The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1922-09-14

| S''Nh no "plu. NiltoO thought he
was dying and wanted him to be CHIEF
whcn the Great Spirit called. Kahtoo
had once saved his life, had been kind,
ana made him Il son. That he could
not forget. An evil prophet had come
TO inc tribe and through his enemies,
| crooked Lightning and Black Wolf,
had gained much influence. They were
TO burn Il captive white woman as II
| sacrifice. He had stayed to save her,
TO argue with old Kahtoo and carry
the wampum and talk to a big coun-
ell with the British lie had made his
talk and-cscaped. lie had gone back
70 Ills tribe, had been tried, and was
to be burned at the stake. Again he
had escaped with the help of the white
woman and her daughter. The tribes
had joined the British, and even then
were planning an early attack cn this
very fort and all others.
The interest was tense and every
face was startled at this calm state
lnent of their immediate danger. Old
Jerome burst out:
"Why did you have to escape from
the council-and from the Shawnees ?"
AT the council I told the Indians
that they should be friends, not ene-
lnles Of the Americans, and Crooked
Lightning called me a traitor. He had
overheard my talk with Kahtoo."
what was that?" asked Dave,
quickly.
II told Kahtoo I would fight with
the Americans against the British and
Indians; and with you against him !"
And he turned away and went back to
Pie cabin.
"Whatd I tell ye!' cried Dave in
dignantly, and he followed the boy,
who had gone to his bunk, and put one
big hand on his shoulder.
"They thought you'd turned Injun
agin," he said, "but It's all right now"
Il know" said the lad, and with a
mufllcd sound that was half the grunt
of an Indian and hale the sob of
white man turned his face away.
Again Dave reached for the lads
shoulder.
Don't blame 'em too much I'll
tell YOU now. Some fur traders came
by here, and one Of cm said YOU was
goin' to marry an Iniun girl named
Early Morn; that YOU was goin' to stay
with 'em ana fight with EN- alongside
the British. OF course l knowcd bet.
ter. but"
Why" interrupted ErSkinc "they
must have been the same traders who
came to the Shawnee town and brought
whisky"
That's what tho fcllcr said and
why folks here believed him"
"Who was hc?" demanded ErSline.
You know Iim-Danc Grey"
All tried to make amends light
way for the injustice they had done
him, but the boys heart remained sore
that their trust was so little. Then,
when they gathered all settlers within
the fort and made all preparations and
no Indians came. many seemed again
to get diStruStful and the lad was not
happy The winter was long and hard.
a blizzard had driven the game west
and south and the garrison was hard
put to it for food. Every day that the
hunters went forth the boy was among
them and he did far more than his
share in the killing of game. But when
in Of the war. The flag that had been
fashioned Of soldiers white shirt, an
old blue army coat, and red petticoat
was now the Stars and Stripes of the
American cause. Burgoync had not cut
Off New England that "head Of the re-
bclllon," from the other colonies On
the contrary, the Americans had beat
cn him at Saratoga and marched his
army off under those same Stars and
Stripes, and for the first time Erskine
heard Of gallant Lafayette-how he
had run to Washington with the por-
tentous news from his king-that
beautiful, passionate France would
stretch forth her helping hand. And
Erskine learned what that news
meant to Washngton's naked and
starving" soldiers dying on the frozen
hillsidcs Of Valley Forge. Then George
Rogers Clark had passed the fort on
his way to Williamsburg to get money
and men for his grett venture in the
Northwest, and Erskine got ready
permission to accompany him rs SOL
dcr and guide. After Clark was gone
the lad got restless; and one morning,
when the first breath Of spring came,
lie mounted his horse in spite Of argu-
ments and protcstations, and set forth
for Virginia on the wilderness trail.
He was going to join Clark, he said,
but more than Clark and the war were
drawing him to the outer world. What
1T was he hardly knew, for he was not
yet much given toIearching his heart
Jn IhX3 lof
some strange force had long been
working within him that was steadily
growing stronger, was surging now
like flame and swinging him between
strange moods Of dGprCSSiOm and eXui.