Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-08-10
had that old 1ronside 1reton from whom

cupboard till l can't make out to hear
my brain a-szzling. Maybe you took
notice o me a-praying down Nonder
that the good Lord'd vouchsafe to give
us scalps and provender. For our on
faithfulness He's seed fit to withhold
the one; but maybe We'll find raven
r two. or a widders mite r meal bari,
somewheres in this bowling wilderness,
yit"
So saying. he summoned the Cataw-
ba with low whistle. and when I'm
canoola Joined us, told him TO stay
with Jennfer whilst we should make
another effort to find the ford.
There's nobody like an lnjun for
nuss when a mans chin-deep into
trouble" quoth this wise old woodsman,
when we We're feeling our way cau-
tiously along the margin of the swift
little river. If Cap'n Dick rips and
tears and pulls the grass up by the
! roots, the chief'll only say. 'Wah!' If
he sits up ans cusses TIL he's black IN
the face. the chiefl say Ugh! And
that's just about all man bankers
for when his sores a-running in the
night season, and all Thy waters have
gone over his head. Selah."
Now you are TO remember the sky
was overcast and the night WAS pitchN
, dark, and how the old borderer could
read a sign of any sort was far beyond
my comprehension. Yet when we had
gone a scant half-mile along the river
brink he stopped short, shifted the air
and stopped to feel and grope on the
ground like a blind man seeking for
something he had lost.
Right about here-away is where
they made out to cross" he announced;
! the whole enduring passed. of EN-. ez
I l reckon-our seven Narmints and the
! boss aptain's powder train. Give me
/ the heft o Your shoulder till we take
the water and projec' round spell
on t'other side"
4 We squared ourselves. wholly by the
sense of touch. with the rivers edge.
/ locked arms for the better bracing
against the swift current, and so es-
4 saved the ford. 1t was no more than
| thigh deep, and though the water
/ dashed and foamed over the shoal like
a torrent in food, there was a clean
bottom and good footing. Once safe
across we turned our faces down
/ stream, and in little time came to the
deserted glade with the embers of the
kidnapers' fire glowing duly in the
| midst.
Here sign of some later vistants
than Falconnets horsemen set us war
ily on our guard. The tepee-lodge of
dressed skins. which had been left UNI
disturbed by the sham rescuers, had
/, vanished.
'Umph. Ths redskins have been
back TO make sure o. what they left be-
H iing. that's hats jest est he one Thing was
a. hoping they'd forget to do. reckon
ez how that spiles our last living
! chance o finding anything that mought
help slack off on the belly-pinch."
SO he said, but for this once his wis
dom was at fault and tricky fortune
favored us. When we had found the
covert in the bushes whore the two
horses had been concealed we lighted
upon a precious prize. Twas bag
of parched corn in the grain. some
4 share of the provision of the captive
party overlooked by those who had
returned to gather up the leavings
With this treasure trove we made all
haste to reioin our companions And
now behold what miracle of reanima-
t ton may be wrought by few hand
fuls Of bread grain. In thrice the
: EC'atawba had found a water-wo
stone TO serve for q mortar, and an
: 81, her for a pestle These and the bag
] of corn were carried back to a shell
: tered ravine which we had crossed on
our late advance; and here the Indian
: fell to work to grind the corn into
Il coarse meal whilst Yeates and l kim
> died a fire to heat the baking stones.
. In these preparations for the break
: ing of our long fast even Richard be-
j, stirred himself to help; and when the
cakes were baked and eaten--with
5 / what Zestful sharp-sauce of appetite
:
we were all in better heart, and bet
$ ter able to face the new and far more
e desperate plight In which our lack of
e common foresight had entangled us.
g For now, since we knew the full
e measure of the peril menacing our dear
lady. there was need for swift deter
: mination and a blow as swift and sure;
o a coup de main which should atone in
one shrewd push for the sleeveless
9 failure of the night. So we would grip
), hands around, even to the stolid Indian
Il and swear "a solemn oath to cut the
d women out or else leave our bones TO
e whten in the forest Wilderness.
+ You'll laugh at ali these Vowings and
:. handstrikings, ] dare say, and protest
there was a deal of such fustian he
& roles IN your dodde,ing old chroncler's
Y, day.
, aiayhap there WAS. But, my dears
q would YOU might remember as YOU
: laugh that we of that simple hearted
Il elder time lived by some halfcenturS
nearer to that age Of chivary you dott
on-in the story books. Also, ! would
You might mingle with your meriimsn
+ !. little Of the saving grace of char
ity: letting il hint that, perchanee
i these you can '.he1oics" were but th'
e free, untlamnieled folk speech OF tina
e sincerer natural heart which you have
" learned to silence and suppress. Fo
~ dare affirm that now, as then and al
ways, there Will be some spark of thu
~ Prone: hean fire in every heart OF MAI
e or maid, else this would indeed be
rs sorry world to live in.
! So, as say, we four struck lland
: anew on the desperate venture; and
y after carefully burying the fire 10 Tn
5. end that it might not betray us Will
20 we slept, we burrowed in the neales
leaf bed to snatch an hour or two O
N rest before the tolls and hazards o
le the chase should begin afresh.
~ In the thick darkness following har'
upon the douting of the fire, saw no
ld who my nearest bedfellow might be-
az But ere 1 slept a k,nd was laid on m
10 shoulder, and voice that ! knew wei
as said: Are you waking yet, Jack? ?"
10 said ! was; and at that my poo
e; lad would b!urt out all his sorrow an
w shame for the mad fit of despair tina
$ had set him on to rail and curse me
y, You will say with good reason tina
10 am but a sorry Jockey for friend
y to fly out at you like a mailman as
We did he added. by way of fitting cpl
a. logue; and to this gave him the an
! swer he wished, bidding him never lie
10 a thought of IL spoil him of the rest
!, needed
T., H.. The debt of obligation and forgive
~ ness is all upon the other side, as yo
~ will some day know. Dick. nay lad
"a will. upon the inuendoedge of the con
u. fession he viii never make.
He mstook the pointing of this pre-
~. test, as he was bound to.
w. Never say that. Jack. 'Twoud h
~, a dog-in-t the inanger trick in me
~. blame you for loving her. And sine
- you speak of debts. do protest ow
-, | chance TO cut a clean sWath in tn:
-. fair month at AnrIekv Hnr