragRs and his comrsde cover
ing the advance with levellsd guns, felt
thsir stout hearts quake As their boy
leader crept in among those sleeping figures
OF bronze.
4 stumble or the swapping of a tvip
might make the difference OF life and
death. The lad moved as if he were a cat.
The soarss hummock grass. armed with
minutst horns, cut into his flesh, but he
scarcely felt them. The sleeping redskins
lay partly in the moonlight and partly in
ths shade of the trOss which rose in the
6eateS s1 the hunmosk. e&sh sAs with his