Show recounting the adventures and love which came into the lives of david tippecanoe kwence and antoinette obannon in the days when pioneers were fighting by SAMUEL mccoy red savages savage in the indiana wilderness copyright 1916 by bobbs merrill co CHAPTER continued to 10 great god how low did that injun get in here sir mr larrence ejaculated kinrod as the candles showed him blin the form of the dying savage dont ask me captain conrod re turned the other cheerfully your tour ioor door was open when I 1 got here and he jumped on me when I 1 came in and hied hed have got me it if it had not been tor for this man and he laid his hand gently on the shoulder of the hysterical figure crouched on the floor holy rattlesnakes burst from the astonished conrod its doe doc elliott I 1 david larrence lifted his rescuer to his feet here lets see your face my friend the man looked up slowly ned scull said larrence in a ghastly whisper and staggered backward the man bowed his head again tarrence Yar rence spoke like a man in a dream scull I 1 I 1 have found you at last I 1 1 I am innocent I 1 swear it I 1 cried scull 1 I never betrayed youl you tile the others looked from one to the other of the two wea men in amazement where had they known each other belore before by what name did larrence call elliott El llott what was their secret the moment was tense with waiting david turned to the little group gentlemen he said may I 1 talk to this man alone for a moment sure as shontia sho otin otia said conrod after af tar a pause but lets get this injun out of here first ile he bent above the filthy body and turned the limp shoulders over why its that wu ruthless less Plank eshaw come in last week to sell his skins been drunk ever since hell be sober a while now with irth scant ceremony they dragged the heavy body with the dark red stain between the shoulder blades into the rain min one indian less on the wilder mess border was better luck than bad the half hut eyes stared blankly upward in the beating rain bury him in the mornin momin directed conrod and scull whom the village had bad known only as elleott El llott and david larrence were left alone together now said larrence with deada deadly Y calm ten tell me how bow you got here the man scull clasped his bis hands in entreaty 1 I left lef nottingham because I 1 heard you had bad sworn to kill me I 1 swear to you before god I 1 kasnot was not responsible for your fathers larrence checked the word on sculls bips how came you here lie he repeated 1 I heard you had gone to america and I 1 came across the atlantic to find you I 1 thought I 1 might show you I 1 kwas iwas innocent I 1 swear I 1 am innocent you lie returned david calmly you lie in every word you informed falsely on oa my father and he died on the gallows because of you you became a british spy you fled from england to escape me you never thought to find me here nor did I 1 think to find you here under an as edmed name pretending to be a phy scull looked at him in terror godl god I 1 he whispered his lips dry with fear A door that led to an inner room suddenly swung open and a woman stepped quickly out A cry of fear escaped her as she saw raw david towering menacingly above sculls bowed head she was face to face with david and he looked at her jn da astonishment lydia Cran merill the girl flung filing herself between the two men and clasping scull in her arms she turned defiantly toward david no not lydia cranmer she cried tut but mistress scull hush lydia commanded scull dully go back let us end our business ile he swallowed convulsively and stroked her hair as though soothing a child go back abear not I 1 ned I 1 she answered what does this man want oh ned there Is no danger is there tell me what Ss Is wrong As dald daid looked nt at the two lie he felt the wild anger dying down in his breast aud instead there arose a feeling of self pity ali ah it if only a woman bad thrown thron her arms about his neck und and faced the world tor for him believing in him I 1 an unbearable pang shot through him his eyes were hot with the bitter envy of one who looks into the windows of a house where love and 11 light and warmth stand fir firm m against ast the desolate world without and an d who knows himself a homeless wanderer on the earth when he be spoke it was wa s in a changed voice are you this womans comans husband we were married a mouth month ago said scull ile he seemed almost to ha have e forgotten davids presence and his chand caressed the girls cheek with a strange gentleness david looked at them for a moment in silence then drew a deep breath lie ile had made up ills his mind ile he was glad that lie ile could be merciful to another though life might be never merciful to him ha thrust tile the pistol back into the bosom of his hunting bunting shirt and ills his hand fell upon the knot of ici dibbon lilion Tol tobnette nette had given him R IA you see thier this he asked as he ar w it out scull turned paler lie ile hall freed himself hini from the girls clasp and suddenly ills his knees loosened beneath him and he sauk sank at davids toot feet lydia threw her arms around his shoulders the marl marll l 1 cried scull raising raisin trembling hands david looked at tho the ribbon with a start why yes it Is purple but I 1 do not show it to you as a