New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-21

ran back to my chamber again and looked
| under my bed Yes. my pistol had also "gorn
| to kill Indians
We discovered several small pamphlets lying
about In the boys room. These were all written
| by Random Rover" and the first one found
| was entitled THE Boy Scalper OF the North
| west" and the picture on the cover was tail
youth dressed In fringed pink leather with
rife over his shoulder. and his belt hung with
scaips dripping gore.
ITS curious that we never saw any OF these
books until now" said
HE has kept them hidden" was Gertrude's
answer And now what are We to do?'
go and tell his mother"
And we dared not wait. pulled up the lacks
from the top OF the bureau and folded the note
that I might take It with me.
Then Gertrude and Rab and l went to the
barn. carrying a lighted lantern. We har-
messed the much-surprsed horse into the demo-
crat: when we had backed the animal out OF
the barn we heard the clock in the house strike
one.
1t was not n pleasant hour Of the twenty
four In which to take drive but duty was
pushing us on. II you want 10 know what lone
Illness with an admx:ure OF fright Is. try n
drive at O'Clock some night.
We set the lighted lantern down In front OF
the wagon; then we locked the house and
started.
do not know how It is. but lantern placed
In the position which ours occupied has the ef-
feet OF making a moving wall of darkness In
advance Of the horse. / drove. and Gertrude
sat bent forward. peering painfully ahead.
We could see plainly the horses hind legs and
his tail. and that was all we could see.
To be able to drive safely II seemed necessary
% tn1i N
After what we Judged to be about a quarter OF
a mile we decided to extingush the lantern ana
trust to Providence to guide us.
A moonlighted mist seems TO have certain
brilliance. bat at the same time 1t seems to
be Opaque.
When we thought we had come to the turn In
the road that led to Columbus's house we could
not see any turn: so Gertrude got out and
fumbled about with her hands to find the sharp
cornered rock that was in the wall at this place.
This process tedious to me. and probably
still more to her. She uttered some exclama-
tons. and when she returned to the wagon
she told me that she had almost decided TO lei
Columbus kill the Indians, for she was nearly
certain that this was not the right corner.
though 1t seemed to be some corner.
After a consultation drove on. and very
soon II began again to seem exactly as II we
were at the turn. my friend again alighted
and CROPPED and grovelled at the roadside
But l do not think ought to harrow the
mind Of the dear reader with the description OF
the remaining part Of our ride.
Suffice II 10 say we did reach the small red
house where our hired boy resided when he was
at home. though never knew how we did 1t.
and the doing it has left an indelible mark on
our minds.
Gertrude took the whip and pounded with the
handle of II on the door. She did not spare the
whip or the door. 1t would have been a relief
10 me II could have heard the panels cracke
beneath the blows.
After n time a mans voice shouted somewhere
within the house.
What In thunder's the matter?'
Then Gertrude shouted in reply:
The matter Is that your son has gone 10 Kill
Indians I thought you ought to know It"
Upon this was sure heard a woman scream
somewhere upstairs
In a moment more the door was opened and
then heard distinctly a womans voice saying:
Poor boy. It's all cause he's had to work so
hard for them women Oh. dear! Oh dear
And the man said
"Shet up"
And inwardly thanked the man. thanked
him still more when he added:
make C'lumbus work"
To Gertrude ne said:
Come In. can't ye?"
No: we guessed We wouldn't go In. Gertrude
told rapidly all We had Just discovered. the man
standing In the doorway ard his wife close be-
hind him with lamp in her hand.
She was whispering and saying at Intervals
Poor boy. Poor boy"
The father took the matter quite calmly. He
assured us that Columbus wouldn't git fur
not In his opinion.
And he said that as soon II was daylight
he would start out.
So We went back home This was easy
enough. for we let the horse choose his course.
The father Of Columbus proved 70 be right.
That youth had slept the rest OF the night on
the hay In Mr.. Whites barn. He said that Tim
had promised TO go with him to kill Indians.
but had backed out.
II tell you. II Tim hadn't done that you
wouldn't me agin: tell you
This to us on the following morning.
I asked for my pistol. Columbus said he had
dropped 1t somewhere. but he would try to find
It, MARIA LOUISE POOL.