The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-15
CHAPTER Xxx.
HOW EPHRAIM YEATES PRAYED FOF
HIS ENEMIES.

ueIstoou OF tSlcnard Jennl1er STlel vi ieS
cause. the faithful Indian had thing to
do and he did it. loosing his grasp of me
TO turn and fall upon Dick with pullings
and haulings and buffetings fit to bring
man alive out of very stiffening rigor of
despair.
So in hand space he had him up and
we were pressing again. in midnight
darkness once we had passed beyond the
light of our grilling fires. No word was
spoken; under the impatient urging of the
Indian there was little breath to spare for
speech. But when Richards afterthought
had set its fangs in him he called halt
and would not be denied.
go on, you two, if you are set upon it,,
he said. II must go back. Bethink you,
Jack; what if she be only manned and not
killed outright. 'Tis too horrible! I'm go
ing back. 1 say
The Catawba grunted his disgust.
Captain Jennif' talk fas; no run fas'.
What think? White squaw yonder-no
yonder." pointing first forward and then
back in the direction of the stricken camp.
Richard spun around and gripped the In
dian by the shoulders. Then she is alive
and safer" he burst out Speak, friend,
whilst leave the breath in you to do it,
"Ugh." said the chief, in nowise moved
either by Jennifer's vehemence or by the
doglike shake. What for Captain Jennif'
think papoose thinks bout the Gray Wolf
and poor Injun? Catch UNI white squaw
frs: then blow UNI I'D Chelakee camp and
catch UNI Captain Jennif' and Captain
Long Knife If can. Heap do frs thing
frs. and las thing las. Wah!''
he
ally of ours was ever known to make. and
having made it he went dumb again save
for his urgings of us forward. But pres
emily both he and 1 had our hands full
with the poor lad. The swift transition
from despair to joy proved too much for
Dick, and. besides, the fever was in his
blood and he was grievously burned.
So we went stumbling on through the
cloud-darkened wood locked arm in arm
like three drunken men, tripping over root
snares and bramble nets spread for our
feet, and getting well sprinkled by the
dripping foliage. And at the last, when
we reached the ravine at the valleys head
Dick was muttering in the fever delirium
and we were well-nigh carrying him dead
weight between US.
Twas a most heart-breaking business
getting the poor lad up that rock ladder of
escape in the darkness; for though / had
come out of the fire with fewer burns than
the roasting of me warranted, the battle
preceding 1t had opened the old sword
wound in my shoulder. So. taking it all
in all, / was but short-breathed second
to the faithful Catawba.
None the less, we tugged II through after
some laborious fashion and were glad
enough when the steep ascent gave place
to leveler going. and we could sniff the
fragrance of the plateau pines and feel
their wirelike needles under foot.
BY this the shower cloud had passed and
the stars were coming out. but it was still
pitch black under the. pines, so dark that
/ started like a nervous woman and went
near to panic when a horse snorted at my
very ear and a voice. bodiless. as it seemed.
said: well, now; the Lord be praised!
If here amt the whole enduring"
What Ephraim Yeates would have said
or did say was lost upon me. For now my
poor Dicks strength was quite spent, and
when the chief and were easing him to lie
full length upon the ground there was a
quick little cry out of the darkness, a swish
of petticoats and my lady darted in to fall
upon Richard in very transport of pity.
your she sobbed. "Oh. cruel. crueli'' Then
she dashed out at US. why don't you
strike light? How can / find and dress
his hurts in the dark?"
Your pardon. Mistress Margery," L said
g tbs only that the fever has overcome him.
He has no sore hurts. as / believe. save the
fire scorching.
"A light" she commanded. IT must
have a light and see for myself
We had to humor her. though ii was
something against prudence Ephraim
found dry punk in a rotten log, and firing
1t with the flint and steel of a great king s
musket-cne of his reavings from the
enemy-soon had pine knot torch for her.
She gave ii to the Catawba TO hold; and
while she was cooling over her patient and
binding up his burns in some simples gath
cred near at hand by the Indian / had the
story of the double rescue from the old
| hunter.
Set forth in brief. that which had come
| as a miracle TO Dick and me figured as a
daring BIT of strategy made possible by the
emptying OF the Indian camp at our tor
ture spectacle.
Yeates and the Catawba, following out
the plan agreed upon. had come within
ha mhss In the
| and had most wisely held aloof. But later
when every Indian of the Cherokee band
was busy at our torture trees they set to
work.
With no watch to give the alarm twas
| easy TO rifle the Indian wigwams of the
| firearms and ammunition. The latter they
|
| loaded and trained over a fallen tree a,
| the northern edge of the savanna bringing
| them to bear point blank upon the light
horse guard gathered again around the
| great fire.
The ne step was the cutting out of the
women. This was effected whilst the baro
net-captain was paying his courtesy cal
/ on US. Like the footing of the Indiar
camp. twas quickly planned and daringl,
done: IL asked but the quieting of the two
| trooper guards on the forest side of tn,
| tepee lodge, a warning word TO Marger,
and her woman and a shadow-like fitting
| with them over the dead bodies of theil
late jailers TO the shelter of the wood
Once free OF the camp, Yeates had hur
| ried his charges 10 place of temporar,
| safety farther up the valley, leaving tn,
4 Catawba TO cross the stream to lay a trair
| of dampened powder to the Tnakeshif
| magazine. When he had hurried the wome,
to a place of safety the old man left then
! and ran back TO his masked battery O
| loaded muskets. Here at an owl-cry sig
nal from Cncanoola he opened fire upor
| the redcoats.
The outworking of the coup de main,
was triumph for the old borderer,
shrewd generalship At the death-dealin,
volley the Englishmen were thrown int.
confusion; whilst the Indians summone,
by the firing and the shriling of the cal
tains whistle dashed blindy into the tran
| At the right moment Uncanoola touche,
on his powder train and cut In with a clea
field for his rescue of Dick and me.
- OF the complete success of these warrior,
climaxings Ephraim Yeates had his frs
| assurance when We three came safely :,
the rendezvous: for. after firing his maske,
battery. the old hunter lost no time in re
Joining the women and In Fastening witt
| them out OF the valley. Had these thre
been hfoot we might have oyertaken then,
but Yeates had been lucky enougb 70 st,,~.