Show an the R 0 poor 1 rd I 1 tv BACH E L L E inana CHAPTER continued 17 in april the two to friends sot set out afoot for file lower oer end of the lie highlands highland lands on the river they hired a dutch farmer fanner to take them on oil to albany in tits hla sloop after two to delightful lays daa nt at homo home general suggested that they could do a grent service by traversing the acs to tile alloy valley of the great i river her of tile the north ns as fur far nil na possible toward anti reporting their observations to crown cion point or fort edward it if there seemed to be occasion for it and if not they were cre to proceed to Cle Herk liners camp nt at ond and glo give film what help thoy they could in protecting the settlers in tile west nest you would mould need to take nil all your wit nil and courage with etli you sou the gen ern binl warned them the al me ale e in ID brid temper they have hae taken to ro totting their prisoners nt at the stake and eating their lesh flesh this la Is it linz hnz firdous miller taking therefore I 1 give ghe you n suggestion and not nn an order ill go lone said solomon if I 1 get et up tip it bronk break nob odys heart let juck jack go EO to one 0 tho the forts no id rather go into the bush with you sald jack were both needed there it necessary we vo could separate and carry our in two to directions well tako take it couple of the new double rifles and four pistols if we e had to I 1 think we could tight fight a hole through any trouble we are likely to alne lm e so it was decided that they should go together on tills this scouting trip into the north bush solomon had long before that invented linen ted what anit lie called a light lightning nIn thrower for close fighting avith indians to bo be used it one wore more hard pressed and outnumbered and likely llod to have ills scalp taken tills odd contrivance lie had never neer hit lind occasion to use ilse it was as a thin round eliell of crist cast lion with etli a tube a mat lint and pi bitinger the shell was of about tile felzo or of a large apple it was to tn be filich etli fit 4 and un powder mhd with etli its it spring bp illi was ns set vort leally above aboc the tulle tule it in throw ow trig tills this one olle released its spring by the pressure of ills thumb thomb the linni hammer nier fell find tile spark it made n R fuse filse leading town don to the powder ponder its owner onci lind imd to tl it from behind a tree or 01 have a Is are tn in the peril pel 11 it gytis tan sine mire to ci onto while will jark was nt at home with M ills his people Solo irion spent it aveck nee lit in tile foundry and forgo forge and before they set out on their journey jou incy lind three of unique till all londoe tin and packed in waterproof proof wrappings about the middle nil dille of alay MB they proceeded in n light canoe to port fort edword and cori can led it across country coti to lake george lint and nindo their way may altti puddles paddles to ticonderoga there they the learned that scouts vere eie operant ing only on tin and near like lale I 1 till llie interior intel lor of tryon county aunt mas s said aid to be dangerous ground 1 Algon quIns anti and were cro thick in the bush anti till nil on the lie karpath warpath war path they alic were nore tot and eating ury every white man that fell in their hands bands save sae those till a tory mark on theal were 0 the bush bash said nn an elderly boarded bearded soldier wha ho was as sitting on a log A man who lio gota goes into the needs to ile be a rood good friend a 0 omd find but schuler schiller thinks it force of british may inny land somo heie along the bli big river aler anti botne down don through the dimsh basli building a road ns its they jhc thc advance ad Mince sald mild jack A thousand men could milk maka a tol at to road lond to port fort 11 awai dwai A in a month Sol orrion declared lints kniebbe the reason tin the tire me out lit in the llie hush huah batin yankees I 1 tin kees llie bryin ter to us nil an keep keel us its way iti by the little nn horns n ol 01 the lie devil vil I 1 we got it to amow i linta agol a gol geln it on oil out you fetters fellers me are a settin around these TO ere forts as if ye e had bothin not liln to do but cha cleav beefsteak beef till an wipe yer er rifles nil unpick pick yer teeth why ali dont ye B go out thor lit in the bush and to do a little rIn yero yere like it to loi a 0 ol 01 women fret et in by tile the an tellin abos sidles ps we got nurr to to do con considering the pay pa we Q git sold a sergeant tit 11 1 un an L what do ye je want 0 payl pas So solomon lonion ans cre