Show A candle in the wilderness Wil demes CHAPTER IX continued I 1 is 19 its curious how things come to vass pass girt the ahe kind ot of girl I 1 could tie to she was brilliant amiable and beautiful I 1 know now that she liked me I 1 know now that probably she would have married me suddenly hell bell opened in ray my face itell hell Is all right in its place said amos leave it there dont try to tote it around aro ln yer memory its all foo lation a fire in yer brain aice gettin burnt by it ye roust must keep hold 0 peggys peggye hand that gal and me ime Is doln our best to lift ye out 0 trouble dont hang bang on to it while they abey were asleep the wind rose and a big wave washed thern thein off the rock they were soon jumping and splashing in a heavy sea and water was coming coining in at the portholes port holes no me that amos had to plug then them on the windward side for a time robert nobert did not awake but was restless with troubled dreams amos had grown fond of tits his young comrade who was what he called a fair player unselfish brave taking the hardships and perils without complaint long before then the shrewd man had decided that robert had best keep away from boston its the road to egypt but well keep a coln he said to himself amos was long awake tending ship stopping leaks and worrying for fear the hatch batch would go over ile fie could hear the hiss of snow enow against tile the side by and by the whales belly began to bump bottom suddenly a wave drove her bow through the bushes and grounded her securely to the stern branches on a sloping shore then amos lay back and slept until daylight the wind had gone down amos took off the hatch and looked about there was a scatter of snowflakes sno w on the laurel and the small tamaracks tama racks among which the ship was hidden A thick mist covered land and water ile he left robert sleeping and went ashore at last the ship was grounded hopelessly A yoke of oxen could not have moved her she had bad found her last port near them was a burned slope of charred stumps and briars and low bushes lie ile looked about in the cold misty air to get hla his bearings ile he awoke ills his young friend were still on the earth and n another n day has come he whispered whisper ed we must leave tile the ship and take to our nags while eating dried meat and some IbIs biscuits cults from gebec amos said were on the west shore and I 1 reckon its only a few miles to the end 0 the lake its a good time to travel well take a last look at the whales belly and be off do you think the west shore Is better than the east robert asked its a choice between rotten apples said amos but here we are well have to take to our shanks and try to find that trading post they packed their things and set out by the compass each browsing on a piece of dried meat there was a wet swamp along the shore southward they had to seek higher ground to get around it only a light flurry of snow enow had fallen scarcely enough to penetrate the root of the forest 1 I dont exactly like the looks 0 things the shrewd pioneer whispered theres indians near us now do you know moccasin tr tracks ackal I 1 amos answered they came to great banks of robins hedgerow bed gerow they stuffed their hats in their packs and each covered the other with vines lead head pack and all amos had given his bis musket to the algonquin chief so the problem was not difficult diM cult amos whispered now mow if we hear anyone near us well lean ablin a tree and go on stump duty fog and vines are a help in our business soon they heard a sound and both took a stand among bushes still ns as ja a pair of rocks the shrewd woodsman woodsman woodsmen woods men knew knewt that bat an iroquois camp was probably within a falcon shot of them within two minutes a warrior passed them so BO close that the white men held their breaths when he be had gone out ot of hearing they went on its an unhealthy sit for us amos whispered theres always a lot ol 01 0 wounded beasts around an indian camp their hunters scour the bush to find lem cm well stump along slow and careful lie ile drew his compass from beneath his collar and took a look at it they resumed their journey and had traveled scarcely a bowshot bow shot when a young brave who had been sitting against a tree scrambled to ills his feet within an arms reach of 0 the two and ran as if the devil were at his heels the sight 0 of moving stumps was wag more than the superstitious savage could endure with no toss loss of time lie he bought a safer place the two men hurried onward in the mist amos laughing under his breath they tramped on with no other alarms for an hour or so hut but did not come to the lake amos led the way over deep moss into a thicket of young pines the air was clear were in hells bells dooryard he be whispered the air Is fall nil 0 the stink of brim brimston stun were a on the edge 0 ol 01 the world an if we aint care full well fall off ill set myself agan a tree outside and look around and listen a while you stay here F for or a few minutes the vine covered pioneer stood on a stump searching the burned lailas with ills his keen eye A deep silence lifted filled the mountain alopez and the only stir he could see vaa that of bushes bushea shaking in the A tole tale of the beginning of new england by IRVING BACHELLER service copyright by irving Ea cLeller breeze lie ile returned to tits his young friend in the thicket cant see or hear a sign 0 life he said but ui I 1 dont like the lay 0 the land land here i yelo Ws bad fos A sa savage upon the slope above could see us a mile off well stretch out under this cover and sleeda bleep a while at dusk well go gc on till the darkness begins to rub hard bard they tore off their vine cover now in streaming rags covered themselves and slept when the sun was low a cow moose and her calf going down tor for water passed so near that amos awoke ile he arose and peered out at the beasts slowly going down the slope it was to him an unfailing sign that no indians were near ile he awoke tits his friend again they set bet out following the tracks of the animals to a pond where they camped forthe night there the roaring and splashing of moose disturbed their rest its the rutting time and wh enthey when they get together at night the bulls raise hell said amos they were up and off at daybreak with no mist to favor them after an hour of tramping amos stopped my aly godl weve hit another ketch owl he whispered have ye se got yer acorn yes res slip it under yer tongue when ye get a chance not now they stood side by side motionless suddenly ly the trap sprang upon its victims two warriors until then hidden behind trees rushed upon them with raised javelins one of them struck at robert lie ile dodged receiving a slight wound in the thigh there was no time tor for taking thought the motions of the two were as swift as those in tile the closing of a pair of hostile cats robert seized the weapon aimed at him the savage savage stepped in a hole lost tits his footing and fell the