Year: 1871

you do not wish to become, after all,
the lovely bride of the great Monoge-
ken ~


"Oh, no, mol do not kill me ~


"Wcnona, tell me all; / am your
friend, and may have the power to aid
you. II you wish to wed Monogeken,
say but the word, and withdraw my
foot from your presence.


"Oh, save me, sir, if you canl I
shall die if you leave me here. No, l
will never we'd Monogeken, though
kind to me, and the great chief Of the
Miami's."


"But If aid you to escape I may
be doing wrong in thus stepping be-
tween you and fortune, for you will,
by marrying this ohieftain, be raised
to an exalted and envied position
And as for love, you must have been
too young when you left your friends
to love any other'-hcre the dark eyes
of the trapper were bent searchingly
upon her.


"0h, yes, l do love another, though
l was too young ut the time to know
that the dear George that used to
dandle me on his knee would ever be
held in such regard as l think Of him
now. You see he was my fathers
partner, though very young man; -
and he was my best friend. / cannot
remember the time when | did not
know him, nor when he first began to
pet me. Oftentimes he has told me
/ should be his little wife when / was
grown up, aud | told him yes; then
he would kiss me and run down town
where father was waiting for him. 1t
was all in play, you know, and it's
nothing but a dream now, and / nev-
er let it come TO me except when l
am asleep, and then | cannot drive il
away. Many times when these dusky
forms are sleeping, when the night
bird and wolf join in hideous duet,
am | back once more on Georges
knee while he hears my lesson that l
missed at school, and scolds me for
my inattention. You see, sir, can
talk of it now after all these tears /
have just shed; but / never allow
these people to see me weep, il dis
pleases them so. But all is over with
me now. Ny father started with his
father to Denver, expecting to make
a great fortune but On the day the
Indians were making great feast to
their god Manito, one of them cap
tured me. Now, the rule is OH such
a day, if one Of the men can succeed
in capturing a pale face for the yearly
sacrifice TO offer to Manito, the great
spirit, he will be loaded down with
honors and great distinction conferred
upon him. Only the great chief of
the tribe can intcrdict this order and
reserve the victim to make him one of
his chief rulers or something of that
kinda thing, however. seldom re-
sorted TO. / was spared; but better
would it have been for me had | shar-
ed the fate of those who are so unfor-
tunate as to be caught on such day"


Say not so, Wenona; only few
miles distant, yonder to the north,
east where you see q faint veil of
smoke ascending, burn the camp fires
of your friends; tonight ! viii take
you thither."


Take me to my friends! o, sir !
do not raise my hopes in vain l
could never survive it, said the poor
girl, clasping her hands and casting an
look at the old trapper.


"Never fear, all will be well: be
but calm and collected, as I have
found you all along, until purposely
wrung your heart to find out your
true feelings, and you are safe. Do
not sleep tonight, but retire as usual
IL will be dark tonight, and when
you hear the single hoot of an owl
turn your eyes toward yonder rocky
bank, where faint star will glimmer
forth for an instant. That is your
signal. Stealthily leave the camp
and seek the direction of the star
once there, firm hand and a brave
heart will lead you to my horse
Nero-lariated on the prairie. He
is strong enough to carry us both to
camp of friends, who will take you
wnere you choose. Now seek the
camp, your long absence might
be marked.


As she left the spot one of the In
dams PASSED her and frowned darkly,
but no further notice was taken of the
affair. ~


That night-long past midnight,
two forms, mounted on a feet and
powerful horse, bounded over the
grassy plain. No word had been
spoken, as several miles had been thus
They had now reached
Bull creek ford, just half mile south
of where the city of Paola now stands.
Here, after crossing the stream, the
trapper suddenly halted. At short
distance before them, and on the very
spot where the plaza of Paola is now
situated, in the center of the town,
burned the lurid canp-fres of those
they sought, sending ruddy lines of
light through the darkness of the
night. "Wenona, yonder is our des-
tination. You see they expect US
All is ready for movement, for we must
leave these parts Immediately. The
pursuers must be left behind. BY
daylight we must be long ways
from here But there is great sur
prise in store for you, and before you
enter the camp, 1 must explain
Those campers are no other than your
father and motherw


At this announcement Wenona
gave a little scream, and would have
fallen had not strong arm prevent
ed.


''There is still another surprise for
you, but we will wait"


Soon in camp she was sobbing in