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Show By IRVING BACHELLER; Copyright by Irving Bachelier "I am not used to girls except lay sist ers." She laughed and answered: "And I am not used to heroes. I am sure you cannot be so seated as I am, but I rather enjoy it. I like to be scared a little. This Is so different." differ-ent." "I like you," he , declared vwith . a; laugh. "i feared you would not like an English Eng-lish girl. So many North Americans hate L'ngland." "The Knglish have been bard on us." "What do you mean?" "They send us governors whom we do not like; they make laws for us which we have to obey ; they impose hard taxes which are not just and they wiil not let us have a word to say about it." "I think it is wrong and I'm going to stand up for you," the girl answered. "Where do you live?" lie asked. "In London. I am an English girl, but please do not hate me for that. I want to do what is right and I shall never lot anyone say a word against Americans without taking their part." "That's good," the boy answered. 'I'd love to go to London." "Well, why don't you?" "It's a long way off." "Em you like good-looking girls?" "I'd rather look at them than eat." "Well, there are many in London." "One is enough," said Jack. "I'd love to show them a real hero." "Don't call me that. If you would just call me Jack Irons I'd like it better. bet-ter. But first you'll want to know how I behave. I am not a fighter." "I am sure that your character is as good as your face." "Gosh! I hope it ain't so dark colored," col-ored," said Jack. "I knew all about you when you took my hand and helped me on the pony or nearly all. You are a gentleman." gen-tleman." "I hope so." "Are you a Presbyterian?" "No Church of England." "I was sure of that. I have seen Indians and Shakers, but I have never seen a Presbyterian." When the sun was low and the company com-pany ahead were stopping to make a camp for the night, the boy and girl dismounted. She turned facing him and asked : "You didn't mean it when you said that I was good-looking did you?" The bashful youth had imagination and, like many lads of his time, a ro- the Acneld and the Odes cf Horace and the history of France and Kng-land," Kng-land," said John Irons. "That is the most astonishing thing I have ever heard:" she exclaimed. "How has he done it?" "The minister was his master until we wont into the hush. Then I had to be farmer and school-teacher. There is a great thirst for learning in this New 'World." . "How do you find time for it?" "Oh, we have leisure here more than you have. In England even your wealthy young men are overworked. They dine out and play cards until three in the morning and sleep until midday. Then luncheon and the cockfight cock-fight and tea and parliament! The best of us have only three steady habits. hab-its. We work and study and sleep." "And fight savages," said the woman. "We do that, sometimes, but It is not often necessary. If it were not for white savages, there would be no red ones. You would find America a good country to live in." "At least I hope it will be good to sleep in this night," the woman answered, an-swered, yawning. "Dreamland is now the only country I care for." The ladies and children, being near spent by the day's travel and excitement, excite-ment, turned in soon after supper. The men slept on their blankets, by the fire, and were up before daylight for a dip in the creek near by. While they were getting breakfast, the women wom-en and children had their turn at the creckside. That day the released captives were in better spirits. Soon after noon the company came to a swollen river, where the horses had some swimming to do. The older animals and the following fol-lowing colts went through all right, but the young stallion which Jack and Margaret were riding began to rear and plunge. The girl in her fright Jumped off his back in swift water and was swept into the rapids and tumbled about and put in some danger before Jack could dismount and bring her ashore. "You have increased my debt to you," she said, when at last they were mounted again. "What a story this is! It is terribly exciting." They rode on in silence, feeling now the beauty of the green woods. It had become a magic garden full of new and U'onderful things. Some power had entered them and opened their eyes. The thrush's song grew fainter In the distance. The boy was first to speak. "I think that bird must have had a long flight sometime," he said. "Why?" "I am sure that he has heard the music of Paradise. I wonder if you are as happy as I am." "I was never so happy," she answered. an-swered. "What a beautiful country we are in ! I have forgotten all about the danger and the hardship and the evil men. Have you ever seen any place like it?" "Xo. For a time we have been riding rid-ing in fairyland." "I know why," said the boy. "Why?" "It is because we are riding together. It is because I see you." "Oh, dear! I cannot see you. Let us get off and walk," she proposed. They dismounted. "Did you mean that honestly?" "Honestly," he answered. She looked up at him and put her hand over her .mouth. "I was going to say something. It would have been most unmaidenly," she remarked. "There's something in me that will not stay unsaid. I love you," he declared. de-clared. She held up her hand wdth a seriotu look in her eyes. Then, for a moment, the boy returned to the world of reality. re-ality. "I am sorry. Forgive me. I ought not to have said it," he stammered. "But didn't you really mean it?" she asked with troubled eyes. "I mean that and more, but I ought not to have said it now. It isn't fair. You have just escaped from a great danger and have got a notion that you are in debt to me and you don't know much about me anyhow." She stood in his path looking up at him. "Jack," she whispered. "Please say it again." No, it was not gone. They were still in the magic garden. "I Jove you and I wish this Journey could go on forever," he said. "I, too, will wait," he answered, an-swered, "and as long as I have to." i (TO BE CONTINUED.) "I LOVE YOU" BVNOr-IS. Solomon liinkus, veteran scout arid 1 n t'; i ir-and ir-and til youriK cornpaneai. Jack Irons, icc-sia Uiruu:-'h liorae Valley, New Vork. in S.' nl a. .e r, 1 7 o 'i. to warn settlers of an Indian In-dian