The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-06-04
CuAPTER III.

Frank mounted his horse and was
riding along in the direction OF
Helen's home, amusing himself by
thinking of how happily that day had
been spent one year before when she,
seated on the boulder by his side had
promised to marry him. He then ne
Elected upon the Colonefs cruel COM
mands, and while bordering over
these circumstances such an irresisti-
BILE desire to see Helen seized him that
he had almost concluded to visit the
stone mansion once more.
But, he was suddenly startled by
the appearance of a band of Indians,
all clad i'm war dress and bedaubed
with paint. 1t seemed that neither
party had anticipated the approach
of the other until suddenly confronting
on the top of small hill. BY the con-
fusion of the Indians Frank instantly
realized that something was wrong.
The band was led by old Saura who
advanced a short distance to meet
him, and, during their conversation
Frank noticed the uneasy manner of
the chief and his men, and also no.
ticed a peculiar object tied on one or
their horses. Old Saura told Frank
that he and his warriors We're on the
chase. During the halt Frank pulled
his horsSin the direction of the Pc
culiar object and the Indians, perceiv-
ing this, likewise led the horse on
which it was fastened in the opposite
direction. This caused him to regard
the object with more suspicion than
ever, and he asked the chief to tell
him what it was. The chief readily
replied that it was blankets and sup
plies they We're taking with them, but
Frank knew more about their customs
than to be put off in that manner He
then demanded the chief to prove that
the package contained nothing but
provisions and blonkets as he stated
by unwrapping and exposing it's con-
tents. His words We're hard and en-
phatic and, almost before he had fin
ished them, he heard the distinct
scream of a woman coming from the
direction of the peculiar package,
whereupon the Indians rushed upon
him and soon laid him insensible upon
the ground with their clubs.
BY this time Helen, who was
wrapped in the package. had torn the
blanket from her face and recognized
the person they had beaten as Frank,
and, thinking that he was dead, began
to scream frantically. Some of the In
dams rushed to her side and threat
ened to kill her.
xiii me- she pleaded. 81 would
be happier dead than alive"
me indians 1dDDered together a Few
seconds, gagged and bound her in the
blanket so tightly that she was near
ly suffocated. but she felt that even
the slow death of suffocation would be
a relief.
They then realized that their work
must be covered so as to escape de-
lection. and they concluded to dis
patch four of their party back to the
village to carry Helen and Frank.
Frank began to show signs of life and
they decided to keep both of them
prisoners for future developments
The remainder of the party con-
tinued sthe journey to throw any off
the track who might follow, and it
was on the next day that Colonel
Martin discovered the place.
The Indians whom Saura had dis
patched to carry the prisoners to the
camp arrived safely and confined Hell
Ell and Frank in different wigwams in
the middle of the village. In a few
days Franks wounds were healing
rapidly and he began to realize what
had happened. but he had not found
out that the peculiar package con-
tanned Helen. whom the Indians had
captured and We're carrying off.