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Show ERSKINE DALE -PIONEER By John Fox, Jr. ' Copyright By Charles Scribner'i Sun'l did toward tliis dandy mincing up that beautiful broad jiulli. With a Utile grunt lie turned back along t tie path. Firelly whinnied to him nnd nipped at 1 1 i in with playful restlessness as though eager to be on his way to the barn, nnd he stood awhile with one arm across his saddle. Once he reached upward to untie the reins, and with another grunt strode back nnd went rapidly up the path. "Grey and Barbara bad disappeared, but a tall youth who sat behind one of the big pillars saw him coming nnd rose, bewildered, but not for long. Each recognized the other swiftly, and Hugh came with stiff courtesy forward. Erskine smiled: "You don't know me?" Hugh bowed : "Quite well." The woodsman drew himself up with quick breath paling without, flaming within but before he could speak there was a quick step and an astonished cry within the ball and Harry sprang out. "Erskine! Erskine I" he shouted, and be leaped down the steps w''h both bands outstretched. "You here! You you old Indian how did you get here?" He caught Erskine by both hands and then fell to shaking him by the shoulders. "Where's your horse?" And then he noticed the boy's pale and embarrassed face nnd his eyes shifting to Hugh, who stood, still cold, still courteous, and he checked some hot outburst at his lips. "I'm glad you've come, nnd I'm glad you've come right now Where's your horse?" "I left him hitched at the landing," Erskine had to answer, nnd Harry looked puzzled : "The landing! Why, what" He wheeled and shouted to a darky: "Put Master Erskine's horse In the bnrn and feed him." And be led Erskine Ers-kine within to the same room where he had slept before, and poured out some water in a bowl. "Take your time," he said, and he went back to the porch. Erskine could hear and see him through the latticed blinds. "Hugh," said the lad In a low, cold voice, "I am host here, and If you don't like this you can take that path." "You are right," was the answer; "but you wait until Uncle Harry gets home." The matter was quite plain to Erskine Ers-kine within. The presence of Dane Grey made It plain, and as Erskine dipped both hands into the cold water "Come on," called Hurry. "I Imagine you're hungry, cousin." "I nin," said ErsMne. "I've had nothing to at since since early morn." Barbara's eyes flashed upward and Grey was plainly startled. Was there n slight stress on those two words? Erskine's face was as expressionless expres-sionless as bronze. Harry had bolted into the hall. Mrs. Dale was visiting down the river, so Barbara sat in her mother's place, with Erskine -at her right, Grey to her left, Hugh next to him, and Marry ut the head. Harry did not wait long. "Now, you White Arrow, you Rig Chief, tell us the story. Where have you been, what have you been doing, and what do you mean to do? I've heard a good deal, but I want It all." Grey began to look uncomfortable, and so, In truth, did Barbara. "What have you heard?" asked Erskine Ers-kine quietly. "Never mind," Interposed Barbara quickly ; "you tell us." "Well," began Erskine slowly, "you remember that day we met some Indians In-dians who told me that old Kahtoo, my foster-father, was ill, and that he wanted to see me before he diejd? I went exactly as I would have gone had white men given the same message from Colonel Dale, and even for better bet-ter reasons. A bad prophet was stirring stir-ring up trouble In the trfbe against the old chief. An enemy of mine. Crooked Lightning, was helping him. He wanted his son, Black Wolf, as chief, and the old chief wanted inc. I heard the Indians were going to join the British. I didn't want to be chief, but I did want influence in the tribe, so I stayed. There was a white woman wom-an in the camp and an Ifidian girl named Early Morn. I told the old chief that I would fight with the whites against the Indians and with the whites against them both. Crooked Lightning overheard me, and you can imagine what use he made of what I said. I took the wampum belt for the old chief to the powwow between the Indians and the British, and I found I could do nothing. I met Mr. Grey there." He bowed slightly to Dane and then looked at him steadily. "I was told that he was there in the interest of an English fur company. When I found I could do nothing with the Indians, I told the council what I had told the old chief." He paused. Barbara's face was pale and she was breathing hard. She had not looked at Grey, but Harry had been watching him covertly and he did not look comfortable. com-fortable. Erskine paused. "What !" shouted Harry. "You told both that you would fight with the whites against