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

ON the PLATFORM OF tne fOrI
Hunter stockade looking very discon-
tentedly at the autumn landscape.
1t was more than a year after Brad
docks disastrous defeat near Fort Du-
quesne, and the murderOus Shawnees
and Delawares, in their slow and unop-
posed advance with the scalping knife
and tomahawk, had penetrated to this
part of the province of Pennsylvania.
A dozen families were under the pro-
lection of Fort Hunter. which was gar
risoned by two %sergeants and thirty
four %privates. Mr.. Lindsay, with his
wife, had gone to Philadelphia to urge
the need of more efficient protection
upon the assembly leaving Oliver in
the care of neighbors at the fort.
All through the summer he had look
ed forward to the joys Of October.
Now, instead of gathering nuts for
winter or tracking deer and smaller
game, he was a prisoner behind the tall
stockade.
He could have better stood danger
and excitement, but there was not even
that to relieve the irksomeness of life
at the fort. No Indian atrocities had
occurred within thirty miles, and the
scouts who went out daily reported no
signs of savages.
I'D like to stretch my legs on the
mountain and pick UP a few chest
nuts" Oliver reparked to the sentry be-
low him. "They're just dropping out
of the burs now. 1 wonder if there's
any danger"
Private Gideon Gimble, having an
exalted idea of his own dignity and Of
the rigid duties of his post frowned
slightly by way of reply, but Sergeant
Piper, who CHANGED to be passing along
overheard the lated part of divers
remark.
Don't be afraid, sonny" he said
reassuringly. you're hair amt in any
danger of being lifted. Why, I'd make
my afterdavit there amt a redskin
within forty miles. They know better
than to NEEDLE with provincial troops,
and as long as you people stay in this
fort you're safe"
81 didn't mean that" Oliver began
Indignantly, but the sergeant had al
ready paced out of hearing and was
negotiating the loan of tobacco from
his fellow officer.
A moment later Oliver jumped down
from the platform and thoughtfully
crossed the yard. Sergeant Piper
says there's no danger" he reflected
land he ought to know. I'm just raw
enous for chestnuts. l needn't go far,
and I can easily get back before I'm
missed"
A glance around satisfied him that
the coast was clear. He mounted the
stockade on the river side, climbed
over and dropped lightly over in The
grass.
From the bluff on which the fort
stood the lad descended to the ravine
of the creek. and after following this
for half a mile he struck across the
thick timber to the first mountain.
He sorely wished that he had his
gun along, for quail and turkeys con-
stantly started up before him. and once
he caught a glimpse of a deer.
Beguiled by the beauty of the day and
by the intoXication of his freedom, Oil
yer strayed across the valley to what
was known as Little Mountain,
where he filled his bag with chestnuts
in a short time. 1t was now long past
noon, and he ruefully discovered that
he was hungry and a good distance
from the fort.
AS he lay stretched on the sunny
slope of a rock partly up the mountain
a bright idea occurred to him. Only
one and a half miles away the sharp
face of Peters Mountain dropped into
the Susquehana, and he could see the
very clump of trees behind which the
home clearing stood.
He remembered that in the hasty
preparation for flight he had concealed
his fowling boat under bushes at the
mouth of the run. What was to pre-
vent his getting it o and padding
down the river to the fort?
The more he thought of the plan the
better he liked it. He felt a strong de
| sire to see how the place looked after
a week Of solitude. Perhaps the chick
ems and ducks had not been able to
scratch a living for themselves, and
were dying of starvation, of Brown
Bess. the cow. which his father had
driven far into the woods. had return
cd to the empty stable and missed the
companionShip Of the W. horses, who,
by this time. had carried Mr.. and Mrs.
Lindsay to Philadelphia.
At last he broke from the shadowy
oak and chestnut timber into the mea-
gre clearing where stood the log house
and stable. As he paused with a nat
ural instinct of caution he felt a sharp
pang at the contrast between his life
here and at the fort.
The door was still closed, and there
was no sign of Brown BeSS. The chick
ems were scratching as calmly about
as though they had not been at the
mercy of f~our-fOoted providers for a
week past. and the occasional quack OF
a happy duck came from the hidden
channel of the run at the foot of the
clearing.
A few steps farther brought Oliver tC
the house. and he opened the door and
entered. He glanced carelessly through
the two lower rooms, noting that what
furniture had been too heavy to take
to the fort was undisturbed.
Next he climbed the rickety steps tC
the loft overhead, where he knew some
maple sugar was stored in a Granny oil
the rafters. He easily found it anf
was rolling a delicious morsel in hi,
mouth when a noise outside stiffeneC
his limbs with sudden terror.
He heard footsteps on the frosty
ground, the cackling of frightened anC
fleeing fowls. and the gutteral tones o.
several human voices. Then the intru
derS came into the house, and mOccas
ined feet Shuffied softly over the floor
For a minute he simply could no.
move from fright, and his throbbin.
heart seemed to come clear up into
his mouth. A resistless Fascination
kept his eyes on the opening at the
head of the steps, where he expected
an Indians scalp lock to appear every
second.
J When the suspense was more thai
the lad could endure and no pryin.