The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-07-31
CHAPTER XIII.
A Meeting in the Wilderness.
81 rAuRNG


in his heart. and it was, perhaps, the
storms energy that gave him the cour-
age 10 face undaunted and undoubting
what his experience must have told
him lay in his path. He was young and
strong; that meant a great deal; he
had taken the desperate chances OF In
dian warfare many times before this,
and the danger counted as nothing.
save that il offered the possibility of
preventing him from doing the one
thing in life he now cared to do. What
meant suffering to him, If he could but
rescue Alice? And what were life should
he fail TO rescue her? The old, old song
hummed in his heart, every phrase of
ii distinct above the tumult of the
storm. Could cold and hunger, swol-
len streams, raVenous wild beasts and
alp-hunting savages battle him? No,
there is no barrier that can hinder
love He said this over and over 10
himself after his encounter with the
four Indian scouts on the Wabash. He
repeated il with every heartbeat unGl
he fell in with some friendly red men,
who took him to their camp. where to
his great surprise he met NJ Roussii-
lon- 1t was his song when again hs
strobe off toward the west on his lonely
way
We need not follow hipi 'sstep-by step;
the monOtony of the woods and prai-
ries. the cold rains, alternating with
nOrtherly winds and binding snow, the
constant watchfulness necessary to
guard against a meeting with hostile
savages, the tiresome tramping, wad-
ing and swimming, the hunger, the
broken and wretehed sleep in frozen
and seant wra ps-why detail it all?
There was but one beautiful thing
about 1.-THE beauty of Alice as she
seemed to walk beside him and hover
near him in his dreams. He did not
know that Long-Hair and his band
We're fast in his track: but the knowl-
edge could not have urged him to
greater haste. He strained every mus
Gle to its utmost. kept every nerve to
/ the highest tension. Yonder towards
the west was help for Alice: that was
all he cared for.
But If Long-Hair was pursuing him
with relentless greed for the reward
offered by Hamilton, there were
friendly footsteps still nearer behind
him; and one day at high noon, while
he was bending over a little fire, broil-
ing some liberal cuts of Venison, a fin
ger tapped him on the shoulder. He
sprang up and grappled Oncle Jazon;
at the same time. standing near by. he
saw Simon Kenton his old-time Ken
lucky friend. The PUNCHED features of
one and the fine, rugged face of the
! other SWAN as in a mist before Bever-
ley'S eyes. Kenton was laughing
quietly, his strong, upright form shak-
ing TO the force of his pleasure. He
was in the early prime of a vigorous
life, not handsome, but strikingly at
tractive by reason of a certain glow in
his face and kindly flash in his deep
set eyes.
We'll, well. my boyi" he exclaimed.
laying his left hand on Beverley's
shoulder. while in the other he held a
long, heavy rife. I'm glad to see ye,
glad to see ye,'
Thought we was Injuns. eh?'' said
Oncle Jazon. An ef we had "a been
we'd "a been shore o your scalpI" The
! wizzened old creole cackled gleefully.
And where are We goin'?'' demand
ed Kenton. "Ye're making what lacks
| a heap o. bein a Decline for some
place or other
Beverley was dazed and vacant
minded; thugs seemed waverfng and
dim. He pushed the two men from
him and gazed at them without speak
ing. Their. presence and voices did not
convince him.
Yer meats burnin'.'' said Oncle
Jazon, STOPPING to turn it on the
smouIdering Goals. I'VE must be hun
Kenton shook. Beverley with rough
| familiarity, as if to rouse his facul-
ties.
What's the matter? Fitz. my lad.
don't We know 81 Kenton7 It's not so
long since we were like brothers, and
now We don't speak to me-, Ye'Ve not
forgot me, FitzI"
"Mebby he don't like We as well as
We thought he did" drawled Oncle ia
| zon. Il hev known O. fellers a bein'
mistaken jes' tibet way"
hi a.
best he could, taking in the situation
by such degrees as seemed at the time
unduly slow, but which were really
mere momentary gatherings.
why, Kenton! JazOn!" he presently
exclaimed. a cordial gladness blending
with his surprise. How did you get
here? Where did you come from"
He looked from one to the other back
and forth with a wondering smile
breaking over his bronzed and deter
{ mined face.
We've been hot on yer trail for thir-
ty hours said Kenton. ''Roussillon
put US on it back yOnder. But what
are We up to? Where are We goin' p
I'm going to Clark at Kasl1askia to
bring him yonder.'' He waved his hand
eastward 81 am going to take Vim
cennes and kill Hamilton"
We'll, ye're taking a mighty queer
COuISe, my DDy, II We ever t4pCCl 10
find Kaskaskia. Ye're already twenty
miles too far south"
"Carrin' his gun on the same Shout
der all the time said Oncle Jazon.
''has made i'm kind O. swing in a curve
like 'Taint good luck no how 10 car
ry yer gun on yer lef' shoulder. When
you do il meks yer take a longer step
with yer right foot thaa We do with
yer lef. an ye can't walk a straight
line to save yer liver. Ventrebleu, la
Venaisou brule encorei Look at that
dasted meat burnin' agin."
He jumped back to the fire to turn
the .scorching cuts.
Beverley wrung Kenton's hand and
looked into his eyes, as man does
when an old friend comes suddenly out
of the past, so to say, and brings the
soul to brace him in his hour Of great
est need.
of all men in the world, Simon
but how glad / am, How thankful
Now l know I shall succeed We are
going to capture Vincennes. Kenton
are We not? We shall, sha'n't we, ia
zon? Nothing, nothing can prevent US,
can it?''
Kenton heartily returned the pres
sure of the young mans hand, while
Oncle Jazon looked up quizzically and
said:
We're a toll Bile Spectacle lot to
prevent; but then We might git pre-
vented. I've seed better men AN US
purity constable prevented lots o
times in my life