The Washington herald., 1912-04-21

All flH1t, sang our HdSuuBuouf a.
he swung himself to the soft earth, we
will camp under this noble arch, and l
know our dreams will be of elves and
fairies. for never have | seen a more
peaceful and spiritual spot in all my
| Lifetime. Let US tether the horses and
here cook an evening meal of elk and
! ground corn"
AS the party made preparations to
spend the night where they were, It was
plainly evident that the Indian guide was
laboring under some strange excitement.
His hand trembled as he unfastened the
saddle blankets on his lean horse, and
his dark eyes rolled furtively in every
direction. His bloodless cheeks were
heightened BY the color of a feverish
red, and his knees bent beneath him as
If he were staggering under a load Of
considerable weight. No one seemed to
notice this, and, when the water began
to boil in the little tin pot, which Sarnbo
deftly took from beneath his pack
equipment, a gentle repose came upon
all save the Shawnee brave. He still
stood looking about him in every direc-
ton, and, although Col Washington
asked him to seat himself upon the
ground, this he refused to do, saying
that his legs were cramped from riding
such distance and that he preferred to
stand.
!"HelloF said Tommy, as he rolled
himself IN his blanket with feet to the
FIRE. Did you hear the hooting of that
owl, Jackl II sounds to me like great
horned fellow, the kind we have some
times seen at Greenway Court during
the winter"
As he spoke, the long, low hoot of a
bird of some kind sounded through the
stiffness of the somber twilight, and its
note echoed down from the granite walls
of the natural bridge like the low tones
of an organ.
"A great horned owl" muttered Col
Washington, "and big one, too
But Sambo did not seem to like the
noise and loudly voiced his opinion.
Now, dat am a horrid sound for dat
ar bird to make dis time OBJ de night
l wish you would make dat Indian go
arter him and trow stone at him, for
eff he keeps dat up ! know dat Sambo
amt gwine to sleep dis tire evenin'"
'Hootl hootl hoot!" came from the
valley beyond the natural arch, and it
was answered by another voice far be-
low, in the direction from which they
had come from Greenway Court. Logan
was trembling violently, and so notice
able was it now that Col Washington
aroused himself from his blanket and
said:
"Come, Shawnee! What ails you that
YOU shudder thus? Methinks you must
be affected with the ague or a valley
fever"
NO, not so, palefsce," answered the
chief. again shaking as the somber noise
smote upon his ears. Il know what you
do not know. The spirits of my ances-
tors are about me here. II is Ogalla
who speaks from the darkness, and It is
Ogalla who bids me trespass not upon
his land 1t is not good that we are
here"
Rats" said Tommy. in a sarcastic
tone DO you think that you can make
an old ancestor out of spooky owl? ?"
"a youth is of timber tongue" con-
tinued the chief of the Shawnees. He
often speaks rash words, which he
would some time gladly recall. Young
men live, and they have much to learn
before they reach the age which have
come to"
A huttering sound could now be heard
from the trees far up the valley, but the
owl had apparently ceased its call, and
no sound save this disturbed the peace
of the quiet resting place. Sambo had
fallen asleep with apparently no thought
of the noise which had before disturbed
him. Tommy. too, was soon in dream
land, and when Jack and the huge Vir-
ginian colonel had begun to breathe
deeply, the Pickering FIRE lighted but the
gaunt form of the Indian as he sucked