upi'is.n-, r-.'H'-ue from a hand of rt'lskins till1 wife a'el ilaolit- r of Colocel Uar'; of Knu'lanrl. Tnere a a flKlit, in wlueh Jack distinguishes himself. I CHAPTER I Continued. "We didn't have no more trouble with them. I put one o' r.nti 'ses' boys on a boss an' hustled him up the valley val-ley fer help. The winimen captives was bawlin'. I tol' 'em to straighten out their faces an' go with Jack an' his father down to Fort Stanwix. They were kind o' leg weary an' excited, but they hadn't been hurt yit. Another An-other day er two would 'a' fixed 'em. Jack an' bis father an' mother tuk 'em ba'd; to the pastur', an' Jack run up to the barn I. r ropes an' bridles. In a little while they got some hoofs under 'em an' picked up the childern an' toddled off. I went out in the bush to find Buckeye an' he were dea l as the whale that swaiicred Jonah." So ends the letter of Solomon Bin-kus. Bin-kus. Jack Irons and his family and that of Teter Bones the boys and girls riding two on a horse with the captives cap-tives filed down the Mohawk trail. It was a considerable cavalcade of twenty-one people and twenty-four horses and colts, the latter following. Solomon Blnkus and Teter Bones and his son Israel stood on guard until the boy John Bones returned with help from the upper valley. A dozen men and boys completed the disarming of the band and that evening set out with them on the south trail. It is doubtful If this history would have been written but for an accidental and highly interesting circumstance. In the first party young Jack Irons rode a colt, just broken, with the girl captive, now happily released. The boy had helped everyone to get away; then there seemed to be no ridable horse for him. He walked for a distance' dis-tance' by the stranger's mount as the latter was wild. The girl was silent for a time after the colt had settled down, now and then wiping tears from her eyes. By and by she asked : "May I lead the colt while you ride?" "Oh, no, I am not tired," was his answer. "I want to do something for you." "Why?" "I am so grateful. I feel like the king's cat. I am trying to express my feelings. I think I know, now, why the Indian women do the drudgery." As she looked at him her dark eyes were very serious. "I have done little," said he. "It is Mr. Binkus who rescued you. We live it, a wild country among savages and the white folks have to protect each other. We're used to it." "I never saw or expected to see men like you," she went on. "I have read of them in books, but I never hoped to see them and talk to them. You are like Ajax and Achilles." "Then I shall say that you are like the fair lady for whom they fought." "I will not ride and see you walking." walk-ing." "Then sit forward as far as you can and I will ride with you," lie answered. In a moment he was on the colt's back behind her. She was a comely maiden. An authority no less respectable respect-able than Major Duncan has written that she was a tall, well-shaped, fun-loving fun-loving girl a little past sixteen and good to look upon, "with dark eyes and auburn hair, the latter long and heavy and in the sunlight richly colored"; col-ored"; that she had slender fingers and a beautiful skin, all showing that she had been delicately bred. He adds that he envied the boy who had ridden before and behind iter half the length of Tryon county. It was a close association and Jack found it so agreeable that he often referred to that ride as the most exciting ex-citing adventure of his life. "What is your name?" he asked. "Margaret Hare," she answered. "How did they catch you?" "Oh, they came suddenly and stealthily, stealth-ily, as they do in the story books, when we were alone in camp. - My father and the guides had gone out to hunt." "Did they treat you well?" "The Indians let us alone, but the two white men annoyed and frightened us. The old chief kept us near him." "The old chief knew better than to let any harm come to you until they were sure of getting away with their plunder." "We were in the valley of death and you have led us out of it. I am sure that I do not look as if I were worth saving. I suppose that I must have turned into an old woman. Is my hair white?" "No. You are the best-looking girl I ever saw," he declared with rustic frankness. "1 never had a compliment that preased me so much?'' she answered, as her elbows tightened a little on his hands, which were clinging to her coat. "I almost loved you for what you did to the old v.lluin. I saw blood on the side of your head. 1 fear he hurt you?" "He jabbed me once, it is nothing." "How brave you were!" "I tnlnk ) m more scared now than I wa then ' said Jack. "Scared I VYtu?" c t f r X J I JACK AND HIS f 'H FATHER. MADE jlF i A LEAN-TO. I QL-pS lis - luofcL mantic temperament and the love of poetry. There were many books in his father's home and the boy had lived his leisure in them. He thought a moment nnd answered : "Yes, I think you are as beautiful as a young doe playing in the water lilies." "And you look as if you believed yourself," said she. "I am sure you would like me better if I were fixed up a litte." "I do not think so." "How much better a boy's head looks with his hair cut close like yours. Our hoys have long hair. They do not look so much like men." "Long hair is not for rough work in the hush," the boy remarked. "You really lok brave and strong. One would know that you could do tilings." "I've always had to do things." They came up to the party, who had stopped to camp for the night. It was a clear, warm evening. After they had Iiobbled the horses in a near meadow Hat, Jack and his father made a lean-to for the women and children and roofed it with bark. Then they cut wood and built a fire ar.d gathered boughs for bedding. I.at-r, tea was made and beefsteaks and sacon grilled on spits of green birch, the dripping fat being caught on slices of toasting bread whereon the meat was presently served. The masterful power with which the stalwart youth and his father swung the as and their cunning craftsmanship craftsman-ship impressed the English woman and her daughter and were soon to be the topic of many a London tea party. Mrs. Hare spoke of It as she was eating eat-ing her supper. "It may surprise you further to learn that tUe boy Is fairly futulllur wuh |