Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1922-09-07
PIONEER


falling into evil ways and following
evil counsels, his heart was sad.
II will come when the leaves fall, "
he concluded, but Crooked Lightning
must pitch his lodge in the wilderness
until he can show that his heart is
good" And then with an imperlous
gesture he waved his hand toward the
west:
snow go"
- was hard even for Dave to realize
that The lad, to all purposes, was actu-
ally THIN the chief of a powerful tribe,
and even he was a little awed by the
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 word Erskine cIucked 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 II Is, boysl' ne cried. All
the horses were tired except Firehy
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 heraldlng 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
rife above his head, and pulled his
fiery black horse up in front Of them.
"Whar'd 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 Daver 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 rifle cracked
and his voice rose from the woods,
and he and Harry and Hugh galloped
into the clearing. Then were there
more whoopings and 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
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 withered
flowers, began to drift to the earth.
Through the shower of them went
Erskine and FREELY, who had become
as used to the wilds as to the smiling
banks of the far-away James. And
the two now were one in Hutual affec.
ton and mutual understanding that
was uncanny.
The boy was the son of king again,
and as such was on his way in answer
to the wish of king. For food he
carried only little sack of salt, for
his rifle would bring him meat and
the forest would give him nuts and
fruit. When the sun was nearing it's
highest, he "barked" a squirrel from
the trunk of beech; toward sunset
fat pheasant fluttered from the
ground to a low limb and he shot its
head off and camped for the night
On the second day he reached the
broad buffalo trail that led to the salt
ticks and on to the river, and then
memories came. He remembered
place where the Indians had camped
after they had captured himself and
his mother. In his mind was faint
picture of her sitting against a tree
and weeping and Of an Indian striking
her to make her stop and of himself
leaping at the savage like little Wild
cat, whereat the others laughed like
children. Farther on, next day, was
the spot where the Indians had sepa.
rated them and he saw his mother no
more. They told him that she had
been taken back to the whites, but he
was told later that they had killed
her because in their flight from the
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