Show erskine dale D a I 1 e pio pioneer inteer by john fox jr lir kf chrt charles aliss CHAPTER continued 17 orey grey was cautious at first trying out his opponents increase lu in skill you have made marked improvement thank you smiled erskine Ersk lne your wrist Is much stronger naturally grey leaped backward and nd parried just in time a vicious thrust that was like a dart of ali ahl I 1 A frenchman taught you that A frenchman taught me all the vule I 1 know 1 I wonder it if lie he tau ht you how to meet tills ile he did answered erskine erskene Ersk lne parrying easily and with an answering thrust that turned grey suddenly anxious constantly grey maneuvered to keep his back to the moon and just as constantly erskine easily kept him where the light shone fairly on both grey began to breathe heavily 1 I think too sold said erskine Ersk lne that my wind la Is a little better than yours would you like a short resting spell from the shadow ephraem chuckled and grey soap snapped ped slake blake that black devil devai i keep quiet ephraim I 1 broke in erskine sternly again grey maneuvered for the moon to no avail and erskene gave warning try that again and I 1 will nili put that moon in your eyes and keep it there grey was getting angry now and was beginning to pant your tour wind Is short said erskine with mock compassion 1 I will give you a little breathing br eathin spell presently grey was waa not wasting his precious breath now and he made no answer vow I 1 said erskine sharply and greys blade new flew from ills his hand and lay like a streak of silver on the dewy grass grey rushed for it D n you he raged nd and wheeled furiously patience humor and caution quite gone and they fought now nov in deadly silence ephraim saw the british appear in the hall and walk unsteadily donn doin the steps as though he were coming down the path but he dared not open his lips there was the sound of and it was evident that the game irod had ended in a quarrel and the players were coming up tip the river hank bank toward them erskine heard but it if grey did lie he at first gave no sign he was too much concerned with the death that faced him suddenly erskine knew that grey had heard tor for the fear in his face gave way to a diabolic grin of triumph and he lashed suddenly into defense it if lie could protect himself only a little longer erskine had delayed the finishing stroke too ion long and lie must make it now flow grey gave way step by step parry parrying frig only the blades flashed like tiny bits of lightning el shines kines face grim and inexorable brought brou glit the th sick fear back into greys and erskine saw ills his ene mys lips open ile he lunged then ills blade went true sank to the hilt and greys warped soul started on its way witha with a craven cry for help belp erskine sprang back into the shadows and snatched his hid pistol from Ephr ephraime aims hand get out of the way now tell them edid idid I 1 did it once lie he looked back ile he saw barbara at the hall door with old mammy behind her with a n running leap lie he vaulted the hedge and hidden in the bushes ephraem Eph ralin heart heard Fire flys hoofs beating ever more faintly the sandy road CHAPTER yorktown broke the british heart and general dale still week weak from wounds went ent home to red R e d oaks oa ka it I 1 t was not ion long before with gentle inquiry lie he hall had pieced out ont the full story of barbara and erskine find and dane grey and wisely isely he waited ills chance with each phase of the llie situation frankly lie he told tier her first of oc greys dark arenci er Y and the girl listened with horrify horrified ed silence for she would as soon have distrusted that beloved father as the file heavenly father in her prayers she left him when he finished the file story find and he let her go without another word all lay day she wits was in her room and tit at sunset slie she gave him her answer for she came to hlin film dressed in white knelt by ills chair find and put tier lier bell bend in ills his lap and there was as a rose in her linar liala 1 I have never understood about myself and and that man elie said and I 1 never will 1 I do vold cold the general gently and I 1 understand yen through my sister who nho was so like you erskines father was ns as indignant as hurry harry Is pow ind and I 1 am trying to act you as my father did toward her the girl pressed tier lier lips to one of ills hands 1 I think id better tell ou on the story now flow said general dale and ile he told of erskines father fat lier liis ills wild less and ills wanderings his marriage mairi age and the capture of his wife ife and the little son by the indians nil all of which she knew and the girl won deredi why he be should be telling lier her again the general paused daubed you vou know I erskines mother was not killed ile HP found her the girl looked tit up amazed and incredulous yes lie went on the n white bite woman whom lie he round lu in the indian village vius mas his mother father 11 she lifted her head quickly loaned leaned back with tight in front of her looked