The Ordway new era., 1917-03-23
nr,esenndr. .f p,ttabursh. !

ten"
"Freneau is our greatest poet" SAID
Harrison. "Surciy his beautiful lines
on The Indian Burying Ground his
exquisite ode to The wild Honey
suckle,' and that matchless dfrge Tor
the dead who fell at Eutaw Springs
will live forever"
And In his deep and resonant voice,
his face shrouded in the shadows OF
the ysrnnda, he began to recite that
splendid elegy. For while no ope
spoke. Each was thinking of the
shadow of war with England that
seemed deepening with The days; OF
the Closer more terrible shadow OF
| the Indian.
Someone began to speak of Presl-
dent Madison's policy of diplomatic
correspondence with England. and his
attempts to settle the maritime dis
putes peaceably.
Spier Spencer, the hot-headed-Da-
yid's host at the tavern-was about
to reply that 1t was more intolernble
to endure the insults of Britain than
to plunge the country into honorable
WIT, when his young wife and bevy
of radiant women made n sudden rush
from within and the gentlemen were
led captive TO the great silver punch
bowl, where ofliciated grlnnlng,
ducking, beruflled darky.
David was swept into the midst of
n group of young people; but the chat
ter in his ears ceased, as far as he
was concerned, when he saw Toinette
radiant among the rest Ike Black
ford ioined them and when she had
heard what the men had been discuss
ing, the girl demanded why the two
had not yet Joined Spencer's company
of militia.
$50 you want us to get shot, do
you?" teased Blackford. 81 know
| that we're worthless pair, but
didn't think we were that bad"
"Stop being funny. Mr.. Blackford; 4;
l should think you two great, strong
men would be eager to enlist and help
drive out these terrible Indians for
good"
"Well, I'm as ready rs the next man
to have the Indians leave us In
|
I've never been n soldier and I don't
believe that I'd make n very good
one"
"Pshawl" cried Toinette indignant
ly. you're just as able to be SOL
tier as anyone In the territory. You
are, you know you are"
Measure is for our collins, David"
laughed Blackford. 1--WE may Just as
well give in to her first as last"
David laughed too. But he was ST.
lent, thinking more of Toinette's
words than of Blackford's. Ike con-
tinued his chatting:
| mo. we're neither of us soldiers,
David's fast becoming the merchant
Croesus of the West, and I'm law
yer, though I'd hate to have the late
lamented Blackstone hear me say
that. He'd roll over. I've spent the
best years Of my young life cooped
up In Judge Ford's office in Norris
town, wrestling with McNally's
Rules Of Evidence" when l should
have been shedding luster over the
social life of New Jersey, and don't
feel as If 1t would be right for me
to throw away all this mighty erudl-
ton Just to give some red-skinned
gentleman the pleasure of wearing
the scalp of future chief Justice
Mt his belt, or even the pleasure Of my
acquaintance. l expect to have very
few clients among our red brethren,
very few. Somehow, they seem to
prefer retaining a hatchet, rather
than hatchet-faced attorney,
Though, for the matter of that, l
don't believe l can blame them. Judge
Hurst tells me that in spite of all of
Governor Harrison's efforts to put the
little unpleasantries of the frontier
to decision by the courts, there hasn't
been one white man hanged for the
murder of an Indian since the terri.
tory was begun. and that there never
will be.
"But seriously, Miss OBannon"-
Blackford went on-"there can't be SO
great a necessity for drilling around
with a lot Of militiamen just now,
can there? They make me think of
falstaf's opinion of his ragged re-
cruits: I'll not march through Coy-
entry with them, that's fiat"
Necessity" cried Toinette. "oh.
you haven't been here long enough to
near the reports of all their erueltiesI
haven't you talked with any Of these
backwoodsmen whose families have
been cut down and massacred and
tortured? But l don't care-go on
ana practice your old lawl Therell
De plenty of other lawyers to shoul-
der gun. If they get killed therell
De Just that much more chance for
you to succeed.~
Biackford WINGED. Toinette was 30
dangerously near angry tears that he
was sorry he Ind jested as he had.