Show THE TIlE WIFE SHIP WOMAN CHAPTER XI XI Continued Continued 1 15 15 So- So Ills outburst broke the spell pell With Insane howls the crowded In from all aU sides Bides I leaped toward the point I had selected when the circle first formed and bowled over two men and was running toward my ray cabin where I had left lett my mu musket ket With the squeal or of a cornered rat rot the murderer murderer murderer mur mur- derer attempted ted to follow tallow me and he must have used his knife to to some Borne profit for I heard hear a death howl Da Da- moan was yelling for l Ills his la Choctaws to chase chaie me but the bulk of ot them were back at the exit and the others were tardy In la taking up the pursuit As for tor the they paused to tie tI Six Fingers Fingers' hands behind his back By Dy the time they were pounding after me I had secured my musket and was wasat wasat wasat at the patch of ot vines behind the girls girl's cabin While Willie the entire mass mails of Infuriated In In- savages were sweeping down on my cabin I rl risked ked calling coiling the girls girl's name The silence and the failure of ot Labrador to make an appearance satIsfied satisfied sat sat- me they were well on their way to the river I cautiously worked In behind the vines and found the hole scarcely large enough for tor my bulk to pass pails through h. h Thrusting my feet flet through I was clear except m my shoulders when the wild mob passed the cabin and aM surrounded surrounded sur sur- rounded the one I had occupied The women had hall snatched burning brands brand from the fires and these Illuminated the scene Through the mesh of ot vines Ines I saw Sit Sir Fingers being dragged dragged dragge between between be be- tween two warriors and ond as 08 the savages savages savages sav sav- ages came carne to a halt I heard him scream cream Good lack lork I This will be death I Plate Pirate and murderer that he was I could not help the wish that he be might Gad find a quick death rather than to roast slowly on the bed of tort torture UTe Utterly bad as he was he was horn born an I Englishman and It If It had not been for tor narrowing the girls girl's chances of of 01 escape escape escape es es- cape I should have been tempted to shoot him because once he had been in an English lad Ind The Tile chiefs chief's grandson bolder than the others otherl ran ran forward with ax and torch and thrust his head Inside the cabin Turning back he shouted that I was gone Almost the same some moment ran Into the cabin In n front of at me and yelled to to the red men that Labrador and the woman were gone When he appeared In the torch-light torch he be was Insane with rage ruge and catching a glimpse of ot Six Fingers' Fingers writhing figure figure figure fig fig- ure be he s screeched like a panther and fell felt upon him as If It f Intending to tear him to pieces with his bare hands I can tell their plans I 1 scream screamed ell Six Fingers In English as fingers began ripping his face Tell them I Tell them I 1 Or Ill I'll pick you OU Joint from Joint I l howled bending over the craven his outstretched hands hooked like claws Save Sa me l I Save me met I gasped Six Fingers Take me with you Ill I'll lead you to them I Speak I I yelled hunch hunching In his bl shoulders and wriggling his long fingers before the murderers murderer's bleedIng bleeding bleeding bleed bleed- ing face fore They planned for tor Labrador am i the woman to get away awny while we was eating 1 I panted Six Fingers They planned planned- But hut now new It t was purely n a question of ot t e girls girl's safety and not of ot this snakes snake's suffering and I fired tired an ounce B ball hall through his wicked skull anti anil slipped through the hole and away Into the block black forest CHAPTER XII III The Proud Ones One's Sister Dies I led the chase chuse that night toward the east cast and so flO lon long us as I traveled trolled In that direction I took look pains occasionally occasional occasional- I ly to betray my position This rills procedure pro pro- gave the girl and Labrador Labrado r Wore more time thue to escape for tor I knew Da- Da moan monn would bend bond e every ery endeavor t to overtake me Toward morning I swung back In a wide circle planning pl to strike the Mississippi near nt-nr th the e Tunica village at the end 1111 of ot th the e Portage lorta of ot the Cross There I was w aa q sure to find a n canto In which to pus push h on alter after my friends That nIght I 1 skirted the Tunica viland vii vil loge and stole some Rome corn om from nn an outI out out- I big IlIg village and was fortunate enough 1 to find Ind a Sill small II 11 canoe containing a