Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-03-20

bewildered major, whose first words on entering the hut gave rise to
 wonderment in the eyes of most of
 his hearers, and to an impulsive re-
 ply from the lips of Mrs. Hay.
 q warned the general that girl
 would play us some Indian trick,
 but he ordered her release" said
 Flint, and with wrathful emphasis
 came the answer. .1
 'The general warned you this girl
 would play you a trick, and, thanks
 to no one but you, she's done it!"
 Then rising and stepping aside,
 the, long-suffering woman revealed
 the palid, senseless face-not of the
 little Indian maid, her shrinking
 charge and guest-but of the niece
 she loved and had lived and lied for
 many and trying years-Nanette La
 Fleur, long-lost sisters only child. So Blake knew what he was talking about that keen November morning among the pines at Bear Cliff. He had unearthed an almost forgotten legend of old Fort Laramie.
 "Who could have done it?" asked Flint. It was inconceivable to Dr. Walters mind that any one of the sol diery could have been tempted to such perfdy for an Indians sake. There was not at the moment an In- dian scout or soldier at the post, or an Indian warrior, not prisoner, un- accounted for. There had been half breeds hanging about the store prior to the final escapade of Pete and Cra- paud, but these had realized their un- popularity after the battle on the Elk, and had departed for other climes. Crapaud was still under guard. Pete was still at large, per chance, with Stabber's braves. There was not another man about the tra- der's place whom Flint or others could suspect. Yet the sergeant of the guard, searching cautiously with his lantern about the post of Number Six, had come upon some suggestive signs. The snow was trampled and bloody about the place where the soldier fell, and there were here and there the tracks of moccasined feet those of young woman or child go- ing at speed toward the hospital, run ming probably, and followed close by a moccasined man. Then those of the man, alone, went sprinting down the bluf southeastward over the flats some distance south of the Fosters doorway and up the opposite bluff, to a point where four ponies. shoeless, had been huddled for as much, per haps, as half an hour. Then all four had come scampering down close to- gether into the space below the hos pital, not 50 yards from where the sentry fell, and the moccasined feet of a man and woman had scurried down the bluff from the hospital win dow. to meet them west of Fosters shanty. Then there had been confu- sion-trouble of some kind: One pony, pursued a short distance, had broken away; the others had gone pounding out southeastward up the slope and out over the uplands, then down again; in wide sweep, through the valley of the little rivu- let and along the low bench south west of the fort, crossing the Rock Springs road and striking, further on, diagonally. the Rawlins trail. where Crabb and his fellows had found it and followed.
 But all this took hours of time, and meanwhile. only half revived, Ma nette had been gently, pityingly borne away to a sorrowing woman's home. for at last it was found, through the thick and lustrous hair. that she, too, had been struck . harsh and cruel blow; that one req son. probably. why she had been able to oppose no stouter resistance to so slender a girl as Esther Dade was that she was already half dszed through the stroke of some blunt, heavy weapon. wielded probably by him she was risking all to save.
 Meantime the major had been pur- suing his investigations. Schmidt. the soldier sentry in front of Moreau's door. simple-hearted Teuton of ire prosehable character. tearfuly pro- tested against his incarceration. He had obeyed his orders to the letter. The major himself had brought the lady to the hospital and showed her in. The door that had been open, permitting the sentry constant sight of the prisoner. had been closed by the commanding officer himself. Therefore, it was not fer him, pri- vste soldier. to presume to reopen it. The major said to the lady he would return for her soon after ten. and the lady smilingIy Schmidt did not say how smiIingly-how bewitching- ly smilinsly. but the major needed uo reminderl thanked him. and said. by that time she would be ready. Tn a few minutes she came out, saying idOubtIess with the sane bewitching srnile) she would have to run over home for something. and she was gone nearly half an hour. and an that lime the door was open- the prisoner Dn the he'd in his blankets. the lamp brightly burning ft was near tattoo ~he1 she returze6- vith some things