OCR Text |
Show .Days of Poor mchard y IRVING S-Sk BACHELLERj "1 WILL WAIT" SYT;I'3LS. Solomon ninkus, veteran scout and interpreter, and his younpr companion, Jack Irons, passing through llor.se Valley, New York. In Septenlher, 17tiS, tD warn settlers of an Indian In-dian nprlsin.r. rescue from a band of redskins the wife and daughter of Colonel Hare of KnKland. Jack diMUrmuishes himself In the tlht an,l later rescues M:.rKaret Hare from the river. Jack and Margaret Mar-garet fall In love. CHAPTER I Continued. 4 She stepped closer and he put his arm around her ami kissed her lips, she ran away a few s'. jis:. Then, indeed, in-deed, they were bad; on liie familiar trt.ll in the thirty-mile bush. A mouse bird was screaming ut them. She turned and said : "I wanted you to know, but I have Faid nothing. I couldn't. I am under n sacred promise. You are a gen; Ionian Io-nian and you will not kiss me or speak of love again until you have talked with my father. It Is the custom of our country. Hut I want you to know that I am very happy." "I don't know how I dared to say nd do what I did, but I couldn't help it." "I couldn't help It either. I Just longed to know If you dared." "The rest will be in the future perhaps per-haps far in the future." His voice trembled n little. "Not far If you come to me, but I can wait I will wait." .She took his hand as they were walking beside each other and added: "For you." "I, too, will wait," he answered, "and as long as I have to." Mrs. Hare, walking down the trail to meet them, had come near. Their Journey out of the wilderness had ended, end-ed, but for each a new life had begun. The husband nnd father of the two ladies had reached the fort only an hour or so ahead of the mounted party end preparations were being made for an expedition to cut off the retreat of the Indians. He was known to most of bis friends In America only as Col. Iteiijamin Hare a royal enmmissioner who had come to the colonies to Inspect In-spect ami report upon the defenses of his majesty. He wore the uniform of a colonel of the King's guard. There Is an olo letter of John Irons which says that he was a splendid llgure of n man, tall and well proportioned and about forty, with dar eyes, his hair and mustache Just beginning lo show gray. "I shall not try here to measure my gratitude." he said to Mr. irons. "1 will see you tomorrow." "You owe me nothing," Irons answered. an-swered. "Tiio rescue of your wife and daughter Is due to the resoiin eful and famous scout Solomon I'.inkus." "Hoar old rough-harked hickory man.'" Hie colonel exclaimed. "I hope to see him soon." He went at once will' his wife and daughter to rooms In the fort. That esening he satisfied himself as to the chai aeter and standing 'of John Irons, learning that he was a patriot of large influence and considerable means. The latter family and that of peter I'.ones were well quartered In tents with a p: rt of the Fifty -fifth regiment then at I rrt Stanwlv. Next morning Jaek welt to breakfast uith Colonci Hare and his wife and daughter In llielr rooms, after which the colonel Invited In-vited the hoy to take a walk with him OUt V Hie little setlleUM nl of Mill river. Jack, being overawed, W;'M rather slow In declaring himself and the colonel presenile remarked: "You and my daughter seem lo have got well acquainted." "Yes, sir; buf not as well as I could v. Isti," Jack alMWered. "Our Journey ended too j-ooti. I love your daughter, .dr. ami I hope you will let me l . : I her and ask her to be my wife s etime." "You are both too young," said the Colonel. "I'.csides OI llllM' UlloWtl cadi other riot quite three da s and i bae known nu red as man;,' hours. Wo are deeply craleful lo you, hid 11 m belter for you and for her thai this matter should rot be hurried. Afler a year has pas ed. If you Hun!, pm still care to see eacli other, I will nsl; y ml lo come lo iiii:'land. I think you are it fine, manly, brave clu p, bid really' you will admit thai I have a rigid lo luiow you better before my daughter engages to mairy yon." Jac; freely adnillled that Ihe request re-quest was well founded, Hlbolt be declared, de-clared, frankly, that he would like lo he