The Rock Island Argus and daily union., 1922-02-17
GO ON WITH THE STORY.

At sunset Dave knew that they
we're not far behind him. but when
darkness hid the lads tracks Dave
stopped for the night.
Dave laughed aloud the next
forenoon:
He's seen us tracking him and
he's doubled on us and Is tracking
US. / expect he's looking at us
from somewhere around here"
He hallooed at the top of his
voice A war-whoop answered al
most in their ears that made the
blood leap in both the boys. Even
Dave wheeled with cooked rife, and
the lad stepped from behind a bush
scarcely ten feet behind them.
Wei, by gum" shouted Dave,
| fooled US, atLer all.
| A faint grin of triumph was on
| the lads lips, but in his eyes was
waiting inquiry directed at Harry
and Hugh. They sprang forward:
We're sorry!"
On Fireny, Harry buckled the
boys saddle and motioned for him
| to climb up.
Hes your horse, cousin" said
Harry. My father sent him to you
| anu Says HIS AOuS 10 SOuA D "hS44
ever you please. And Barbara sent
! her love-
At almost the same hour in the
great house on the James the old
negress was carrying to Colonel
Dale a kingly deed that the lad had
left behind him. 1t was a rude
scrawl on a sheet of paper, signed
by the boys Indian name and his
I L. hyr
an arrow.
1T make me laugh. l have no
use. l give hole dam plantashun
/ Barbara
Thus read the scrawl!
TX.
Three days later they reached
the broad, beautiful Holston River,
passing overthe pine-Crested, white
rocked summit OF Clinch Mountain,
and came to the last outlying fort
of the western frontier. Next day
they started on the long. long will
derness trail toward the Cumber-
land range. On the third day there
from the gray wall of the Cumber-
land gathered its fianks into steep
gray cliffs and dipped suddenly
suddenly into Cumberland Cap.
Up this they climbed. On the sum
NIT they went into camp, and next
morning Dave swept a long arm
toward the wild expanse to the
west
-Four more days" he cried, "and
we'll be therei"
Toward sunset Dave. through a
sixth sense, had the uneasy feeling
that he was not only being followed
but watched from the cliffs along
side, and he observed that Ersklne,
too. had more than once turned IN
his saddle or lifted his eyes search
ingly to the shaggy flanks OF the
hills.
The trail was broad enough next
morning for them to ride two
abreast-Dave and Erskine in adj
vance. They had scarcely gone a
hundred yards when an Indian
lstepped into the path twenty yards
ahead Instinctively Dave threw
his rife up, but Erskine caught ms
arm. The Indian had lifted his
hand-palm upward.
"Shawneei" said the lad, as two
more appeared from the bushes
The eyes of the two tidewater boys
grew large, and both clinched theiI
guns - convulsively. The Indian
spokesman paid no heed except tc
, Erskine-and only from the lads
. face, in which surprise was sue
, ceeded by sorrow and then deer
, ithoughtfulness, could they guess
what the cultural speech meant
until Erskine turned to them.
They were not on the war-patf
against the whites, he explained
His Observation-Disclosures. the big
chief. the king-was very i'll, anc
his message, brought by them, was
that Erskine should come back tt
the tribe and become chief, as the
chiefs only daughter was dead anc
. his only son had been killed by tbs
palefaces.
They knew that in the fight a
the fort Erskine had killed tht
|