Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-12-01
YOUNG LORINC'S CAPTURE.

uniform, while u boy dressed as an utli-
Ger sat in the stern. Five minutes be-
fore the crocodiles and cranes, water
turkeys, bitterns and herons had the
black, oozy river all TO themselves us it
sluggishly made its way through the
swampy palmettos and cypress.
The boat bumped along slowly, strik-
ing against cypress trees and fallen tree
trunks. The paddlers looked anxious,
for the chance of finding a comfortable
camping ground was growing slighter
before Young Will. Loring began to be
sick Of his escapatle. lie had left camp
miles away without orders, and taken
two Of his company with him to do In
dian scouting on his own account.
Little more than year before he
had been school boy, playing a soldier
iii the streets of st. Augustine with
other Youngsters. When the Seminole
war Of 1888 broke out, sweeping with n
wave Of fire and massacre across the
state, he ran away from home and
joined company of volunteers. His
daring and GOODNESS at the battles of the
Withlacooche and Alaqua, IN connection
with the social Importance Of his family,
had given him his cpauicttes ut an age
when other boys Of the same years were
still in torrorot the scho0lmaster'S birch.
keep ON paddling,N said young Lor.
ing, in low tones, but with an air Of
sternness which did not set well on
hiss mooth face and mtsGhieyous
black eyes, "and wait my orders"
Then feeling that he had asserted his
authority, he continued, with q burst Of
boyish confidence: II tell you what it
is, Seraggs, We'll have to get back to
that hammock about Il mile up the river,
where We can find pine knots TO cook
supper, don't you think sog t"
Bless you, lieutenant, dye banker to
lose your skclp2 No supper tonight,
but drink Of swamp water and chew
oE raw bacon. Ill bet there's hundred
red varnintS in two miles on us.
YOU'RE notufraid, ScrGggs, are you p
said tile youngStpr, With u lordly air. ga
fellow who can bore a potato tossed in
the air nj Il hundred yards with rifle
ball ought to have plenty Of spunk.n
The b@yish officer, III spite Of his airs,
was evidently Uneasy, for his eyes shot
continual guncrs ahead and on both
sides into the swamp, as the dus-out
gllded at a .nals pace. They were near
ing another bend in the stream, when
| through thctungle Of leaf and vine there
was a red light CLEAN like huge fire.
fly. Without waiting orders Scraggs
whirled the boat back with powerful
! paddle and turned to lis officer with
eyes almost starting from their sockets
sAaliiE., his head in warning.
"lnjuns, lniuns, Lieutenant Will; q
dozen on en-, he whispered. 81 see
the hind ends Of two canoes jiss round
| the BEND Thar must be hummock
| whar they're camped. They're iiss 90
through eatin' an are stampin' out the
embers. sh--, don't speak. I'll worl,
the old scow deep into the cypress
Wen see what tricEs they're up L
soein' we're hyar and can't get away
very easy. But, by Jimmy, my skelI
kinler crawls rs If 't~Ould not be thai
| tomorrow murnin'.
Young Loring nodded, and the pad
oilers cautiously forced the boat fifty
feet through the mouth Of black arcl
into the heart OF the swamp. Fiddler
there they We're nearer the Savages thar
before and could hear their movements
1t soon became clear that the party o
Seminoles had M purpose of leaving
NtlAAl NAllll titNb lll-Alg slllAA Il
Of white men close at hand. One b.
one they cropped asleep, and thci
| slumber chorus, which sounded not un
like the gruntng Of tie alligators in til,
swamp, was mrsic to the prisoners
| sqnattGd in their gloomy covert.
Three hours had passed, and Ia
4 growing ligho that siivercd the lagoon
outside Of their retreat proved the moor
We'll up over the tops Of the tlegs NOV
is our time whispered ,Scraggs, 10 &C
outer this hole and paddle up STREAM
for safe landing place, and yamoos
back 10 camp"
Lieut.. LoriAg answered not word
Ills boyish mind was deep in thought
q daring thought which thrilled hin
with excitement.
Are ye aslcep?' whispered Scragg
again.
No. was the reply; 81 am going t
take those Redskins bacl; to camp Wit
Inc. 50, S2raEgs, you two can Just ii
your hair On, for it will soon be il
peril.
The men jumped as If they heard til
WhiHE Of seminole lead.
lQu soc it would he shame t
sneak buck emptg.i.andcd. We can
exactly take rAer scalps, but we ca
cake Themselves ~ Il present 10 the gon
cN, said tile Ingenious youth. "rA
ln4i4ns are l&st asleep. Wen padll
up anl lAkG Their canoes. Then III
land on the hummucE, you know, an
PICK mp their rtla-. Then III the mori
ing we can order them to surrender O
Peril OF bning shot down, for We shpI
A.. I L.. 4