The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1916-12-28

The opening was scarcely two feet
square; evidently the aperture through
which the blacksmith emptied the
dirty water from his forge. But con-
querfng his repugnance, he lay fiat
and wriggled his shoulders in. A
wooden bucket, full Of water, stood
before the opening, on the inside; this
he pushed noiselessly away and
peered in just as the attention of
those within was drawn to the late
conner at the door,
There were four men now within
the shop, one unseen by the other
three.
He now had his first sight of Girty,
the last conner. David, his head level
with the stone floor of the shop,
solved the puzzle of Girty's noiseless
footsteps in the cOurthouse-not bare
footed, indeed, but shod with the 81
lent mOccasins of the Indian. Clad in
deerskin trimmed with buckskin tas-
sells; the hunting shirt covering the
powerful shoulders and deep chest of
giant, Simon Girty was man Of
sixty, seemingly, but his quick, bright
eyes, jet black, burned with the cold
fire of the lidless serpent's that never
grows old.
The two EngliShmen were silent be-
fore the malevolent challenge of his
gaze; not daring to be first to speak.
Gfrty stood swaying unsteadily in the
light of the forge. A stain of the juice
Of the tobacco was on his cruel lips.
"And who's this bag of bones?" he
asked CONTEMPORARY of the British
agent.
''This, Captain Girty, is a gentle
man who has preceded me from Eng
land on the same mission as myself
Mr.. Edward Scull."
At the name and at the sight of the
third man, who until now had been
concealed by Cranmer's portly figure,
David's teeth set and he trembled con-
vulsively, like a mastiff that sees his
enemy. Scull! The weaver who had
turned kings witness, the informer
against David's father! A horrid dry
ness stuck in David's throat and he
shook with an ague. When he lifted
his head again, he saw that the three
men had seated themselves in front of
the smoldering forge; for the night
had grown chill. Black shadows hung
in all the corners of the little room
and sat heavily upon the shoulders Of
the three men huddled about the
forge. Only the warm, red glow of
the charcoal set up a little sphere
of light and warmth. Girty was NUT
tering drunkenly to himself: "Seven
at Blue Licks two on the Maui
NEE scalpS than a redSkin
E. tibet lOng-ha'red gal :"
"See here, my fine friend" said
Scull sharply, 'never mind your
scalps. What is it that we are here
for. eh?"
Girty reused himself. 'Tell him,
Cranmer."
The bluff and kindly-faced farmer
seemed out of place il that devils
crew. But he began to speak cheer
fully.
VIGIL, ANcus III mere W you
an offer on the part Of the king, God
bless him! You have seen my creden-
tialS. 1t was my intention to go direct
to the tribes in the country, taking
plans of the garrisons with me, but
was to count you with us before 1
set out on my trip to the North. Our
comrade brings word from the great
chief of the Shawnees, Tecumseh,
that he is DESTROYS of forming a
league with his brothers of the South,
the Cherokees, the Chickasaws and
the Greeks.
"You, Ned, are man whom Eng
land needs. I am empowered to say
that If you will enter his majesty's
service you will be generously re-
warded. What success can you hope
for in this pauper nation? But Eng
land is a rich and powerful patron.
am a straightforward man, Mr.. Scull,
and 1 have no gift of argument,
but"
Scull held up a hand, commanding
a pause. He leaned backward and
piled the bellows upon the dying fire.
The glow leaped up again, and in its
glare David caught sight
of his face, struck out against the sur
shadows, like a face which
some dead master of the brush had
cruel, weak, contemp-
tuous. But his reply was never spo-
ken.
The cold chill of the stones on
which he lay had sunk deeper and
deeper into David's bones. With the
grip of desperation, he strove to hold
his teeth together, but in spite of
himself suddenly there burst from his
lips, with the staggering unexpected
ness of thunderclap, a paroxysm of
With a single leap, Girty had
reached the spot where David lay.
Davids head had vanished with an
even greater speed. But Girty's only
thought was to seize the wooden
bucket and dash its contents on the
fire, plunging the room into instant
darkness. David heard the sharp
of Sculrs command.
ave are watched. Go out at once.
Captain Girty, you will be the first.
Mr.. Cranmer, second, If you please.
I will follow"
The thing which David did then was
probably his salvation. 1t occurred
to him that his chance of meeting
Scun single-handed was greater IL he