got acquainted with as soon as possible. pos-sible. must lithe Ihe first ship hark to Krigland." snld the colonel. "You tire holh young and In a mutter of this kind there should be no basic. If your aiTecilon Is real. It will he none Ihe worse for i llllle keeping" Kolomon I'.lntiiiH and I'eter and Israel intj John lures und noma aeltier north of Horse valley arrived next dny with the captured Indians, who, under a military guard, were sent on to the (ireat Father at Johnson castle. Colonel Hare was astonished thnt neither Solomon ltinkus nor John Irons nor his son would nccopt any gift for the great service they had done him. "I owe you more than I can ever pay," he said to the faithful I'.lnkus. "Money would not be good enough for your reward." Solomon stepped close to the great man and said in a low tone: "Them young 'urs has growed kind o' lovesick an' I 'wouldn't wonder. I don't ask only one tiling. Don't make no mistake 'bout this 'ere boy. In the bush we have a way o' pick In' out men. We see how they stan' up to ((anger an' hard work an' goin' hungry. Jack is a reg'Iar he-man. I know 'em when 1 :-ce 'em, which It's n sure fact I've seen all kinds. He's got brains nn' courage, an' a tough arm an' a good heart. He'd die for a friend any day. Ye kain't do no more. So don't make no mistake 'bout him. He ain't no hemlock bow. I cacalate there ain't m better man-timber nowhere no, sir, not nowhere In this world cnll It king er lord er duke er any name ye like. So, sir, If ye feel like doin' suthln' fer me which I didn't never expect It, when I done what I did I'll say be good to the boy. You'd never have to he 'shamed o' him." "He's a likely lad," said Colonel Hare. "And I am rather Impressed by your words, although they present a view that Is new to me. We shall he returning; soon nnd I dare say they will presently forget eaidi other, but If not. and he becomes a cmul man-as man-as good a man as his father let us say and she should wish to marry him, I would gladly put her hand In his." At Fort Stanwlx, John Irons sold his farm and house and stock to I'eter Hones nnd decided to move his family L'Vi1'"' ',: TRAVEL FO Li -' j" IJj Lkr to Allium, whore h,. could educate Ills children. Ilotli he mid Ids wife had grown weary of tin' loneliness of the hack country, and the peril from which lliey had been delivered was a deciding decid-ing factor. So H happened that the Irons family and Solomon went to Albany by bateaux v. lib Ihe Hares. Il v;:s a deli'litl'ul trip In good aiilumn wcatlier, in which Colonel Hare has acknowledged that both I ml his wife acquired a deep respi" "for these sinewy, wise, upright Americans, some of whom are as well learned. I should say, as ncM men jini would ineel in London." CHAPTER II Sowing the Draqon'a Teeth. Thai wilder the Irons family and Solomon r.lnkiis went idlell to Ihe I'leellngs of Ihe Sons of I, 'belly. (Hie purpose of lids organization was lo induce perqde to In . ail I'licl lire I heir e'M i eei illles and linn avoid buying lite j,, oilin is of i Ireat I'.ril aln. 1'aclo ri's were busy ninUiig looms and spinning wheels; skilled men and women taurhl Ihe arts o spinning, weaving and tailoring. The slogan ''Home made or nothing," traveled far and wide. I.ali' In February Jack lions and Solomoti IlinldiH went cast ns delegates lo a large i ting of the Sons of Lib eily In Sprlngllebl. They traveled on suowhIiooh and by Nlage, (lading Ihe hltlerncns of the people growing more Intense ns tiicy proceeded. They found many women using (horns instead of plus and knitting one pair of Htocklngs with tin' ravcllngs of another. They were also Mossing out their silk gowns and Hplnulng Ihe IIosh Into gloves with cotton. All Ibis was to avoid buying KooiIh senl over from Great llrllaln. The meeting ovor, Jack and Solomon went on by stnge to Boston for a look at the big city. They arrived there on the fifth of March a little after dark. The moon wns shining. A snow flurry had tvhlt-ened tvhlt-ened the streets. The air wu still nnd cold. They had their supyers at the Ship nnd Anchor. While they were entlng they heard thnt a compnny of British soldiers who were encamped near the 1'resbyterlan