up taco hla face ace her ova ou crimsoning ind and paling na as she took in the full meaning of tt it all her eyes dropped then the said bald slowly that in than dlan girl early mom Is his bis half sister elster oh oh I 1 A great pity flooded her heart and eyes why ers era idne take them away from uie the indians deans ills mother leave them and barbara understood poor Ers erskines kinel she elie whispered and her tears came her father leaned buck birck and for a moment closed his eyes there Is more he said bald finally erskines father was the eldest brother and lied oaks the girl sprang to tier her feet startled agonized ionized a oni zed shamed De belongs longs to ers idne she finished with her tace face in tier her hands god pity me she whispered 1 I drove him film from his bis own home no said the old general with a gentle smile ile he was driving the barb deep but sooner or later it had to be done look herel here lie he pulled an old piece of paper from his pocket and litin handed ded it to lier her iier her wide eyes tell fell upon a rude boyish scrawl and a rude drawing of a buffalo pierced by an arrow it make me laugh I 1 have no use I 1 give hole bole dam plaat plant nshon ashun barbara ohl oh gasped the girl and then where Is lie he walting waiting at williamsburg to get his discharge she rushed swiftly down the steps calling ephraem Ephr alm ephraem Ephrat Ephr alm nil and ten minutes later the happy grinning ephraim Eph ralin mounted on the thoroughbred was speeding ahead of a whirlwind ot of dust with a little scented note in his battered slouch hat flat you said you would come whenever I 1 wanted you I 1 want you to come wv now BARBARA the girl would not go to bed and the old general from ills his window saw tier her like some white spirit of the night motionless on the porch and there through the long hours she sat once slie she rose and started down the great path toward the sundial moving slowly through the flowers and moonlight until she was opposite a g plant giant magnolia where the shadow of it touched the light on vie the grass she had last seen greys white face fac and scarlet breast with a shudder she turned back the night whitened A catbird started the morning chorus the dawn came and with it ephraim Ephr alm the girl waited where she wits was eph balm took off his battered hat marse erskine done gone miss barbary he said brokenly he done gone two days the girl said nothing and there the old general found her still motionless the torn bits of erskines scrawling deed scattered about her feet CHAPTER on the summit of cumberland gap erskine dale faced firefly to the east cast and looked his last on the forests that inept unbroken back to the river james it was all over for him back there and he turned to the wilder depths those endless leagues of shadowy woodlands that he would never leave again at boonesborough Boones borough he learned from the old ferry ferryman inan that while the war might be coming to an end in virginia it was raging worse than ever in kentucky there had been bloody indian forays bloody white reprisals fierce private wars and even then the whole border was in a flame forts had been pushed westward even beyond lexington and 1782 had bad been Kentuck ys ear car ef c blood erskine pushed on and ever grew ills his hopelessness the british had drawn all the savages of the northwest into the war As soon as the snow was off the ground the forays had begun horses bere ere stolen cabins burned and women and children were carried oft off captive the pioneers had been confined ed to their forts and only small bands of riflemen sallied out to patrol the country old jerome sanders fort was deserted old jerome had been killed twenty three widows were at harrodsburg Harrods burg tiling filing the c claims of dead husli husbands finds and among them were polly contrad conrad and honor sanders the people were expecting an attack in great force from the indians led by the british at the blue licks there had bad been a successful abush nm by the indians and the whites tin had lost halt half their number among them many brave men and sia natural tural leaders of the settlements captain dark clark was at the mouth of licking river and about to set out on oil au an expedition tion and needed men erskine Ersk lne sure of a welcome joined him film and again rode forth with fill clark through the northern wilda wilderness ess and tills lime it 11 thousand mounted riflemen followed them dark clark had been stirred lit t lust last from ills lethargy by the tragedy of the blue licks an aud this expedition wits was one of reprisal and revenge and it ins as to be the lust the time was ulis autunio and the corn was ripe tho triumphant savages rested in their villages peeling and unafraid and blaik 1 ell il upon men like a whirlwind taken ly by surprise sui prise and startled and dismayed by such evidence of the quick rebirth of power lit in the hie beaten whites whigs tin tho Ind laius of every village lied fled tit nt ameir approach and churk put the torch not only to cabin and but bill to the fields of standing