The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-09-28
Continued FROM last week)
CHAPTER XIV

life, and the young brave had accept
ed the debtn fretted under Il sore
ly. And when Erskine had begun to
show some heed to Early Morn q fierce
jealousy seized the savage, and his
old hatred was reborn a thousandfold
more strong-and that, too, Rxskine
now knew. Meat ran low and q hunt
Ing party went abroad. Game was
scarce and only after the second day
was there n kill. Erskine had sight
ed huge buck, had fired quickly
and at close range. Wounded, the
buck had charged. Erskine's knife was
twisted In his belt, and the buck was
upon him before he could get Il out.
He tried to dart for tree, stumbled.
turned, and caught the infuriated
beast by the horns. He uttered no
cry, but the angry below of the stag
reached the ears of Black Wolf
through the woods, and he darted to-
-, ward the sound. And he came none
too soon. Erskine heard the crack of
rifle, the stag toppled over, and he
saw Black Wolf standing over him
with curiously triumphant look on
his saturnine face. In ErskIne, when
he rose, the white-man was FREEDOM
inant, and he thrust out his hand. but
Black Wolf ignored 1t.
white Arrow gave Black Wolf his
life. The debt is paid.'
Erskine looked at his enemy. nod
ded, and the two bore the stag away.
Instantly marked change was
plain in Black Wolf He told the
story Of the fight with the buck to
all. Boldly he threw off the mantle
of shame. stalked 'haughtily through
the village, and went back to open
enmity with Erskine. At dusk a day
or two later, when he was coming
down the path from the white wom-
ans wis;wam, Black Wolf confronted
him. scowling.
early Morn shall belong to Black
Wolf" he said insolently. Erskine
met his baleful half-drunken eyes
scorpfuDy.
eve will leave that 10 Ear.y
Morn" he said coolly. and then thum-
dered suddenly:
"out OF my wayr ..L :,
Black Wolf hesituted ana gave way,
but ever thereafter Erskine was on
guard.
In the white woman, too, Erskine
now saw a change. Once she had en-
couraged him to stay with the In
dians; now she lost no opportunity
to urge against 1t. She had heard
that Hamilton would try to retake Vim
cennes, that he was forming a great
force with which to march south,
sweep through Kentucky, batter down
the wooden forts, and force the Ken
tuckiaps behind the great mountain
wall. Erskine would be needed by
the whites, who would never under
stand or trust him If he should stay
with the Indians. All this she spoke
one day when Erskine came to her
tent to talk. Her face had blanched,
she had argued passionately that he
must go, and Erskine was sOrely puz-
Z!ed. The girl, too, had grown rebel
llOus and disobedient, for the change
In her mother was plain also to her,
and she could not understand. More
over, Erskine's stubbornness grew, and
he began to flame within at the stalk
Ing insOlence OF Black Wolf, who
slipped through the shadows of day
and the dusk to spy on the two where
ever they came together. And one
day when the sun was midway, and
In the open Of the village, the clash
came. Black Wolf darted forth from
his wigwam, his eyes bloodshot with
rage and drink, and his hunting knife
In his hand. A cry from Early Morn
warned Erskine and he wheeled. AS
Black Wolf made vicious slash at
him he sprang aside, and with his
fist caught the savage in the jaw
Black Wolf fell heavily and Erskine
was upon him with his own knife at
his enemy's throat.
stop themT old Kahtoo cried
sternly, but it was the terrified shrek
of the white woman that stayed Frs
kine's hand. Two young braves dis
armed the fallen Indian, and Kahtoo
looked inquiringly at his adopted son.
"Turn him lOose!" Erskine scorned.
II have no fear of him. He is a
woman and drunk, but next time /
shall kill him."
The white woman had run down,
caught Early Morn, and was leading
her back to her tent. From inside
presently came low, passionate plead
ing from the woman and an occasional
sob from the girl. And when an hour
later, at dusk, Ersklne turned upward
toward the tent, the girl gave hor-
rified cry, flashed from the tent, and
darted for the high cliff over the river.
"Catch her!" cried the mother.
"Quick!" Erskine fed after her, over
took her with her hands upraised for
the plunge on the very edge Of the
cliff, and half carried her, struggling
and sObbing, back to the tent. With
In the girl dropped in weeping heap,
and with her face covered, and the
woman turned to Erskine, agOnized.
II told her" she whispered, "and
she was going to kill herself. You
are my son"
Still sleepless at d. n. the boy rode
Firefy into the woods. At sunset he
L.,