Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1904-06-30

/ ALICE Of OLD ]
q
8 VINCENNES !
4 By MAURICE THOMPSON !.
!
> Copyr:eEt. 1890 ty fhs EcT-IssEEEHiLE COMPANY


want to tell. Wen, tlen, don't tell ii.
Oncle Jazon and | VIII 30 it blind,
went we. JazonE
.Blind as two moles," said the old
man: but, as for thcr secret, he add
cd. winking both eyes ut once. Il don't
know as It's so mighty hard to guess.
It's always safe TO imagine woman
in the case. It's mostly worcn thet
sends men a-trOttin' OF bout nothin',
sort o. crazyIi;.c.''
Beverley looked guilty and oncle ia
zon continued:
"They's pooty sal 1t Xinconnes, an
see the your W'u a-sj,;s n into
her house about fifteen tine; a dly
fore lef' the place. Meb5c she's tuck
up Wi one o them i..i- i.sa officers.
Gals is slippery an onsar;in'."
"Jazon," cried Beyerl y, SOP that in
stantly. or I'll wiring your Old neck"
His anger was real. and he meant what
he said. He clinched his Ii nds and
covered.
Don't get mad at the old man." said
Kenton, plucking Beverley aside. Hes
yer friend from his heels to his old
scalped crown. Let him have his fun"
Then, lowering his voice almost to
whisper, he continued:
II was in Vincenncs for two days
and nights spyin around. Nine Godere
hid me In her house when there was
need of it. / know how it is with ye.
1 got all the gossip about ye and the
young lady, as well as all the informa-
ton about Hamilton and his forces
that Colonel Clark wants. I'm go.n'
to Kaskaskia, but l think it quite pos
sible that Clark will be on his march to
Vincennes before we get there, for
Vigo has taken him full particulars as
TO the fort and its garrison, and know
that he's determined to capture the
whole thing or die tryin'."
Beverley felt his heart swell and his
blood leap strong in his veins at these
words.
Il saw We while was in Vincennes,"
Kcnton added, ''but / never let ye
see me. Ye were a prisoner, and j
had no business with ye while your
parole held. felt that it was best not
to tempt we to give me aid or to let ye
have knowledge Of me while | was a
spy. | left two days before We did and
should have been at Kaskaskia by this
time If | hadn't run across JaZon, who
detained me. lie wanted to go with me.
and / waited for him to repair the
stock OF his old gun. He tinkered at 1t
tween meals and showers for half a
week at the Indian village back yonder
before he got it just to suit him. But
/ tell ye he's wo'th waitin' for any
length of time, and / was glad to let
him have his way"
Kenton, who was still q young man
in his early thirties, respected Bevcr-
ley's reticence on the subject upper
most in his mind. Nine. Godere had
told the whole story with lamboyant
embellishments. Kenton had seen Al
ice, and, inspired with the gossip and a
surreptitious glimpse of her beauty, he
felt perfectly familiar with Beverley S
condition. He was himself victim of
the tender passion TO tho extent OF be-
ing an exile from his Virginia home,
which he had left OH account Of dan
gerously woundlng n rival. But he
was well touched with the backwoods-
mans taste for joke and banter. lie
and Oncle Jazon, therefore, knowing
the main feature of Beverley's predIca-
ment, enjoyed making the most OF their
opportunity In their rude but perfectly
generous and kindly way.
BY indirection and impersonal de-
tails, as regarded his feelings toward
Alice, Beverley in due time made his
friends understand that his whole ans
bition was centered In rescuing her.
Nor did the motive fail TO enlist their
sympathy to the utmost. If all the
world loves a lover all men having the
best virile instinct will fight for n low
er's cause. Both Kcnton and Oncle ia
Zsn were enthusiastic They wanted
nothing better than an opportunity to
aid In rescuing any girl who had shown
SO much patriotism and pluck. But
Oncle JaZon was fond of Alice, AMI
Beverley's story affected him peculiar
ly on her account.
"They's one question I'm a-goin' to
put TO ye, young man." he said after be
had heard everything and they had
talked It all over, "an / want ye to an
swer il straight as a bullet fom yer
gun"
"Of course, Jazon. Go ahead" said
Beverley. 81 shall be glad to answer"
But his mind was far away with the
gold haired maiden In Hamilton's pris-
on. He scarcely knew what he was
saying.
Air ye expectin' to marry Alice
Rousslllonr
Beverley started as If blow had
been aimed at him. Oncle JaZon's
question indeed was blow as unex-
pected as It was direct and powerful.
81 know it's pooty p'inted," the old
man added after n short pause, "an' ye
may think thet ] amt got no business
| askIn' Il, but have. That leetle gals
pet o. mine, an I'm a-lookin' after
her an cxpectin' to see thet she's moi
| bothered by nobody who's not goin' to
do right by her. Margin is n mighty
'good thing but
Kcnton had been peeping under the
low hanging scrub oak boughs while
Oncle Jazon was speaking these last
words, and now he suddenly interrupt
| ed:
"Thc deuce. Look yonder!' he growl
ed out I'm startling tone. "Injunsw
1t was a sharp snap of the conversa-
tons thread, and at the same time our
three friends realized that they had
been careless in not keeping better
lookout. They let fall the meat they
had not yet finished eating and seized
their guns.
| Five or six dark forms were moving
toward them across n little point OF the
prairie that cut into the wood n quarter
Of mile distant.
"Ynnder's more OF en-" said Onclc
Jazon as IL not In the least concerned
wagglng his head In aR opposite direc-
ton, from which another squad was
approaching.
That he duly appreciated the situa-
tion appeared only In the celebrity wit
| which lie acted.
Kenton at once assumed command
and his companions felt his perfect &
ness. There was no doubt from a.
| first as 10. what the Indians meant. b.
even IL there had been 1t would Law
soon vanished. for In less than u.ry
minutes twcnty-one savagcs vcr
swiftly and silently forming circle 3
closing the spot where the three viii
men, who had covered themselves a