fist t net made mode of ot linden bark liter fiber and some som e lines linen equipped with hooks honks and n fish h- h hon bone I made excellent progress pro that nl night ht nor did I 1 observe p nn anything to Indicate IU my 1113 foes had hall discovered my return to the river It 11 w was wa as not nut until I reached the cliffs clUTs of Dt Natchez And was the mouth of ot Little riser thin that I mode made two Important tant III discoveries one on cn one brought i great jO Joy the other 1111 Impelled me ne to paddle w with Ith ith sperate d' haste Into the tributary Ahead of me rue distance distance dis dis- I tance up Utile Little rl river rl r was n a pirogue containing two persons One Olle of the couple looked like e a n buy boy nail and was not nota using a puddle paddle In the next neat moment I 1 had glimpsed a lun lung long pirogue turning a 1 bend of ot the I hi big R river below helow me It held at nt I least ast n dozen Indians and their foot alt puddles wore were Hashing rapidly I did not belle believe I had teen been seen us as I disappearing Into the tributary wb when n ks this litrun strung strange p craft showed Its nose cost around the bend hend The canoe ahead now discovered ire me und sad the slim figure vanished lIell by dropping drop drop- ping Hal flat and anil the tho other abandoned the puddle paddle to pick up a n musket I waved wn IP liP my cap 1111 am and Labrador turned about n ne n 3 begun to meet me 1 violently i gestured l' l ture-II ture for him to go ro back bark and nd in its announced 11 the I behInd rue lilt A As AI lit lie swung his pirogue r a By Hugh Author of Kings lOnes of the Missouri Pay Gravel Gram GravelA A A Virginia Scout Stout etc de Copyright b by nab im WHO arvic about to head up-stream up again he mutt must have told the girl for she reappeared and stretched out both hands to me We were within within three thrle miles of ot White Apple the principal town of at the Nat Nat- Natt Natchez I chez hez which In to turn Will was within three three miles of Fort Rosalie Let Iet us but get ret InsIde the village and I would have bave baveno no o fear tear of ot either the French at the fort ort fort or of Damoon and the Choctaws pursuing me The Natchez were on the he eve of at war with the French They were vere a very ha haughty ugh ty people there would be no subtle evasion of at their laws aws to please even e If It the red ed warriors warrior's post did not stand between be- be tween them The three of at us would have ave full measure of ot protection from he tile Great Sun and his brother and and war chief Tattooed Serpent So 80 my heart was light when I drew up alongside alongside along- along side Ide Labradors Labrador's pirogue anti and was greeted greeted greet greet- greeted ed by his amiable grin and a n tremulous h from the girl They noticed the absence of Six Fingers und and both began asking ques quos ions Ile He was shot and killed while escapIng escaping es es- es- es caping coping from the village I said If It ItA I II 1 I As A. He Swung HI His Pirogue About to Head Upstream Again He Must Have Told the Girl for She Reappeared Reap Reap- and Stretched Out Her Hands Handl to Me he had lied obeyed orders be he could have escaped with me The girls girl's face toce was sober at hearing such violent news and yet I fancied there was teas relief In her bearing We dragged the canoes under some bushes hushes and being In familiar country took the shortest cut to White Apple Apple- sometimes called d White Earth Karth o When we had all but come to the the village we heard a peculiar howl which startled Labrador and me because because because be be- cause we knew what It meant and which frightened the girl because sh she e could Imagine It to mean almost almot anything anything anything any any- thing unwholesome I motioned fo for tor r Labrador to make a detour but b before be be- e- e fore tore we knew It we w were were re through th the e bushes and In an nn opening close I I to th the e village and the girl was staring with wide eyes lit t the strange scene Some Iome of ot the Natchez were WE're rehearsing for tor a funeral ral ceremony I 1 whispered us DB much to her and she became quiet anti and curiously watched the peculiar pr pro pr o- o There were five victims three wont wom women en n and ond two men and ond forty executioners the grim office being ea eagerly erly sought because It ennobled e All th the e executioners had their hands palate painted d red rid und and had red feathers thrust t through the long braids of ot hair hangIng hangIng hang hang- Ing down dawn the left tide Ide of ot the head The live tl victims had their hair painted paint