Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-03-01

you Alice. ICu always do superb
| things You were born to do them.
You shoot Captain Farnsworth. you
wound Lieutenant Barlow. you climb
on to the fort and set up your flag; you
take it down again and run away with
it. you get shot and you do not die, you
kiss your lover right before a whole
garrison. Bon Dieu. If l could but do
all those things She clasped her tiny
bands before her and added rather de-
,ctedly:
"I;ut couldn't. couldn't. couldn't
kiss il man in that way"
Late in the evening news came to
Roussilon place, where Gaspard Rous-
sillon was once more happy in the
midst of his little family, that the In
,lian Long Hair had just been brought
10 the fort and would be shot on the
following day. a scouting party cap
tured him us he approached the town
bearing ut his belt the fresh scalp of
white man. He would have been killed
forthwith. but Clark, who wished to
avoid repetition of the savage venge-
ance meted out to the Indians on the
previous day. had given strict orders
that all prisoners should be brought in
to the fort. where they were to have
fair trial by .,lrt martial.
Both Helm and Beverley were at
Roussillon place, the former slipping
wine and chatting with Gaspard, the
latter, of course, lowering around Al
ice after the manner of hungry bee
around particularly sweet and deli
ciously refractory flower. 1t was rain
ing slowly, the fine drops coming
straight down through the cold, still
February air, but the two young peo-
pie found it pleasant enough for them
on the veranda, where they walked
back and forth, making fair exchange
of the exciting experiences which had
befallen them during their long separa-
ton Between the lines of these mutu-
nj recitals sweet. fresh echoes of the
old. old story went from heart to heart.
an amnb;pan love bout like that OF
spring birds calling tenderly back ana
forth in the blooming Maytime woods.
Both Captain Helm and Nj. Roussil'
lon were delighted to hear of Long
Hairs capture and certain fate, but
neither of them regarded the news as
of sufficient Importance to need mach
comment. They did not think OF telling
Beverley and Alice. Jean, however.
living awake in his little bed, overheard
the conversation, which he repeated to
Alice next morning with great circum-
stantiality.
Having the quick insight bred of
frontier experience, Alice instantly
caught the terrible significance OF the
dilemma in which she and Beverley
would be placed by Long Hairs sit'la-
ton. Moreover, something in her heart
arose with Irresistible power demand
ing the final. the absolute human SYM
pathy and gratitude. No matter what
deeds Long Hair had committed that
were evil beyond forgiveness. he had
done for her the all atoning thing. He
had saved Beverley and sent him back
to her.
With start and chill of dread. she
thought, What if it is already too
late?'
But her nature could not hesitate. To
feel the demand of an eXigency was
TO act. She snatched wrap from It's
peg on the wall and ran as fast as she
could TO the fort People who met her
fiying along wondered, staring after
her, what could be urging her so that
she saw nobody. checked herself for
nothing, ran splashing through the pud
dies in the street. gazing ahead OF her
as if pursuing some flying object from
which she dared not turn her eyes.
And there was indeed call for her
utmost power of fight if she would be
of any assistance to Long Hair, VINO
even then stood bound TO stake III the
forts area. while platoon of rliemen'
those unerring shots from Kentucky
and Virginia, were ready to make Il
target of him at Il range of but twenty
yards
Beverley. greatly handicapped by the
fact that the fresh scalp of a white
man hung at Long Hairs belt, had eX-
hausted every possible argument to
avert or mitigate the sentence promptly
spoken by the court martial of which
Colonel Clark was the ruling spirit he
had succeeded barely to the extent OF
turning the mode of execution from
toma ahawking to shooting. All the ofii-
GERS i'm the fort approved killing the
prisoner and it was difficult for Colo
mel Clark to prevent the men from
making outrageous assaults upon him,
so exasperated were they at sight OF
the scalp.
Oncle Jazon proved to be one of the
most refractory among those who de-
manded tomahawking and scalplng as
the only treatment due Long Hair. The
repulsive savage stood up before them
stolid. resolute. defiant. proudly tlaunt-
ing the badge which testified to his
horrible efficiency rs an emissary or
Hamilton. 1t had been left in his
belt by Clark's order as the best justi'
fication of his doom.
az me hack is head" Oncle Jazon
pleaded. 81 jes' bankers to chop a
hole inter it, An, besides. want is
scelp to bang uD wi mine an that n
O. tho lnjuS what scelped me-. he
kicked me in the ribs, the varmint.'
Beverley pleaded eloquently and we'll
but even the genial Major Helm laugh
ed at his sentiment of gratitude to Il
savage who at best but relented mt the