The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1907-01-03

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our pace we may oyertnke them"
mo- they are on their guard now
Lie here behind the fallen log. and W
SHAH see II we can catch glimpse o
them"
A great rotten trunk, all green wit
mold and blotched with pink and pun
pie fungi, lay to one side OF where the,
stood. Behind this the Frenchma,
crouched. and his three companion
followed his example. peerlng through
the brushwood screen In front OF them
Ten minutes passed, and there wa
no sign Of any living thing benin,
them.
"They are over in yonder thicket,'
whispered Du Lhut.
Have you seen themY'
"No."
"How do you know. them"
81 saw a squirrel come from his
hole In the great white birch tree yon
der. He seuttled back again rs II
something had scared him. From his
hole he can see down into that brush.
wood"
"Do you think that they know that
We are here?"
They cannot see us. But they are
suspicious"
''Shall we rush for the brushwood ?"
'They would pick two of MS Off and
BIC gone like shadows through the
woods. No; we had best go on our
way"
But they will follow us"
Il hardly think that they will. We
are -four and they are only two, and
they know now that we are on our
guard. We must push on fast now,
for where there are two lroquois there
are likely to be 200 not very far Off.
All, here is the Ajdaumo creek, where
the Indians set the sturgeon nets. II
is still seven miles to Poitou.'
Eve shall be there before nightfall.
thenf'
II think that We had hest wait ~,
nightfall before we make our way In,
Since the Iroquois scouts are out rs
far as this 1t Is likely that they lie
thick round Potion, and we may find
the last step the worst unless we have
care" He paused moment with
slanting head and sidelong ear. "By
Ste. AnneI" he muttered. 1--WE have not
shaken them Off They nre still upon
our trail"
"You hear themf"
"Yes: they are no great way from
us. They will find that they have fol-
lowed us once too often this time.
slip or your moccasins monsieur"
DE Catinat pulled of his shoes as
directed and Du Lhut did the same.
Put them ON as If they were
gloves" said the pioneer, and an In
slant later Ephraim Savage and Amos
had their comrades shoes upon their
hands.
"You can swing your muskets over
your back. So! Now down on ali
tours, bending yourselves double. with
your hands pressing hard upon the
earth. That Is excellent. Two men
can leave the trail OF four. Now come
with me, monsieur"
He fitted from tree TO tree on line
which was parallel to but few yards
distant from that OF their comrades
Then suddenly he crouched behind
bush and pulled De Catinat down be
side him.
"They must pass us In few min
utes," he whispered. 'Do not fire II
You can help It," Something CLEANED
In Du Lhut's hand, and his comrade
CHANGING down. saw that he had drawn
keen little tomahawk from his belt
Suddenly he saw something move. II
fitted like n shadow from one trunk
to the other, so swiftly that De Catinat
could not have told whether II were
beast or human. And then again he
saw II, and yet agnin. sometimes one
shadow, sometimes two shadows. Then
for n few moments all was stiIl once
more, and then In an instant there
crept out from among the bushes the
most terrible looking creature that ever
walked the earth-an lroquols chief
upon the war trail.
He was a tall, powerful man. and
his bristle OF scalp locks and eagle
feathers made him look like a giant In
the dim light, for good eight feet lay
between bis beaded moccasin and the
topmost plume OF his hendgear, One
eide OF his face was painted In SCOT,
ocher and vermilion TO resemble a dog
and the other half as fowl His gun
was thrown forward and he crept
along with Blended knees. peering, lis
tenlng. pausing. hurrying on, breath
Ing image OF caution. Two PAGES be
hind him walked a lad OF fourteen.
clad and armed In the same fashion.
but without the painted face
They were Just abreast 81 the bush
when something caught the eye ~ the
younger warrior. some displaced twis
or futterfng leaf. aud he paused. with
suspicion In every feature, Another
instant and be had warned bis com
panlon, but Du Lhut spTang ont aud
buried his Ratchet In the skull Of the
older warrior. DE catlnht heard a dull
crash. M when an AZ splinicrs It's way
into a rotten tree. and the man fell
like log. kicking and striking with
bis powerful limbs The younger war
rior sprang like deer over his fallen
coFnrade aud dashed on Into the wood
But ~ instant later there WAS a gun
shot among the trees In front. followed
by a faint wail!ng cry.
That Ia bis death wboop." said Du
Lhui eofuDosedly
A be spoke the two Others came
back. Ephraim rammlng fresh charge
into his uusket