Show adem 8 I 1 A romance 02 v haddocks rad docks CHAPTER vill VIII continued 21 keep ahead of 0 we ine I 1 directed were almost at tile the mouth of 0 the creek and the lle cabin Is close by from tile the opposite bank of tile creek came a demoniac shout arid and I 1 believed we had bad been sighted yet the cry was wan different front from a discovery call it was too fero ferocious clous they land had acme upon the scalped scalded frenchman and were voicing their rage I 1 oin am cru cot vinced the dead mau man served us well by slowing up the until w we e had bad entered a natural opening to in tile the middle of which stood fraziers Fraz lers callin cabin the girl gasped and stumbled nod and I 1 almost fell over her once more inore I 1 picked her up this time carrying her ber cradled in my illy arms and then threw all my energy into my illy legs lees howls bowls of triumph sounded in the hie woods moods behind me and on ray my right guns were fired but I 1 heard no sound of the lead im all right let me dowal she begged but the goal was too near tile the sav ages agee b began egan to show at tile the end of tile the woods just as we gained the door with me yelling for frazier to open for us there was no response and my illy heart sank ns as I 1 pictured a locked door and the savages doing as to death w while hale we made a last fight then say heart beat high as I 1 beheld the ran hide bide latch string in another moment we se were inside and I 1 was thrusting my illy long rifle through a loophole spoiled a brawny huron as he be was sc scrambling rumblIng back to cover youre powerful strong mister the girl shyly remarked there was a quality in her voice I 1 bad never heard before and I 1 glanced at her in surprise the face was enlivened with ith color she threw oft off her lial tat und and allowed her brown hair to tumble about her shoulders youre a mighty brave little woman I 1 al awkwardly replied well hope to get out of tills this but we be taken alive lors uiel mel fall loto into their dirty blinds bands 1 of course not and from her blouse she pulled forth a thirteen inch highland pistol I 1 held tile highland to be more showy than useful a as its light weight mid arid large bore made it kick villain bously and shout inaccurately yet yel 11 would remove one very quickly from all tear fear of if the torture stake I 1 took time to glauce glance about the room froom at the shelves and stock ot of trade goods at the smiths tools in ID the cir ci irner raer und and some guns banging frow from one wall to in surveying sun sur eying tile the room I 1 discovered a roost most vital necessity was lacking there was no water to in the catlin I 1 picked up two kettles and on barred the door you go anti she shrilly sli rilly screamed 1 we have waiter the alie creek Is near abe 1 he indians had time little to circle around to the south of us you hue hine the two full s watch frow from the back of the ile cabin dont fire UD no less mote e thain one breaks coer 1411 follow I 1 watch out tor for me file I 1 we ilin agli the danor with the ket ties leg and ami running toward the file creek be fore ehe could offet more objections 1 reached the water anil and dipped tile the kettles full before tile hie savages opened filmed tire bre my dash to tile die creek halt ban either taken thelo by surprise uri alse or else they had a till bit to hold a pow wow I 1 believe they had bad withdrawn with a few met men standing guard for the file firing did not dot belonie general aunill I 1 wits was halfway hack bak at that thai dista ince frow hie file culion I 1 heard the file girl e rifle go oft off f Itu niAng gently so ru as nul not to split spill BUY any of the pr trellous pre ilous eLlous water waler 1 I was pro Dolio eing nay rike rate wor when a tali lull savage emer einer geil geI from tile he A on JAY iny left jeff and approached at right angles ile he tired tin an arrow while ini mining ing at full freed and then dripped hl his t how bow to drw draw his ox ax the girl eirl lip ap penrell in hip flip with illy in loni ride nod and leaned the heavy barrel the end of a log AS the file whip like craik crack rang out tile leaped high arid canne came down in a heap still conaro my illy steide I 1 woke two rods ot the door where me girl stood leaning agal list tile trifle rifle when a savage turned d lie cor tier of tile cohla still and daneil bel up u I 1 set acarl one line kettle unit pulled jul lerl my illy ax am to my surprise tile the indian whirled about am toward the girl with a scream blie bile sprung sprang back and he followed realizing it was ex cellene cellena strategy to in kill my illy companion find bar the door against ril rue me leaving bis big compan lono to kill me ine leisurely with a howl bowl ol of fear and wardin warning 9 I 1 dropped the remaining kettle nod and leaped after him As roy my foot tout tied the threshold tile the cabin was tilled with a deafening explosion and much and the savage wile war falling limply into my arms I 1 hurled buried ilion outside where tie he tell fell oo on tila his back bis big face aloun away the girl wua was crouching on the floor tier her hair part ly concealing her face the highland S pistol clutched in ID her two hands and her eyes glaring like a cats I 1 wile wai reminded of tile the scene on per der alexen hopt r r load the rif rifles lesl 1 I 1 cried then from tile the cabin arid and falling i to discover tiny of tile the enemy in the ati i I 1 ran baili back to the kettle and anc uly my errand wa uy by hugh illustrations by irwin myers by blugh poindexter mice with tile the lour door secured I 1 sure suney yei eil tile lie opening from riu the lie runt rear loophole something grunze oil the grats gras a dozen rod froom from the forem attracted my attention an anil finally re soled itself into nn fin indian quick alth till a giant I 1 told tier nei theres cheres one out there in tile the grass slie site sprang to my illy elde with nil w rifle nod and gine u H glance and then ali 0 o said la mister 1 ue lie wont hurt nobody erblat was toy my first shot when you was for nater my heart stopped pounding when you metal ireni with n etli chent kettles she whispered winking her eyes very tast fast there was bas no do dunger dalager we mut mus have water aster well be cooking choking with fill 4 11 I 1 al 11 morel