Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-06-30

push on as quickly as possible to the
main river.
He advised Rulings to fee at once
But the Swede was too brave and un-
selfish to abandon his neighbor to al
most certain butchery.
What shall l do, Elsa?" he said
My first duty is to you and the child.
you must warn the Glens, Mark,
was the plucky woman's reply. There
is still plenty of time of the Indians
half a days journey of. While you
are gone I will get ready to start for
the fort"
Hulings kissed his wife and the child
| and hurried from the house with his
musket over his shoulder. 1t was after
o'clock when he reached his neigh
boris clearing.
Hugh Glen lay dead inside the door,
almost within touch of the body OF his
wife. The boys, James and Archibald,
lay near the window.
For a moment a mad thirst for ven
| geance drove all else from Hullng
mind. Then. with keen pang OF an
guish. he remembered his defenseless
! wife and child, and instantly he was
out of the house and speeding like
deer across the clearing.
At the edge of the woods he pulled up
and went back a little, until he found
the retreating trail OF the savages. IL
! lead northwest, in the direction OF
mountain pass, opening on the Junlata'
some miles upstream-a pretty clear
sign that the butchers had gone TO re-
ioin the the larger force, VINO were
| moving down the river valley.
But if these stragglers had already
| penetrated so far south the DINERS
could not be as far behind as the Mo-
hawk had declared. So Marcus HUI
lings' heart was still racled with fears
as he tore through the forest and up
the mountain.
Twilight was shrouding the blue riv-
er when he staggered across his own
clearing. He saw the black horse sad
died and bridled and tied to a sapling.
Then the door flew open. and Elsa
came out with the baby in one arm and
fnusket on the other.
All is ready" she said. I'm that
bundle on the floor are some things we
must take along. l hid the cradle and
a great deal else in the bushes, and
drove the cow and the sheep back into
the woods. Our poor, kind neigh
borsw
He helped his wife into the saddle,
and gave her the sleeping child and the
bundle Then, with last look at the
deserted home he strobe into the for
est. leading the horse after him.
After an hour the fugitives reached
the Susquehanna and forded a shallow
stretch of water TO an island-now
known as Duncan's island-that lay
abreast Of the mouth of the Junlata.
There was yet the main channel of the
river to be crossed-a three-quarters
of a mile wide surface Of swift and
troubled water Then eight miles
down the other shore was Fort Hunter
and safety.
Here, take my gun, Elsa" he said,
"and stick tight to the saddle. I'm not
going to mount till | get across. | can
pick the way better on foot
But Just as he entered the water his
wife checked him by low cry Of dis
may. 20, Mark the money! It is still
in the crack of the logs beside our bed.
How could I have forgotten it?"
Rulings had never doubted that the
money was in the bundle or in Elsa's
bosom. For a moment he was veXed
and inclined to sharp words.
Give me the musket," he said. 81
am going back. Twenty gold sover
eigns are we'll worth the journey. We
have saved them for three years and
now the time of need is coming. We
will be obliged to start afresh if the
savages destroy our home and crops.
His wife begged and entreated him
not to go, but he judiciously reasoned
with her, and finally won her reluctant
consent. She firmly refused, however
to push on to the fort alone, and this
point ne had to yield.
Rulings helped his wife to dismount
with the sleeping child, and placed
them and the horse amid thick bushes
a little back from the lower end OF the
island Then, muske. in hand, he hur-
ried to the upper point and waded
noiselessly to shore.
On reaching the clearing Hulings
found his fears realized. a bar Of yell
low light was flashing on the ground
before the cabin door He crawled on
hands and knees to the rear end of the
cabin and perred through a creyice
into the back room. Here he saw
painted warrior holding a blazing
torch in one hand, while with the other
he ransacked q chest Of drawers.
He quickly decided what to do. Gid
ing to the door he entered, and gained
the threshold of the inner room with
out detection. Then the Shawnee
Strengthened up with a start. to find
himself covered by Rulings musket.
Just then Rulings discovered a
bloody scalp dangling at the savages
belt and he recognized Hugh Glen s
iron-gray locks. His blood boiled with
rage and he was about to reverse his
musket and brain the assassin, when
he made q startling discovery. A look
ing-glass that hung over the bed show
ed him a second Indian creeping up be-
hind him with raised tOmahawk.
Like n fash Rulings wheeled about
with a veil, and fired point blank. He
saw the savage reel and fall and in
stantly he turned again to confront the
Indian in the back room.
The latter had by this time grabbed
his gun from the bed. but before he
could raise 1t to shoot. the maddened
settler was upon him with dubbed
musket. There was a dull crash, and
| Hugh Glen's murderer lay sprawling
ON tho floor with a broken skull.
Rulings snatched the Indians gun,
and ierked the bag Of gold from be-
tween the logs. AS he dashed for the
cabin door q third Shawanee stepped
upon the threshold.
The Indian hurled his tomahawk,
but Rulings lodged the weapon, and
IL, fired Without waiting 10 see the