The Adair County news., 1922-08-29

began to speak while Harry and Hugh
and even Dave watched him en-
thralled; for the lad was Indian now
and the old chiefs mantle was about
his shoulders. He sat his horse like
king and spoke as king. He thanked
them for holding back Crooked Light
ning's evil hand, but-contemptuOusly
he spat toward the huge savageAhe
was not to die by that hand. He was
a paleface and the Indians had slain
his white mother. He had forgiven
that, for he loved the old chief and
his foster mother and brother and sis
ter, and the tribe had always. been
kind to him. Then they had killed his
white father and he had gone to visit
his kindred by the big waters, and now
he loved them. He had fed from the
Shawnees because of the cruelty of
Crooked Lightnings brother, whom he
had slain. But if the Indians were
falling into evil ways and following
evil cOunsels, his heart was sad.
II will come when the leaves fall"
he concluded, "but Crooked Lightning
PAbNA lONSC III
until he can show that his heart is
good" And then with an imperious
gesture he waved his hand toward the
west:
"NOw go!"
1t was hard even for Dave to realize
that the lad, to all purposes, was actu-
ally then the chief Of powerful tribe,
| hn n hry Eho
instant obedience of the savages, who,
without word, melted into the bushes
and disappeared. Dave recovered him.
self with a little chuckle only when
without a word Erskine clucked Fire
fly forward, quite unonsciously taking
the lead. Nearing sunset, from a
little hill Dave pointed to a thin blue
wisp of smoke rising far ahead from
the green expanse.
= There it is, boysT' he cried. All
the horses were tired except Firefly
and with a whOop Erskine darted for
ward and disappeared. They followed
as fast as they could and they heard
the report of the boys rife and the
series of war-whOops with which he
was heralding his approach. Nobody
in the fort was fearful, for plainly 1t
was no unfriendly coming. All were
gathered at the big gate and there
were many yells and cries of welcome
and wonder when the boy swept into
the clearing on run, brandishing his
rifle above his head, and pulled his
fiery black horse up in front of them.
Wizard you steal that hoss?" shout
ed Bud.
"LOok at them clothes !" cried Jack
Sanders. And the women-Mother
Sanders, Mother Noe and Lydia and
Honor and Polly Conrad-gathered
about him, laughing, welcoming, shak-
ing hands and asking questions.
where's DaveT That was the
chief question and asked by several
voices at the same time The boy
looked grave.
Dave amt comm back" he said,
and then seeing the look on Lydia's
face, he smiled: Dave" He had no
further to go, for Dawes rife cracked
and his voice rose from the woods,
and he and Harry and Hugh galloped
into the clearing. Then were there
more whOOpings ana greetings, and
Lydia's starting tears turned to smiles.
| Dave had to tell about his trip and
Erskine's races-for the lad would say
nothing-and in turn followed stories
of killing buffalo, deer, panther and
wildcat during his absence. Early the
women disappeared, soon the men be-
gan to yawn and stretch, and the SEN
tinels went to the watch-tOwers, for
there had been Indian signs that day.
This news thrilled the eastern lads,
and they too turned into the same bed
built out from the wall of one of the
cabins and covered with bearskins
And Harry just before his eyes closed
saw through the open door Erskine
seated alone, the connecting-link be
between the tidewater aristocrats and
these rude pioneers, between these
backwoodsmen and the savage enc
mics out in the black encircling will
derness. And that boys brain was in
a turmoil-what was to be his fate,
there, here, or out there where he had
promised to go at the next falling of
the leaves?
|
The green of the wilderness dulled
and burst into the yellow of the buck,
eye, the scarlet of maple and the rus
set of oak. This glory in turn dulled
and the leaves, like petals of withereG
flowers, began to drift to the earth
Through the shower of them went
Erskine and Firefy, who had become
as used to the wiIds as to the smiling