both! What'd they do to you?" Erskine smiled. "Well, here I am. I Jumped over the heads of the outer ring and ran. Firefly heard me calling 1dm. I had left his halter loose. He broke away. I jumped on him, and you know nothing noth-ing can catch Firefly." "Didn't they shoot at you?" "Of course." Again he paused. "Well," said Harry impatiently, "that isn't the end." "I went back to the camp. Crooked Lightning followed me and they tied me and were going to burn me at the stake." "Good heavens !" breathed Barbara. "How'd you get away?" "The Indian girl, Early Morn, slipped under the tent and cut me loose. The -white woman got my gun, and Firefly you know nothing can catch Firefly." The silence was intense. Hugh looked dazed, Barbara was on the point of tears, Harry was triumphant, and Grey was painfully flushed. "And you want to know what I am going to do now?" Erskine went on. "I'm going with Capt. George Rogers Clark with what command are you, Mr. Grey?" "That's a secret," he smiled coolly. "I'll let you know later," and Barbara, with an inward sigh of relief, rose quickly, but would not leave them behind. be-hind. "But the white woman?" questioned Harry. "Why doesn't she leave the Indians?" "Early Morn a half-breed is her daughter," said Erskine simply. "Oh!" and Harry questioned no further. "Early Morn was the best-looking Indian girl I ever saw," said Erskine, "and the bravest." For the first time Grey glanced at Barbara. "She saved my life," Erskine went on gravely, "and mine is hers whenever she needs It." Harry reached over and gripped his hand. As yet not one word had been said of Grey's misdoing, but Barbara's cool disdain made him shamed and hot, and in her eyes was the sorrow of her injustice in-justice to Erskine. In the hallway she excused herself with a courtesy, Hugh went to the stables, Harry disappeared for a moment, and the two were left alone. With smoldering fire Erskine turned to Grey. "It seems you have been amusing yourself wilh my klnspeople at my expense." ex-pense." Grey drew himself up in haughty silence. Erskine went on: "I have known some liars who were not onwards." "You forget yourself." "No nor you." "You remember a promise I made you once?" "Twice." corrected Erskine. Grey's eyes flashed upward to the crossed rapiers on the wall. (TO BE CONTINUED.) CHAPTER X Continued. 11 A striking figure the lad made riding rid-ing into the old capital one afternoon Just before the sun sank behind the western woods. Students no longer wandered through the campus o William Wil-liam and Mary college. Only an occasional occa-sional maid In silk and lace tripped long the street in high-heeled shoes nnd clocked stockings, and no coach and four was in sight. The governor's palace, in its great yard amid linden trees, was closed and deserted. My Lord Dunmore was long in sad flight, as Erskine later learned, but not In his coach with Its six milk-white horses. But there was the bust of Sir Walter in front of Raleigh tavern, and there he drew up, before the steps where he was once nigh to taking Dane Grey's life. A necro servant came forward for-ward to care for Ids horse, but a coal-. coal-. black young giant leaped around the corner and seized the bridle with a welcoming cry : "Marse Erskine ! But I knowed Firefly fust." It was Ephraim, the groom who had brought out Barbara's ponies, who had turned tne horse over to him for the race at the fair. "I come frum de plantation fer ole marse," the boy explained. The host, of the tavern heard and came down to give his welcome, for any Dale, no matter what his garb, could always have the best in that tavern. More than that, a bewigged solicitor, learning learn-ing his name, presented himself with the cheerful news that he had quite a little sum of money that had been confided con-fided to his keeping by Colonel Dale for his nephew, Erskine. A strange deference . seemed to be paid him by everybody, which was a grateful change from the suspicion be had left among his pioneer friends. The little tavern was thronged and the air charged with the spirit of war. Indeed, nothing else was talked. My Lord Dun-more Dun-more had come to a sad and unbe-moaned unbe-moaned end. He had stayed afar from the battlefield of Point Pleasant and had left stalwart General Lewis to fight Cornstalk and his braves alone. Later My Lady Dunmore and her sprightly daughters took refuge on a man-of-war whither my lord soon followed fol-lowed thein. His fleet ravaged the banks of the rivers and committed every outrage. His marines set fire to Norfolk, which was in ashes when he weighed anchor and sailed away to more depredations. When he Intrenched In-trenched himself on Gwynn's Island, that same stalwart Lewis opened a heavy canwonade on fleet