The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-04-10


Binkus Was 4 man Of ina gination, bu
again he is talking.
Il were on my way to q big Injul
Pow-wow at Swsgache fer Sir Bill
ayes 1t were in FEBRUARY, the time Z
the great noon o. the hard snow.
found q heap o. Lnjuns nj %Swegachs
nohawks, Senekys, Onandogs an al
gonks. They had been swappin' pres
ents an speeches with the French
Just 4 little while sfore they had hat
q bellerin' match with US bout love an
friendship. Then suddenlike they tut
1t in their heads that the French hat
a sharper Ratchet than the English
/ were skeered, but when / see thai
they was nobody drunk, / pushed right
into the big village an asked fer the
old Senecky chief Bear Face-knowin
he were thar-an' said l had a letter
from the Big Father. They TUX me
to him.
81 give him a chain O. wampum an
then read the letter from Sir Bill. 1t
offered the Six Nations more land an
a fort, an 4 regiment to defend EN-.
"a powerful lot o. Injuns trsiled
back to Sir Bill, but they was n few
went over to the French. / kind o.
mistrust thar's some o. them runny-
gades behind us. They're 'spectin' to
git a lot o. plumber an a horse apiece
an ride 'em back an swim the river
at the place o. the many islands.
Wen poke down to the trail on the
edge o. the drownded lands afore sun
rise an l kind O. mistrust we'll see
sign"
Jack Irons was a son of the much
respected John Irons from New Hamp-
shire who, in the fertile valley where
he had settled some years before, was
breeding horses for the army and send
ing them down to Sir William johnson.
Hence the site of his farm had been
called Horse valley.
Mr.. Binkus went to the near brook
and repeatedly filled his old felt hat
with water and poured 1t on the IRE.
Don't never keep no IRE a-xoin' alter
I'm dried out" he whispered, as he
back into the dark cave,
/" cause ye never kin tell"
The boy was asleep on the bed Of
Mr.. Binkus covered him with
the blanket and lay down beside him
and drew his coat over both.
He'll learn that it amt no fun to
be a scout" he whispered with q
and In a moment vas snoring.
1t was black dark when he reused
MS companion. Solomon had been up
Tor ten minutes and had got their ra-
ions of bread and dried venison out
If his pack and brought a eanteen of
water.
They started down the foot of the
then dim In the night shadows.
3inkus stopped, now and then, to lis
en- for two or three seconds and went
with long stealthy strides. His
movements were panth4r-like, and the
10Y initiated them. He was a tall,
big-framed lad with blond
lair and blue eyes. They could soon
their way clearly.
They hurried through sloppy footing
a the wet grass that flung its dew
kA< - hlChho I1Ooi AhN ohodi0<A
own. Suddenly Mr.. Binkus stopped.
hey could hear the sound OF heavy
set splashing in the wet meadow.
"Scairt moose runnin' this wayi"
lie scout whispered. "I1l bet ye a
Int O. powder an a nshhook them In
ms Is over east o. here"
1t was his favorite wager-that of
pint Of powder and a ishhook. L
They came out upon high ground .
Id reached the valley trail just as
sun was rising. The fog had lifted.
Binkus stopped well away from
trail and listened for some min
:es. He approached 1t slowly on his
ptoes, the boy following in a like
amer. For a moment the scout
God at the edge of the trail In 81
nee. Then, leaning low, he examined
closely and quickly raised his hand.
"Hoofs o. the devil" he whispered
he beckoned to the boy. See thar"
went on, pointing to the ground.
jest gone BY. The grass
1T riz VT. Wait here"
He followed the trail . few rods
tn eyes bent upon 1t. Near a little
n where there was soft dirt, he
'pped again and looked i~ntently at
2 earth and then hurried back.
It's a big band. At least forty In
in II an some captives, an the
vii and Tom Walker. It's a mess
ieh they amt no mistake"
I'm afraid my folks are in danger"
d the boy as he changed color.
mebbe Peter Boneses'-'cordin'
the way they go. We got to cut
'und EN- an pillow straight through
bush an over Cobble hill an
II beat 'em easy"
I was a curious, long, loose stride,
knees never quite Strengthened,
h which the scout made his way
ough the forest. 1t covered ground
swiftly that the boy had, now and
n, to break into a dog-trot in order
keep along vita the old woodsman.