ed ell 1 red The girl saw n nn no significance e In the red fed hands hoods the red hair the th e rope and red u ar but the gestures of the man wIth the weapon frightened he her It Is I. all make believe I whispered We will fo go goto foto trying to hurry her r on to the village If It did not se seme see Bee Beeme me enter the river he be will learn from the fort that none of at u us u. have passed So we walked toward the village and the rehearsal being finished the Natchez Natches came after us in lint Dut such WIl was ll their j courtesy that they would not p pass pus us and those who desired to r reach reacts the village quickly swung far farto farto farto t to one side Ilde as If It taking an entirely d different course Labrador was frowning heavily and ana andIn In to Choctaw said IBId Friend there ther was no word word bearer bearer tobe to tobe tobe nor not any medicine man among those be sacrificed The de dead d must be a woman The three thrle old women were h her kinswomen The two men were her servants It If It was I. I La there would be many more servants lie Ill named a woman of ot noble rank called The Proud by the French because because because be be- cause of at her aristocratic bearing her contempt for tor commoners and her Ig- Ig of ot any Frenchman unless he possessed rank It was known that Tattooed Serpent wa we wa enamored of her but both being nobles marriage between them was Impossible No the funeral procession was scarcely worthy worthy wor war thy ot or a woman who enjoyed the favor favorat of at head war tear chief aswell as aswell aswell well as a brother of at the Great Sun It Is not La Glorieuse I said Labrador sighed Ah that grande dame darnel I Vh Why couldn't It be her I That Is queer talk I rebuked How has the Proud One ever er harmed I you 1 It Is I who harmed her her her-ac as she site e thinks I married her sister Sh She e never forgave her sister for marrying beneath her ber Never ever forgave me fo for r looking so high I 1 IVI We VI entered the village a collection n of at square huts made of timbers plastered Alas plas with mud moss and sand wit with h the roofs roots of ot reeds and grass gross woven s sas so 80 o as to to be weather The Natchez were much different t from any Indian tribe I ever encountered encountered encountered or heard of at The practice of at human human hu hu- human man sacrifices on the death of ot th the e elect smacked of at ancient Eastern and the worship of ot the sa sun n reminded one of the stories brought brough t b back ck from tram Central and South Amer Amer- ica And yet their language was wa s linked up with the dialects of ot th the e e Choctaws Chickasaws and Creeks I accosted an ancient warrior warrior-s warrior warrior-so so called to distinguish him from tram young oung warriors and apprentice warriors and referring to skill rather than t to age and age and asked If It I could secure a an audience with the Great Sun lie He tol told d me the Great Sun was absent InspectIng Inspect Inspect- Ing ng the temple and sacred tire fire In n a I neighboring village He Ill believed 1 I could see Tattooed Serpent however I told Labrador to take the girl t to the edge of ot the village and watt walt whit while e I paid our respects to my old acquaintance ac ac- the war chief She was wa s glad to do this nor did Labrador regret regret regret re re- gret escaping an audience with tin the e great chief whose mistress' mistress sister h he e had married and deserted I went to the cabin next to th the e temple and Informed an aged man manthe manthe the Serpents Serpent's word bearer that I wished to see ace the chief He Ill dIsappeared disappeared through the low doorway an and d very soon returned and motioned fn r me to enter As the door furnished the only light Ugh and as the room was thirty fee t square I could not make out the In Interior In- In tenor until the Ule glare sun I left ft my eyes erl Then I saw the Serpent and Li L La a Glorieuse The Proud As I d she swept by me with barely burely a IUcker dr r of ot recognition In n her cold face Ola Ola- came forward and I greeted me tae finding me a stool while e ohe he seated himself on the edge of f t hi his s bed He III clapped his hands and a servant Benant brought a pipe which th the e chief lighted for me to smoke pre core After Atter he had hail done likewise likewise like like- wise he said The Tho Proud lloud One Is 19 grieving for tor th the e dead woman She w was as the Proud Ones One's a sister Had the wild war whoop war whoop of tit the e Choctaws Choctaw's filled the cabin I could not u of have been taken more by surprise e eThen e. e Then came carne dismay Outside was L La n |