The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-02-23

! Continued From Our Last Issue.)
Catch her," cried the mother.
Quick" Erskine fed after her,
kovertook her with her hands up
raised for the plunge on the very
edge of the cliff, and half carried
her. struggling and sobbing, back
| to the tent Within the girl
dropped in a weeping heap, and
with her face covered, and the
woman turned to Erskine.
Il told her." she whispered, "and
she was going to kill herself. You
are my SOM"
| Still sleepless at following dawn,
the boy rode Ffref1y into the woods.
AT sunset he came in, gaunt with
brooding and hunger. His mother,
watching from her wigwam, under
stood and grew fearful. Quickly
she called him, and he rose and
went to her bewildered; she was
smiling.
Il have decided" he said You
and she must leave here and go
with me-"
/ His mother pretended much dis
pleasure. She will not leave, and
: 1 will not leave her"-her lips
trembled-"and l would have gone
long ago but"
Il understand" interrupted Err
skine, but you will go now with
your SON."
The poor woman had to scowl.
mo, and you must not tell them.
They will never let me go. and they
will use me to keep you here. You
must go at once. Some day"
She turned abruptly and went into
her tent Erskine wheeled and
went to old Kahtoo.
~ am soldier and must obey
the big chiefs commands, as must
you"
Il shall live" said the old man
YEARLY, until you come again
Erskine nodded and went for his
horse. Black Wolf watched him
with malignant satisfaction, but
said nothing-nor did Crooked
Lightning. Erskine turned once as
he rode away. His mother was
standing outside her wigwam.
Mournfully she waved her hand.
Behind her and within the tent he
could see Early Morn with both
hands at her breast.
XIX.
Dawned 1871.
The war was coming into Vir-
ginia at last. Virginia falling
would thrust great wedge through
the center of the Confederacy, feed
the British armies and end the fight.
Even the great Washington was
near despair. and in foreign help
his sole hope lay. Already the
traitor, Arnold, had taken Rich
mond. burned warehouses, and re-
turned, but little harassed, to
Portsmouth.
| CORVALLIS was coming on. Tarle-
tons white rangers were bedevil-
ing the land. and it was at this
time that Erskine Dale once more
rode Firefiy to the river James.
The boy had been two years in
the wilds. When he left the Shaw
nee camp winter was setting in,
that terrible winter of '79-of deep
snow and hunger and cold. When
he reached Kaskaskia, Captain
Clark had gone TO Kentucky, and
Erskine found bad news. Hamil
ton and Hay had taken Vincennes.
There Captain Helms Creoles, as
soon as they saw the redcoats,
slipped away from him to surren-
der their arms to the British, and
thus deserted by all. he and the
two or three Americans with him
had to give up the fort
The two years in the wilderness
had left their mark on Erskine.
He was tall, lean, swarthy, gaunt,
and yet he was not all woodsman,
for his born inheritance as gentle
man had been more than empha-
| sized by his association with Clark
and certain Creole officers in the
Northwest, who had improved his
French and gratified one pet wish
of his life since his last visit to
the James-they had taught him to
fence.
His mother he had not seen again,
but he had learned that she was
alive and not yet blind. OF Early
Morn he had heard nothing at all
Once a traveller had brought
word of Dane Grey. Grey was in
Philadelphia and prominent in the
gay doings of that city.
After the battle at Piqua, Err
skine put forth for old Jerome San
der's fort He found the hard days
of want over. There was not only
corn IN plenty Dul WHEAT pOtd(OSo,
pumpkins. turnips, melons.
Honor Sanders and Polly Conrad
had married, but when Erskine
babe Lydia Noe good-by she told
him to carry her love to Dave Yam
/ dell.
There were many, many travel
ers on the Wilderness Road now,
and Colonel Dale's prophecy was
coming true. The settlers were
pouring in and the long, long trail
was now no lonesome way.
. At Williamsburg Erskine learned
many things. Colonel Dale. now a
general. was still with Washington
! and Harry was with him. Hugh
was with the Virginia militia and
Dave with Lafayette.
Tarleton's legion of rangers in
their white uniforms were scourg-
ing Virginia as they had scourged
the Carolinas Through the James