The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1903-09-18

cred him. Hav-is had sprnag 70 his
feet. and KirkAIm had jumped sim.
ultaneously. The Indian. his back ia
the frowning rock. and the light Of the
dying fire full on his dark features,
drew himself to his superb height,
All slowly folded his arms.
One rife point wavered. II was that
OF Kirkham. The splendid indomit-
ableness OF that unyielding figure. tho
undying menace In his eye. the lonely
fortressed crag, the sileRce. heavy with
threatening issue. caused a tremor of
! the cleaning barrel. but only for an
instant. Kirkham remembered that
he was a soldier. and that. when his
superior officer commanded IL. his duty
was to kill. He grpped the stock more
firmly. and his eye glanced along the
fle barrel in the sight that had never
| beer known to fail.
Havens, about to demand surrender.
heard the slight crashing sound in tho
bushes just behind, but Kirkham, his
finger still on the trigger, first saw
the slender, moccasined figure gliding
toward the hollow.
"Altoonah." The word seemed to
die in echoes on the air. Havens saw
her face, and wondered. II was gray
marble, hewed into irrevocable de-
sign.
She looked from the two men to
the Indian standing beneath the tow.
ering crag. undaunted, fearless, ma.
jestic in his calm. and through tho
long centuries a fire leaped swiftly 10
shoulder in her eyes.
Kirkhams voice reached her In
sharp command
Stand back, Altoonah. Can't you
see?"
The rife barrels were level, steady.
AS IL galvanized into understanding
by the words. Altoonah turned-but
she turned toward the rock.
In another instant she was pressing
something into Eagle Wings hand.
The Indians long sinewy fingers closed
upon IL. and his eyes narrowed. With
tigerish spring. and carrying AL.
toonah as easily In front of him az
If she had been child, he covered half
the distance to the underground. and
I. dashed behind a scrub-oak that stood
midway. The two men broke cover.
and made run for the oak. The
Indian, disdaining to fly, waited. As
Havens came up, a long arm shot
around the oak. There was a flash OF
steel, and Havens grappled with the
quickncss of thought.
Kirkham, on the other side OF the
tree, lay PROSTATE on the ground.
Leaping over the rocks TO come to
Ravens aid. he had found himself
pulled strongly down. and soft. warm
body was holding him with all its
strength.
He thrust IL fercely aside. and rose
; Ravens was engaged in a desperate
hand-to-hand struggle with Eagle
Wind. who cut. thrust and slashed 50
; murderously with the sheath knife
. he had so Unexpectedly obtained that
Ravens, unable TO get a foothold
was thrusting him back against Che
J rock by sheer force of determination
J and muscle combined. Havens was
! bleeding in a dozen places, and Kirk
: ham, thirsting for yengence, sprana
J furiously 10 his rescue.
: Suddenly the Indian. with a last
/ supple twist of his 1.-THE body. glided
like a snake from Ravens grasp, to
/ find Kirkham's angry eyes confronting
him. With the swiftness of the wind
Eagle Wind braced himself against
. the great boulder. and Kirkham saw
that the knife hung quivering in q
, helpless hand.
The rife rose steadily. Kirkham's
/ finger was on the trigger. when the
light form of Altoonah sped across the
hollow and flung itself across the In
dams heaving breast.
Kirkham's eyes met those Of the girl
, -sombre, inscrutable. Ravens, In
the background, watched tensely, feel
ing that matters had gone beyond his
, grasp. simultaneously with the re-
port of the rifle. Altoonah's right hand
|, sped to her breast, and when the
smcke cleared away. Kirkham saw
two forms. silent still. slowly writhine
down the rocky face. Altoonahs eyes
met his once more, defiant. inscruta-
, lie still, and then the sunset CLEANS
shone redly on the lonely. fortressed
crag. buried deep in the silence Of
the mountains. and the two forms ly'
ing calm at its base.-Oyerland Month
| ly.