Year: 1868

4
ing in the outset that they had all
shared a common fate. On every
side he could read the sickening de-
tails of that nights horrid work. The
men had fallen while vainly eRdeayor-
ing to protect their families. and there
was evidence that the women bad, in
some instances, been subjected to the
most devilish outrages and then mas
sacred and mutilated with their child
ren. Two bodies had been flung oO
the pile Of burning wagons, probably
before life was yet extinct. Gabriel
still hoped that bis Jeanette had at
least escaped the brutal lust of the saw
ages, but nowhere could he find even
the corpse of ais souls treasure He
scrutinized the charred remains that
still smoked among the embers
There was nothing about those Of the
grown person to lead to the conclusion
that ii was Jeannette, but paternal
instinct INN 4diately diseerned in the
smaller human cinder his own boy
A portion Of the lower limbs had
sufficiently escaped the effects Of
the FIRE to reveal certain marks
which made its Identification sure
and besides there were two bodies
wanting in the ghastly group.
A desperate fancy that his wife
and baby might be seereted
somewhere near, inspired him with
new energy, and unmindful of the
risk TO be incurred in making an ex-
ploration by daylight, he at once
commenced the search, provided with
whatever he could find to serve as a
weapon, and determined, though
weak and suffering, to sell bis life as
dearly as possible in the event he
should be attacked.


Thirty long hours of mental and
bodily anguish were spent in seeking
for some trace of the lost ones. and
at last the appalling conviction of
their captivity was forced upon him.
This gave rise to still more sgoniZing
| appre ehensiOns He saw ID fancy his
delicate wife pleading piteously to be
/ spared indignities to which death
would have been a hundred fold pre-
ferable. lie saw her clinging with
mothers desperation to ber infant,
4 endeavoring to shield it from the bar
/ barities of their savage captors. His
I heart grew sick, his brain reeled. and
/ throwing himself PROSTATE on the
] ground, be wept until the tounda ton
/ Of his grief seemed dried up De-
| llverance or revenge was now the only
actuating impulse that remained alive
in his soul, and there on his knees,
with a solemn vow before Heaven,
Gabriel Renne devoted his life
to that one purpose. Prudence and
foresight now entered into his oalcu-
: lations; means Of living as we'll as
ii hting were to be provided; for the
/ former he felt that he must depend In
a great measure upon the resources
that gave subsistence to the Indian,
and with regard to the latter he re-
solved to avail himself Of whatever
/ Providence placed in his hands I'm
/ patent for the hour OF preparation to
/ arrive, Gabriel kept -al0of from dan
! ger of observation untll Dight lent
him her veil He could hear the
greedy wolves wraRglings over their
feast, and would fain have broken up
their orgies; but he was now to live
/ for the living, and although he had
/ hitherto sailed abroad with impunity,
another similar exposure might loe
disastrous 50 he remained in his
lair and left the brutes to their ban
/ quoting.


At length night came, and cautious
/ ly advancing Gabriel once more
stood alone in the camp Of death-the
place where he had last seen the liv-
ing forms OF his loved ones. A
/ gloomy prospect was before him, but
resolution forbade despair, and he
neryed himself against every weak
ness. Little indeed that could be of
service to one thus situated had
escaped Indian cupidity; a small
quantity Of -four and piece Of dried
beef had been unaccountably over
looked, but more welcome than
even these, was the discovery of
his own trusty rife that lay under
the ruined tent where he had
fallen when battling with the
enemy. A few, moments were spent
in giving sepulture to the remains Of
his little boy, and after renewing the
vow he had already taken, he gather
| ed up his burden and staggering with
bgdil " weakness, struck direct
course for the mountains In the hope
of finding some secure recess that
would serve for hiding place and
store house.


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