The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1928-09-21


heat that risked chance shot from
the forest by removing the shutter
and opening the door. The thunder
rolled across the sky again and the
girl sigled:.
''Let's wish it's smart one and will
come this way"
| made her drink some water and
with pewter dish bathed her wrists
and slim neck. She complained that
was wasting it, and In the next mo
ment was on the point OF weeping as
she said no one had been kind to her.
except her crippled uncle, since her
| mothers death. l brushed back her
hair and bathed her forehead and
washed the smoke and CRIME from her
face and tried to be very gentle with
her. was beginning to realize what
slip of thing she was to be par
ticipating in such grim tragedies.
also appreciated her sturdy spirit.
Suddenly she drew away from me
and rearranged her hair and diffdent-
~ said.
you've been master kind to me,
mister. | wish ! was q witch, like
folks in Great cove say, I'd change
| you boss, or a bird. and you'd
git 4 If all this"
"Sit here, just inside the door, while
| stand watch, I've never had a
| chance to wait on such brave little
woman before"
"Booi That's fooling." she scoffed.
and cycling me In surprise. "You've
been in big settlements. You've seen
women, mebbe, who never see Injun.
/ All they have to do is be brave. II !
| had pair Of shoes like what some of
| them settlement women most likely
wear. I'd die fighting to keep EN-"
"If we get out of this, you shall have
| the gayest pair Of shoes to be found
In Alexandria" promised, and ]
thought of Josephine and her love OF
luxury and wondered how she would
have endured the ordeal of being cor.
nered In a traders cabin at the mouth
of Turtle creek.
II ain't used to have folks give me
things" she gravely told me. "We'li
have to think about that" Then shy
~: SIS that where you want me to
go? To Alexandria, real big settle.
ment?p
In truth, I had given no thought
as to just where she should go did We
escape. Yet how could give her o
pair of shoes In Alexandria II she
were not there, to receive them? :
"lf go back there. yes. have no
home there now. Like yourself, am
| homeless"
This pleased her and she Struggled
| against my knee and murmured:
sim thinking it's mighty good that
/ you're like that-no home. You can
| build a home anywhere. All you need
| is an az and some trees II you'd had
home, you'd never have come poking
round Great cove. Lor's Lowell What
would have happened to me If you
hadn't come along? At Wills creek,
too. And in that other cabin, when !
run away. And now here"
| "You have nothing to thank me for"
| sadly told her. Eat all those places
| you name, you have had trouble be,
cause did go to the cove. Now Wen
close the door while take look at
| the woods from the back of the cabin.
The Indians are too quiet to suit me"
| l bent down to the lOophole and
Immediately called to her to make
sure the bar was firmly in place. !.
"Another fight" she sighed. SAnd
we was having such talki"
heard her reloading her rifle, but
did not remove my eye from the hole
Something was slowly approaching
| the cabin. For a moment could
/ not make 1t out, and then gllmpsec
the top of AZ feather showing above
the strange object. Simultaneous,
With my discovery, the Indians be
| gan firing their guns at the from.
OF the cabin and yelling. paid nc
sheed to the gunfire and the shouting
| for the real menace was where the
feather bobbed and slowly advanced
She elbowed me aside and after q
| glance Informed me:
| 'They've fastened some of the skins
together and are holding them In
front of them. Wonder If it'll stop a
bullet"
! fired my rife. The moving har
ricade stopped. and then, came on
again, The savage. or savages. had
difficulty in keeping 1t In place and
their approach was very slow. Exult
ing cries resounded from the woods
as the hidden watchers witnesse
how ineffective had been my bullet
It seemed to be a very long time
that | waited, and finally noted how
dark the interior of the cabin was
growing. Had not known the posi-
ton of the sun, would have said II
was later than the twilight hour.
81 can't hardly see you, mister" said
the girl uneasily. "You look all
bumped over like bear"
(To BE CONTINUED,