and Island, and sent a ball through the indignant nobleman's flagship. Next day he saw a force making for the island In boats, and my lord spread all sail; and so back to merry England, and to Virginia Vir-ginia no more. Meanwhile, Mr. Washington Wash-ington had reached Boston and started his duties under the Cambridge elm. Several times during the talk Erskine had heard mentioned the name of Dane Grey. Young Grey had been with Dunmore and not with Lewis at Toint Pleasant, and had been conspicuous conspicu-ous at the palace through much of the succeeding turmoil the hint being his devotion to one of the daughters, since he was now an unquestioned loyalist. Next morning Erskine rode forth along a sandy road, amidst the singing sing-ing of birds and through a forest of tiny upshooting leaves, for Red Oaks on the James. He had forsworn Colonel Colo-nel Dale to secrecy as to the note he had left behind giving his birthright to his little cousin, Barbara, and he knew the confidence would be kept ln- violate. At the boat landing he hitched his horse to the low-swung branch of an oak and took the path through tangled rose bushes and undergrowth un-dergrowth along the bank of the river, halting where it would give him forlh on the great, broad, grassy way that led to the house among the oaks. There was the sundial that had marked every sunny hour since he had been away. For a moment he stood there, and when he stepped Into the open he shrank back hastily a girl was coming com-ing through the opening of boxwood from the house coming slowly, bareheaded, bare-headed, her hands clasped behind her. her eyes downward. His heart throbbed as he waited, throbbed the more when his ears caught even the soft trend of her little feet, and seemed to stop when she paused at the sundial, and as before searched the river with her , . eyes. And as before the song of negro oarsmen came over the yellow flood, growing stronger as they neared. Soon the girl fluttered a handkerchief and from the single passenger in the stern came an answering flutter of white and a glad cry. At the bend of the river the boat disappeared from Erskine's sight under the bank, nnd he watched the girl. How she had grown! Her slim figure had rounded and shot upward, nnd her white gown had dropped to her dainty ankles. Now her face was flushed nnd her eye flushed with excitement it was no mere kinsman in that boat, and the hoy's heart began to throb again throb fiercely nnd with racking emotions emo-tions thai he had never known hefore. A fiery looking youth sprang up the landing-steps, bowed gallant ly over the girl's hand, nnd the two turned up the path, the girl rosy with smiles nnd the youth bending over her with a most protecting and tender air. It was Dane Grey, and the heart of the watcher turned mortal sick. CHAPTER XI. A long time Erskine sat motionless, wondering what ailed him. He had never liked nor trusted Grey; he believed be-lieved he would have trouble with him some day. but he had other enemies and he did not feel toward them as he ittl wmtm "Never to You, My Dear Cousin." he made up his mind to an understanding under-standing with that young gentleman that would be complete and final. And so he was ready when he and Harry were on the porch a'ain and Barbara Bar-bara and tlrey emerged from the rose bushes and came slowly up the path. Hurry looked worried, but KrsUine sat still, with a faint smile at his mouth and in his eyes. Barbara saw him first and she did not rush forward. Instead, she stopped, with wide eyes, a stifled cry, and lifting one hand toward to-ward her heart. Grey saw too, flushed rather painfully, and calmed himself. Krskine hail sprung down flie steps. "Why, have I changed so much?" he cried. "Hugh didn't seem to know me. either." His voice was gay. friendly, even affectionate, hut his eyes danced with strange lights that puzzled the girl. "t)f course I knew you." she faltered, fal-tered, paling a little, but gathering herself her-self rather haughtily a fact that Krskine Krs-kine seemed not to notice. "Yon took tne by surprise and you have changed hut I don't know how much." The significance of this too seemed to pass Krskine by. for he bent over Barbara's hand and kissed it. "Never to you. my dear cousin," he said gallantly, and then he bowed to Mane Grey, not offering to shake hands. "Of course I know Mr. Grey." To say that the gentleman was duuifound-ed duuifound-ed is to put it mildly this wild Indian playing the courtier with exqttis:te im-'puilcnce im-'puilcnce and doing it well ! Harry seemed like to burst with restrained merriment, and Barbara was sorely put Jo it to keep her poise. The great dinner hell from behind the house boomed its summons to the woods and fields. |