Year: 1865

| was travelling. AS soon as they reached


the Pawnee village she was adopted into
the family of her conqueror, and though


loaded with ornaments, and treated like
! princess, had been narrowly watched to
/ prevent her escape To every entreaty to
wed him, however, she turned deaf ear.
AT last intelligence arrived that medicine


man of her tribe, a pale face warrior, had
been brought III prisoner, and was the next


morning to be burned at the stake in the
center OF the village In an instant she de-
termined to rescue me. Assuming a sud
den cheerGulness, she no longer turned
deaf ear to the gallantry of her captor but
promised to be his at the moon the Great
Spirit having warned her in "a dream to


name that time.


Now the Pawnees are superstitious, and
even the ardor of a lover is nothing to a
dream. So the young brave made virtue
of necessity, and was glad to wait a fort
night to secure willing bride. In the ex-
travagance of his joy, be did what Menca-
teeah had expected he gave orders that
she should no longer be treated as cap
tive. She contrived, during the day, to
learn where was confined. Night came.
She affected to sleep, bnt III reality was
waiting for the village to be buried in re-
pose. Long after midnight she rose steal
thily from her couch, escaped unnoticed from
the lodge, and succeeded in setting me
free


Whist whist" said |, as she ceased her
narrative, and pointed to the now distant
village, which we had left already miles
behind, is not that the barking of dogs /"
She started, like frightened fawn, and
as the sounds broke distinctly on the still
air, said, in voice Of alarm, "The Paw
nee braves are up-they find that the War
Eagle is flown See, they seek him !" and
as she spoke, the flashing of lights among
the lodges, along the horizon, told that the
enemy were awake to their loss.


What was to be done We had scarcely
an hours start were without horses, and
uncertain whittier to go in order to reach
our friends We might in fact be further
from them now than when we left the vii
lage for the night was so dark that we
could not see dozen yards before us; and,
from the absence of both moon and stars,
knew not whether morning was near or dis
tant Our enemies, on the other hand,
would soon be on our trail, and were more
over mounted on the teetest horses Dis
covery knew would be death But
cheered the noble girl beside me- and we
hurried hastily along Nimbly as a noun
tain deer my companion advanced with
rapldlty that set even me at defiance. But
we soon found that nothing could save us.
Already the loud shouts of our pursuers, as
they followed up our trail, grew nearer and
nearer In spite of every excrtion, by the
end of half an hour, it became evident that
they would soon overtake us. | had no
arms, and what defence could make
But thank God, the increasing darkness
had been the sign of daybreak, and the
gray morning slowy y appearing, disclosed
to my JOY party ofmen advancing toward
us, whom, even in the uncertain light, |
knew to be Sioux warriors Their num-
bers, too, provided that our own brave par
ty had met with that which had set out be-
fore. They were still far down on the hor-
izon, however, and our pursuers were rap
idly pressing on our rear


"There is hope" said the Indian girl, in
a tone Of joy, but joy on my account more
than on hers the seal p of the War Ea-
gle shall not dry in the e-Pawnee lodge. He
will return to his people. See, the braves
of my tribe are nigh ~


"You are weary, Meneateeah" said |,
perceiving she fell behind as she spoke ;
=" you cannot go on any longer | will re-
main with you, and meet our fate. Or.
stay can bear you in rly arms"


No, no" said she, eagerly, the Pale
Flower is not weary. But if the Pawnee's
arrow is sharp, had it not better pierce the
weak girl than the great brave ?"


What ~ said | stopping suddenly, but
half penetrating her meaning.


Only that the Pale Flower can die for
the white warrior" was her simple answer,
as she drew her robe around her, and looked
into my face /; "but hark! the Pawnee dogs
sees us !-fy-fy p ... ...


Had you been there, said my old friend,
on that treeless prairie, and seen horde
of enraged savages galloping in your rear,
waving their arms frantically on high, and
shouting with demoniac exultation, over
the anticipated slaughter of their victims,
you would have some idea of what danger
reallyeis. But the noble devotion of the
sweet girls words drove all thisxfor mo-
ment from mysmind and it was not till
she urged me dgain to hasten forward that
forgot my admiration for her in the sense
Of mutual danger .r. .n"n..


cast hurried look behind and saw
that before five minutes, unless some mira
Gle happened, the Pawnee lances would be
driven through us. Our only hope was in
the succor of the Sioux, who were now sweep
ing down on their fiery horses with the
speed of a whirlwind Two warriors from
their body, as well as one swarthy savage
from our pursers, were respectively far
in advance of their several parties |
and if we could escape the latter,
we should gain the protection
of, our friends before the rest of his
force could come up. Aware of this, the
Pawnee was urging his steed forward with
incredible velocity. All at once saw him
drop his spear, and shouted encouraging
ly to my companion, thinking that we were
at length safe. But the willy savage, fear
full that one might escape if he trusted to
his lance, had only resigned it for a more
effective weapon, Rapidly, assuming his
bow, he fitted an arrow. to the spring, and
riding at fnll speed to within dozen yards,
he drew the weapon along his right thigh, |
and let fly the missile with a short quick
cry, and a force that would have driven it
through the bosses of a Grecian bucker
Truly and unerringly sped the shaft, aimed
directly at my heart, and in an instant | 4
should have fallen it's prey, had not Men