sign that I 1 am keeping my oath of the brotherhood no As he continued his voice grew tender ho he seemed to be speaking to himself or to some vision which the figure kneeling at his feet could not see you saved my life just now he went on 1 I would have thanked you for ending it as you ended the love of the one I 1 loved most in the world for the sake of that dead love I 1 promise you that no one shall know from me what you have been what you are I 1 break my oath of the brotherhood the groveling creature at davids feet raised a face of incredulity you give up the brothers vengeance ge ance absolutely you will not hold bold to your oath 1 I have said no scull looked up at him a radiance trans transfiguring figuring his face god bless you larrence he said chokingly you do not know what death means you have only your own life I 1 have god help me two lives to live for 1 lydia stooped quickly and lifted davids hand to her lips slie she went hastily from the room the two men stood facing each other and for a while there was silence then david spoke slowly are you going to remain here scull straightened himself up no I 1 we shall go back to E england chave I 1 have robbed you of everything and you have given me everything yo you U do not w v ish to see my face again but before I 1 go I 1 will tell Toi To netto luette the truth I 1 david nodded wearily and went out A cold and dreary rain was still falling but a ray of light shone from t the he tavern door on the upturned face of the dead indian david stopped and looked down upon the sightless visage for a moment and then laughed the dreadful features were twisted into a smile as to ultimate victory and a little rivulet of rain trickled buce unceasingly as from the corner of the mouth no more of wretched life no more of firewater I 1 davids hand stole unconsciously to the pistol that hung heavily within the folds of his own blouse ills its fingers tightened on it and his lips drew together in a harder line why not the thing so easily so quickly done why not was there anything remaining to make him hold to life anay any longer what though blackford did believe in him what though a hundred friends believed in him what mattered all their friendships their stupid greetings the little kindnesses of daily intercourse ter course what did his dreams of great things to be done in this new land amount to petty dreams petty tasks buying and selling squabbling squab blin as over pennies over lit little tle gains a sordid prospect the heritage of fools 1 the rain rain fell steadily chilling him to the very bones through its gray unceasing torrent he plodded unchallenged in its ills loneliness to his own scull looked at him in terror rooms in the village sodden with the cold hood flood sodden with quenched hopes lie sank heavily upon a chair and bowed his head bead upon his hands there to sit for hours in a numb wrestling with bitterness that were beyond his power to shako shake off after a long while he rose and drew the pistol from its place wiped the dampness from its shining shilling barrel and gazed at it with unseeing eyes CHAPTER the uttermost instant it was the day following sculls departure 1 I 1 david walked swiftly deep into the hallers Ita fless forest and strode along little indian creek gurgling under its ice to the spot where tota etto ette obannon had first smiled at him in the april noon it was wag there his new life had begun and there kneel ing bythe by the rocky ledge he prayed as at ft i shrine an end of all things had come to david ills long quest was over and the surf of his passion had spent itself in foam had it been worth while to ta forgive all that he be had lived for was torn from him toinette Tol nette would know that she had judged him unjustly but would that knowledge bring back what he had lost of her he had been a hot tempered fool be had insulted her beyond forgiving the breach had widened beyond bridging lie ile looked across the gulf that lay b between him and Tol toinette nette and felt the bitterness of ruined hopes lie ile thrust his hand band into liis ills hunting shirt and drew forth the dueling pistol lie he had taken from Black fords room for a long while he stood looking at it in silence A light step rustled the dead leaves underfoot and he turned quickly toinette stood beside him a joyous smile on her face 1 I was sent to find you she greeted him astonishingly he stared at her as though at a messenger from the skies iier her silver laughter rang out as it had bad in days gone by do not deceive yourself she smiled 1 I am no angel tea lm toinette david did not believe her dental denial never believed it father sent me tor for you lies iles going to give a great dinner at tile the tavern and youre to sit in the place of honor come you keep your cook waiting and she held out her hand but david did not stir the look of haggard suffering had returned to his face her loveliness was an arrow that sent all the poison of his despair once more burning through his bis veins for the first time lie he found a voice a voice trembling with emotion 1 I cannot I 1 cannot please go I 1 she opened her eyes wide and shot a blue radiance of hurt surprise at lit him in then she went swift and straight to the point a woman not to be put aside by evasions indeed I 1 will not you stay