morel she cried thirst before night and it if they set the root roof anre afire 1 I know she quietly said callace Cal Ciali laie late ill 11 II be loading that pistol it shoots most mortal leaving lea tiny her to stand watch I 1 secured tile the muskets front froio the wall nod and run imaged the traders stock until I 1 had bail found powder and bullets I 1 load ed tile the weapons and set them aside on a shelf I 1 anund a small quantity ol of smoked ment tough as hickory bark yet a food one could w aringe to chew I 1 told the girl ea to eat while vialle I 1 took her place at a loophole im think thinking fing the girl remarked the branch of a tree moved slightly and I 1 watched it suspiciously im thinking theres morea one way to tn stop a lire fire she went tin on raisins raising tiei bet voice to attract my attention im thinking theres no an indian climbing a tree but I 1 cant see any thing to shoot at I 1 grumbled if if i would only train rain I 1 im light and spry as a cat aud acia there t be any dunger danger she continued on your mind little worn won on an I 1 asked without It hout turning brou trou the loophole loop liole these contraptions hides Is on in iii wind mind most heavy it if we could use em save what wilier water weve neve got 11 now I 1 was interested slie she was standing ng by a pile of dried deerskins ylie ste explained it if they was on the root the fire would slide olt off hard and swoosh tier her wit wil gave me file hope mid and I 1 asked how to male them stay we time to nasr t 1 ete them ork on if 11 we try that thai rush us ain im thinking slie site muttered tilting tier nei small liend head and her chlo chin lu in her hund hand course bouve youve saddled u linss hoss bony times yes I 1 cal tate thul that would to du instantly she wits ull all energy Firo ariu tica tile the collection of tools tilie site secured a pointed punch and with tile burl buel of tin an ax brgan began ili milking a kill holes aloni along the lie edge ol 01 it a hide don 1 watch me wati watib b outdoors she sharply ordered I 1 turned hack brick to abe prep peep liole hole I 1 could bear tier her pulling the baldes hadt n about 0 and talking to herself as aa she worked she asked herself lier if she could IW tin some ran hide strips and to ID the next brent b told loir herself she could at least make some se then site she was coning in delight I 1 stole to the dour door in time to see a brash ulve near the mouth of the lie creek I 1 stopped its agitation win a bullet front from my illy rifle but doubted it 11 I 1 find done tile the enemy an any dan several willis shots from the opposite end oj the cabin took rate me to the rear loop hole bole I 1 stumbled over a pile of skins shin in passing hut but had no time tu to ob sere sene the girl two or three holl balls blinked into tile the logs but there was wait no indian in sight rearing oaring it wits a ruse to hold my attention I 1 darted to the door again and remained there while I 1 relon reloaded ded my rifle lawful heart 1 if you keep hy back and forth ohp sh couill allied now you can look and she proudly dragged forward two deerskins looped together by short sections ot of rawhide well saddle the ridgepole ridge pole with those just the same as saddle or blanket a hoss boss she explained be better than pegs ill git up on the root roof and throw them over the ridgepole ridge pole as fast as you pass em cm up to me the scheme was feasible it was simple it would require but a few minutes to saddle the house with hides bides there would remain a strip on each side but these I 1 could reach from the ground with separate hides however I 1 objected to her mounting the root your job Is to pass em ein up to me she sternly retorted sly my part Is as easy as slipping off a wet ing I 1 can be up there before you could git started it if they come at us I 1 can be down and inside the door la in a jiffy olt oil em separated out sos we can work fast then she unbarred the door before showing ourselves we re from all sides of the cabin there way was not much danger of a musket ball bitting her slim body and arrows to hit bit the roof must travel so high as to give us warning I 1 gathered up several sets of the double skins ekins and threw open the door the savages must have been puzzled by our appearance none showed along the woods nor were any lead or arrows tired at usi us 1 dropped the skins and gave the girl a hand and she was scrambling up to the ridge pole before the watchers could guess our purpose I 1 passed up two skins and she deftly draped them over the ridgepole ridge pole I 1 passed up two more dore the indians woke up and began screaming like demons guns began banging rod and I 1 called to the girl to come down throw em along I 1 wont budge till you dol site she cried I 1 tossed up some more and ducked back to the door and secured both rifles morel filo morel arel she cried I 1 handed banded them up but warned tier her jump down at once corn com ing I 1 she took time to til ili them property properly and then dropped lightly into my arms some fifteen savages were breaking cover at different points I 1 picked out the leader ot of the nearest fiand ue he commenced leaping from ide to side but I 1 was patient and hot atilt him olt off his feet the moment I 1 fired she had bad taken the empty rifle und and had bad pressed the short french one loto into my hands I 1 fired lr it slid and missed we entered the cabin and dropped the bar the indians advanced swiftly knowing our rifles were empty could they close in before we could reload thea the planned to thrust their guns through the loopholes and stop our tire while they battered down the dior but they had nut it counted on the trade I 1 muskets we ve emptied these thee rapidly one man went down with a si nashed leg two of 0 his carried him into the file woods the others s streamed back bat it as rapidly us as they bar ball a advanced thus far oil all the honors were ours I 1 made tin thil girl drink soine sime water rand and posted tier her nt at the buck back ot of the cabin while I 1 covered the other three sides tile the however had nu no stow tach for another anor iier assault lo in force and the forest became aulet I 1 told jolt tile the girl she was to remain inside while I 1 stepped out and covered the lower part of the two sides TO BE BB CONTINUED |