The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-12-06

during which the white linen continued
gently waving back and forth.
All at once the dusky face lightened
up with the glow of discovery.
why didn't tink oh dat afore? It's
plain as de nose on a mans face; dat
white man in dar am trying TO dry his
shirt"
This brilliant intellectual exploit fired
the African with a new resolve.
I'm in need oh a shirt, I'm bound TO
hab dat or git hurt"
Under other circumstances he would
have been hurt most assuredly, for, with
his gun in his left hand he ran i'm a
crouching position toward the cabin,
aiming for the corner instead of going in
direct line to the window where the
object was still fiuttering in plain view
No one seemed to notice his action
for he reached the building unchal-
lenged. There he paused and chuckled
Dat ere garment b'longs 10 Jethro
Juggens; 1t am mighty good article.
suah"
The flag of truce I'm this instance was
really a shirt. Among the plumber
taken from the fiatboat which was after
ward burned were. a number of coarse,
homespun undergarments such as was
the fashion at the time, and were all the
product of the spinning wheel. There
were handkerchiefs, too, but Girty in
his eagerness to open negotiations with
Kenton displayed the largest article with
the object of attracting immediate at
tention.
along the side of the cabin, his head
bent low. and his eager eyes fixed on
the garment. His fear was that it would
be withdrawn before he could secure it.
Dat am good way to dry a shirt,
when yo' am in a hurry-just swing it
back and forth in de warm hair and itll
fotch it,
A few minutes later he paused directly
under 1t. The big hand was softly ex-
tended upward and the instant the
fieecy garment swung toward him. he
reached out and seized it. Like a flash
it was flirted from its support and the
captor ran swiftly across the clearing
for the shelter of the woods.
When Girty felt the flag of truce dis
appear he thought it-had fallen of itself.
Confident that if it had been seen its
character would be respected he rose
from his STOPPING posture and peered
through the narrow window.
Could he believe his eyes? A burly
negro youth was just vanishing among
the trees with the white garment fiut-
tering above his head
Had he understood it he would have
given the audacious thief shot, but he
didn't understand il until after the fell
low had safely reached shelter. Then
the truth began to dawn upon him.
Neither Kenton nor any of the white
men had seen his signal, and. there
fore, knew not that he was ready to
negotiate with them for the evacuation
of the fort.
The renegade muttered a furious exc
Grafton and thrust the muzzle of his
rifle through the window, intending to
take a shot at the negro, whom he had
seen dodge behind a tree the instant he
showed himself
But before he could discover an open
ing, he detected the muzzle of the Afri-
cans rifle leveled at himself and leaped
back.
Never in all his adventurous career
did Simon Girty have a "clOser CALI
than that. One second more and the
frontier would have been rid of probably
the most heartily execrated miscreant
identified with the history of the West.
1t would have been a mercy could
such have been the case. But il was
not so to be. Girty's time had not yet
come.
Il wish Kenton would show himself .
muttered the renegade, when he re-
covered from his shock; IF this thing
keeps on much longer thar won't be any
of us left; why does KentOn place a
fool like that on this side of the cabin?''
.Jethro Juggens chuckled over his eX-
plot
Dat chap am mad as fury and l
knows it; dat am a wallyble shirt and
don't blame him for losin' OBJ his tenn
per; takes a good while to make de linen
for a shirt and if Marse George don't
want it too bad I'll wear it myself.
Mought as we'll put il on now"
And what did the fellow do while
standing behind the tree but don the
pilfered garment. instead Of removing
his thin outer coat ne merely took off
his broad hat and drew the shirt over
his outer garments.
Il know dat amt de fashionable way
to wear it, he reflected. surveying him
| self as best he could but if / put it
on in de reg'laF way de folks wouldn' t
be apt to notice it when | went back"
He was sufficiently prudent while
DOMINIC the prize to keep himself out
of sight of any one in the cabin. Had
he not done so the. indignant Girty
would nave taken a shot at him, and,
according to the law of nations, would
have been justified in thus furnishing a
fragrant violation Of the emblem held
sacred by all civilized people Except
ing when the great American nation
chooses to capture an Indian under it,
as was the case with Osceola, the Sem
mole chieftain and leader)
When the garment was adjusted so
| as to suit the new owner, he picked up
| his rifle again and resumed his vigi-
lance
But he was in an impatient mood 1t
| looked to him as if the one shot he had
| fired was so successful that the de-
tenderS were placeu on the guard and
| would not give him second OPP
portunity.
whats de use oh stayin' here?" he
finally asked himself 81 mought watch
| till next week; I'll take a look some
| whar else"
He began carefully picking his way
I around the western side of the clearing,
| hoping to find Kenton, to whom he
| would make his report. Instead of doing
| so he came upon Mr. Altman, watch
| full for another chance at the Showa-
noes.
When the surprised gentleman recog-
| nized Jethro in his unique costume he
| demanded an explanation. The youth
| insisted that he had picked off one OF
| the Indians, and Mr. Altman aware
| of his skill with the gun, was inclined
| to believe him.
| Den one oh 'em stuck out dis shirt
| and begun wavin 1t in de air TO dry
| it; 1 slipped up when he warn't lookin'
| and GRABBED it. -
You did!' exclaimed the astounded
| gentleman, recognizing the curious
blunder; you don't know what you
have done"
Eyes, do chuckIed Jethro; Eve
| got a new shirt-dat's what I've done. "
| Come with me; this is of more i'm
| portance than you imagine"
Oats what 1 tink," added the youth
| following him.
CONTINUED next week.
| The Use of ChOpsticks.
We are very apt to think that the
use of chopstieks is a heather custom
/ and should be left to- the Chinese. But
if we only knew il the despised little
| sticks are of great service in everyday