The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-14
COPYRIGHT. 1902. The BewEN-MERRlLL COMPANY.
CHAPTER xxx.
IN WHICH, HAVING DANCED, WE
PAY THE PIPER.

nizance of pauses it seemed no more than
a moment between the stamping out Oh
breath and its gasping recovery. But In
the interval the scene had shifted from
the open savanna to a thinly set grove or
oaks with the stream brawling through the
midst
To the biggest of the trees / was tightly
bound and a little way apart fire newly
kindled smoked and blazed up fitfully. BY
the light of the fire a good score of the
Cherokees were gathering deadfalls and
dry branches to heap beside me; and from
the camp below, the Indian lodges of which
were in plain view beyond the intervening
horse meadow. other savages were hurry
ing to join the wood carriers.
So far as these hasting preliminaries APP
piled to me their meaning was not difficult
to read. / was to be burned at the stake
in proper savage fashion. But Richard
Jennifer-what had become Of him? A
sound, half sigh, half groan, told me where
to look Hard by. bound to tree as 1
was. and so near that with a free hand
could have touched him, was my poor lad.
Dick / cried.
He turned his head as the close-drawn
thongs permitted and gave me a smile as
loving tender as a woman's.
AYE, Jack: they have us hard and fast
this time. 1 have been praying you'd never
come alive enough to feel the fire."
1--WE were taken together" So much
dared ask.
'In the same onset. Twas but a ques-
ton of clock ticks in that back-to-back
business. But they paid scot and lot" this
with an inching nod toward row of naked
bodies propped sitting against fallen
tree; nine of them in all, one with its sew
cred head between it's knees and three
others showing the gaping hacks and hew-
ings of the great broadsword.
They've fetched them here to see us
burn" he went on. but by the gods. we
have the warrant Of two good blades and
Ephraim Yeatess hunting knife that the
only fires they'll ever see are those of hell"
"Yeates?" / queried. Then they have
taken him and the Catawba well?"
Not alive. you may be sure, else we
should have them for company. But 1t has
a black look for our friends that the flying
column we met in the stream cave came
back so soon. Moreover, the bodies of the
three peace pipe smokers were found and
brought in; that will be the Great Bear
holding his head in his hands at the end
of yonder bloody masquerade
IT guessed as much. God rest our poor
comradesi'
AYE; and God help Madge! IT'S no time
for reproaches, but amongst US we have
signed her death warrant with our bung-
lings.''
"If ii were only death!' / groaned
if,Cf bat lar Said he. mo hat
ter, mayhap, but no worse. When we were
downed by that screeching mob she was
out and on her knees to Falconnet, be-
seeching him to spare us. He put her off
smoothly at first, saying twas the In
dams affair-that they would not be baked
of their vengeance by any interference of
his But when she only begged the more
piteously he showed his true colors. rap
ping out that we should have as swift a
ouittance as we had meant to give him,
and that within the hour she should be the
mistress of Appleby and free to marry an
English gentleman"
"well?" said I, making sure that now at
last he must know all.
'At that she stood before him bravely.
and / saw that all the time she had had
the Catawbas knife hidden in the folds of
her gown. You have spoken truth for
once, Captain Falconnet: shall be free.
she said. Come and tell me when you
have added these to your other murders. "
land them"
Then she went back to her prison wig
wan, walking through the rabble of red
coats and redskins proudly as the Scot
fish Mary went TO the block"
IN hi,,ly 4 led
fearful lest she would, but more fearful
lest her courage should fail at the pinch.
Never doubt it. Good Catholic as she
is, there is martyr blood in her on the
mothers side. and that will help her to die
| unsulled. And God nerve her to it, say L.
| said Amen to that, and thereupon we
| both fell silent. watching condemned
men on the gallows the busy preparations
| for our taking off,
Again, as in the late battle, it was the
/ trivial things that moved me most. Chief
among them the grinning row of dead In
dams propped against the fallen tree is
| the constant background for all the mem
| DRY pictures of that waiting interval, and
can see those stiffening corpses now
some erect. as if defying us; some looping
| this way or that. as II their bones had gone
to water at the touch of the steel,
| know not why these poor relics of NOR.
| tally should have held me fascinated as
| they did. Yet when / would look away
through the vista to where the light of the
| great fire in the savanna camp played
] luridly upon the Indian lodges or, nearer
| at hand, upon the savages gathering the
wood TO burn us with this CHASTITY file OF
| the dead drew me irresistibly, and / must
needs pass the fearsome figures in review
! again, marking the staring eyes and un
| natural postures, and the circular blood
| black patches on the heads of the three
peacemen whom Yeates and the Catawbs
| had scalped.
| While they were making ready for the
| burning our executioners were strangely
| silent; but when the work was done they
| formed in semi-circle to front the row
| of corpses and set up bowling chant tina
| would have put band of Mohammedar
| dervishes to the blush.
| IT'S the death song for the slain." saiS
Richard: and while IL lasted this movin,
tableau of naked figures. keeping time il
| weird stamping dance to the rising an,
falling ululation of the chant held IL.
| spellbound.
| But we were not long suffered to be mer,
/ curious onlookers In its dismolest fiigh
the death song ended in a shrill hubbul
| and the dancers turned as one man I.
| face US.
| I hope IL may never be your lot, m,
| dears, to meet and endure such a horri,
| glare of human ferocity .as that thes
wrought-up avengers of blood bent upol
US. Twas more unnerving than augh
shall judge for yourselves
The pause was brief. and when a lad raj
| up TO cut the thongs that bound us from
the middle up the torture play began Il
deadly earnest Whilst the Indian you'll