The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-04-11
goner. anyway" But the other re-

So"SA' o"y"o1' us ehS o'AeA ~
piled:
I'll not leave you Don't give up.
Keep up your heart and Wen beat
them yet"
Bigfoot. feeling sure Of his prey,
had slackened his pace for the others
to overtake him. and tho four together
were coming on rapidly. John now de-
termined on the only plan which
might possibly save them both. He
said to Stephen:
I'VE must separate. As we pass the
big hickory, you bear to the right
while 1 go to the left. Bigfoot will
follow me. and you can outrun the
others. When you strike the clearing.
yell to warn the women. Ill do the
same. Go 1t, now, and do your BEST"
This plan gave tho boy new hope.
for Bigfoot had been his especial ter
ror AS he thought, too. Of his moth
er and sisters. and their danger. he
sprang forward from the big hickory
and ran bravely.
The savages paused a moment. and
then. as John had foretold, the big
Indian took the left course. followed
by the swiftest of the others.
Then begins the real test between
neither Of whom ever before found his
match.
The space between them does not
grow less, and to the Indian, who
had expected an easy victory, this is
maddening. John hears him mutter-
ing curses in his own language. Then
he calls in broken English:
white man. stop talk; me no
kill"
But to all appearances the other
hears not. Tho Indian leaps and
IL hut "a
he gain. The long quick steps Of the
white man have the steady movement
of an eagles wing; they flag not. nor
does he turn his head till he has
leaped the fence and given the prom
Used yell. Almost on the instant he
hears the whiz Of a bullet and the
crack of Mary's rifle. The ball grazes
a tree behind which the Indian has
suddenly skulked. really lodging .
shot truly aimed. Then. with a cry
Of bafied rage, he springs into the
forest and Is seen no more.
When Stephen left his brothers
side, he felt that he was put upon
his mettle as never in his life before.
He had recovered his second wind"
the swiftest Of the Indians had gone
the other way, and he had great hope
that he could win the race. He must
win. for II John should fail, who but
himself could warn the people OF the
fort
Left alone. he suddenly became
cool. calculating. and self-reliant. Be-
turned suddenly behind this. as
though seeking to hide along a ra-
vine which bore away to the right,
and as quickly again resumed his
course. The Indians were deceived.
and turned. as they supposed. to cut
him OF. and by this he gained con-
siderably.
Then. in plain sight. he took
curved path. knowing that across the
shorter way were many trailing vines
and low shrubs. In these the foremost
position in the race.
And now the lad had only to make
a supreme effort. the clearing was in
sight; he heard his brothers voice.
and the report of his sisters rife. All
was we'll. and he would have gone
unscathed. but in leaping the fence
he tripped and fell headlong. AS he
rose and started forward. the FORE
most Indian threw . tomahawk. the
while the handle struck his head,
stunning him. and he fell again.
The savage. eager to secure a scalp
and recover his weapon, sprang over
the fence, unaware Of the risk he
was taking. for BY this time John had
given the point Of his brothers ap-
proach. and the brave mother was on
the watch. The Indians feet had but
touched the open ground when she
drew . bead upon him. and as he
paused to draw his scalping-knife the
He fell at Stephens feet. MORALLY
wounded. and died in a few mo-
ments.
The mother began reloading her
piece. I'VE may need another bull
let" she said. as she rammed one
home" Help the boy in. and I'll
keep an eye on the woods"
But no other foe appeared. and
Stephen. whose wounds though bleed
ing and painful were not dangerous.
soon was resting on . couch before
the IRE.
In the meantime the sound Of guns
fort. John wished to organise a party
at once and pursue the Indians. but
tho older and more prudent objected.
The mother said:~
NO. that IL Just what they will ex-
pect you to do. They will lead you
q long and useless chase. or else they
will wait for you in ambush. We
have no lives to spare. and nothing to
avenge. We're Christians and not saw
ages. and we've every reason tonight
to be thankful we're alive. want
you to bury the one shot to save
my boy, his scalp on his head and
his weapons with him. Bury him In .
corner Of the clearing and put up .
bit OF . slab to mark the spot"
Some frowned at this. but 1t was
done a. she had said.
(CoF1fiGht M HsspI md RuthaAl