Tombstone epitaph., 1917-04-29
CHAPTER xI-continued.


 -7- When David reached his side his eyes were closed Practically he scooped up handful after handful of water from the nearest pool, dashed 1t in his face, then fell to rubbing his wrists and temples. And at last Ike moved feebly. lifted himself on his el- bow and looked about with unseeing eyes. He tried to rise farther. and toppled over again, moaning.
 Davld's heart sank at the situation. He found a sheltered spot in which to build fire. and Iabored with flint and steel till he succeeded in coaxing a blaze to live in the dry chips and tin- der he found in hollow tree. He lifted Ike in his arms, exerting all bis strength, and bore him to the spot. Blackford was now unconscious, breathing with stertorous grunts that seemed to leave him weaker and weak CT. But there was nothing that David could do. and having eaten his bit S venison. he sat through the night wTth his eyes fixed on the face of the sick man. lying in the faint and wavering OA tlit hllAc l-N black shadows of the forest closed them in relentlessly.
 At dawn Ike seemed to be sleeping more naturally. The Wabash must lie within a few miles to the west; there WAS the barest possibility that he might cone on some adventurous trapper there, floating down the stream with his load of pelts, who would lend succor. David took of his hunting shirt. hid IL. together with his rife and powder horn. within the hol- low tree, frightened his belt and his moccasins. and set of unhampered. A hundred yards and he was lost to sight in the forest.
 An hour passed. The sici; man stirred in his feverish sleep, raised himself up, and stared wildly about him. He rose to his knees weakly. caught sight of leafy bough nodding in the breeze and waved his hand al It in answer.
 Hello, Jack" he called feebly. Flows New York? Glad to see you come down on the coach?'
 He staggered to his feet and tot tered about the grass, shaking hands with imaginary friends. Another train of memory stirred in his delirious brain and he began pleading cause argued. clustered, entreated, storIned i; and only the multitudinOus jury of the trees heard and mocked him with their silence.
 A naked. copper-Solored figure gid ed nOiselesSly through the under growth and crawled like Q serpent toward the gesticulating madman. From behind a fallen log its glitt, ring, evil eyes watched the drunken stag gerings of the sick man and glanced murderousIy along the barrel Of Brit ish musket. The gun came to rest over Ike's heart; the red finger on the trigger was about to tighten, when suddenly Ike drew himself to his full. height and began singing in his clear tenor:
 Cheer. cheer. you shall not grieve,
 soldier true you'll find mel
 An, non. non, non, pauvre Madelon
 Would go with you
 The ambushed weapon sank again uncertainty; into the glittering eyes came a puzzled look; and then the B hidden savage rose with grunt of understanding and strOde fearlessly with lowered gun up to the singers side.
 sHowr came the guttural saluta- ton.
 The eyes of the white man looked full al him without a ray of coupre- hension in their wild stare. A mo ment only BlacEford paused, and then turning his shoulder carelessly on the warrior, resumed his song.
 The Indian nodded understandingly "Uga." he grunted. White man biz D.iitou, Make big medicine"
 He glided of again into the forest ss noiselessly as he came; and for 6 while only the chattering of the squlr rels and the notes of birds broke tht stiffness overhead. Ike had sunk to the ground. And then one by one there stole into the glade six naked snva-es, their cheeks hideously daubet with red and yellow ocher, their war bonnets holding over their heads The one who had first discovered Ik' |, pointed to the figure on the grass.
 Big medicine" he grunted; Ant hurt"
 They passed on to the north, il single file. Behind them came thu other two of the party. leading be tween them a girl whose face wa stained with weeping. whose dres vas torn and muddy with the march whose knees faltered beneath her. Bu relentlessly the march kept on; an IAe sick man. raisinS his head weak