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Show . TT1h.e MedMoocl j A Romance of J&p " Braddocks Defeat iM' M Hugh Pendexter WUfMm w.im.u. sRv.ce Copyright by HuqK Perdextr . V' CHAPTER VII Continued 19 From his belt tlie wizard nest pulled a long arrow and apparently thrust It down his throat tip to the feathers. I had accepted the knife-swallowing as being genuine, for I had seen a white man do it; lint the harhed arrow I could not accept Beaujeu whispered to me: "Little Woit Is a cunning rogue The reed shaft Is made of short sections sec-tions which are driven together when he holds the harb between his teeth and presses down. 'But applaud him generously. Should he make the Voice in the lodge tell the Indians Dot to fight against Braddock. wp would find ourselves without a red force." We clapped our hands and pressed them to our lips, and Little Wolf was much pleased. Ticking up the how and red-tipped arrow, he sang a swig In which were related several limes "Scarlel is Its head." I became keenly Interested when, after a slight pause he fiercely shouted: shout-ed: "It finds Its way into a Wclf." He held the arrow so those staring In at the window might look on It. and among the spectators was the circle-covered visage of Round I'aw The wizard had uttered a threat three times during the last hour, and a "wolf was always the victim. The dead hear had been accepted as a symbol fot Braddock's army. I did not believe the sachem meant the English when he promised death to a wolf. But I was convinced that the fellow for some reason intended harm to the Onondaga. There must he a logical cause for this professed enmity, and naturally 1 believed my friend had incurred suspicions. 1 dared not attempt a signal although I did glare into the Onondaga's eyes. Little Wolf gathered up his belongings belong-ings to retire, but Beaujeu detained him by Inquiring: "Why does not the great wizard shoot the medicine-arrow Into the wolf now?" The Onondaga allowed two braves to crowd In from each side so only his head partly showed between theirs. "A ghost In the medicine-lodge wil' shoot II It will find its way to the V.olf." Those at the window were very quiet, their eyes glowing as they began be-gan to sense a dramatic climax. "Ononilo's sons wish to see the ar row when it finds Its mark." Insisted P.eanjeu. He too had detected some . significance In the fellow's mysterious talk. "Onontio's sons cannot see thi ghost. Only medicine-eyes can see that. Their eyes can see the arrow when It goes through the Wolfs neck Their eyes can see that without their moving from their places. " We crowded closer together so that all might have a fair view of the lodge, and the savages at the window drew aside. A (ire was lighted on each side of the lodge so as to Illuminate brilliantly the front of the structure I'onii.len whispered : "Little Woit Is now Inside. But name of the devil ! What did he mean about his irrow finding a wolf? line can never tell how Hie red mind Is working." "'11' may fiave an enemy he wishes to kill and credit the killing to a ghost." 1 suggested. Maybe. I hope not. If their mind start running away with (hem they'll outrun a wolf -puck In getting back to their northern village?. However. It can't be serious. I'orttiac must know what he meant anil approves; and I'nntlac Is one leader I will count on.' The drum thudded monotonously lor two or three minutes, gradually In creasing in volume, then abruptly ceasing. A weak voice, talking In the language of the Iielaware. called out: "What do m.v children want? Why do my children fall me hack to thin lodge? I am the first of your grand lathers. Von have called me over a long path." There followed the shrill voice ol a vMiman. buf In a tongue I did not understand .Next Hie wizard's voice, hu'ky and labored, entered the dia logue. and In Iielaware he asked: "() Oiandfather ol all the red people, peo-ple, fell us of the Inge Ih-hnian. Is he fining? Will he light strong? Will your children be struck In the head?" 'The answer lo that can easily spoil all in.v plans!" grilled lleau.leu. The medicine lodge rocked and M'.a.'ed as If buffeted by a mighty wioil. I iKcnrdahl noises arose evil fonid strlvlitK lo prevent the Voice f 1 1 ii n a ir-c.wriiig. There sounded III hill ing of dog" and the scream ol Hie panther and the piping wall of a child A fearful visage showed fm mi In-laiil at the small opening and Miiiecili'd by another. Then with h "Ingle booming Pole from Hie modi cine ill inn Mlcni-v returned lo the lodge. Afu r a few momenta the weak voice ol the first of all grandfathers spoke, saying : "Little Wolf Is a mighty wizard. Hp drives away the black spirit thai wants to slop my mouth I am the first ot your grandfathers. I tell you this the Hour of the forest will be red with the blood ot t lie lngeilsh The Manito is angry to see his rvd children losing their villages and land Let the arrow find the false Woit and then go into battle wit hmn fear." Silence again, and Beaujeu wiped the sweat from his brows and muttered mut-tered : "Noin de Dietl! What deviltry Is he up to? It's some of I'oniiae's work lie should have told me rtrsL Getting a light out of the Indians Is condi tion.al on their killing the '.alee woit. .Mnnsietn Behind. I feai you are right. Little Wolf has a rival. If so he must kill him. or else the flag of France must be lowered." He became silent ns from the lodge came the voice ol Little Wolf. It k 4 Si. ' HZiA "The Engncr Spy." sounded very weak and we had to strain our ears to catch tils words. Canting for breath lie called out: "The Voice is very far away. I can hear It, my brothers cannot. It rests but will come very soon Wail. The little while dog Is barking He Is leading lead-ing the voice hack." Another pause and then we heard the yelping and kl-jiing ol u puppy Then came Hie voice, this time sound ing much louder. It commanded: "Have the warriors who danced about the war-post pass around Hie lodge foul times, and lei each ask him.