The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-07-29
Copyrights By Charles scribnsrs sons
CHAPTER XIII

Yandell and Erskine Dale. 4 hunting
party of four Shawnees heard their
coming through the woods, ana, Tying
Hike snakes in the underground, peered
out and saw them pass. Then they
rose, and Crooked Lightning looked
at Black Wolf and. with a grunt Of
angry satisfaction, led the way home
ward And to the village they bore
the news that White Arrow had made
good his word and, side by side with
the big chief of the Long Knives, was
leading war party against his tribe
and kinsmen. And Early Morn car
ried the news to her mother, who lay
sick in Figwam.
The miracle went swiftly, and Kas-
kaskia fell SteaIthily a Gordon Of
hunters surrounded the little town.
The rest stole TO the walls Of the fort.
Lights fiickered from within, the
sounds of violins and dancing feet
came through crevice and window.
Glark's tall figure stole noiselessly into
the great hall, where the Creoles were
making merry and leaned silently with
folded arms against the doorpost, look
ing on at the revels with grave smile.
The light from the torches fiickered
across his face, and an Indian lying
on the floor sprang to his feet with a
curdling war-whoop. Women screamed
and men rushed toward the door. The
stranger stood motionless and his grim
smile was UNCHANGED
Dance ont" he commanded cour-
teously, "but remember" he added
sternly, "you dance under Virginia and
not Great Britain"
There was a great noise behind him.
Men dashed into the fort, and Roche
blave and his officers were prisoners.
By daylight Clark had the town dis
armed. The French, Clark said next
day, could take the oath Of allegiance
to the republic, or depart with their
families in peace. AS for their church,
he had nothing to do with any church
save to protect it from insult. So that
the people who had heard terrible sto-
ries of the wild woodsmen and who
expected to be killed or made slaves,
joyfully became Americans. They
even gave Clark volunteer company
to march with him upon Cahokia, and
that village, too, soon became Ameri-
can. Father Gibault volunteered to
go to Vincennes Vfncennes gathered
In the church to hear him, and then
flung the Stars and Stripes to the
winds of freedom above the fort. Clark
sent one captain there to take COM
mand. With a handful of hardy men
who could have been controlled only
by him, the dauntless one had con.
quered land as big as any European
kingdom. Now he had to govern and
protect it. He had to keep loyal an
alien race and hold his own against
the British and numerous tribes of In
dams. bloodthirsty, treacherous and
deeply embittered against all Ameri
cans. He was hundreds of miles from
any American troops; farther still
from the seat of government, anG
could get no advice or help for per
haps year.
hokia-a horde of them from every
tribe between the Great Lakes and tn,
Mississippi-chiefs and warriors o.
every Importance; but not befor,
Clark had formed and drilled foul
companies of volunteer Creoles.
swatch him!" said Dave, and Frs
kline did, marveling at the man.
knowledge of the Indian. He did no
| live in the fort, but always on guard
always seemingly confident, stage,
openly in town while the savages, sui
len and grotesque, strutted in full wa
| panoply through the struggling streets
inquisitive and insolent, their eye
burning with the lust Of plumber an,
murder. For days he sat in the mids
of the ringed warriors and listened
On the second day Erskine saw Kat
| too in the throng and Cre9ked Light
ming and Black Wolf. After dusk tina
day he felt the fringe of his hunting
shirt plucked, and an Indian, with fac
hidden in blanket, whispered as b
passed:
'Tell the big chief" he said /
Shawnee, ito be on guard tomorrow
nIgnr." He knew it was some kind
tribesman, and he wheeled and wes
to Clark, who smiled Already the b
chief had guards concealed In b
little house, who seized the attacktr
Indians, while two minutes later u
tOwnspeople were under arms. IT
captives were put IN irons, and Er
kline saw among them the crestfall,
faces of Black Wolf and Crook,
Lightning The Indians pleaded tn
they were trying to test the friendsh
of the French for Clark, but Clar
refusing all requests for their relea:
remained silent. naughty, indifferel
fearless. He still refused to take r.
uge in the fort, and called in numb
of ladies and gentlemen to his hous
where they danced all night amid t
couneil-fires of the bewIldered sd
ages. Next morning he stood in {
center of their ringed warriors wi
the tasseled shirts of his ri1em
massed behind him, released the ca
tive chiefs and handed them the bloc
war belt of wampum.
II scorn your hostility and tread
cry. You deserve death, but you sh