The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1895-06-01

the advance guard of a large force,
which they expected to join shortly at
the foot.of Peters mountain.
Then they planned to push on to Fort
Hunter, reach it before sunset and
rush through the gates.
Though Oliver knew that this situa-
ton was still very critical, the upper
most thought in his mind was to
thwart the threatened attack, and he
saw pretty clearly how it could be
done, provided the opportunity was
given him.
Finally, after %ransacking a chest of
drawers and slashing it with their
tomaha wks, the whole party slouched
out of the door, and their soft tread
faded from hearing.
Oliver did not dare to stir for several
minutes, though it seemed a much
longer time than that, owing to his
excited state of mind. Then he rose,
stretched his cramped legs a bit and
cautiously descended the steps to the
lower floor.
From the door a narrow road, with
bushes on each side, led straight for
fifty yards to the thick chestnut tim
Der. Several hundred yards to the
right lay the base of the mountain,
and a short distance to the left the
clearing was bounded by the channel
of the III
Oliver hurried first to the right hand
end of the house, and peeping through
a crevice of the logs saw the last of
the Indians just vanishing in the rocky
thickets of the mountain.
He waited a little longer to better
his chances of escaping observation
and then crawled OF hands and knees
out of the door. He rose to his feet
as soon as he was fairly started down
the road, and STOPPING low he ran
swiftly between the bushes and tall
grass.
He was close to the shelter of the
trees when the sight of a copper-cOl-
ored snake squirming across the path
caused him to start back and spring
erect. Instantly, but too late, he re-
pented HIS imprudence. A musket
cracked sharply on the right, and he
felt a bullet whistle by his ear.
AS he plunged into the timber a sec
ond rang out, and a bunch of leaves
was nipped from a sappling at his
side. He sped on like a deer, wisely
keeping to the road, where he could
make the best speed.
Faster and faster the lad ran. What
if the boat should be gone? The
thought struck a chill of terror to his
heart, for in that event all hope of
life was zone as well.
The remembrance that other lives
than his own We're at stake kept up
his courage and strength, but he was
badly winded when he came to where
the road swerved to ford the run.
At last he caught a glimmer of the
broSd river ahead. and an instant
later he eagerly tore apart a clump
of water birches. There was the boat
just as he had left it, the paddle still
lying on the bottom.
Oliver quickly dragged the light craft
over sand and gravel and launched it
on the swift current of the river. He
tumbled in and began to paddle with
all his might for midstream.
All, there they We're. Out from the
bushes leaped the painted savages, and
a blood-curdling whoop echoed from
mountain to mountain.
Two muskets cracked, but still the
daring lad padded on, hoping to in
crease the distance before dropping
under cover.
But a third shot tore the paddle from
his grasp, and then quickly a clever
ruse flashed into his mind. He uttered
a cry of feigned agony, tossed up his
arms and fell Imply to the bottom of
the boat.
There was silence for a moment, and
then the bullets began to whistle.
Some flew overhead. and some spatter-
ed the water roundabout. Half a doz-
en- pierced the sides of the boat, but
luckily did not harm the PROSTATE lad.
The boat drifted on and on, now
pitching and tossing amid rapids, now
grinding on submerged rocks and grass
bars. Oliver did not dare to rise. He
knew that the current trended toward
midstream, and in this thought there
was comfort and cheer.
For fully half an hour he lay on his
back, gazing up at the blue October
sky. Then. satisfied that the danger
was past, he sat up and looked about.
In a little less than an hour Oliver
landed under the stockade Of Fort
Hunter and walked calmly through
the open gate.
At sunset the Indians arrived. doubt
less disappointed to find the gates
closed. The watchful sentries discov-
cred them lurking in the timber, and
they were greeted with so hot and scat
tering a fire that they retreated in
haste. leaving three dead behind.-Bos'
ton Globe.