The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-09-12

had softensd to hor In her h3opd,s
behalf9
"Good, kind Wolf, csn,t vou
bring Mrs. Bernard here to ~ rdtb
meS" she asked him.
Instantly his c~ountenance olAn<sd.
hatred and scorn cleaned u hi.
eyes.
"she die-she white mans squaw.u
He turned quickly and left her alone.
Alone with her agony, her dread
and fear. And now above al this
new trouble about her friend. Her
sad fate almost broke the heart Of
the suffering girl.
EFF Hahs would only come,n The
oaid over and over to herself. He
did not hate the whites m Wolf did,
for he seemed not like an Indian. as
he had said to her. Some how the
thought had taken possession OF her
that he only could effect an q
for them.
But Haha did not come, nor did
any one till the pangs of hunger and
thirst were almost unendurable.
For three days this agony lasted,
when q red hand moved the brush
and Wolf and Loni entered bringing
food and water.
Annette could not speak. Sobs
choked her voice for the sight o.
bread and water and friendly faces
made her heart feel as though IL
would burst.
"Eat," said Loni. "You most
dead from starving. Wolf better
take scalp than starve you"
Wolf went out without speaking,
but Loni staid and saw her eat and
drink with almost as much pleasure
as Annette took in It. Then unroll-
ing a huge bundle the Indian woman
took out a large buffalo skin which
she spread over the bed Of leaves.
"Loni, what did they do with Mrs.
Bernard? Is she dead2"
She looked pleadingly at the old
squaw, but not a word did she get
from her. If she had been stone deaf,
she could not have had more the
appearance of not hearing.
"You stay here" she said as
she prepared to leave. "If you
leave here they kill you. Loni
bring bread and water. Warriors
think you dead but Wolf and Loni
know"
Loni, please tell me where Haha
is7 Is he dead too9"
"Loni's face softened as his name
was called, but she kept the same
u~nconcerned silence which was her
wont when not wishing to divulge
the secrets of her tribe.
AS the gloomy hours passed away
Annette considered every possible
way Of escape, but only to settle
back to the conclusion that the risk
would be too great. Mr.. Bernard
had doubtless made the attempt to
rescue them, but had failed, and left
them In a worse condition than eve
for poor Mrs. Bernard had been
sacrificed to their revenge.
Haha's disappearance mystifed
her very much and she could not
keep fearing that the Indians had
killed him for his kindness to her.
1t was so strange to her that this
wild sol of the forest could be 80
gentle and kind. Comparing him
with every man she had eve seen,
she could remember none, who In
one united such courage, gentleness,
justice and mercy endowed by
nature as it were, with 80 much that
was better than anything that could
do for him and yet go innocent Of
%conceit, 30 unconscious of his gifts.
Having such confidence in him and
knowing his influence with the In
dams, she had from the first built her
hopes of rescue upon him, nor did
she now give them up. She had
heard from Loni how the Indians
trusted to his strategy and wisdom as
though he possessed supernatural
powers. None could elude dangers
30 well nor pilot them 30 readily to
places Of prosperity and plenty.
Loni's coloring made him not only q
hero but as possessing from the Great
Spirit gifts not given to others,
mystical and powerful. He had
come to them, she said, a stranger
from q far of tribe, and had gained
their love and admiration, and from
her q generation, like that she paid
the Great Spirit he told them SO
much about. Unconsciously perhaps
to herself Annette had grown to think
Of him in the same light as Loni did,
feeling that he alone could bring
about her d~eliverance by superior
powers.
The mystery of his absence from
the camp was incomprehensible to
her and the thought he was dead
Allied her with a grief that seemed
unenduable. Now that Loni would
tell nothing about him she was al
most ready to give up hope.
But her grief was interrupted by Q
! noise on the outside of the door,
She was almost sure she heard voices
when the the brush at the entrance
, was pushed aside and Haha in hii
uausl 0arh ato0d bafore her. HI,