The Adair County news., 1922-09-12

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 q day
or two later, when he was coming
down the path from the white wom-
ans wigwam, Black Wolf confronted
him, scowling.
early Morn shall belong to Black
Wolf" he said insolently. Erskine
met his baleful, half-drunken eyes
scornfully.
eve will leave that to Early
Morn" he said coolly, and then thun-
dered suddenly
"Out of my way" ,~G.u,
Black Wolf hesitaued 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 it. She had heard
that Hamilton would try to retake Vim
cennes, that he was forming great
force with which to march south,
sweep through Kentucky, batter down
the wooden forts, and force the Ken
tuckians 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-
zled. The girl, too, had grown rebel
lious 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 fame 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 a 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 them ~ old Kahtoo cried
sternly, but it was the terrified shrek
of the white woman that stayed Ers-
kine's hand. Two young braves dis
armed the fallen Indian, and Kahtoo
looked inquiringly at his adopted son.
Turn him lOosew Erskine scorned.
II have no fear of him. He is a
woman and drunk, but next time I
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
later, at dusk, ErSkine turned upward
toward the tent, the girl gave a hor-
rified cry, flashed from the tent, and
darted for the high cliff over the river.
Catch herr 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 giTl dropped in a 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 dawn, the boy rode
Firefly into the woods. At sunset he
came in, gaunt with brooding and hun
ger. His foster mother brought him
food but he would not touch it. The
Indian woman stared at him>with keen
suspicion, and presently old Kahtoo,
| passing slowly, bent on him the same
look, but asked no question. Erskine
gave no heed to either, but his mother
watching from her wigwam, under
stood and grew fearful Quickly she
stepped outside and called him, and
he rose and went to her bewildered
she was smiling.
"They are watching" she said, and
Erskine, too, understood, and kept his
back toward the watchers
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
will not leave her"-her lips tremble6
-"and I would have gone long age
but"
81 understand" interrupted Erskine
"but you will go now with your SON.
i The poor woman had to scowl.
"No, and you must not tell them
They will never let me go, and they
will use me to keep you here. YoJ
must go at once. She will never leave
this tent as long as you are here, and
If you stay she will die, or kill her
self. Some day" She turned
abruptly and went back into her tent
Erskine wheeled and went to old Kah