aint ye ie to light fer yr ier own on liberty without belli paid ter fir it ye been kicked tin an robbed an spit on nn nil dragged around by tile heels nn an ye e don dollt i brint ant to fight less smie hody pays pas ye 50 what a diun corn coin fiddle 0 it man mail ye ie inus be bet V So solomon lonion was as putting fresh lons lit in ills pack as lie he talked all it the 0 kenady an the lie trent treat pras hinda may be snook ln lonn ion through the he bu bush bili sh were bound fr r t f kno inov tt bats n d go anin in on out V ere cle liable to be but also n Ilice wise well oll do some sWeer lill we n ka vw gu up tip you hear tr tile inc if aai id tint rui out la tile be wish bush that afternoon anil and before fell were up tip on n tho the mountain slants north of the glassy water its as lake george was wag often coiled called those days hut but for Sol solomons onions caution nn an evil trite find perhaps come to them before their ali st sleep on the journey the new denves were just out but not gulte full f till the little maples and beeches beaches lung filing their sprays of vivid green foliage above the darker shades of the witch into tile the soft lighted air ot of tile tho great house of the wood anti filled ailed it mill a pleasant odor A mile nill e or so back imek solomon lind had left the trull trail and cautioned jack to keep keel close and step softly soon alie theold old scout stopped anti and listened and put tits hla car ir to the ground ilo iio roso rose and beckoned to jack and the two turned aside and made their way any stealthily up tip the slant of a ledge lit in tho the edge of a little thicket on n mossy rock shelf they sat lown down So solomon lonion looked serious there were deep furrows in the skin above tits ills brow after a few minutes Solon solomon lon turned and whispered four injun braves aist went by febbe aln fer ft et big band debbe not if so the lie crowd Is up till the trail if comin by bo be fore darl dark well ftp in tills ere cre tr tavern ivern theys a cave on vother sido felde ol 01 0 tho ledge ns as big ns its it small house they watched until tile the sun had find set then solomon led jack to tile the cave in which their packs were deposited d prom from tho the caves entrance they looked upon the undulating green roof of tho tha forest dipping down into a deep valley cut by the smooth surface of a broad river with mirrored shores and lifting to the summit of n distant mountain range its blue peaks roso rose into the glow of the sunset yonder la Is the great stairway of heaven I 1 jack exclaimed ive put up tip in tills ore ere ol of tavern many a night said solomon do ye see sec its sign lie ile pointed to a great dead pine that stood a little below it towering I 1 A L G T CA e NOR T q M FORT f i r 1 1 V 1 with till beark out reaching outreaching limbs more than it a hundred and fifty fee fret into tile air 1 I cull call it the dead pine tavern Ta eln solomon remarked on the road to paradise said lack jack as lie razed gazed iowa down the valley ills hands slin blinding ding tits ills eyes es willit we e could have a nice hot upper i but ti vont do to build no ire Not liln but cold vittle 91 ill go town down with tile pot to a prang 4 an git some water you till dig for our supper in that pack alack W 0 mine an spread it out here im hungry they ute their brond bread and tried dried meat moistened th spring witter water picked some bolst balsam rial boughs and covered a corner of tile floor with fill them when the rock ch chamber was tilled filled with 1110 IVil fragrance gralice jack sald if tit my dream comes true tind and margaret gareta and td I 1 tire are inar married ded I 1 shall bring tier her here I 1 want tier her to see the dead illie tavern anti anil its oat outlook look ayes sir when yere married safe So solomon lonion answered well edit come le up till here atit summer tin an fish tin nn hunt till 1111 ill run ran tile the tavern tin an do to tile lie cool coelln ln an sweep the floor till an make the beds 11 jack awoke at cayll it tind collid foai il that lie he was alone solomon re returned turneLl in half to hour or so iteen been scout ln up tip tile the trail lie he said see a tiling thine but tin an oil ol 01 9 gnaw naw bucket well jest ent eat a bite till nn pint pant olt off to tle tl e norest ruest no tin an keep watch 0 tills this ere trail theys thea over on the hie slants we got to know low they look an bout now ilow many heul head they Is they went on keeping well away from the alie trail well vell have to watch it with our erms said So solomon lonion in a whisper als ear was often on the ground that