here alone he had regained control of himself but the struggle left him deadly pale ile he could not bear to face her as he be spoke 1 I am going away I 1 cannot live without you the words hardly more than a whisper she took two quick steps forward her hand fell upon his shoulder light as a floating strand of gossamer but he felt it and thrilled through all his being slowly slowly he raised his head and she saw his face that he had gone into tha valley of the shadow of death in the hush of the wilderness his scarcely audible words seemed to tall fall on their hearts with the measured beating of an inexorable judgment what did she see in the wilderness A dry reed shaken in the wind of despair but her voice rang like a song in the morning it Is not brave to turn back frota the plowing I 1 have heard my father say that courage should be lifted to such a height as to maintain its greatness even in the midst of miseries holdin holding all things under itself david smiled 1 I call the immortal truth to witness that no fear either of life or death can appall me having long learned to set bodily pain in the second form of my being and I 1 do now think it the act of a coward to dle die the girl had grown paler as she road read his aisi determination in his face white and rigid as a mask david was silent in the morning sunlight that dappled the little glade the frozen branches of the trees stood motionless A white snowflake danced aaros across the space before davids eyes and his vision followed it u up P up into the cloudless blue beyond in the quiet it seemed to toinette as if she could hear her own heart beating david spoke again slowly and if we be lieutenants of god in this troubled world do you not think then that we have right to choose a new station when he leaves us ot of good reason to stay in the old no certainly I 1 do not she said with a rebuke lovelier because it lay in her sweetly troubled voice since it ts Is not for us to appoint that mighty majesty what time he will help us the uttermost instant Is scope enough for him to revoke all things to ones own desire and sho she sealed her lips with the moistness of her tears which followed still one another like a precious rope of pearls david suddenly realized low how ineffably sweet life was wonderful tragic joyous worthy of music worthy of tears the pistol fell to the ground unheeded david took a step forward but she checked hint him no she said do riot not tell me doctor elliott has bits told me all ile he and lydia clydla have gone forgive me forgive me danidl let the dreadful past go with them I 1 see you have made me cry arent you sorry and by tills this time theres no dinner for either of us they laughed together they were young ill get dinner tor for you promised david 1 I knew a butchers son once upon a time lumea once upon a n timet she repeated that sounds like a story the way they always begin and so it was the beginning ot of a story but david did not tell it to her then they went home together at door little mr air obannon hailed david with a shout 1 I sent my dove into the wilderness lie he said his eyes twinkling but youre your c tile the most sizable olive branch I 1 ever saw I 1 CHAPTER CHAPT ER the story begins in the little stone courthouse on that sabbath morning a hundred voices were lifted in the stirring music of Giar dinis triumphal hymn the people ot of the countryside had bad gathered to give thanks to god for the victory over their savage foes the vigor of the chant swelled in a stern strength streng th which was made beautiful by the rough voices of the pioneers in the little room the hymn echoed with the majesty of a cathedral chait come thou almighty king help us thy name to sins sing FRI help e p rim me 0 to praise 1 father h all 11 glorious oer all victorious come and reign over us ancient of days david felt himself thrill in every nerve ills his alws hand trembled in his and he knew that like himself she felt the mighty glory of life and love of trial undergone of good triumphant over III of yearnings toward the ineffable tears of happiness stood in lac Z VA ltv NC 1 I am going away I 1 cannot uve without you eyes the of victory ceased the minister a man of god rose slowly to his feet he too felt tears rising from the depths love had made him the apostle of the people of the wilderness and he had knit their hearts to his with bands of humble ministry he had never before addressed so large an audience as this sunday after sunday the ten or twelve who made up his little calvinistic flock lacking a clutch building gathered in the homes of his elders henry rice and james armstrong the foundations of goshen chapel had been scarcely planned but today he found a hundred men and women watching him expectant of spiritual comfort no one appreciated better than he the sufferings the bereavements reave ments through which they had passed in his meek and heroic spirit lie he thanked god for the high honor bestowed upon him that to him should be given the words to address so great a company company in a voice that rang with prophecy he read aloud that thrilling call which concludes the fourteenth chapter of the gospel of luke and as he lifted his eyes from the book he be found resting on him the clear steady gaze of the threescore back woodsman woodsmen woods men |