Show th the W wife i f em ship sh ip wom woman J an by HUGH author of kings of the missouri pay gravel grocer A virginia yr i arginia scout etc sy y herh l orvlee CHAPTER XIII continued 17 only a scout cout he whispered in my ear 1 I ill II 11 swing owing off to the left to stop them from froin coming through the woods wooda away he be glided on the south side of the h trail and taking a course parallel to it until the enemy passed him he controlled the strip between his bis line I 1 of advance and the trail for several minutes tile the forest was quiet except for some droning bees in the open trail then sounded a whistle why dont you w answer him 7 asked the girl I 1 knew it was none of Labrador labradors adors 1 signals sIc nals and motioned ed for her to be still A musket shaM shat tred red the silence I 1 labrador abrader was wa exultantly shouting 1 I pot got a rood good one mon dieu I 1 moaned the girl pressing both hands to her head I 1 peeped from behind the tree and behold beheld a hideously striped face white and yellow even as the girl had described it I 1 sent lent a ball crashing through the fellows head bend and he made a grew some business of dying kicking about and expiring with his two no logs legs showing through the bush I 1 heard labradors adors musket again qu quickly tell followed by a pistol shot then damones Damon ns high voice howled now you have chimil I 1 picked up tip the girl and tossed her into the forked branches of the and warned her to remain perfectly still and darted after labrador I 1 came upon jilin him as am lie he gave ground ills his fice face toward the invisible enemy tile the wo tonn he growled as we conic came together I 1 in the tree fall airall bachl ile he passed on and I 1 remal remained ned to cover ills hir retreat and give him vale time to load lend davorin yelled yc led again and a choctaw brave came hounding blinding through the woods flourishing ax and knife and I 1 sent gent a ball through ills his pointed painted dint just na as ile he was springing over a log then I 1 gave ground passing labra dor or who was nas ready for the next on boet the girl and ianke tip tile the trall trail I 1 he muttered I 1 run ran to tile lie onks oaks and reloaded and sold something oni ethIng reassuring surIng to the girl the 1 I he lend man in the trail would hold others hack back as an they could not know I 1 ad lii d loft left my pot post to reinforce my frien I 1 decided we vie stood a better chance of escaping if we stood our ground and lid did not make a running light of it off tw t my left sounded mounded a whiggle and the lie crnek of a gun fol lowed by bv another which I 1 to be labradors adors denonn was shouting or urn tiers there wills waa no danger of an itt dt lack up tip tile trail fin BO long as an tile lie fox led the figh fighting ling against the repenting my warning to the girl I 1 ran tile he second time to help my friend I 1 softly called my name that he might not shoot tile me for a choctow and joined him lie was vina wiping blood from his forehead and I 1 had a shaft through the flesh of the lower leg lee breaking off on the feathered feu end I 1 pushed the barbed head through and straightened up in time to nick a brawny warrior who was creeping in on my right with n scream of rage nice damann betrayed ills his hiding place the next mo ment he was urging four savages at us tind I 1 said to labrador Ln brador now for some ronie good work w ork my nn aniel iel wa empty and my pistol missed vitis sed fire I 1 hurled burled tile le pistol into a si sinuses nages face and grappled with do da moan I 1 heard joes pistol explode so BO cloie it deafened tile nip nud in the first gyration gyr fo ration atlon with I 1 nearly narl tripped ier tip tile beggar loo joe lind hid shot iio ns as no i ills 1119 musket and two Choir laws pre trying to get in side eld ills gliford matli fill their inive ilie I lie linn I 1 had knocked lown niall etli in jav now nou l nt at my in legs 1 RS lh ills his knife I 1 sent the lie het heel vit of my in lijo casin into his face I 1 but lit lost nn my grip ralp on ia alio to lo help his men labrador thinking to do this BI and lime have tile lie hell of tin the two tuo in a lost last with nith me ine I 1 jumped after arter hlin him just ns as one of the savages received receive I 1 ibm dors iron shod musket butt between be teen the he eyes eves big head caving in like an eggshell but tile the tier iier lunged in with will ills his knife und and lef it sticking between poor joes ribs I 1 had raised my ax to do for dagnan but even as it started to dewend descend I 1 shifted my alm aim and caught I 1 labradors adors slayer elnier fair on the he scalp lock so that he fell beside his victim and then Dai damann norin wits on my mv buck back the sight of poor labrador watch ing our struggle with dying gaze gave gae me lie he strength of sever 11 men I 1 must fenish with damean and receive rny my friends friend s lost words MY U left arni arm ass fu behind the fellows neck lie ile was trying to get ge at ai hla his knife I 1 gave him a chance for the sake of petting getting my right wrist under ills his chin ile he grunted alth joy ns HS he pulled ills his blade free and I 1 gave gare a pull and push and snapped his bis neck ln in a most tidy fash ion before he could even send