Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-05-15
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE OLD HERMIT.

TOT SOIlt ulOIutnuN lN"hSNi
stood silently regarding the beautiful
Indian maiden who had rescued him
from positi IN Of peril in go tlme'y
manner.
"Whitc Fnwn," he e'aculatcl In bo'
wildered tones
ayes. it is the olild of Shadow Snake.
Who is the haif-brecd?"
She pecrcd curiously into the scouts
face as she spoke.
"l am no half-brced."
The Fawn thought So, at least she
knew that he was an enemy OF the out
laws
oSho knows you now. You arc the
great scout"
"Ranger Ralph, yes. But how came
you here?"
rescucr ALL but they must not remain
here"
There is dangcr9"
"Ycs: the renegades will soon be on
our trail. Come.
She led the scout from the spot to a Sc
cluded portion of the valley. Ranger
Ralph noticed that near by there was
horse bridled and Saddlcd
in rapid tones the ModOc princess re-
lated how she had rescued Darrel Grey
and had led him hither
She exp aimed that when she LETT MN
TO reconnOter the st onghold OF the
bandits, he must have wandered into
the valley and later had be capture l.
The scout listen d interestedly to her
graphic re ,ital, and noticed the fierce, re-
vengeful light in her dark eyes when she
spoke the name of her relent cSs foe,
Dyke Despard,
"You have seen him-yOu penetrated
to his haunts to nght?" he asked.
"Yes."
"And you know his p ans?"
81 know that with the morning he in
tends visiting the old hermit they call
Walford"
Panger Ralph started
"You are sure of ths?" he asked.
"Yes; White Fawn is not mistaken.
"Then the outlaws have located the
recluSe?"
zone of Their men has, and ne VIII
lead the crowd there with the morning
This information DISTURBED the scout
not a little The reader already knows
that this man Walforj was the friend to
whom Inez Traccy's father had intrusted
the charge of tho fortune intended for
| his orphan daughter.
The old SEQ 1t knew Walford, but he
had not seen him for years.
He did not know his place Of resi-
dence, however, except that 1t was 10
Gated somewhere in the vicinity.
Now that Despard had discovered 1T,
tn scout readily saw that unless wal
ford was warned the former would sue
coed in his p ans to secure the fortune.
"Do you know where Walford lives?"
he asked anxously of the Indian girl
"No. White lawn only knows that
it is about ten mics down the canyon.
The old scout reflected deeply In
evitable disaster seemed imminent to all
his plans for rescuing Inez Tracey
I he Modoc princess watched his face
i'm mpressively. Finally she asked;
"What will my friend do?"
81 do not know. Grey and the girl are
cal itivcs, and the cave is well guarded.
We can do nothing to rescue them.
"Whito Fawn wi l."
There was determined look in tho
dusky face.
"How?'
"ry going back to my father. Shame
disgrace at my misery, caused me t(
fear to return to my tribe. For the
sake of the friends who saved her lie
the Fawn will GO to the MOdocs' 1hcI
shall know all, and terrible vengeance
shall be brought against the Crow anC
his renegadeS
"You will 90 at on e?"
ayes | sto'c a horse from the out
laws can reach my tribe in a few
hours"
"You must make haste. Once DesparC
has seen the man named Walford, hC
will fly the country"
Fear not The Modoo warriors shal
be on his trail With the earliest morning
light
"Thcy will rescue my friends-the!
will not inc u lo them in their venge
ance?" -,
Fear not The Fawn will plead witt
her fathers braves for the safety of he
fren"s
White Fawn sprang t. the saddle o
the horse near by as she 81 okr. RANGE
Ralph saw her disappear rapidly dow
tn canyon lie knew that he must re
main inactive, 50 far as the outlaws were
concerned, until the morning.
He realized that it would b. Jolly u
again attempt to penetrate to thell
stronghold. Tho thought OF Wa'lorJ
however. caused him to determine u
endeavor to find the recluse, II pos
| Sible.
He made wide detour of the cave
and started down the canyon in the di
rection where he supposed the mountain
home of the recuse 10 be
It proved to be a proftless Journey
All the long night through he wandered
up and down the valley Not a trace O
! human habitation could he find.