meeting-house had beaten their drums on Sunday so that no worshiper could hear the preaching. "And the worst of It Is we nre compelled com-pelled to furnish them food and quarters quar-ters while they Insult and annoy ns," said a minister who sat at the table. After supper Jack nnd Solomon went out for a walk. They heard violent talk nmong people gathered nt the street corners. They soon overtook a noisy crowd of hoys nnd young men carrying clubs. In front of Murrnj'e hnrrncks, wdiere the Twenty-ninth regiment regi-ment wns quartered, there wns a chattering chat-tering crowd of men nnd boys. Some of them were hooting nnd cursing nt two sentinels. The streets were lighted light-ed by oil lamps und by candles In the windows of the houses. In Cornhlll they came upon a lnrger and more violent assemblage of he same kind. They made their way through It and saw beyond a captain, n corporal anil six private soldiers standing face to face with the crowd. Men were Jeering at them; boys hurling hurl-ing abusive epithets. The boys, ns they are npt to do, reflected, with some exaggeration, the passions of their elders. It was a crowd of rough fellows fel-lows mostly wharfmen nnd sailors. Solomon sensed the danger In the situation. situ-ation. He and Jack moved out i'f the jeering mob. Then suddenly n thing happened which may hape suvtd one or both their lives. The captain drew his sword and flashed a dark light upon Solomon and called out: "1 folio, I'.lnkus! What the h 1 do you want?" "Who be ye?" Solomon asked. "Preston." "Preston! Cat's blood and gurjpow-der gurjpow-der ! What's the mafler?" l'reston. nn old comrade of Solomon, said to him : "Co around to headquarters and toll them we are cut off by a mob and In a had mess. I'm a little scared. I don't wnnt to K"'t hurt or do any hurting." hurt-ing." Jack and Solomon passed through the guard and hurried on. Then there were Misses and cries of "Tories! I.otten Tories!" As tho two went on they heard missiles falling behind thfin and among the soldiers. "Tliey's goln' to be bad trouble thnr." ald Solomon. "Them lads ain't to blame. They're only doln' as they're commanded. It's the pesky king that orlo be betchelieil." They were hurrying on, as he spoke, and the words were scarcely out of his mouth when they heard the command com-mand to (ire and a rlPe volley then loud cries of pain and sllrlll curies ami running feet. They turred nnd started back. Veople were robbing out of their houses, some with guns In their bands. In a moment the street was full. "The soldiers are slaving people," a man shouted. "Men of Boston, we must nun ourselves and fight." It was a scene of wild confusion. They could get no farther on Conihill. The crowd began to porir Into side-streets. side-streets. Kiimors were living ubout that many had been killed nnd wound. al. An hour or so later Jack and Solomon were seized by a group of ruillans. "Here are ihe d n Tories!" one of them shouted. "Friends o' murderers;" was the cry of another "Let's bang 'un!" Solomon Immediately knocked the man down who had called Ihem Tories and seized another and tossed him so far In the crowd as to give It pause. "I don't mind hein' hung." he vhout-cd. vhout-cd. "not If It's done proper, but no in. in kin call tue a Tory lessen my bands are tied, without L-iltin' hurt. An' If my hands was tied I'd do some hol-lei hol-lei In', now- you hear me." A man hack In the crowd let out a lau::h as loud as the braving of an ns. others followed Ids example. The danger was passed. Solomon ihoiited : "I used to know l'reston when I were a scout In Ahihersi's army llglitln' Injuns In-juns an' Frenchmen, wdilch (hoy's uiore'u (wenty notches on the stock o' my rllle an' fourteen on my pelt, an' my iiinne Is Solomon I'.inkus from Albany. Al-bany. New York, an' If you'll exenae us, we'll put fer hum as soon as we Lin git erway convenient," In tlie morning they learned that three men Icnl I n killed mid live o t hers w oiiiiiled by the soldiers. Sq nails of men nnd boys with loaded muskets were inarching Into town from the count r . "It means that war Is cominrj. We niiybt as well get ready for It." ( I n I'.K 'i i NT 1 N 1 ' I ! 1 ) |