The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-24

joke fostered this belief, and the poor
credulous Francois (who was still as
much of a child as his son, save in the
matter of years and size). was given to
| understand that the red men stlll roam
ed in the outskirts of the city; and woe
betide the folk who ventured beyond the
| paved streets unarmed.
1t was the first time that Francois with
Anne as the tiger had mounted the box
| of the Countess shopping coupe. For
| half an hour the FESTIVE horse was held
in check in front of a swell shop, while
| the fair Countess was within making pur-
| chases.
Anne paced in front Of the carriage. a
| rich lap robe slung over his arm, and
many passersby glanced admiringly at the
| smart little groom in his tight white
| breaches, top boots and silk hat.
The moment he caught sight Of his mis-
tress, he skipped TO the swinging glass
door and held 1t open. and then he was
at the coupe door before her. holding II
open. When she was seated carefully he
| spread the lap robe over her-for 1t was
a cold windy day
| The Countess consulted her watch. It
was five O'Clock and already dusk was
closing in on the city.
| Chez vous Madame" inquired Anne.
mo, no." replied the Countess. Tell
Francois TO drive to the end of the Park
and then back home"
tires bien, Madamel" replied Anne,
touching his hat He slammed to the
door and almost before the tiger had
reached his place beside his father, the
horse was trotting briskly toward Fifth
Avenue.
Away to the right they caught a
glimpse of Madison Square tower. Huge
letters in electric light already blazoned
| fol tn the announcement that the wild
| West Show was coming to town: but
| Francois though he could speak a lit
tie English, could not read It. A still
more potent sign of the coming show was
the sight of two or three mounted Indians
detachment OF a recently disbanded
| street parade.
AS Anne caught sight of them his eyes
blazd with excitement. "Oh, father look, +"
he cried In French without moving mus
cle-he was too well trained for that.
Look, the Indians In the Park we must
have care. They might attack"
Old Francois nodded ever slightly.
"Mas QUIZ he muttered between closed
teeth.
You-dear readers-may laugh, but to
these two supplemented Frenchmen, the
danger was real.
They were in the park now. II re-
minded Anne of his beloved Bots de 3D.
logne, only it seemed wilder and quite
terrifying with the shadows of night
thickly gathering.
Those grim-painted faces of the Sioux
warriors they had passd still haunted the
boy, and he seemed to see them peering
out behind the trees and around the cor
ners of giant boulders.
Unfamiliar with the various drives Of
the park, they presently found themselves
In a by-way, empty of life, but for them
selves. Not even a mounted policeman
doomed up out of the shadows.
Then a strange thing happened Anne
| shivered to hear the shrill blood-curdling
Xxi! XII" the Indian warhoop. There
was q quick thud-thur of hoofs and an
instant later four Indians i'm full wa
paint dashed up to the Countess carriage
from behind. Two seized hold of the
horses bride and brought him back on
his launches third sent a lariat hiss
| Ing through the air. The loop settling
over Francois shoulders, and he was
hauled off the box. bound as to his arms,
| and absolutely helpless. The fourth was
firing a couple of Colt revolvers in the
air, and glazing in on the shrinking Coun-
| tess, yelling madly the while.
And so the Indians had attacked. Poor
Anne dropped in a limp heap on the foot
board, his fine silk hat-his JOY and pride
/
ment he was motionless with terror.
But, bark! His father was shouting to
him above the awful rawlings of the saw
ages. "Ev avant. Drive on, save the
| Contest
The boy peered over the edge of the
footboard. Francois had staggered to his
| feet, and somehow loosening his arms,
| was striking out CALAMITY against his
foes But one Indian stood at the horses
| he hoA Int a hold If fha
rein as he watched the combat.
| Then Anne saw his chance. His little
| figure, unnoticed I'm the darkness, he had
| gathered up the reins and the whip before
any one knew what he was about. One
quick lash across the face of the Indian
at the horses head produced the desired
result, and then little Anne was driving
madly down the road, the frightened
horse tearing along at a breakneck speed.
Instantly, with wild shouts the four In
dams left the struggling Francois and fol-
lowed in hot pursuit.
No driver of the famous Deadwood
coach ever had a more thrilling ride than
did Anne and the Countess that night.
Nearly a mile had been traversed when
the Indians came up close to the swayine,
rattllng coupe. The foremost had his lar
lat swinging in the air ready for Anne,
when this strange party burst upon a
broad. well-lighted thoroughfare, and into
the very arms Of a lot Of mounted police,
Just relieved from duty.
And so the Countess was saved from a
real danger and by her brave little tiger.
And how did those wild Indians happen
to be on the warpath after the good old
melodramatic fashion?
They had somehow eluded their cow
boy escort in the street parade, and had
spent the afternoon imbibing fire water"
IN A. "A t...
villainous stuff: and thought themselves
once more on the houndless plains fres
for any wanton mischief.
II was really lucky that nothing worse
had happened to Francois, Anne and the
Countess than a few bruises and bad