Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-04-07
9copyright. 1909. 0y Emerson Hourh.l
CHAPTER XxNII.
THE IROQUOIs.

4 terruption A halt-scOre yards deeper
i in the wood there arose a sudden, half
choked cry, followed by a shrill whoop
/ There was crashing as OF one run
! ning and Immediately there pressed
4 into the open space tie figure Of an
indian, an old man IRON the village
IF the Illini. Even as his staggering
1 footsteps brought him within gaze the
TWO startled observers saw the shaft
which had sunk deep within his breast.
He had been shot through BY an In
dian arrow, and upon the instant it
was all too plain whose hand had sped
the shaft Following close upon his
heels there came a stalwart savage.
whose face, hideously painted, appeared
fairly demoniacal as he came bounding
on with uplifted Ratchet, seeking to
strike down the victim already impaled
by the silent arrow.
Quick" cried Law, in flash catch
ing the meaning of this sudden spec
tacle. Into the fort, Sir Arthur, and
call the men together"
! Not stopping to relieve the struggles
Of the victim, who had now fallen
forward, gasping, Law sprang on with
drawn blade to meet the advancing
! savage The latter paused for an I'M
certain moment, and then with a shrill
4 yell of defiance. hurled the keen steel
Ratchet full at Laws head It shore
away a piece of his hat brim, and sank
with edge deep buried in the trunk of
a tree beyond. The savage turned. but
| turned too late. The blade of the
swordsman passed through from rib
to rib under his arm. and he fell chok-
ing, even as he sought again to give
vent to his war cry.
And now arose in the woods beyond,
and in the fields below the hill, and
from the villages of the neighboring
Indians, a series of sharp, unduIating
yells Shots came from within the
fortress, where the loop-holes were al
ready manned. There were borne from
the nearest wigwams of the Illini the
screams of wounded men, the shrieks
of terrified women In an instant the
peaceful spot had become the scene of
a horrible confusion. Once more the
wolves of the woods, the Iroquois, had
/ fallen on their prey
Swift as had been Laws movements.
Pembroke was but pace behind him
as he wrenched free his blade The
two turned back together and started
at speed for the palisade. At the gate
met others hurrying in, Penn
] broke's men joining in the. rush of the
frightened villagers. Among these the
/ Iroquois pressed with shrill yells, ply
ing knife and bow and Ratchet as they
ran, and the Mortified eyes of those
within the palisade saw many a trag-
edy enacted
Watch the gatei" cried Pierre NOR,
from his station in the corner tower.
AS he spoke there came rush of
screaming Iroquois, who sought to gain
the entrance.
'.Now," cried Pierre Noir, discharg-
ing his piece into the crowded ranks
below him; and shot after shot fol-
lowed his own The packed brown
mass gave back and resolved itself in
to scattered units, who broke and ran
for the nearest cover.
They will not come on again until
dark" said Pierre Noir, calmly, lean
ing his piece against the wall. There
fore may attend to certain little mat
ters.'
\ He passed out into the entrs way,
where lay the bodies of three Iroquois,
abandoned, under the close and dead
i ly fire, by their companions where
they had fallen. When Pierre Noir re-
turned and calmly propped up again
{ the door of slabs which he had re-
moved. he carried in his hand three
tufts of long black hair, from which
dripped heavy go rs Of blood
Good God. mani said Pembroke.
You must not be savage as these In
\ dians.'
Speak for yourself. Monsieur An
i glais, replied Pierre, stoutly You
need not save these head pieces if you
do not care for them. For myself, It's
part of the trade
sAssuredly, broke in Jean Breboeuf.
We keep these trinkets. we voya-
geurs of the French. Make no doubt
tltct JSch olCUOCuI Will ldAG DdCA
with him full tale of the Indians
he has killed. Presently go out.
Zipi goes my knife, and off comes the
topknot of Monsieur Indian, him !
I killed but now as he ran. Then shall
dry the scalp here by the fire, and
mount it on bit of willow. and take
it back for a present to my sweetheart
Susanna Duchene, on the seignieury
at home.
Bravo, Jean!" cried out the old In
dian fighter, Pierre Noir, the old bare
sark rage of the fighting man now ris-
ing hot in his blood And look!
Here come more chances for our little
ornaments"
Pierre Noir for once had been mis-
taken and underestimate the courage
OF the warriors Of the Onondagos.
Lashing themselves to fury at the