Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-02-13

= From the tower old Jerome saw
reeds begin to shake in a cane-brake
to the left of the spring.
Look thar" he called. and three
rifles, with his own, covered the
spot. A small brown arm was thrust
above the shaking reeds, with the
palm of the hand toward the fort
the peace sign of the Indian.
A moment later a naked boy
sprang from the cane-brake and ran
toward the blockhouse, with a bow
and arrow in his left hand and his
right stretched above his head. its
pleading palm still outward.
Let him in" shouted Jerome,
and as Dave opened the gates an
other arrow hurtled between the
boys appraised arm and his body and
stuck quivering in n of it's upright
bars. The boy slid through and
stood painting, shrinking, wild-eyed.
The arrow had grazed his skin,
and when Dave lifted his arm and
looked at the ooZing drops of blood
he gave a startled oath, for he saw
a flash of white under the loosened
breech-clout below. The boy under
stood. Quickly he pushed the clout
aside or his thigh that all might see,
nodded gravely, and proudly tapped
his breast.
"Paleface!" he half grunted,
white mani"
The wilds were quiet. The boy
pointed to them and held up three
fingers to indicate that there were
only three red men there, and shook
his head to say there would be no
attack from them.
whats your manner" The boy
shook his head and looked eagerly
around.
"Francais-French? ?" he asked,
and in turn the big woodsman shook
his head-nobody there spoke
French.
However, Dave knew a little
Shawnee, a good deal of the sign
language, and the boy seemed to
understand a good many words in
English; SO that the big woodsman
pieced out his story with consider
able accuracy.
The Indians had crossed the Biz
River, were as many as the leaves,
and meant to attack the whites. Fol
the first time they had allowed the
boy to go on a war-party. Some one
had treated him badly-he pointed
out the bruises of cuffs and kicks on
his body.
The Indians called him White Ar
row, and he knew he was white from
the girdle or untanned skin under
his b~reechclout and because The
Indian boys tainted him.
Asked why he had come to the
fort, he pointed again to his bruises,
put both hands against his breast,
and stretched them wide as though
he would seek shelter in the arms OF
his own race and take them to his
heart.
l. Old Jerome and Dave and the
older men gathered in for a council
of war. The boy had made it plair
that the attacking party was two
days behind the three Indians from
whom he had escaped, so that there
was no danger that day, and they
could wait until night to send mes
sengers to warn the settlers outside
to seek safety within the fort.
On the mighty wilderness the sun
runners to the outlying cabins to
warn the inmates to take refuge
within the fort. There was no set
tier that was not accustomed to a
soft tapping on the wooden windows
that startled him wide awake. Then
there was the noiselesS awakening of
the household, noiseless dressing OF
the children-the mere whisper of
Indians was enough to keep them
quiet-and the noiseless slipping
through the wilderness for the oak
picketed stockade.
And the ~gathering-in was none too
soon. The hooting of owls started
before dawn. A flaming arrow
Kissed from the woods, thudded into
the roof of n of the cabins. sput-
tered feebly on a dew-drenched
ridge-pole, and went out. Savage