Year: 1878

stock Of bullets was gone from the peg.
In doing her work in the morning Abby
had knocked it off, and it had fallen
down through an opening in the floor.
In breathless haste Jason searched the
room over, but could not find the pouch
Knowing there was not single moment
to lose, he set off with but the single
charge in his gun


He had just got out of the door when
he heard Abby scream. Then there
followed smothering sound, and then
he heard her try to call his name.


Even then the boys presence of mind
did not desert him. He knew that if
the savage were alone his sisters sole
chance of life lay in the Indians not
discovering that he was pursued.


He ran to the edge of the bushes that
skirted the potatoes and looked out The
redskin was dragging Abby after him
by the wrists, and was just entering the
woods ON the farther side going out to-
ward the river


From this Jason concluded that the
Indian had come down the stream in
canoe, which he had probably left not far
off If the savage should regain his
canoe, Jason's only chance would be to
shoot him from the bank This he re-
solved to attempt.


Not much more than mile above the
clearing the river makes great bend,
and at one point is quite swift and nor
row. Making circuit through the woods,
Jason ran to intercept the Indian at the
bend.


He was right in his conjecture, for he
had but Just crept through some thick
alders on the bank when he saw canoe
coming swiftly up the stream. The In
dams paddle glittered in the sun as he
sat in the stern, and with quick, strong
strokes propelled the little craft against
the current. He could see his sister
crouching in the middle of the canoe,
with her head muffied in some coarse
cloth.


Jason cooked his gun, and, with the
greatest caution, brought the piece to
bear on the savage, determined. to fire
the instant he came near enough.
But the wary Indian either heard
some sound from the shore, or suspected
danger at the narrow point in the chan
mel, for, before he had come within range
Jason saw him creep forward and crouch
beside his captive, in such manner as
to shield his own body with hers.


Jason saw the savage's sharp eyes
scanning the bushes, but he did not fire
lest he should shoot his sister.


Though baffled by this trick, the bold
boy was not disheartened. Three or
four miles further up the river was a
rapid, where the channel was broken
by lodges and large powders, against
which, near the upper end of the broken
water, were piled great heaps of drift
logs and brush. Jason had trapped
there and knew the place well.


There were three piles of drifts in the
stream at that point-one near the right
bank, another on ledge little further
out, and a few rods higher up, and third
one lodged against two enormous rocks
still nearer the opposite bank.


1t was between these banks and the
shore that boats and canoes going up the
river usually passed for the current
here was neither 80 strong nor so swift,
but flowed smoothly over a pebble bot
tom.


With line canoe or boat could
pulled up against the current, and the
water was not so deep but that a man
could wade and draw a boat after him.
To shoot at the savage when he drew
his canoe up the rapid was Jason's next
thought.


After hot run he came out near the
rapids and easily waded across to the
first pile of drift. There we're rocks on
which he was able to jump to the second
of the three. But it was only by wad-
ing that he was able to get to the furthest
drift pile, the point he wished to reach.


Several times he was nearly swept
away by stumbling over the slippery
rocks upon the bottom. But he got over,
and hiding himself partly under some
of the brush and behind an old tilted
stump, he lay in wait for the Indian
| From this lurking place he could not
see down stream; but in about twenty
minutes he heard the Indian wading in
the rapid, splashing his way up, pulling
the canoe after him.


A minute later and Jason caught sight
of him-bent over, as he carefully plant
ed his moccasined feet among the slip
perry stones on the bottom. He had the
line over one shoulder, and the canoe,
with Abby in it, was ten or twelve feet
behind him. The girl was now sobbing
bitterly, quite despairing Of escape or
rescue.


The Indian had come within thirty or
forty feet of Jason, but at that moment
his quick ear caught some sound from
the drift heap. He stopped and turned
sharply round.


This was Jason's chance. Before the
savage could stir the young backwoods-
man had fired at him. And it was
most fortunate shot-for Abby Flint, at
least


Jase had hit the Indian in a vital spot.
Uttering dreadful cry of pain, the saw
age let go the line and attempted to reach
the drift heap, but being so severely
wounded, he lost his footing and rolled
down the rapid.


The canoe, too, caught sidewise by the
current, was upset, and Abby, clutching
at the gunwale, which was bound with
basket stuff, was carried with it into an
eddy beneath the other band.


Hang on to it, Abb" were the fist
words she heard from her brother.


Jason had waded into the stream, and
crossing over, he seized hold of the canoe;
but stepping into deep hole near the
eddy, both he and his sister sank com.
pletely out of sight For moment they
were near drowning. The boy struggled
out, however, and pulled his sister to the
shore.


Neither of them saw anything more of
the Indian Probably he was carried
into the deep water below the rapid and
was drowned.


/ wish had been able to learn more
Of the subsequent career of Jason Flint.
but could only hear at Duluth that he
had become scout and Indian fighter
out west


He was certainly cool headed, steady
handed youngster-if not a very good