The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-10-25


what Short, but ChoclS Full of Ro-
nance, Love and Treachery, and
with "a Hero Who Could Kick.
George, George" cried a beautiful
young woman rushing up to the COM
mander of the little fort, ''we are be
sieged! Save me! Save me-. or shall
call for help"
Colonel Washington calmly took his
sword out from the chimney corner,
where it had been used as an instrument
for poking up the hickory logs, and buc-
killed. it on. Then he turned, with reso
Lutte face, and said:
at is as | had feared. We have been
betrayed by Screech Owl, the Indian
whose ears l boxed last Monday for steal
ing raisins from the blockhouse cupboard.
But you call me George. Fave we ever
met beforeY'
With a becoming blush she looked down
of the rough hard floor and replied:
"No. But | was so frightened that
forgot. Oh, surely you will protect me.
am only poor, weak woman, with two
sweet little children and a large for
tune left by my late husband. My fam
lily is an old and distinguished one-but,
hist! Let US hist few times Was shat
not the stealthy tread of an IndanT'
Then he noticed for the first time how
beautiful she was, and his strong heart
gave great throb.
''Trust yourself to me-" he cried as his
sword leapgd from its scabbard. II will
meet them single handed"
At that moment the door of the little
fort was crushed by a mighty Gathering
ram, and IS indians, led by a white man,
rushed through the opening.
"Ahaw cried Washington. 'My old
foe, Benedict Arnold"
Before he could say more the attacking
party was upon him. With one hand he
caught the trembling little woman and
tossed her backward, She landed lightly
in a sitting posture upon leather trunk.
The Indians. armed with battleaxes
and pixies, seemed to completely surround
the brave soldier but his sword crcIed in
the air above his head, darted out at
either side aud flashed before him stimuli
taneously The sparks of fire produced
by the keen, finely tempered blade as 1t
struck the weapons of the maddened In
dams flew about in showers, binding
some Of the bowling devils and causing
others to believe that they were contend
Ing against one possessed of supernatural
powers.
All this time the sweet faced woman
sat upon the trunk, nervously stitching at
the hem Of piece of drawn work that
she wanted to have ready for wedding
present on the following Thursday. Sud
denly she saw one of the Indians who
was supposed to have been killed rise up
behind the colonel and. with a long, blood
stained knife, begin moving toward him.
She tried to cry out warning. but her
lips for the first and only time in her life
refused to open
Her agony was terrible. Slowly, inch
by inch. the crouchng savage moved to-
ward his noble victim, while the traitor
GUS Arnold and his red allies, seeing all
that was passing. put forth renewed eff
forts in order to hold the attention of the
gallant officer Only four Indians now
remained in front of him, and Washing
ton, although wounded in a score of
places and weak from the loss of blood,
was beginning to smile grim, sardonic
smile in anticipation of the moment when
he and Arnold would remain alone, face
to face.
One step more and the Indian who was
stealing up behind would be within reach
of the man who had so bravely staked his
life for a woman's love, there being no
back door through which to escape. Al
ready the cruel blade was beginning its
swift, murderous descent. Martha, look
ing in dumb horror from her position
upon the trunk could hear the crash of
the hateful steel against the bones of the
one who, as she now knew for the first
time, was more than life to her.
But even as the blade was in mldair
Washington turned with hooking laugh
and by deXterous movement of his
sword cut the Indians right arm off near
the shoulder. With bowls OF terror the
two savages who were still able to do so
turned and fed, leaving only the bastard
ly Arnold to be dealt with Then Colonel
Washington cried out in triumph:
''At lastr'
The traitors face was as white as
death, his knees shook and the sword that
he tried TO flourish fell from his nerveless
hand. Then Washington hitched up his
trousers, drew in long breath and gave
the villain a kick as he was turning to
flee.
A few minutes later the tall, handsome
colonel and the beautiful, blushing young
woman stood in front of the little fort,
and she was saying:
"Ah, but you must give me time to
think. Perhaps ! may learn some day to
To- Land sakes, what was thatY'
Something had crashed through a tree
and fallen with horrible thud short
distance away in the direction Of the river.
"Arnold has just come down." Wash
ingto calmly reped.-S. u. Kiser in Chi
cago Record Herald.