The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1916-10-20

seen, yet agreed to return here under
my leadership"
"Who is their chief?"
"Old Sequitah-you know him"
cay, real warrior. IT'S better than
dared hope. for have been in battle
with him before. Do you number a
hundredY
"And fifty more, though indiffer-
emily armed"
"And fifty more, though indifferently
armed. Never have 1 seen the Illini
in action, D'Artigny; they seem to me
poor lot, so frightened Of the wolves
as to be valueless."
$50 they are if left to themselves,
but under white leadership they stiff
fen. They will fight if given the In
dian style. They will never stand In
defense. but If we lead them to sur
prise, they'll give good account of
themselves. That is my plan. La For,
est-that we creep up through the
woods behind the Iroquois lines. They
will expect no attack from the rear
and will have no guard. If we move
quickly while it remains dark, we
ought to get within few yards Of the
| red demons without discovery. They
will fight desperately. no doubt, fol
their only hope of escape would be to
either plunge down the rocky banks on
either side, or cut way through. You
have been at the fort?"
''Twice before"
"Then you know the nature of the
ground. IT'S all woodland until within
few hundred yards Of the gates. You
recall the great rock beside the trail?
GAY and the view from the top"
"My plan would be to creep up that
far, with fianking parties on the slopes
below. In front, as you may remem.
| Der, there is an open space, then q
fringe Of forest hiding the clearing be,
fore the stockade. The Iroquois will
be gathered behind that fringe Of trees
waiting daylight. Is my thought right?'
Tile likely opOI.
"Then listen; l have thought this all
out. You and I, with Sequitah, will
take hundred of your Indians, cross
the small river. and advance up the
trail. That leaves fifty warriors to
creep through the woods on either
slope, twenty-five to side, led by your
two couriers du bois. We will wait at
the great rock, and give the signal"
La Forest stood silent a moment
thinking; then rested his hand on D'Ar.
tigny's shoulder.
at looks feasible enough, but the
flanking parties may not reach their
positions in time"
'The one from the west will not
have as far to travel as we do. The
other does not make so much differ.
ence, for If the Iroquois break they
will come in this direction-the other
side Of the trail is sheer rock"
"And what about the lady?"
81 shall go with you, messieurs,"
said quietly. 'There will be no more
danger there than here; besides, you
would not leave me alone without a
guard, and you will need every fight.
ing man."
felt the grip of Rene's hand, but ii
was La Forests voice that spoke.
"The right ring to that, hey, DAT
tigny! Madame answers my last ar
gument. But first let us have word
with the chief"
He addressed a word into the crowd
of indistinguishable figures, and an In
dian came forward. Dim as the light
was, l was impressed with the dignity
Of his carriage, the firm character of
his facial outline.
81 am Sequitah, chief of the Mas
coutins," he said gravely, "for whom
the white chief sent"
D'Artigny stepped forward, standing
as erect as the other.
"Sequitah is great chief" he said
quietly, "a warrior Of many battles,
the friend Of La Sale. We have
smoked the peace-pipe together, and
walked side by side on the war-trail.
Sequitah knows who speaks?"
1.-THE French warrior they call D'Ar-
tigny"
Right; it's not the first time you
and have met the Iroquois! The
wolves are here again: they have
burned the villages Of the Illinois, and
killed your women and children. The
valley is black with smoke, and red