Show adga wit X r my one and twentieth birthday balue during the period of my me wanderings ande rings 1 am a steady fellow enough now but in youth MY life was crowned with advert tures at eighteen I 1 broke through the limitations of the old home st deserted my fathers farm an becotte a rover I 1 had rason for wishing to go to it was lien little more than a military outpost I 1 went as far as of the most re lindlau agencies and when compelled procured a pony find on linued my travel alone over a most dangerous portion of the country upon the evening of the murth day stopped at a welling cr astell front the ground 0 let in or 0 drblik alie coiny though thirsty sniffled the ground and gale voica to low whinnies which was explain gil when I 1 suddenly die covered hoof tracks and moccasin mocca sit brints in the mud arlund the spring turned a alarm to mount aben there was a rush through the bush es a yells and I 1 found myself surrounded by indiana I 1 expected as a great hideouts hide otts savage laid hands on me tobe instantly killed and scalded scalped ped but after depriving me of my gun and binding my bands and il beet with deer thongs they carried me into ono of tile wigwams and laid in a down upon a bed of skins for twenty four hours without meat of drink I 1 was left to wonder what they did mean to do with me my lashings bad become very annoying for I 1 was bound with un necessary tightness the rude leather ahe flesh upon my wrists and ankles and rendered my hands and feet almost numb and very painful I 1 thi second day I 1 must have become delbri ous for I 1 had forgotten where I 1 wait I 1 when I 1 SAW two faces turned at tent ively upon me one wits dark and repulsive the other fail r and delicate I 1 turned glances upon them and tried to speak dont know what I 1 succeeded in saying but the dark face wal distorted dis totted with a horrid ariu to my astonishment the other mur ared in english poor allowa As I 1 looked at the one who had spoken I 1 saw that she was a young white girl she was wrapped like the other i skins aud lure wore bera mall feeland fee tand had a string of tawdry ornaments about her neck but her hair flowed fair flao and silken upon her slender shoulders she aoud nt have been more than years I 1 looked at her in wonder as she knelt down by we and passe a her small over m lashings something in her manner of do edg this made me look narrowly in to her face she was blendl JEW lovely blue eyes did not see me at fill she rose up apil spoke equaw who accompanied her the latter replied by a harsh laugh the conversation was continued in a language I 1 did not understand but I 1 saw that the young girl assum ed a omet bing of authority finally as I 1 watched in agonizing suspense both left the wigwam it was nearly if not quite dark when I 1 half realized the sound of a step beside me and then water heaven sl how refreshingly cold aid was held to in is it I 1 ailed abr the skin I 1 at the en terance of the wigwam had fallen and shut out what little was huslig Hus lil a soft voice at ohp sama instant blade of a knife severed the thongs which bound my wrists and ankles at first I 1 could not stand but by my limbs and urging them grot dually to the task I 1 wits at length able to walk about went come on qu belly said a soft voice I 1 the same that had spoken when I 1 received drink I 1 hod concluded it to be the blind girl the little hand grasp mine and led me forward there was not a ray of light but she drew me on with a speed and promptness that bewildered me we must have proceeded in wo for several hundred yards W by en we heard the distant sound of eager voices I 1 surmised that amz eje pe ad been discovered ng dinv inv angly the girl turned to the right and we commenced comme need a rapid descent the ilir around me was dense and warm slid I 1 ted that we were in a ra v in q or tp 0 now and be careful said rhy companion and I 1 found that we entered a cavis the bottom of which was strewn with dried beatea abich rustled audly beneath our feet at length we d you atla stay here now said MV little guide rie dow n and rest I 1 will watch I 1 wits literally star d and too jcak to speak I 1 fell into a light slumber a t last when I 1 ahe hot may sunshine pene grated even to our retreat and the young girl was coah g softly into the cave with a brace birds she 0 bowed me that he had woven in the night a lair of her orsi soft lair y which she had entrapped entraped ent raped them A daybreak dalson handful of succulent roots ate and rested nearly all day while she cooked for me and dried the n y birds for dhigh abe kept a til fira d sy and a 16 1 i I 1 suspect ed for I 1 fell caleel at dark and vuel nothing ii u ill the next morn ilg then ar the first time I 1 felt equal to tle situation I 1 up rest I 1 ay and I 1 will cook your breakfast brea kfaft I 1 said she crept law the leaves and lay don like a little child after she lid fallen asleep I 1 saw that the traces of her for me and looked worn and weary I 1 felt that I 1 bad been selfish and inezn si to depend so faron the strength of a delicate girl disabled thou g h I 1 I 1 was in s few hours she awoke and awe mouth of the cave ate a little and then commo nova string ing the aried birds upon a igop of gra file 1 1 wa te will last yo 11 1 ur days she said in t b t tl YOU can find your way back to the frontier you must go back if you try to go on some of the indians will I 1 you they are all codr enemies ene 1 and you I 1 asked I can find some of the tribe to which my friends belong how dilyou come io be with e Indi alib 1 I avas captured by them from the people I 1 lived with long ago iwas I was an oralian child whom some good people adopted from an in an eastern city when I 1 was very small They came west and settled upon the frontier the indians made an attack upon them burned their cabin killed them and old besho eared me are you hap py I 1 have no other friends but them where could I 1 go to be better off she asked ut my home I 1 said readily 1 I have a good mother who will take care of you and teach you all you ought to know when she learns live saved ray life yo will have there friends and and society will you go with me she assented readily to be brief I 1 traveled tra velea home and left sunshine as she said she was my parents I 1 had no need to urge her adoption when they learned what she had done my good mother her blary for my little sister who had died but abea after two years more of pave I 1 returned home having engaged in a prosperous business in cin cinnoti I 1 found my more suited than ever to her old name and I 1 chose to call her by it good mother thought that she it a d a household pot for life and w lt e a astonished shed shin I 1 told her that blary a nd I 1 loved each othet and we r e goerig to be married but I 1 woul d not be gainsaid gain said abid took my darling with me to my new home the re ell 0 abides lovely find beloved in y blind W lie |