The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-07-14
Camp, an, don't want them officers ter ,spicion

Nav, they mustn't be let to s'plcion vel
none, er Their games up" agreed Berry, taking
his Winchester from above the door and max.
ing rapid preparations to accompany Nat.
Anxiousy Eolne watched the men as they
hastily equipped themselves for their work.
A thrill of relief filled her heart when at last
they quit the cabin and went out into the night
and storm.
Fitting night for such Decd" murmured
| the girl, springng to her feet. "God give me
strength and l will 60 and warn Harry Red
fern of his danger, even if my life is the for
felt. My poor aunt's fears are realities Ben
| Berry is, as we've lately suspected, connected
with the gang. I'll not wake her." she said,
looking toward her aunts bed, as she noise
lessly descended the ladder.
One moment she paused before the hearth to
slip on her Shoes then snatching up an old
| shawl, in which she enveloped head and
shoulders, she let herself quietly out of the
cabin and ran swiftly down a path along the
ridgesde.
"At the bend on Roaring Fork Nat said"
she repeated to herself 81 know the place,
and God helping me- will Illustrate that vii
lain's scheme"
| She knew the men had taken a path in an
opposite direction SO she felt no fears of meet
ing them.
The storm had spent its fury in the Sans
| Bots. but far away to the northeast dark,
| trailing cloud continued to emit flashes of zig
| gag lightning. The wet bushes and vines
| along the little, unused path caught in the
girls garments, drenchng her to the skin.
Twice she stumbled in hurrying across dan
gerous ledgy place, where she might have
| fallen over 100 feet into a wild, rocky gorge
below. But she scrambled to her feet again,
and with her undaunted Cherokee spirit fully
aroused to combat with darkness and obstacles,
she CROPPED her way down the rough slopes.
The wild path was rendered tenfold more
hx,f 1,o info dor hnf linn
had chosen that way because it shortened the
| distance to Roaring Fork, deep, treacherous
| mountain stream.
| She believed it must be approaching mid
| night, so quickened her pace as much as posi-
| bic over the rocky slopes.
Before she reached the gorge she could hear
the sulen roar of the water, and she knew the
| heavy rain had turned Roaring Fork into an
| angry torrent
| The trail by which Redfern and his men
| would come to join the false guide at the bend
| in the stream. quarter of mile below, was on
the opposite side.
The steep cliffs would prevent her reaching
the bend on that SIDE There was only one way
of reaching it from that point, and that was by
crossing Roaring Fork somewhere this side Of
| the cliffs.
How was she to cross that torrent? She
| stood for moment on the bank irresolute and
| worried, watching the dark, turbulent current
as it rushed and roared down the narrow
| gorge.
It seemed to mock her mission and sinisterly
gurgled that she had braved the dangers of the
mountain path across the lodges only to be
baffled at last. Then its hoarse voice seemed
to tell her that the officers had already met
their false guide at the bend, aud were going on
to their doom.
The stream was surely in league with de-
mons. she thought, and she frightened the
shawl about her head to dull the hideOus
sounds, which filled her with fresh terrors.
Was she too late to checkmate Nat Blacks
game? She would at least make great effort
to cross the torrent and 60 on to the bend.
Braving danger was better than enduring sus-
pense.
Just below where Eoline had paused a giant
tree had been Frustrated by the storm and had
fallen almost across the stream.
On this natural but perilous bridge the girl
started to cross; but her movements, quick and
light as they were, assisted tho powerful cur.
rent to detach the fallen tree from its frail sup
port against the bank, and before she could
clearly realize her awful situation she was being
swept rapidly down Roaring Fork.
Cali ready" announced the voice of Nat
Black, coming up to Redfern and his men, who
were waiting at the bend.
Hold" cried Redfern suddenly. "What
is that sound hear up the creek? 1t is surely
q cry of some one"
NAV, it's only panther calm up Roarin'
Fork" returned Nat Black iynpatiently Como
erlong eff yer be amin ter trap ther gang"
But Redfern had called halt and as the
men paused to listen, cry for help came
family to their ears above the sullen roaring of
the stream.
It's some one in the creek, calling for help"
said Redfern, hurrying forward in the direc-
ton of the sounds.
By aid of a dark.lantern which he carried,
Redfern revealed large drift collected Just
where the creek made an abrupt bend. 'h s1a
It's woman caught in the drift between
two logs" he shouted to the men as they reached
his side. "She must have been swept away by
this stream. Here. Granger, hold the light
steady for me; Pm going out to her."
Cautiously and q-ickly as possible Redfern
made his way over the treacherous drift. SnE
The prisoner between the logs saw the man
coming toward her, and forgot her own great
danger in fearing for him. If he should lose
hold and slip down into one of the many
seething holes in the drift, rescue would be
impossible.
Bravely he made his way over half.sub-
merged logs that sought to deny him foot.
hold, tearing through vines and scraggy bushes,
uprooted by the torrent and cast upon the
drift.
On he went until he gained the wonan's side.
He took long breath, for his exertions had
rendered him almost breathless then he
stopped and spoke in her ear: -
Put your arms around my waist and cling
firmly, and 1 will loosen you"
Not until he had drawn her from between
the logs did Redfern pause to look into the face
of her whom he had rescued. In pulling her
out OF her uncomfortable prison. the shawl was
wrenched away, and Eoline Starts white face
looked up into his. ~ g@Fras
"Eoline! How came you here?" he asked,
throwing his arms around her wet, shivering
form.
To warn You of danger, Harry" she an
swered.
He did not then ask her what danger threat.
ened him. Every other consideration was
swallowed up in the joy Of holding EoIine
against his heart and pressing his lips to her
cold brow.
One moment they stood thus while tile cur
rent of Roaring Fork rushed and roared
beneath their feet. Then he lifted the girl,
and bore her in his arms slowly, carefully
across the swaying drift, where one misstep
would have been fatal.
Nat Black remained like a sneaking cur in
the rear of the little group waiting on the
bank to assist their leader. He was impatient
at the strange interruption, but when Redeem
reached the shore in safety with his burden,
curiosity moved him to make his way toward
the men to see what kind of person it was who
had been taken from the drift
He stopped short, became rooted to the SPOT
in overwhelming surprise as he recognized in
the dripping, half-drowned creature, who in
stantly began to denounce him, Eoine Starr.