New Britain herald., 1922-02-13
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 for his home In the heart Of pri- i rl"val poplar,
 Deep In the depths boy with bow and arrow and naked. except for scslp-lock and hreech- -ciout. sprang from sleep and again took flight along a buffalo trail. Not far behind him, three grunting savages were taking mp the print of his moceasined feet,
 An hour before red flare rose within the staked enclosure that was reared in the center of little clear ing, Before the first glimmer of day the gates yawned a little and three dim shapes moved leisurely for the1 woods-each man with long flint lock rife In the hollow of his arm. 3 hunting knife in his belt and a coon-skin cap on his head. At either end of the stockade al watch tower of oak became visible and in each a sleepy sentinel yawned and sniffed the welcome smell of fry ing venison below him.
 A girl climbing the rude ladder to the tower stopped midway 'Mornin', Dave."
 "Mornin'. Polly"
 ''I was comin' to wake you up," she smiled
 ''I just walked up," he yawned, hu- moring the jest.
 "Lyddy." cried Polly, bring Dave's breakfast"
 At the fire tall girl rose, pushed a mass of sunburned hair from her heated forehead, and a flush not from the fire fused with her smile.
 .'I reckon Dave can walk this far he don't look very puny,"
 A voice vibrant with sarcasm rose from one of the women about the steaming kettle. .
 Honor" she cried. Honor San ders."
 Tn doorway near, third girl was framed-deep-eyed deep breasted.
 "Honor." cried the old woman "stop wastn' yo' time with that weav- in in thar an come out here an help these two gals to git Dave his break fast" Dave Yandell laughed loud Cow-b began to clang at the edge of the forest
 There they are,' cried Polly Come on, Lyddy.'
 The two girls picked up piggins and squeezed through the opening between the heavy gates. The young hunter entered door and within threw himself across a rude bed, face down.
 Honor" cried one of the old wom- en, you go an git bucket O wa ter"
 A few minutes later she was at the spring and ladling water into her pail with a geurd
 Honor dipped lazily.
 "Boo!" cried Polly, startling her, and then teasingly:
 Honor?,,'
 The girl reddened.
 As Honor turned abruptly for the fort, a shot came from the woods fol- lowed by a war-whoop that stopped the blood shuddering in their veins. "Oh. my God." each cried, and catching at their wet skirts they fled in terror through the long grass
 They heard the quick commotion in the fort, heard sharp commands cries of warning, frantic calls for them to hurry, saw strained faces at the gates. saw Dave bound through and rush toward them.
 Git in---ever' body-git in--quick.
 From a watch-tower too, rifle had cracked. A naked savage had bounded into a spot of sunlight that auivered on the buffalo trail hun dred yards deep in the forest and leaped. lithely aside into the bushes both rifles had missed.
 From the tower old Jerome saw reeds begin to shake in 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 naked boy sprang from the cane-brake and ran toward the blockhouse with bow and ar row in his left hand and his right stretched above his head, it's pleading palm still outward. Let him in." shouted Jerome, and as Dave opened the gates another arrow hurtled between the boys up- raised arm and his body and stuck auiverins in one of it's upright bars. The boy slid through and stood pant ing, shrinking, wtld-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 on his thigh that all might see, nodded gravely, and proudly tapped his breast.
 "Paleface." he half srunted. 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 l attack from them.
 Whats your name?" The boy | shook his head and looked eagerly | around.
 "Francais-Trench?" ?" he asked.-and | in turn the big woodsman shook his head-nobody there spoke French. However, Dave knew little Shaw nee, 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 considerable accuracy.
 The Indians had crossed the Big | River, were IS many as the leaves, and meant to attack the whites. For the first time they had allowed the