The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-11-29

dleTI lot the nrSt move IFOIl nlfn. 1t
looked impossible for the willy Shawanoe
to steal upon him unawares.
Il hope he'll come muttered kenton,
the minutes slipped by: we've both
been looking for this chance and Wen
never get a better one. He can't have
and he knows wouldn't have any of
mine. If there was hundred In call.
It's time he was here.
Standing alone in the depth of the
wood, Kenton could calculate to a min
ute when The Panther was due. Young
Ashbridge had only TO return to the
flatboat and then bring him ashore,
after which the chieftain had but the
brief distance to walk to the shattered
oak.
Yes, it was time he arrived. The. scout
could think of nothing to hinder or pre-
vent his coming, but five minutes be
yond that limit had already passed and
the wiry, serpent-like form of the chief
tain failed to emerge from the circling
underground into the slight natural
clearing.
The scout listened closely. but he de-
pended on his sight alone, for the Shaw
anOe, like the rest Of his warriors, was
'shOd with silence" when engaged in
enterprises like this. and could steal
upon foe without the slightest sound.
Ten minutes more went by and still
The Panther was invisible.
All tAIItSSiOl OF uIulltIdbit diSS NAs'N
passed over the face of the ranger, for
he read the meaning Alright. Wa-on-
mon would not come; it was idle to wait
longer for him.
Had Kenton been acquainted with
modern speech he would have expressed
the situation IN the single expression,
THE Panther has flunked."
Now this would have been accepted in
the light of a compliment by most peo-
pie in the situation of the ranger, but
the exasperating fact about the Shaw
anOe's failure to come to time was that
it meant much more than appeared to
be the case.
In the first place, the duslxy miscreant
was one of the bravest of his race. He
did not hold any white man in personal
fear and had proved himself the superior
of most of them i'm more than one dead
ly encounter in the recesses of the Wild
erness.
He was not afraid of Kenton. He
spoke with "a single tongue when he
declared he was eager to meet the
ranger in mortal conflict. The self-con-
hdence of the one was no greater than
that Of the ether. But the scout dreaded
the very thing that had come to pass.
Not a minute was TO be lest in check
mating the cunning chieftain.
The throbbing soicitude of the friends
on the flatbodt possibly may be mag
ined. Feeling was too deep for words.
Mabel sat by her mother and Agnes by
her parent, all pale and silent, while the
men stood here and there. each grasp
ing his gun on the alert. Even Jethro
Juggens was weighed down by the
solemn gravity that oppressed al and
asked himself whether he could not do
something To help matters. He dreaded
the wrath OF his master however too
greatly 60 venture upon any essay with
out his permission. Like the rest he
could only await the issue of events.
The main duty Of the pioneers was to
hold the cabin under surveillance. It
has been explained that the narrowness
of the windows left the front door the
only means of ingress and egress: con-
sequently If Girty or any of the Shawn
noes attempted To depart he must come
under the fire Of the watchers, every one
OF whom would seize the chance of bring
ing down an enemy.
Father" said Agnes. In n low voice
nave you noticed that window on the
! right Of the door. but above IL and near
I the corner of the house"
Il observe nothing i'm IL different
from the other windows
Some one is peeping out: | have had
a glimpse of him several times"
OATS So added Jethro; eve OBJ
served de same and once he winked his
eye at messed him plainr
The girl having thus directed atten-
lion TO the opening. every one watched
IL more closely than before A few
| minutes sutiiced 10 prove. Agnes right.
| Something resembling pickering
shadow left no doubt that one or two
Of the inmates had selected for some
cause that outlook.
1T would be mighty easy to wine
one Of those Shawanoes, remarked
young AshbridGe. nervously handling
| mis- gun, as II asking permission TO try
| his hand at IT,
mo doubt. but It won't do. for II
would be a violation OF our agreement
| with them"
II wonder whether they will break
any Of their pledges to u.s."
They will break them all If they gain
the chance, but this is no justification
! OF wrong on our part The only excuse
| we can have for firing is the discovery
that some deception is attempted on
| Kenton, or the sight Of one of the
| Shawanoes coming from the front OF
| the house"
While the words were in the mouth
OF the elder Ashbridge. the door OF the
cabin was abruptly drawn inward half
way, an Indian warrior lcaped into
| view. and started like deer across the
clearing toward the splintered oak
where The Panther and Kenton had
| agreed TO meet I'm mortal encounter.
The sight was so unexpected that the
| pioneers We're speeches. for the mo-
ment. Then they awoke from their
| spell. The sharp crack Of a rifle rang
out. the Indian bounded high in the air
with a wild outcry, partly fell, recovered
| himself and then limped hurriedly back
| to the door through which he plunged
| from sight.
And who fired the shot that nipped
this little scheme in the bud? JethrC
| Juggens. than whom there was no bet
| ter marksman in the entire company
| The daring Shawanoe could not have
reached the shelter of the wood under
any circumstances. for at the instant
| the African let fly George Ashbridge and
| his father. as well as Mr.. Altman, were
| in the act of raising their pieces. Among
the three the Shawanoe- could not have
| gotten off so well as he did at the hands
of Jethro Juggens.
"'Spose ne thought he'd slip out dan
whar Mr. Kenton hab gone and choke
| him to de def like he tried to choke me
| by jamming his foot i'm my mouf, but
| he won't do IT now"
THAT was a good shot of yours" re-
| marked Mr.. Altman; you were quicker
| than any of us. But you know the
| rule"
"Reckons I does" remarked the grin
ming Jethro, aware that his employer re-
| ferred to the law of the hunter to the
| effect that the first thing to be done
| after firing a gun is instantly to load
| again, so as to be ready for any emer-
| gency The African, therefore proceeded
| to make his rifle ready for further serv-
| ice.
did you try to kill the Indian?'' asked
| Mr.. Ashbridge, sharing in the admiration
Of the negro's skill.
WAR he killed." asked Jethro POM