The Washington herald., 1912-04-07
Your dying but devoted friend,
LIONEL LOUGBORO."


read this touching appeal tears welled
into his eyes and rolled down his sun
burned cheeks.
Lionel Lougboro. Poor fellow!" he
said with feeling "Of course ] can
take the boy to live with me at Green
way Court. 1t is true that our families
have been close friends for many and
many year." Then he turned to the
bearer of the message.
Where is this boy?" he asked.
The boy is here" said the boatman,
and as he spoke, he walked back to the
as he ierked it aside, disclosed the body
of fair-haired youth, who, clad in a
neat suit of yellow buckskin, lay peace
fully sleeping in the bottom Of the craft,
Now" said Adam Poe, the school
master, "as our lessons are concluded
for the morning. | will take you boys
into the woods that you may fish for
trout in the Opequon and replenish our
larder which is sore in need of fresh
material, and | fear the scurvy il we
do not quickly dine off some newly killed
buck or fish from the crystal waters of
yonder stream"
I'VE will go Immediately" shouted
Young Jack Lougboro, 'and you,
Tommy. may take along my rifle with
yours while | carry the bait and tackle.
We may see bear or deer upon our
tramp and you may have an opportunity
TO slay one for evening meal"
He spoke to a sturdy youth OF about
his own age of fifteen years, who stood
near the doorway with his book of geog-
raphy. Tall, wiry and supple, he looked
the perfect picture of strength and agil-
ity. The son of frontiersman, living
in the next clearing toward the forks
in the trail which led BY White Post
Ia curiously large slab of wood driven
upright in the ground), Tommy Wal
lace was a much-beloved companion of
little Jack, the ward OF Thomas, sixth
Lord of Fairfax.
"Hurrahl shouted the jovial Tommy
we will have a great day of it by the
stream side, and as have. pail already
full OF worms and hoppers for Our hooks
you may be sure that we will come home
with far better luck than usual"
So saying, he tossed his book into
corner where it fell in a heap, and
ran hastily to a stone clubhouse used
for storing guns, fishing tackle, and in
struments for surveying this wild and
half-cleared wilderness. Meanwhile, the
good Adam Poe had carefully put aside
his own writing material, had drawn
pair Of stout boots upon his thin legs
and had thrown long. dark coat across
his shoulders. When Tommy returned
he found him busily fitting together the
parts of homemade fishing rod.
wall, wall" suddenly came voice
from the doorway of the room, "goin'
Geh,t, he Wall I taII ,,o,, ,,px., upt,
boys better be awful keerful how you
tread about in these ere woods at this
time for Lam bringing no good news
from far down the valley"
The boys both looked quickly at the
doorway and there beheld the gaunt
form OF thin and wiry trapper. Clad
i'll buckskin with a coonskin cap upon
his Aarge and rather oval-shaped head,
his tall form nearly touched the very
top OF the doorway. A rifle was in one
hand, while powder horn-much dis
colore6 by time and usage-hung by
stout cord across Hs shoulders. Two
dark and piercing eyes gazed upon them
from beneath his shaggy brows
And pray now who may you be who
brings us no good news from the from
tier" asked the schoolmaster, blinking
al the tall figure like an owl
The trapper smiled good-naturedly.
"Abiell Hite, my mother called me rlany
years ago before all of you were born,
| reckon. And Abiel Hite my name is
now, except that people hereabouts and
further on-he waved his hand toward
the mountains-call me Old Flintlock.
I'm trapper, trader, fisherman, an
hunter. Ny home is where | happen
tew strike, and ez | be here now | reck-
on it's here at present" -
We'll, well, Mr.. Flintlock," sad
Jack, what is this bad word you bring
us from the mountain?" >
The Wappitomicas are again OH the
warpath." e
Adam Poe sighed deeply and shud-
'dered while Tommy Wallace looked
furtively toward the forest
Yes" continued old Flintlock, "the've
been good now ever since we licked
'em well up on the Monongahela with
Col, Washington to help us out with his
Vaginny Rangers, and they made SOL
emn treaty with us not to do any fur