Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-02-19
d. EN1ERSoN ffouGI


elect which man should live and which
should die-this woman. scorned,
abased, mastered? Neither of these
sought to read the riddle Of her set
face and blazing eyes. Each as he
might offered his soul to his Creator.
The hand Of Mary Connynge was
raised above her head Her face was
turned once more to John Law, her
master, her commander, her repudi-
ator. Slowly she turned the moccasin
over in her hand. The white bone fell
first, the red for moment hanging in
the soft folds of the buckskin. She
shook 1t out. 1t fell with its face near
ly parallel to the ground and alighted
not more than foot from the line, re-
bounding scarce more than an inch or
SO. Low EXPLANATIONS arose from all
around the thickened circle.
"As said, my friend" cried Sir
Arthur. II have won! The throw is
passing close for you
Teganisoris again caught Mary Con-
nynge by the shoulder, and dragged
her step or so farther along the line,
the two dice being left on the ground
as they had fallen. Once more her
hand arose, once more it turned, once
more the dice were cast.
The goddess of fortune still stood
faithful to this bold young man who
had so often confidently assumed her
friendship. His life, later to be so in
timately concerned with this same new
savage country, was to be preserved
for an ultimate opportunity.
The white and the red bone fell to-
gether from the moccasin. Had it
been the white that counted. Sir Arthur
had been saved. for the white bone lay
actually upon the line. The red fell
almost as close. but alighted on its
end. AS though impelled by some
spirit of evil, it dropped upon some
little pebble or hard bit of earth,
bounded into the air, fell, and rolled
quite away from the mark!
Even on that crowd of cruel savages
there came a silence. OF the whites,
one scarce dared look at the other.
Slowly the faces of Pembroke and Law
turned one toward the other.
''Would God could shake you by the
hand" said Pembroke. "Good-by."
"As for you. dogs and worse than
dogs" he cried. turning toward the red
faces about him, mark you! where l
stand the feet of the white man shall
stand forever, and crush your faces
into the dirt!"
Whether or not the Iroquois under
stood his defiance could not be deter
mined. With wild shout they pressed
upon him. Borne struggling and
stumbling by the impulse of a dozen
hands, Pembroke half walked and half
was carried over the distance between
the village and the brink of the chasm
of Niagara.
Until then 1t had not been apparent
what was to be the nature of his fate,
but when he looked upon the sliding
floor Of waters below him, and heard
beyond the thunderous voices of the
cataract, Pembroke knew what was to
be his final portion.
There was, at some distance above
the great falls, spot where descent
was possible to the edge of the water.
Pembroke's feet were loosened and he
was compelled to descend the narrow
path. A canoe was tethered at the
shore, and the face Of the young En-
lishman went pale as he realized what
was to be the use assigned it. Bound
again hand and foot, helpless, he was
cast into the canoe. A strong arm sent
the tiny craft out toward midstream.
The hands of the great waters
grasped the frail cockleshell, twisted 1t
about, tossed it, played with it, and
claimed it irrevocably for their own.
For a few moments it was visible as
it passed on down with the resistless
current of the mighty stream. Almost
at the verge of the plunge, the eyes
watching from the shore saw at a dis
lance the struggle made by the victim.
He half raised himself in the boat and
threw himself against its side. It was
overset. For one instant the cold sun
shone glistening on the wet bark of
the upturned craft. It was but a mo-
ment. and then there was no dot upon
the. solemn flood.