The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-11-05
CHAPTER III-COntiuned.

IL was the general opinion in the viii
lage that Don Pedro Lorimer had
done it." Why he should put him
self to the Inconvenience of trying to
carry off such poor little thing many
declared they could not understand.
All day Lincoln was visited at the
store by inquiring friends, who sat
on counters and salt barrels and inter-
rogated him about his nights ride.
He joked, as any man among them
would have done about the hard serv-
ice taken out of borrowed horses, in
stead of dwelling on the Indians af-
Lincoln had the strength of three ordi-
nary men.
II allow said one of the Carolina
settlers, "that it was an ornary trick
of one of them Grove boys"
81 guess you are wrong there put
boys know better than to pick the runt
out of a litter If one of them want
ed to steal a girl he wouldn't go so
nigh the tavern and stop on the out
side''
The outrage was resented as a mu-
nicipal indignity, whoever had at
tempted it; but it stirred less resent
ment than it would have stirred had
any other young maid in New Salem
been the sufferer. It was talked about
fortnight with Zest and much repe-
tition. BY the end of a month it was
still good material, when women took
their knitting and visited one another
OF afternoons. But by muster day
other slow happenings had covered it.
It Sally knew more about it than
any one else, she kept the secret. The
Sac brave often fixed his eyes on her
with speculation in them.
I'm my tribe" he said once to Lin
coin, "a warrior can take tent-pole
and beat his squaw, or he can give her
plenty goods and drive her out Of his
WlgWam. But me marry white woman;
me have to stand her like white man."
He was at first concerned, and ques-
toned Peggy about the loss of her
wooden leg.
Il will not wear it, she repeated
stubbornly. ut hurt, and I threw it
away"
She hoped about the street on her
crutch, which Ann Rutledge had found
by the hand-mill the night the alarm
was given, her injured leg hanging
straight beneath the deerskin gar
ment. Some change in her was no.
t1ced, even by her schoolmates.
who cut Peggy shickshack's hair,
Viane Rutledge?" inquired Nancy
Green, when the girls sat outdoors with
their dinner reticules the first warm
day. The budding woods were then
alive with bees
"Ann," responded AIMS younger Sis
ter, with asperity 1--WE have her tag
ging to our house all the time, now.
l allow the Indians might as we'll
move in with us
'Shickshack's wife doesn't visit the
neighbors, does she?"
mo. She stays at home and heats
water to scald the boys with"
Peggy looks nicer with her hair cut
straight around below the ears and
combed smooth. And I am glad she
lost her wooden leg when Satan or
something tried to carry her off,
my brother Red" exclaimed Mar
tha Bell Clary, told me the horse
blanket that was throwed over Peggy
Shickshack that night smelt of brim-
stone!"
'Your brother Red" retorted Nancy
Green with impatience, "gets threat
ened with birthstone so much in meet
ing that he smells it on everything!"
"Well, how do you suppose the boat
AntyWine La Chance went down the
river in, got back to the mill by morn
ing, when he rode home on horse
back?'
"Antywine brought it back himself.
Part of the way he pulled the boat.
and part of the way he rode horseback.
You get such stories in the Grove!"
said Mahala Cameron.
Martha Bell wagged her head and
looked at Peggy, sitting apart, eating
wi IL ~ CcIo LII OOllCuuS. one WAS glad
to be Martha Bell Clary instead Of
Peggy Shickshack. None of the girls
meant to be cruel. They wished Peggy
we'll, but made her understand she was
not as other daughters of New Salem.
1--WE all thought she was queer be-
fore we found out she was a Spaniard "
said Martha Bell.
you'd be queer, too," exclaimed
Nancy Green, eff you'd been born a
Spaniard and raised among the Sacs.
and dressed always like a squaw.''
But I wasn't"
Peggy can talk the Sac language
just like Shickshack," remarked Ma
hala. Lets get her do it for u.s."
"Shicl1shack won't let her." objected
Ann Rutledge's sister. "He wants her
to learn English. He says she learned
to speak English in year,
"Humph!" commented another of the
group, resentfully; 'the master shows
Partially to Peggy Shickshack, so he
Dies. h11f T vyo,,1d,,+ h. H..