Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-06-11

only IalS6 alarm. must see tulS redskin, and find out the truth - if possible" he added, meaningly. "In- dians have lied before" With cyni- cal smile that was half frown, he went to the hut where back in the semi-darkness lay the wounded sav- age, like wolf in his den, nothing seen but the fierce and glaring eyes.
 Meanwhile Owatoga stood at the edge of the small clearing, his eye intent upon the thicket.
 Winslow moved close to Lavender as he said: "Owatoga says that party of Osage Indians have planned to at tack Col. Boone's cabin tonight, They do not know of the presence of the rest of us, but are sure they have trapped the old man at last"
 And how did Owatoga learn this?" asked Lavender, and her voice was low and steady.
 Through this wounded man; he was to have been one of the attacking party"
 And why does he betray tho de- sign"
 For two reasons; he has discovered in Owatoga one of his own tribe, and well, he fancies himself in some sense indebted to me-" .....-.
 Then, seeing that she still looked puzzled: T might have killed him this afternoon, you know"
 Here Boone joined them. we must lose no time. am pretty sure he is speaking the truth. There seems no gain to him in warning us. We will leave him here. He says the red skins may come at any time. but it will most likely be after midnight. He will detain them as long as he can to give us chance to get away"
 Before they left, Winslow bent over the wounded Indian with word of farewell, to which he had for an- swer: "Yes. Menoka will live, and he will remember that one white breast had heart in It."
 Silently the party stole from the camp.
 ''To the north" was Boone's whis- pered command, and soon the forest hid them in friendly gloom.
 From Menoka they had learned that the attack would be from the river. Retreat that way, then. was cut of; they would have to make the journey overland. ='t'Ao" ~'7 ='- .
 --.
 After some time the noise of rifles echoed faintly in the hollow glen. Inc attack! It was true, then, what Me. noka had said.
 Lavender controlled the impulse to cry out, but her nerves, strained and tense as a lute string, snapped, and she was for a moment overcome with deathly faintness.
 Then fright lent her strength. and gave to her feet the speed of wings.
 Faster for space than the men could follow, she dashed blindly on.
 Boone overlook her. and laying one hand on her arm. said, kindly, yet with sternness: What? Will you lose heart and nerve at first sound! You could not continue this pace. and what then?"
 Winslow had come up, and to reas- sure her further, said: "Owatoga says that with our good start we need not fail. The osage promised to de- tain the party, or give them false trail"
 Boone put in grimly: All the same. we will lose no time"
 Lavender gave way to no more par oxysms of fear, but trudged along in patient silence.
 To Boone and Owatoga the trail was familiar, and they took the lead.
 Winslow ever kept beside her; his hand helping her over the rough places. The underbrush grew so close, 1t seemed they were piercing blindly what must lead nowhere. But always Owa- toga forced a passage. and they would reach an open prairie-its wild-fowers scattered about in the darkness, like drops from the milky way.
 The old pioneer kept a rugged si- lence. No longer host. entertainer. he was now the guide, the woodsman, in. a race with the forest devils" Every trained sense was alert with the extra effort which his years required
 Finally he suggested a naIt on the bank of a little creek.
 Here. in an abandonment of fatigue. threw herself on the ground her head resting on the earth-cIogged roots of an old tree.
 They dared not light q fire. and the two whom experience warned sat. grave. taciturn. anxious. in spite of the solitude. the seeming security. For Danel Boone and the Iudan knew that each tree-trunk might shelter a velvet-footei enemy. And. sobered by the danger, they sat tense and wary, watching
 But 10 Wlnslow and Lavender, se- cure through inexperience. the rest brought only blessed sense of physi- cal relief. The danger. seeming past. served but as q link to bring them closer together.
 Winslov threw himself down upon the gnsrlsd roots against which the girlish head rested. looking down upon her.
 The ungainly poke-bo1nst had been left behind spoil for the Indiana" and. less in the way. Ansricas ksr- chief bound the rsvvard Iocks Her dress vas torn at the neck. and an uuf~ -r-u-rl h..fo- .r. rrs~ -z1s