The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-08-31

= "Well, L repeat 1t. Whatever the
side, I'll fight you anywhere at any
time and in any way you please"
"Why not nowr'
'"Ehls is not the time for private
quarrels and you know It,"
Erskine bowed slightly-an act that
came oddly from an Indian head
dress.
II can wait--and I shall not forget.
The day will come"
The old priest touched Erskine's
shoulder as the angry youth rode
away
81 cannot make It out" he said. "He
claims to represent an English fur
company. His talk is British, but he
told one man-last night when he was
drunk-that he could have a commits.
sion In the American army"
The council fire was built, the
flames cracked and the smoke rolled
upward and swept througbSohe Ieafiess
trees. Three British agents sat on
blankets, and around them the chiefs
were ringed. All day the powwow
lasted. Each agent spoke and the bur.
den Of his talk varied very little.
The American palefaces had driven
the Indian over the great wall. They
were killing his deer, buffalo and elk,
robbing him Of his land and pushing
him ever backward. They were many
and they would become more The
British were the Indians friends
the Americans were his enemies and
theirs; could they choose to fight with
their enemies rather than with their
friends? Each chief answered In turn,
and each cast forward his wampum
until only Erskine, who had sat silent,
remained. and Pontiac himself turned
: to him.
What says the son Of Kahtoo?"
; Even as he rose, the lad saw creep
ing to the outer ring his enemy Crook.
ed Lightning, but he appeared not to
see. The whites looked surprised when
his boyish figure stood straight, and
they were amazed when he addressed
the traders in French, the agents In
English, and spoke to the feathered
chiefs In their own tongue He cast
the belt forward.
"That is Kahtoo's talk, but this IA
mine"
Who had driven the Indian from the
great waters to the great wall? The
British. Who were the Americans un,
til now? British. Why were tn,
Americans fighting now7 Because the
British, their kinsmen, would not give
them their rights. If the British would
drive the Indian to the great wall
would they not go on doing what the,
charged the Americans with doins
nowf If the Indians must fight, wh,
fight with the British to beat tn,
Americans, and then have to fight botl
later day1 II the British would not
treat their own kinsmen fairly, was it
likely that they would treat the Indian
fairly? They had never done so vet.
Would 1t not be better for the Indian
to make the white man on his own
land friend rather than the white
man who lived more than a moon
away across tie big seas? Only one
gesture the lad made. He lifted his
hand high and paused. Crooked Light
ming had sprung to his feet with a
hoarse cry. Already the white men had
grown uneasy, for the chiefs had
turned to the boy with startled inter-
est at his first sentence and they could
not know what he was saying. But
they looked relieved when Crooked
lightning rose, for his was the only
race In the assembly that was hostile
TO the boy. With a gesture Pontiac
bade Crooked Lightning speak.
"rhe tongue of White Arrow Is
forked have heard him say he would
fight with the Long Knives against the
British and he would fight with them
even against his own tribe" One grunt
or rage ran the round of three circles
and yet Pontiac stopped Crooked
lightning and turned to the lad. Slow
ly the boys uplifted hand came down.
with bound he leaped through the
head-dress of chief in the outer ring
and sped away through the village.
Some started on foot after him, some
rushed to their ponies, and some sent
arrows and bullets after him. At the
edge OF the village the boy gave a
loud clear call and then another as he
ran. Something black sprang snorting
from the edge OF the woods with
pointed ears and searching eyes. An
other call came and like the swirling
edge of hurricane-driv thunder
cloud Firefy swept after his master.
The boy ran to meet him, caught one
hand in his name before he stopped,
swung himself up, and in hail Of
arrows and bullets swept out Of sight.
NLADTEp ~