White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1928-09-21
The Red Road
ARomance Of Braddoc1<'s Defeat

Several SnOtS IrOm the oppoSlte Gnu
of the cabin took me to the rear loop
hole. l stumbled over pile of skins
in passing. but had no time to OBJ
serve the girl. Two or three balls
chunked into the logs, but there was
no Indian in sight. Fearing 1t was
ruse to hold my attention l darted to
the door again and remained there
while reloaded my rife.
LAWFUL heart! If you wouldn't
keep hypering back and FORTH" she
complained. "Now you can look"
And she proudly dragged forward
two deerskins, lOoped together by
short sections OF rawhide.
"WeIl saddle the ridge-pole with
these just the same as you'd saddle
or blanket hoss," she explained.
"That'll be better than pegs. I'll git
up on the roof and throw them over
the ridge-pole as fast as you pass EN-
up to me-"
The scheme was feasible. 1t was
simple. It would require but few
minutes to saddle the house with
hides. There would remain strip on
each side, but these could reach
from the ground with separate hides.
However, l objected to her mounting
the roof.
"Your job is to pass 'em up to me-"
she sternly retorted. "My part Is as
easy as slipping off wet log. l can
be up there before you could git start
ed. If they come at us, can be down
and inside the door in jiffy. Git 'em
separated out SOS we can work fast"
Then she unbarred the door.
Before showing ourselves we re-
connoitered from all sides of the
cabin. There was not much danger of
a musket ball hitting her slim body /;
and arrows, to hit the roof, must trav-
ell so high as to give us warning. !
gathered up several sets of the dou-
BILE skins and threw open the door.
The savages must have been puzzled
by our appearance. None showed
along the woods, nor were any lead or
arrows fired at us. dropped the
skins and gave the girl hand, and
she was scrambling up to the ridge.
pole before the watchers could guess
our purpose. | passed up two skins
and she deftly draped them over the
ridge-pole. passed up two more. The
Indians woke up and began screaming
like demons. Guns began banging,
and called to the girl to come down.
"Throw EN- alongl won't bulge
till you dol" she cried.
tossed up some more and ducked
| back to the door and secured both
rifles.
"Morel More!" she cried.
handed them up, but warned
slump down at once. They're com.
ing!
She took time to fix them properly
and then dropped lightly into my
arms. Some fifteen savages were
breaking cover at different points.
picked out the lender of the nearest
band. He commenced leaping from
side to side, but | was patient and
shot him off his feet The moment |
fired, she had taken the empty rifle
and had pressed the short French one
into my hands. fired II and missed
we entered the cabin and dropped the
bar.
The Indians advanced swiftly, know.
ing our rifles were empty. Could they
close in before we could reload. they
planned to thrust their guns through
the loopholes and stop our fire while
they battered down the door. But
they had not counted on the trade
niuskets. We emptied these rapidly
One man went down with smashed
leg Two of his companions carried
him into the woods. The others
Estreaked back as rapidly as they haC
advanced Thus far all the honors
were ours. | made the girl drink some
water and posted her at the back oi
the cabin while covered the other
three sides.
The Indians. however had no stoIn
nch for another assault In force, and
the forest became quiet told the
girl she was to remain inside while
stepped out and covered the lower
! part of the two sides.
tTn BE CONTINUED,