Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-07-23
the drone OF study:


me and drew blood"
Master, Nancy Green's eyes are
drawing blood on me this minutei"
In November there was haze over
/ the landscape like bloom on grapes.
Indian summer fingered. Settlers had
not then learned the Mississippi val
ley's sudden and bitter changes of eli
| mate.
Lincoln and Antywine were still alb
sent early in December, when Shick-
shack waited one evening behind
Minter Grayham's schooIhouse for
Peggy to come out. A jet of boys and
girls seemed to spout forth racing
! down to Rock Greek. They could
almost smell their supper johnny cakes
across the ravine. Peggy was hopping
briskly in the joyful midst of her
schoolmates, when she saw her foster
father reckoning her at the foot
of the bluff. She followed him.
Shickshack led her where there was
no path through ascending woods,
parting naked bushes for her, and help
ing her over fallen logs which had be-
come almost powder of fakes covered
with moss.
Where are we going?" she inquired
more than once.
But Shickshack made no reply until
he had put loop of deerskin around
him over his blanket, and lifted Peggy
on his back in this portable hammock
She was learning to use her lame leg
with stoical determination which the
New Salem doctor encouraged. Though
never without her crutch, she oftener
carried than leaned on 1t. Shickshack
was evidently undertaking a journey,
and she looked anxiously through the
woods as some flakes of snow melted
on her face, and UP at the void peopled
as by winged white insects
Father" said Peggy in the Sac
language, where are you taking me?'
ITO the young chief Yates" he
answered in English, trudging across
the ridge. sure-footed and muscular.
"But he lives far away and j won't
go! What will Antywine and MIR. Lin
coin say when they come homer"
"Antywine and the chief Abe on the
survey trail. They not here to stop
Pedro Lorimer. He get you this time. :
Has he come back again."
Shickshack grunted. s"At the Grove
two. four days. He tell the young
braves Black Hawk is on the war path.
Drive out old Indian! Burn his wig
wan! Old Indian help Black Hawk.
Me not need totem signs to find out
what he want. He say old Indian have
no business to keep white girl"
But, father, you cannot carry me
so far." Peggy strongly revolted. Sho
wept, shivering against his back. He
descended toward a darkened plain
without needing her arguments against
his course, except to assure her he in
tended to hire a horse at the first
cabin.
The sloughs were frozen, and frost.
blackeped grass crisped under his feet
Nowhere could any farmhouse light
be seen, and the gentle fiicker-like
insect wings had become driving
storm of snow. Shickshack found the
road stretching southwest toward Jack
sonville, and plodded steadily along
Jogging through an immensely of night
and cold and drifting whiteness. Peggy
ceased to beg that he would let heI
walk, and lepsed Into such drowsiness
that ne was Obliged to shake her when
r he set her down. BY this time the chill
windows were nearly to his knees
i Unsheltered by his body, she felt the
dry spume spinning in her face.
ME have to put you in the log to-
night" said Shickshack. Snow toe
bad to go farther"
Every new Salemite had heard of OF
seen the huge hollow log strangely
left upon the prairie beside that road
Once Sticky Green and another boy
belated on bitter night while search
ing for lost cattle had driven wild hogs
in its roomy hollow. It doomed white
ridge, higher than Peggy's head, Its
black opening already banked with
drift. Shickshack crawled in with his
knife unsjaeathed. A yelping, snarline
struggle was mufiled by the log, until
something dark leaped past Peggy. and
ran across the snow.
wolf" observed the Sac. Him not
like to leave him good bed"
Reluctantly. in spite Of the cold.
Peggy crawled past him into the deep
shelter. dragging her crutch- Her hand
touched something furry. and green
eyes sh OF flame at her. ShicksRack
hauled cub from its cushion of rotten
wood and threw 1t out after its mother.
Peggy was so drowsy that she re-
membered nothing further of the
night, except some noises at the open
end of the log.
When she awoke II was light enough
to see overhead the ridged vault OF
her wooden cavern. The snow cast
in pallid illumination. She sat up
and called Shickshack. He remained
in rigid attitude, with his back to
her, and his legs extending out under
white lapful. His arm was hard as
marble in her hand when she touched
him, and he did not turn his head.
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