The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1917-05-31

thanking parties may not reach theil
positions In time"
"The one from the west will moi
have as far to travel as we do. The
other does not make so much diner
ence, for II the IrOquois break they
will come In this Objectionable other
side Of the trail Is sheer rock"
"And what about the LADY,"
81 shall 60 with you, messieurs,"
said quietly. "There will be no more
would not leave me alone without a
guard, and you will need every fight
Ing man."
/ felt the grip Of Rene's hand. but 1t
was La Forests voice that spoke.
1.-THE right ring to that, hey. DAT
tigny! Madame my last ar
gument. But first let us have word
with the chief"
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"
"The French warrior they call DAT
tigny."
Fright; tits not the first time you
and I 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
with blood. What says the war chief
Of the Mascoutins-wlll his warriors
fight? VIII they strike with us a blow
against the beastsT"
The chief swept his hand in wide
circle.
"We are warriors; we have tasted
blood. What are the white mans
words Of wisdom?"
Briefly, in quick, ringing sentences,
D'Artlgny outlined his plan. Sequltah
listened motionless, his face unexpres-
,ive Of emotion. Twice. confused by
ZONE French phrase, he asked grave
questions, and Once a courier du bCi>
spoke up in his own tongue, to make
The meaning clear. AS D'Artigny
ceased the chief stood for a moment
Iilant.
I'VE leap upon them from Govern
he asked calmly, land the white men
will sally forth to aid us?"
"'Tis so we expect-M. de Tonty IL
never averse to a fight"
II believe in the Iron Hand; but tbs
told me others command now. II they
fail, we are but few against many"
They will not fail. Sequitah: they
are F~renchmen."
The Indian folded his hands across
his breast, his eyes on the two men
facing him. There was silence, but
for the slight rustic Of moving bodies
In the darkness.
"SeQuitah hears the voice Of his
friend" he announced at last, land his
words sound wise. The warriors OF
the Ilini will fight beside the white
men,"
There was no time lost, although
know but little Of what occurred, be
Ing left alone there while La Forest
and D'Artigny divided the men. ant
arranged the plans Of advance. Tn,
dense night shrouded much Of thi,
hasty preparation, for all I could per
ceive were fitting figures, or the blacl
shadow OF warriors being grouped to
gether. I could hear voices, never loud
giving swift orders, or calling to Thu
or that individual through the gloom
A party tramped by me, and disap
peared, twenty or more naked war
riors, headed by a black-beardet
NAOhSuiiuhs UCuHiuS q iOnk tluC-tu'
detachment, no doubt, dispatched t
guard the slope east Of the trail. an,
hurried forth to cover the greater dis
lance. Yet these could have scarcel.
advanced far through that jungl
when the others were also In line. wait
ing the word.
The very silence In which all thi
was accomplished. the noiseless bodies
the almost breathless attention, scarce
ly enabled me to realize the true mean
ing Of 1t all. These men were goini
into battle, into a death grapple. The!
meant to attack five times their owl
number. This was no boys play; 1
was war, savage. relentless war. tn
stern horror Of II seemed to suddenl!
grip me "a with icy fingers. Here wa
what I had read of. dreamed of. beinI
enacted before my very eyes. I wa,
even q part Of Il. for I was going viii
them to the 6eld Of blood.
Yet how different everything VA
from those former pictures Of imagina
don. Than KaaL no noise. no sxcits