Gilpin observer., 1915-11-11

ings as the flames licked his half
naked body. enjoying the anguish Of
the white prisoner.
Suddenly Tom felt his bonds give
way. He turned and saw the squaw
| whose papoose he had brought home
She had cut his ropes. AS in a flash
Tom darted to the fire that held the
I gun barrel, seized this now red hot
weapon and. brandishing 1t about his
head, defied the entire band of red
skins Four of them he felled with
the gun barrel, and the shrieks Of the
four in agony as the hot iron pierced
their flesh rent the air. In the midst
Of the excitement Tom dashed into the
forest
Into the dense thicket Tom plunged,
as he had been directed to do by Star
light. There he found Sally waiting,
mounted on the horse. To the horses
back, behind Sally, sprang Tom-and
away they flew, riding thus double
through the woods.
| Meantime the Indians had been
hunting for the fugitive. They now
spied him far away, winding in and
out among the trees. And once again
they dashed back to their village to
get their horses.
Onward rode Tom and Sally on the
fleet horse provided for them by Star
light. They reached the river On the
bank lay dense pile of dry brush.
Here, after looking back and hearing
his pursuers close upon him, Tom
flung himself from the horse and cried
to Sally:
"Dismount-hurry! Hide thers IN
that brush. And wait there for me.
will return. Quick now!"
Sally darted into the brush and out
of sight. Tom remounted his horse to
carry out a ruse which his quick mind
had conceived. He rode his horse into
the river and began swimming across.
The Indians arrived, saw their quarry
in midstream and rode their horses
into the water, passing the brush on
the bank without suspecting that Sally
lay hidden in the depths of the fallen
and rotting tree branches.
Reaching the opposite bank, Tom
now urged his horse onward through
the same side of the river and hurried
in pursuit. Ahead of him, Tom saw
that for which he was hunting, some
thing that represented the crucial
point in his ruse to evade his pur-
suers. 1t was the low-hanging branch
of tree. AS his horse passed under
this branch, Tom seized the limb and
pulled himself upward free of the
horse. And the horse raced on.
High up into the tree Tom climbed
And when the Indians, led by Swift
Wind, passed below, they failed to see
Tom peering down at them from one
of the topmost branches. The Indians
continued in pursuit of the runaway
horse, imagining that it still carried
Tom and Sally.
Tom now descended from the tree
and raced back to the river. Swim
ming across, he reached the brush
where Sally was hidden.
Come out, sweetheart" he called
Il reckon we've eluded them for good
and all. They are racing after my
runaway horse on the other side of the
river"
"My wonderful Toni" cried Sally
Your ruse has saved our lives"
There's not moment to spare,
however, Tom said. "They will quick
ly find my horse and return here, to
pick up our trail once more. Gomez"
Running now for very life, they soon
emerged from the forest and started
across the open plain toward another
stretch of forest on the opposite side.
Meanwhile, Swift Wind and his band
had found Toms runaway horse and
had returned across the river. Pick
ing up the trail now once again at the
pile of brush. they continued the pur-
suit. So that now, just as Tom and
Sally were nearing the second stretch
OF forest, the Indians emerged from
the woods behind them.
But now a miracle saved the fugi.
tives. The miracle was represented
by the laundering herd itself A small
herd Of buffaloes were dashing by in
stampede. separating Tom and Sally
from their pursuers
Those buffaloes will save us this
time beyond question" said Tom, Joy
fully. as he stood looking back at the
passing herd. "The herd will take an
hour or two. at least, to pass this
point. We shall now be able to get so
far ahead OF them that recapture will
be impossible"
So onward they hastened for the
rest Of the day Toward evening they
were making up their minds to choose
a resting place for the night when sud-
denly Sally cried:
Look. Tom. Isn't that the smoke
OF camp-fire?"
"Sure's you're born!" responded
Tom. Come! Let US investigate"
Cautiously they advanced toward
the glow and the smoke that was ris.
Ing to heaven. The time now was just
at dusk. Night would soon be upon