The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-04-05

Il was a gnarled and twisted tree-trunk 80
Ike a crouching panther that l spran
aside ard had the steel half out before the
clearer vision came. There IL was the figure
OF 4 man gliding stealthly from tree 10
tree. II seemed: keeping even pace with me
as II with sinister intent
I pushed on faster. drawing the sword 20
keep me better company. though inwarily
/ sconed and jeered az tEis new twittering
OF the nerves. What threat was there for
me In silent shadows in the wood? The
dogs I had to fear were bred IN British
kennels. and there was never any lack OF
clamor wEen they were beating Up a cover.
Yet this persistent shadow chung upo NY
footsteps until, from casting furtive glanees
sidewise. / came to holding IL crafty IN
the tail Of my eye. Twas surely moving as
1 moved. and surely drawing nearer. 1
picked a time and place. measured my dis.
lance. and. darling suddenly aside. sent
the phantom to a tree.
Ugh. What for Captain Long-knife want
Kill the tree2"
The voice came from behind. ard when :
wheeled again my shadow was become in
Carnaied in flesh and blood: a stalwa-I In
dian. naked to the belt. standing so near
he could have pricked me with his scalpins
knife.
1t was Gods mercy tha by some swift
intuition / knew him for the friendly Ca
avba- II is an III thing to lake 4 frighted
man unawares-
"CncanoolaT" said I.
He nodded. Where bouts Captain Long
knife Going-'
1 told him briefly; whereat Re .hook his
head.
No find Captain JennIr this way: find
him that way" pointing back alens the
path.
How does the chief know thst2 Has
he seen HIM" Though my long exile had
weIl-nigh cost me the trick OF II. I made
shift to drop into the stately Indian hy-
perbole-
''wah UncanooIa has seen The Great
Water; that made him have long eyes-see
heap things"
VIII the Catawba tell the friead whose
life he saved what he aas SEEM
"UncGnoola see heap things he rereat-
ed. See Captain Jennir So" he threw
himself fiat upon the ground. and pictured
me q fugitive crawling. snakelike, through
the underwood. 'Bine-oy. come to river
and find e~anOe-jump IN and paddle fas'.
bime-by. gain, stop padding and laugh
and shake fist this way. and say God
damn"
BY this I knew Jennifer had e~scaped-nay
more. had somehow covered my escape and
was seeking me.
rs that all the chief sawT I asked.
"Ughi See heap more things: see one
thing white squaw no let him tell Captain
Long-knife- Maybe sons time ten, any
how"
This white squaw?' said 1. Who is
she?'
The Ca;aHba laughed; an Indian laugh.
silent and suppressed; a mere shaking Ct
the ribs.
NO can tel tina neither. too" he ssit.
Then, With 4 swift dart aside from the sub
ject: Captain Long-knife care much bout
black dogs yonder?"
I knew he meant the negroes at the hunt
Ing lodge
The white man cares for the black 3s q
kind master should" / returned.
The Indian spat upon the ground in token
OF his hatred and contempt for all the
black skins in his fatherland. i never un-
derstood this bitter race antipathy between
the red and black, but IFS a tale well writ
ten out in many a bloody massacre Of that
ea-iier day.
The wolves will kin all the black dogs
and drink their blood before the moon Is
awake. Cncanoola has spoken"
1 sheathed my sword and turned to take
the backward trace.
Captain Long-knife Will 60 and fight for
his black dogs with wool on their headsT'
he queried-
IF need be-" I asserted.
"wahr' he CALCULATED. and at the word
was gone as II the earth had swallowed
him
1 lost no time in indecisIon. Since Jen-
infer was abroad. I Ind nc business at the
plantations; and IL Tomas and the other
refugees were like 10 come to harm. / could
do no less than hasten back to warn or help
them
So / retraced my steps. hurriedly. As the
business urged; and saw no more shadows
In the ancient wood-in truth. had much
ado 10 see the Fingie step ahead. so thickiy
cid the darkness gather in those skyless
depths.
l was breasting the last low hin, was
come so near that I could hear the murmur
Of the river. when In the farthest hazy
vista OK the tree-tops n softened glow ap-
peared. changing the black to green and
then to red. Twas like the childish AZ
ricans. 1 said, to draw a secret sentry line
for ssfety's sake. and then to build a IRE
to advertise It far and wide. Truly. the
Catawba'a wolves might find an easy
A chattering scream OF agony sent shFih
and sharp upon the stiffness OF the night
halted me and broke the gibing m
in the midst. 1 stood and listened the
cry rang out again: then / loosed tie An
drea in its scabbard and fen drumming.
though the haIf-haaIed wound scanted me
soreiy Of the breath I wanted
The cabin clearing. or rather tie thlnned-
out grove which stood in leu thereof. was
but n nIgxard acre hemmed in or every
side. SAKE that toward the river. by the
virgin forest. For cover there were holly
Tickets here and there. and into one of
these ! plunged. creeping on hands and
knees to gain a hidden viewpoint.
The scene in the little clearing was one
TO brand itself in lasting shapes upon the
memory. A brush heap newly kindled gave
out n dusky glow faring i'm waves Of smoky
red against the overarching foliage. The
open space around the cabin vas alive
with half-naked savages running TO and
fro: and in the gloom beyond the fire 1
saw n shadowy horseman backed by others
stin more phantornlike.
There was no mystery about It. My enemy
had come with slsuth-hcund Indians at his
back to run me down. The savages were.
doubt. that band OF Over-m0un-
tain Cherokees pledged by their chief
10 plot the powder convoy; and by their
help the Baronet had tracked me.
This was the first thought. caught at IN
RAISING. hut when I came to look again I
before the burning brush pile. his
wrinkIed face a hideous mask OF suffering.
with the eyeballs starting from their sock
cts in the d~eath-wrench. lay my faithful
Darius.
BY what inhumsn fortunes they hal made
point the way. CT how or why they
slew him at the last. ] know not. bot 1
made sure IL was his death-scream that had
halted me and set the stiffness OF the forest
alive with CHASTITY echoes
At sight OF the stiffening body OF the
slave you may suppose my blood
ran cold and hot by turns. and that his
blood cried out for vengeance from the sod
thar soaked !; up With ten years more Of
voufb and less Of age MIGHT have tried 10