his boint through my abrl labrador stared to one side aide aria and I 1 wheeled in time line to behold the savage I 1 find bad twice knocked down raise on one knee to kurl hurl an ax I 1 dropped and came up uh a dead mans ax and chopped mm him to the chin there was a gleam ff 41 applause in labrador adors eyes si aj I 1 caked his alda red lied rings on a red pole dole he muttered refer referring to the natchez style of counting coups get the girl away dont stop atop to bury me there may be morg more of them you ron shall be burled buried if there were X million I 1 panted I 1 thought he was gone but he be rallied aad and whispered im my Y wife was a better woman th than an I 1 was man she will understand she was waa very wise for a red woman ali ah those natchez r I 1 I 1 sculpted scalped damann as a I 1 had bad promised him I 1 should do and tuck stuck his hair to a tree with hla his own knife then I 1 went back and comforted the girl irl arid and told her she must remain to in the tree for a bit longer this last that she might not discover the bloody plight I 1 was wn in returning to the scene of the fight I 1 dug a grave w with ith my knife and burled buried joe mademoiselle wept bitterly when 1 rescued her from the tree and told her that labrador had gone away narbonne six fingers labrador and da moan not to mention the Choe choctaws taws the aluma worona and the natchez word bearer taking mademoiselle north had bad cost much blood I 1 bandaged my leg and shoulder with her ass latance and we covered a quarter of a mile when we ran into a band of chickasaws who had been atthe t man I 1 had knocked down with my pistol now slashed at my legs with my knife meted by the gunfire I 1 told them of the battle and gave joe all the credit except for the men in the trail they hastened on to gather the scalps and to leave a hieroglyphic picture carved on a tree by joes grave which would keep ills his resting place undisturbed for all time so far as tile the red men were concerned CHAPTER XIV one line from mademoiselle something of peace came to the girl ns after a brief stop at we foll follon ed the t windings of the cherokee while in the indian town mademoiselle secured new garments of soft deerskin our travel was slow and we were a long time in following the eccentric river through its meanderings but so fur far ns as I 1 was concerned there was no need of hurry tile the governors of virginia and the carolinas Caroll nas would be very to receive my reports yet if I 1 were tartly tardy in binish ing my journey so also would hlen blen ille wait overlong over long to hoar hear from lamoan tile fox the chickasaws provided nn an escort until we were well within the abero kes ae country mademoiselle never spoke poke of the past of the time when we first met on ship island or of her life lo in france whatever halt belf formed impressions I 1 had entertained regarding her life overseas were washed away by the murmuring current of the cherokee sometimes she he was a child sometimes a woman and whichever her mood there was a satisfaction that amounted to happiness in seeing her before the evening campfire campf lre and in knowing she was behind me in the light bark canoe this feeling of contentment tent ment in her presence grew few upon in me e amazingly as we finally drow drew toward the end of the journey one night with the cherokee escort cha chanting some medicine e songs in their nearby camp I 1 gave way to an impulse and bending forward to watch her thoughtful face through the smoke 0 of f the fire I 1 said once down the river I 1 asked you something mademoiselle I 1 wish to repent repeat that offer when we reach home home she whispered lifting her head bead and staring fit at me strangely 1 I wish to make mak it home tor for you I 1 awkwardly explained site she smiled sadly and lifted a hand to prevent further talk of the kind and firmly maid gald that to Is all pr hed my friend we will not speak of it more this second refusal left me feeling different than had the first it t owned on me that my proprietorship wad about to end that the days of my arranging for her comfort were soon eoon over if I 1 had been prompted by an exaggerated sense cense of chivalrous duty when I 1 first asked her to take my name at least lease I 1 had not been downcast hv bv liar refusal her tears had forced the offer from me this my re entrance into the forbidden subject had no such unselfish incitement my face must have grown frown very long or else my trick of pulling at my beard gave her the suggestion for she said in leaving it once for all I 1 will say my this to monsieur even though it la Is not maidenly to speak of it further you pitted pitied a poor girl who was entirely unknown to you you ton heeded lier her plea to be taken north when you had bad all you could do to save your own life her company has forced you into many y dangers and has bills cost you a dear friend it has greatly delayed your arrival home in addition to all this through your sense gense 0 ofa duty uty you offered this mar marriage to sit who has no family no history monsieur on you have exhausted alt all the sacrifice acri tice that the most tender of heart could be called upon to mako make I 1 wont try to thank you with words but my heart will always thank you 1 I dont ask for any thanks I 1 glumly