young white man stood over him with stripped sword amos had find wisely made the peace sign throwing down ills sword and pistol ile he shouted to the young maw mart dont draw blood for gods sakel sake I 1 many warriors had come out of hiding biding they now sat on their heels motionless and silent watching robert who immediately threw down tits his weapons again the w white hite men were captured and nt at the mercy of a band CA 1 I dont exactly like the looks look 0 things the shrewd pioneer r whispered of iroquois braves going north to join their friends and sweep the country south of the great river clear of their enemies before the winter li hunting tinting began the party was in command of an old one eyed chief with a ragged moth eaten pelt screening about half tits body on which were many scars lie he was dried tip like an old tree without leaves and ill III favored yet ho he bore himself like it a king hing haug haughty lity and erect ills hla stern wrinkled face was like that of au an ancient roman 1 I am graveled for lack of words said amos ns its he presented to him the otter skins hla his hatchet find and a handful of shelled corn by signs he made the chief to understand that he be and his friend were going to the dutch who would give many skins and hatchets and sacks backs of corn and much strong n 9 water to have them sent cent to the tort fort on the big river beyond the eastern gate of the long house the old chief opened his medicine bag and took out of it a bone decorated with feathers in deep chest tones and with a look of affection lie he addressed the bone ile he lighted his pipe and blew into the fek feathers a few whiffs of tobacco smoke the two white men knowing that their thein fate depended on the result of this interview with a bone sat watching the process 41 in a moment the chief returned the sacred treasure to its resting place and solemnly arose with great dignity he blew the smoke from his mouth in a current it moved northward ills wrinkled weathered face did not change lie ile went to amos touched the compass on his breast and pointed in the direction whence the smoke had gone ile he made the gesture of drawing the bow nis els right hand swept from east to west ile he scattered dust on a sheet of and with a stick drew a rude map in the dust marking different points by like signs he made amo s to comprehend ills his decision and his plans the pioneer turned to robert saying the tide has set agin us they ore are going to join other warriors massed aed near the upper waters 0 the lake 0 the iroquois they will move westward and sweep their enemies from the country we are to go with lem cm I 1 am to help ern em with the compass and their guns they think that the great spirit ls Is in the compass and that a little thunderbird thunder bird lives in every gun there are two guns in the party I 1 re reabon uon that they got em cm from the dutch dont know much about guns A little scared 0 the thunderbird thunder bird ye te to worry were a godsend to this band 0 ragamuffins raga muffins keep a r face take ua down to the fort by and by and trade us off like a pair 0 beaver skins amos Is happy robert however was tar far from happy safety and happiness had bad been hear bear him and yet utterly beyond ills his grasp ills was a dejected figure no as lie he yielded to this vile durance they headed beaded northward with the fighting red men of whom t there here were nearly two score and came that night to an indian camp the tha haughty bought wrinkled chief was regarded with aw and veneration by his brothers and the captives were well treated in the camp were fourteen warriors w who ho ent eat around a fire drinking bears fat out of cups of birch bark held together by thorns on a fire the flesh of f the bear was boiling in a pot by and by the white men helped themselves it at the source of supply with their hands and ate heartily it if not as greedily as the others tepees had bad been built for the newcomers who were apparently expected the captives would have had to step on the bodies of at least halt half a liken dozen warriors to escape CHAPTER X they come to adventures sterner than any they have known next day the haughty old chief was unable to control his hia men the camp became a scene of the wildest devil tries fortunately top for amos and robert the old man kept ills his head A savage would sit down with a bottle of rum or gin bite the cover off its top ram down its cork and drink as I 1 if f it were water st stopping only when lie he s strangled t rang led getting his arca breath th he would utter a few hoarse grunts of satisfaction and continue to fill tits his stomach going crazy with wild excitement before the bottle was finished it w was a s a day in hell for the captives the c campground aground and the tepee bottoms am were soon fil filthier than a pigpen pig pen the old chief destroyed many bottles and a barraco meanwhile shaking hla his head ond and muttering by nightfall a grateful silence had come the fountains of liquid fire hall had gone dry the braves were lying in a drunken stupor one was dead from a hatchet blow ne ile had made no outcry of pain protest or resentment ile he had sat quietly drenched with blood until he fell over dead no one paid the slightest attention to him save the white men who saw that he be was wag beyond help two or three were groaning with sickness the old chief and three warriors who had kept their lips from the kill devil sat around anna and robert by the dying fire think what the greed of the white man is doing to these poor children of the wilderness said robert here billere to la the great injustice yes it will make the savages hate us amos answered but wo we s top stop it the country la Is big and wild the greedy hell makers sneak away with boatloads 0 this devil water to some god lonesome place where theres no more law than bcd find in the heart 0 a lynx A million constables stop ston it 1 I like this old chief said robert theres something great about him lie looks now as if all the sorrows of the world including my own were resting on his hir b baal ack lie ile seems not to hear bear us they had heard his name it was Tawan doba amos answered oh ob he to 1 a wise old man of many wars I 1 reckon hes been figh fightlin tin AlRon Algon quIna quins and since he were a boy ile he knows lem em and every path inthe in the north and secret ways e 0 retreat the follies 0 youth are behind him ills ilia pride Is no longer in cover and gewgaws but in his history and the things he knows they sat a long time looking at the old chief and his faithful warriors who sat motionless gazing nt at the fire sleep had silenced the sick men there Is an entry in roberts diary for that day which cannot be omitted ite ile writes a brief account of the debauch and describes tile the camp at night adding one satisfaction fills my wretchedness I 1 am probably 4 as unhappy is as my dear friend in boston if he still lives I 1 find a degree of comfort in this thought TO 70 BE CONTINUED |