The National tribune., 1902-09-04
THE WOLF STALKER.
Continued from first paE-.)

river IN safety. just then l remembered
a little keepsake that / priced highly, ns
it belonged tn my little brother who was
killed by the YIntlians during one of theil
raids several years ago. 1t was a little
wooden ladle THAT father had whitfield out
| for him to stir the maple sirup with as II
boiled in the big kettle. l had one like it.
but lost il i'm the wild scene which took
place as the red men surprised us during
Il few minutes fhnt father had left us at
camp alone. From that day to this we
have never seen or heard word of poor
little brother. and l have always kept the
ladle as Il priced memento of a most I'M
happy day:
80. telling father | would be back by
the time he had got the boat freed from
its fastening, l ran back to our cabin,
without dreaming of illfortune. / found
the ladlc readily, but as l turned to leave
| the cabin | was met in the doorway by
three s;vages in warpaint and armed with
guns and tomahawks. l screamed once
as loud as l could. partly from fright. hut
hoping that father and mother would hear
! me and know that the Indians were
around
Before could repeat my outcry l was
seized and made Il captive in spite of my
struggles. Then, appearing in great
haste to get away, my captOrs dragged
ne off into the woods, though | was very
site from the river l do not know if they.
or any of their party, found father and
mother. | hope not, and that thought
| alone gives me courage.
with the memory of the awful fate
of little brother Benny in my mind, l re-
solved that | would go no farther with
the Indians than | was obliged TO go, even
If lost my life in trying to get away from
them. There were seven of them in num-
M hot ..lnr I 1st Iybf
watching my chance while they slept,
slipped free of my bonds and stole away
without arousing them. l have been hid
iEg from them all day, but n little while
ago they found me, when | was compelled
to flee for my life, expecting to be retaken
You can imagine with what joy l saw
your cabin. but am sorry l have brought
this trouble upon you. / can see now it
would have been better for me to have
let them retake me, as by so doing /
might have spared you this suffering"
'They seem to be holdin' n talkin' bee"
remarked Craig, without replying to her
story. g! b'lieve they want'r get me inter
tn talk
The following romantic incident seems
to have been the origin and reason lead
ing up to this Indian attack upon the
families living upon Great Meadows. of
which we get vivid idea from the fugi-
tive's story.
In their eagerness to worry the English
settlers the French at Montreal. in the
Autumn of 1I47. sent out an expedition
consisting of Indians under the command
of tn" young cadet Pierre Raimbault st.
Blcin, a grandson of the Governor-General
of Montreal. Soon after entering the PO-
cumtuck Valley. in western Massachusetts.
This unwary lender was surprised and cap
tuTcd by the English. and his followers
Tho ti{hts1rianc faE
to Bostcn, where, he was retained for a
considerable time. until he could be ex
changed for tyo, English captives held by
the French - va
Sieur st. Bleipiproved to be a very oh
serving man, and on his way back to Can
ada under the escort of the English he
noticed the weak condition of the frontier
settlements, particularly those in the vicin-
ity of Great Meadows, from whence for
the succeeding stage of his journey it is
recorded that our hero, John Stark. was a
guide across the then trackless wilderness
of what is now the State of Vermont The
return party was led by Serg't Hawks. a
noted frontier scout, and the journey was
made over the; watershed in Mount Holly.
down Il branch of Otter Greek to the main
river, thence through Clarendon, Rutland,
Pittsford to Brandon. reaching the shore
of Lake Champlain nearly opposite to Ii
lake to Sorcl River, reaching Montreal in
Midwinter. The journey was made on
snow shoes, and under cover of the white
flag.
The cadet lived about midway between
Montreal and Quebec, where he was re-
ceived with great rejoicing by his relatives
aud friends, he having two brothers who
were extreme partisans. In spirit of
retaliation for his defeat and encouraged
hx tho nj fal ha hrnnnht r tbo 4,
ness of the English settlements, the expe-
dition was planned and carried out which
resulted so disastrously to the families
in this narrative.
But to return to the beeaguered cabin |
As Craig finished speaking one of the
Indians was seen to emerge boldly from
the cover of the woods, and carrying a
strip of birch bark fastened to the end of
short stick, approach with steady steps.
He had left behind him his gun and tom
ahawk; only his painted cheeks and tall
plume, which rose and fell with a gentle
as he advanced, hinted of his |
warlike purpose. The natural silence of
the forest had been restored. but it was
a suppressed stiffness which forebOded evil |
rather than peace. The furtive gaze of
Craig missed no movement of the dusky |
though he did not betray any
emotion. A low cry from the child served |
to change if not check the suspense of |
Mrs. Craig, and she quickly lifted the lit |
tie one into her arms A moment later
the shrill voice of the watchful pioneer |
commanded the approaching Indian to |
stop. The latter instantly obeyed, saying |
in broken English:
''Cris know Manesquow
did" replied Craig, IacOnically, reeog-
nizing the speaker as an Indian supposed |
to be friendly to the whites, and who had |
called upon him several times during the
Sumner
"Manesquo want to talk to white broth
err
''Talk," was the terse reply.
'The war-tOrch is lighted. Indians come
fir Girls and his squaws. If go still
mOuthed not harm much"
Go yerself," retorted Craig. as that
all?'
"Cris not know all. Many Indians in
woods; palefaces only one-two-three;
squaws, one man.
go an learn to count before you talk
with me. MY supper is ready; We had
better look arter yours"
Giving expression to a great grunt of
issatisfactiOnsr IifI not contempt, the In
1ian withdrew qin
What wilt they do next, Christie?'
asked his wife. h.,
Waste mare, .lead," going himself to
bring out his reserve stock of ammunition.
For the first tiHlq he showed dismay, as
ne discovered that he had only a few
rounds of powder ard bullets. The re-
turn Of the messenger with his reply to
his comrades was announced at this mo- |