corn con As winter was coining on cn tills this mould ull be 11 sad blow na as clarl claric intended to the savages sd rages erskine and told the big achler of his mother other ra and every roan man knew the file story and was waa tin on guard that she should come coine to no horm A caLet med shawnee 1 1111 mew that the shaw nees dees had bad got fot word that the whites were coming and their women and old men had fled or were fleeing all 11 II except in a village he had jut just left he paused and pointed toward the east cast where a few wisps of smoke were rising erskine turned do you know Kali kattoo Ka htoo toor ne he Is in that hint village ge hesitated and the tb white woman gray dover dove she too Is there and early morn yes tea grunted the lie savage what does lie say asked clark there la Is a white waman woman and her daughter in a village there said erskine Ersk lne pointing in the direction of the smoke clarks voice was announcing the fact to his men hastily he selected t venty twenty see that no harm comes to them he cried and dashed forward erskine in advance saw black wolf and a few bucks covering the retreat of some fleeing women they made a feeble resistance of a volley and they too turned to flee A white woman emerged from a tent and with grent great dignity anity h stood peering with dim eyes to clarks amazement erskine rushed forward and took her in his arms A moment later erskine cried my ily sister where la is slier she the white womans comans trembling lips opened but before she could answer a harsh angry voice broke in haughtily and erskine turned to see black wolf stalking in fi prisoner between two stalwart woodsmen woodsman woods men early clorn Is black wolfs squaw she Is gone ile he waved one hand toward the forest the insolence of the savage angered clark and not understanding what he said lie asked angrily who Is tills this fellow ile he Is the husband of ray my half balf sis ter an sered erskine gravely clark looked dazed and uncomprehending and that woman ily bly mother said erskine gently good godt godl breathed clark he turned quickly and waved the openmouthed woodsmen woodsman woods men awny away and erskine and his mother were left alone A feeble voice called from a tent near by old kattoo I 1 said erskines mother lie he Is dying and he talks of nothing but sou iou go to himl and erskine went the old man lay trembling with palsy on a buffalo robe but the incredible spirit in his wasted body was still burning in his eyes my son said he 1 I knew your voice I 1 said I 1 should not die until I 1 had seen you again it Is well it Is well he repeated and wearily his eyes closed and thus erskine knew it would be CHAPTER that winter erskine made his clearing on the land that dave yandell had picked out for him and in the center of it threw up a rude log hut in which to house ills his mother for ills bis remembrance of her made him believe that she would prefer to live alone ile he told his plans to none in the early spring when he brought his mother home she said that black wolf had escaped and gone farther into the wilderness that early morn had gone with him his mother seemed III and unhappy erskine Ersk lne not knowing that barbara was on her way to find him started on a hunting trip in a few days barbara arrived and found his mother unable to leave her bed and lydia noe sitting beside her harry had just been there to say goodby before going to virginia barbara was dis dismayed maed by erskines absence and his mothers look of suffering feild and extreme weakness and the touch of her cold fingers there was no way of reaching lier her son she said lie he did not know of her illness barbara told her of erskines giving her his inheritance and that she had come to return it meanwhile erskine Ersk lne haunted by his fits mothers sad face had turned hoi homeward neward to ills his bewilderment lie he found barbara at its his tooth ers bedside A glance at it their belr aces told him that death was near ilia hla mother held out lier her hand to him while still holding barbaras As in a dream lie he bent over to kiss hiss her and with a last effort she joined their hat icis cla clasping clasped SPID both A great pea peace ce transformed lier her face as she slowly looked at barbara and then up at erskine Ersk lne with a sigh lier her head sank lower and tier lier lovely di dimming mining ebes passed into the final dark two days later they were married the woodsmen woodsman woods men old friends of ers era klues were awed by barbaras dalotto ness and there were none of the lie rude jests they usually flung back find forth with hearty handshakes they said goodby good by and disappeared into the mighty forest in the silence that f fell ell ersk erskine ille spoke of file life before them of its hardships and dangers and thenn then of the safety and comfort of virginia Virgin la batbara smiled sallied you choose the wilderness and your chol choice e Is mine we will leave the lie panic fame choice 1 she flushed bushed suddenly find bent her head bead to those who corne come after us fin ched erskine THE END |