Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1892-09-09

crawls as If 'twould not be thar to-mor-
row mornin'."
Young Loring nodded, and the pad
dlers cautiously forced the boat fifty feet
through the mouth of black arch into
the heart of the swamp. Hidden here
they were nearer the savages than before,
and could hear their movements.
1t soon became clear that the party OF
Seminoles had no purpose OF leaving
their camp that night, and no suspicion
of white men close at hand. One by one
they dropped asleep, and their slumber
chorus, which sounded not unlike the
grunting of the alligators in the swamp,
was music to the prisoners squatted IN
their gloomy covert.
Three hours had passed, and the grow
ing light that silvered the lagoon outside
of their retreat proved the moon well up
over the tops of the trees. Snow is our
time," whispered Scraggs, "to get outer
this hole and paddle up stream for a sale
landing place and vamouse back to
camp"
Lieutenant Loring answered not
word. His boyish mind was deep in
thought-a daring thought which thrilled
him with excitement.
If he returned to camp as he left it
there was sure to be sharp reprimand,
perhaps court martial for absence with
out leave. The excuse that he was an
irresponsible lad would alone save him,
and at that fancy his heart had waxed
hot with shame. But to go back as con-
aueror and hero-ah! that was worth
risking his scalp for.
"Are ye asleepa" whispered Scragss
again.
"No," was the reply; 81 am going to
take these redskins back to camp with
me. So, Scraggs, you two can just tie
your hair on, for it will soon be in
peril"
The men jumped as if they heard the
whIzz of Seminole lead.
"You see it 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 ingenious youth. 'The Indians
are fast asleep. Wen paddle up and
take their canoes. Then I'll land on the
nummcck, you know, and pick up their
rifles. Then in the morning we can or
der them to surrender on peril Of being
shot down, for we shall have loaded
guns, and they'll have none.
The two Crackers groaned over this
piece of youthful strategy, but Scraggs
responded
sAll right, Lieutenant, I s'pose we've
| got to die some time"
The dugout left its covert and glided
silent as a shadow into the open stream.
A few strokes brought them in full
sight of the Indian camp. The island
where the savages lay was weil-shadow-
ed by the trees, but their forms could be
dimly seen stretched on the earth.
Silently the little party detached the
two canoes and towed them to secure
position, where they fastened them to
cypress tree fifty yards from shore.
As the boat approached the shore on
its second more dangerous mission,
young Loring slipped off his boots and
stepped into the ooze, regardless OF
moccasins and rattlers. Scraggs and
his comradc covering the advance with
leveled guns, felt their stout hearts quake
as their boy leader crept in among those
sleeping figures of bronze.
A stumble or the swapping of twig
might make the difference OF life and
death. The lad moved rs ii he were a
cat. The coarse hummock grass, armed
with minute thorns, cut into his flesh,
but he scarcely felt them. The sleeping
redskins lay partly in the moonlight aud
partly in the shade OF the trees which
rose in the centre of the hummock, each
one with his rifle by his side, the fierce
copper face chiseled as if in metal.
Had the Indians disposed of their guns
as the whites do, by stacking or resting
them against a tree, the task OF securing
them would have been less risky. But
they had kept their arms within reach,
and some even had their tomahawks
loosened from the belts as If for instant
use. The Indian rarely sets guard at
night, unless in the immediate presence
of an enemy. Here in the depth Of
great cypress swamp, impossible to
troops, II surprise would seem impos-
sible. Yet even now the cunning and
suspicion OF the race had not iorsaken
them.
The nerves of the young officer were
strung to the highest tension. One by
one he stealthily lifted the rifles from the
earth till he had what he could carry.
These he bore to the low bank and
passed to the men on guard in the dug
out. No word was exchanged. Again
he returned to the dangerous sleepers, u
distance of about hundred feet from
shore, for a second load, A brawny say.
age tossingln his dreams gave fierce
grunt aud threw out hand, which
touched the young thieis snkle as II TO
clutch il. The moment thrilled him with
all the agony OF discovery, but he stood
stock still waiting for something further,
Ii was false alarm, but cold sweat
poured from his face. AaothoT of the
sayages hal bis hand on the stock Of his
gun, aud the piece hal 10 be gently slid
from under his fingers,
Again, the third timo, he went back
10 complete his work, Inc moon was
now high up IA the sky, aud poured
ilood Of light on the lltlla island, the
feeumbent Indians were cut out like
monslrous silhouetles against the ggoaad.
Tho boys swimming head warned him
that his strength ecalda't last much
longer, Hut he resolulelY went At hts
task, though bis threat Eel. = 4 squeezed