bat morning and twice he left jade jack to snook st look out to the trail and look tor for tracks solomon could imitate tile tho cull call of the swamp robin and when they were separated in tho the bush lie ho gave it so BO that ills friend could locate him at they bat down in deep sh shade ide by the side of a brook and oto ato their tills aeri ere Is peppermint brook wid solomon its ithol i ther one ol 01 0 my taverns our food going to last long nt at the lie rato wo we are eating batin it jock jack r re 0 marled marL led cd if we cant shoot a gull eun what tire wo we going to do when its nil all gone dont worry solomon answered yere in my kentry ken try now n ow nil an theres a better tavern up in mhd ali h high ia trail they fared along favored by good woodier we alier ond and spent that night on oil the shore of it little pond not more thain fifty paces air tile old blazed thoroughfare next day about halfway half way from aroi dawn to dark ns as solomon was wont vont now and then to speak of the noon hour they cattle suddenly upon fresh sign it was ans where the big north trail from the upper tipper waters of the joined the one near which they hod had boon been tray traveling eling when they were approaching the point solomon had left jack in a thicket and cautiously crept out to tile the there was waa half nn an hour of silence before tho old scout came caine back in sight find and beckoned to jack ills foco face hall had niver never looked more serious the alie young man approached him So solomon lonion swill lowed a part of tile the effort to restrain ills emotions want to chow ye suthon 11 lie wills whis the two went cautiously toward the trall trail when they reached it the old scout led the way to soft ground nerr near it a brook then lie he pointed down nt at the lie mud laud there were many footprints newly made and among them tile the print of that wooden peg with nn an it iton iron on ring around its bottom which they had seen twice before and which was waa associated with the blackest memories they knew for some time solo nion mon studied the surface of the friall in silence moron moren twenty two captives a pair 0 bosses a cow an the devil lie he whispered to jack been a raid rahl down to tile the mohawk valley the cow an the bosses losses are loaded with plunder no ive noticed that when the in juns jung go out to rob en an kill folks yo ye fi find rid mong their trucks tracks the print a 0 that ere iron ring I 1 seen it twice in th tha ohio kentry here Is the heart 0 tho the devil an tits lits firewater fire water red snout hns has got to be started on a new trail ills oll ol peg leg Is coln down to the gate 0 hell bell tonight Soloi solomons face had darkened with anger there were deep furrows across ills his brow I 1 standing before jack about three feet away lie he drew out tits his rain nun rod and tossed it to the young man inan who caught it a little above the middle jack knew kaev the meaning enning tri of tills they were to put their hands upon the ra ram III roil rod one above the other the lust list hand it would hold was to do tile killing it was solomons wi thank ank god godl I 1 lie he whispered na as ills his face brightened lie ile seemed to be taking careful aim with tits his right eye its my job said eald ho he 1 I a let yu ye do it tf it barawed tho its my job proper they aint an hour ahead itez jost jest possible he may inny go to sleep tonight fore I 1 do nna an I 1 bo be surprised ed build their fire at the caverns cavern si on rock crick an roast a captive well cross bush tin an come up on t other side tin an see coln on they crossed it a high ridge with will solomon tossing ills his feet in that long loose stride of tits his find and went down the slope into a broad valley the sun san sank ic low and the immeasurable green roofed house of the wild was dim fin and dusk when the old scout halted ahead in the distance they had heard hear voices and the neighing weighing neigh ing of a horse my son gal said solomon us its lie he pointed with ills his linger to do you vve pop the brow ol 01 0 the hill yonder i under whar the black thickets be b L t jack nodded if ye hear to me yell stay tills side tills ere business Is kind a 0 via im 8 ells up if I 1 come back yell hear the call 0 the bush owl if I 1 dont come fore moraln you lant ter fer imin hum tin nn the good god go with ye 11 1 I shall go asfar as fur as you go jack answered answer fd solomon feole sternly the tone of good comradeship had left him ye will kin go but ye aint oble eged 11 said lie he bear in mind boy tonight im the caan do BR as I 1 toll tell ye exact TO CONTINUED |