The Coolidge examiner., 1931-06-05
CHAPTER VIII

TWENTY minutes after odd had
Il revealed their hiding place
Jeems and Toinette were standing
in the sun. Mysterious things had
happened in this time. Unseen
hands had dragged the warrior
from under the rocks. An inter
val had followed in which excite
ment gave way to solemn and low
voiced talk outside. Then some
one had called in cultural, broken
French commanding them to come
out. They had obeyed, Jeems first,
TOinette after him, and Odd last
with the dOwncaSt air Of a beast
who knew he was in disgrace.
1t was an astonishing and un.
expected reception by enemies az
whose belts scalps were hanging
There were between twenty and
thirty of the Senecas. splendidly
built, keen-eyed, lean-faced. most
of them young men. Even in the
shock of the moment, TOinette sur
veyed them in startled admiration.
They were like runners ready for a
his bow and at the girl with her
tangled, shining hair, the Indians
returned their gaze with a look of
amazement not unmiXed with ap
proval. They seemed scarcely able
to believe these two had fooled
them so completely, captured one
of their number in the bargain, yet
conceded the fact with glances il
which passion was held subdued.
A young savage who stood be-
fore them seemed largely response.
hle for this attitude. Purplish
lines were around his throat as if
a rope had choked him. Two of
the eagle feathers in his tuft were
broken, and his shoulder was bleed
ing where the skin had been torn
by jagged tooth of rock. Evident
ly he held considerable influence in
the war party of which he was a
member. Beside him was a much
older man of even more powerful
figure.
1t was he who spoke in Seneca
to the younger.
80 this is the boy who made
my brave nephew a captive to be
saved by the voice of dOg"
The other scOwled at the taunt
in his voice.
"He could have killed me. He
spared my life"
This is the young he-fawn to
whom You owe feather from your
tuft -
81 owe him two-one for himself
and one for the maiden whose
presence must have stayed his
hand"
The de- man grunted.
'He looks strong and may stand
to travel with us. But the girl is
like broken flower ready to fall
in our path. She will cumber our
feet and make our way more diff
cult, and great haste must be our
choice. Use your hatchet on one
and we will take the other"
At this command Jeems gave a
sudden cry, and the faces Of the
savages relaxed in astOnishment
when he began to speak in their
language. Hepsibah Adams school,
ing had prepared him for this
hour. His tongue stumbled, some of
his words were twisted, there
were gaps which only the imag-
inatiOn could fill, but he told his
story. The Indians listened with
an interest which assured Jeems
they had not been a part of the
force that had massacred' his and
Toinette's people. He pointed to
the girl He related how the Mo-
hawks had destroyed his father
and mother and all who had be-
longed to Toinette; how they had
fed together, how they had hidden
in the old house, and that with
an arrow he had killed the white
man who had fired the gun.
BrOnzed and disheveled, the long
bow in his hand, Jeems made
vivid picture IF courage and elO-
quence that would remain with
TOinette as long as she lived She
drew herself up a little proudly.
sensing that he was fighting for
her. She stood straight, her chin
high, gazing with unafraid eyes at
the leader of the war party.