replied that other time you spoke of your pride of pride standing between us tie A pride that forbids roe me allowing anyone to make every sacrifice for me she evasively corrected 1 I did not read your belts that way I 1 doggedly retorted belts Belt sl and her handy hands flew to her ber girdle your talk I 1 interrupted the pride you meant was that which one feels when thinking an Infer inferior lor Is making advances her face was as scarlet as the northern maples when the frost lays on the vermil vermillon loi she tried to be angry and there was a flash in her eye that bespoke a shrewd temper claire a nobody so proud she feels hurt when an honest gentleman offers tier her marriage oh in IB lal surely some english as well os as all the french belke believe in fairy stories I 1 it la Is what I 1 believed then I 1 insisted refusing to be laughed lau glied out of the notion she sighed and said if such fuch in aa impossible could be then the woman must be crazy 1 I believe it I 1 cao can now a you yon as you yog looked then there was waa no BO mistaking your mood you felt almast insulted mon men dieu monsieur ia abs b wiled walled I 1 1 I say ay it she commanded rising and nd at standing andini in the smoke of the ure tire to stare into my disgruntled eyes if you really believe such each ma madness gaess men i bleur and really wish me for cor your wife 1 I am crazy I 1 cried rising riling and backing from the fire 1 I am a foot fool and am making the flum of your journey very unpleasant if you believe what you said I 1 shall be proud to marry you to prove my gratitude she he murmured that would wrong both of tu I 1 love lore and must have love la in return or nothing I 1 am a very foolish mm man mademoiselle dig big man ma often are give me indiana to fight each day and I 1 am normal leave me to amuse amass myself and I 1 am a fool you tou will try to forgive me and forget it all I 1 walk over to question the cherokees about the mountain pass we enter tomorrow just a moment monsieur she her bar friedly said if some time after this to la all over you feel the same as an you yon seem to feel now you way may tell me with on nn unconscious return of the grande dame air she lifted her bead high and gravely added you have my permission pride she was made up of f pride from her toes to her braided yellow hair why who could say certainly not 1 I her lapses into the imperious were both irritating and too tea cina dilating ting such a high bearing was an absurdity and yet it placed ao an upon her which would make men covet her As an I 1 retreated to the cherokee cheroke fires I 1 knew my dreams were ended and that the quicker I 1 submitted my reports und and returned to my work the better it would be tor for my peace ol of mind 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 I 1 took hr h r to charles town as all the planters were there or on the th neighboring islands for the hot season to escape the fever aad presented hr ber t to home borne family friends as a french refugee refu jee while trying to relieve her of money worries without offending her quick spirit she told me she had a few jewels on which she could real ize and get along until she heard from france then I 1 left her our parting being in public and on the surface showing allowing nothing and I 1 was off for the north to finish my business and get acquainted with my own people what with official business in north carolina and virginia and a request that I 1 go to pennsylvania and tell the quakers all I 1 had learned it wax was several months before I 1 could relax in the home of my people new years day found me moping about the plantation trying to avoid intruding on a young squire who was frantically la in love loie with my little sister bister A black boy brought me a sealed message from town which bore my full name on the tha outside opening it I 1 read monsieur le ie sauvage blanc it may inny be I 1 shall soon be sa sailing illing for france 0 U D the note bore no date and there was no knowing how long it had been on in the way I 1 ran to the stables howling bowling over the young idiot who was wa daft about my sister and secured my horse I 1 have no clear recollection ot the laya days which followed the time it 11 required to reach charles town I 1 es binate in horses I 1 used up seven by the time I 1 quit the saddle caddie in king street I 1 was informed by the black ton town n butler that mademoiselle dahis gaarde and the family were at ati the plantation on the santee having haung gont gone there after the first frost had ended the fever feer season I 1 breathed a bil ensler easier I 1 was between her and the sea coast As I 1 was making the last stretch along the river road for I 1 went by I 1 hors a barge on the river being too toe bu slow I 1 was wildly accosted by a man who spoke trench there was something familiar about the fellows voice but I 1 was in no mood to renew acquaintances quain and I 1 galloped on watt hla his meaningless monsieur url I 1 mon fleur ringing in ears which heart before making the planta flun I 1 reined down to a walk and r z cohered some of my composure on my way nay up the winding drive I 1 saw a young oung woman at one side stand lol ni by a hedge she softly called to me MA and a closer glance revealed her ti te tie be mademoiselle she he was dressed in |