The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-02-17
CHAPTER Xi-Continued.

when David reached his side his |
eyes were closed. Frantically 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 ell
bow and looked about with unseeing
eyes. he tried to rise farther, and
toppled over again, moaning.
Davids heart sank at the situation.
He found a sheltered spot in which to
build fire, and labored 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
his strength, and bore him to the spot.
,Blackford was now unconscious,
breathing with ste-torous grunts that
seemed to leave him weaker and weak
er. But there was nothing that David
could do, and having eaten his bit of
venison, he sat through the night with
his eyes fixed on the face Of the sick
Imam. lying in the faint and wavering
light of the little campfire, while the
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 come 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 1t, together with his
rifle and powder horn, within the hol-
low tree, frightened his belt and his
moccasins, and set off unhampered. A
hundred yards and he was lost to sight
in the forest.
An hour passed. The sick 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 at
1 1T 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, stormed;
and only the multitndinous jury of the
trees heard and Knocked him with their
silence.
1 A naked, copper-colored figure Gid
ed. noiselessly through the under
growth and crawled like serpent
toward the gesticulating mailman.
From behind fallen log its glittering,
evil eyes watched the drunken stag
gerings Of the sick man and glanced
murderously along the barrel of q Brit
4 dsh musket. The gun came to rest
4 over Ike's heart; the red finger on
/ the trigger was about to tighten. when
suddenly Ike drew himself to his full
1 height and began singing In his clear
| tenor:
Cheer, cheer, you shall not grieve.
A soldier true you'll nnd me.
All, non, non, non, pauvre Madelon
Would 60 with YOU ...t
The ambushed weapon sank again
uncertainty; into the glittering eyes
came o puzzled look; and then the
hidden savage rose with grunt or
understanding and strobe fearlessly
with lowered gun up to the singers
side. st
sHowr' came the cultural saluta-
- L eyes of the white man looked
fun at him without ray Of compre-
hension in their wild stare. A mo-
ment only Blackboard paused, and then,
turning his shoulder carelessly on the
warrior. resumed his song.
The Indian nodded Understandings.
@Ugh - he grunted. "white man big
Manitou! Make big medicine"
He glided of again into the forest
as noiseiessly as he came; and for q
while only the chattering of the SPUR
rels and the notes Of birds broke the
to the ground. And then, one by one,
there stole into the glade six naked
savages, their cheeks hideously daubed
with red and yellow ocher. their war.
bonnets nodding over their heads,
The one who had first discovered Ike
pointed to the figure on the grass.
.Big medicine" he grunted: INC
hurt"
They passed on to the north, in
single file. Behind them came the
other two Of the party, leading be
tween them girl whose face was
stained with weeping. whose dress
was torn and muddy with the march
whose knees faltered beneath her. But
relentlessly the march kept on: and
che sick man, raising his head weak