-elt it he Is a true man " "Ah I Now It develops. Soon there will he a killing." hissed St. Thoie.Ye. There followed more shaking ami swaying ol Hie lodge. I'onthic's voh-e rang nut. calling on the dancers in fall In line and begin circling the lodge and foi men with stralgni tongues to feai nothing I'aitiled laces in profile began passing Hie window Kadi savage kepi his face mei leo from the lodge and- cacti seemed to step In greater haste when abieast of Hie small opening. I sought the (limn ilaga In Hie long line, but railed lo behold him. I took note ot Hie liisl man lo pass the window and when he appeared foi the second Hine there sounded a gurgling cry from t lie in teller ot the lodge, after which the sides dapped and fluttered violently and the long-drawn out howl of a wolf look Hie place ol the puppy's yapping. The savages quickened Ihelr pace un til they were moving almost on a run. The barking of the little wdille dog came back, followed by a deep voice chanting: "Un burn-woh !" 1 held my breath and walled for the oooooixowvxoocfoo'C'0'0'xx''00': climax, whatever it might be. Beau-leu Beau-leu whispered; "1 think It is our friend, who stands at the door talking, with the young K'nglishman with the French heart. The young man Is llndd. He will not come in unless strongly urged. Ah I Kv.cellent. It is our friend, the good Beuuvais. He presses t lie young man to enter. When this damnable marching march-ing and yowling stops 1 will call out for the strangei to Joiu us and become be-come better acquainted." 1 turned my head slowly, my heart thumping like an Indian drum. Beaif-vais Beaif-vais stood with his hack to us. He was speaking very earnestly to the ldnwold girl, one hand resting on her slim shoulder. He was frying to Induce In-duce her to enter and she was striving to detain hliu. I gathered my feet under un-der me and made read" to leap over the table and lo trust to luck in plunging plung-ing through the window und Into the red mob L'eauvuis straightened and removed tiis hand from the girl's shoulder and started to turn about and enter the room. The girl seized his arm and frantically essayed to bold him hack. He was motionless fot a iimiiii'iit, us if umazed al her action ; then shook oft her grasp and stepped backward through the door. The Onondaga's terrible war w hoop jerked my gaze to the window. The I from of the lodge bulged fai out. and the Frenchmen, as well as 1,' exclaimed in astonishment as u fiutlering mass of something that looked lo be neither beast uor human, emerged from the structure and dashed through the firelight fire-light and came flying through the window. A stan led cry at the door caused ni head to swing In that direction. Beauvais. now glaring at Hie table, was pointing a linger and yelling: "Seize the L'nglishman! Braddock's spy !" Several things were happening simultaneously which I can narrate only as separate Incidents. My com-paions com-paions sat stupefied as Beauvais called out. for even as he was sounding the alarm the muffled figure from the lodge rusdied toward him mid with a swing of a blanket extinguished the candles on that side of the room. "The Lnglish spy !" hoarsely called Beauvais. and then went down with a crash as the niullled figure bowled him over and with a quick turn raked the candles from the wall behind me, leaving the Illumination of the room confined to the light from the fires outside. Beaujeu's brain resumed working. "Treachery !" he screamed. I heard his chair lip over as tie .--prang to his feet. But none at the table knew wherein lay the treachery as was proved by the failure of the company to lay hands on me. Or pes sibly ail were so dumfounded they could not for the moment take Intelligent Intel-ligent action. Something crashed ugalnsi my chair, and over went the table I felt a muscular arm slip iioiitid my waist. A blanket fell over my he-id. The next moment we were tumbling through the window and Into the uililsl of Hie pandemonium now reigning outside. I freed my face .-hough to se Hie Indians scattering Mini falling back from the lodge. I'ou-rlac's I'ou-rlac's voice vns thundering : "Surround the lodge!" But there cus none among his lultowcrs who dared lo draw close to the sacred structure. My conductor pressed heavily on my shoulder and we went to our knees mid crawled under a Map ol the lodge, und the light from Hie llres In front briefly revealed the distorted face ol Little Wolf. His red medlelne-nrro was through his throat, the head and several inches of the shaft showing under his left ear. "Ila hum web !" chanted uiy rescuer. res-cuer. The red arrow had been discharged in the niedicliie-lodge eeii as Llttl Wolf had prophesied, and It had found Us way into a wolf, but mil Into the man ol Hie Woll elan us I had feared. We had no time to linger. From the uproar oiiislde, I assumed that the Indians were still bewildered and believing be-lieving Ilial Hie staililng appearance it r Ik- mullli d figure outside Hie lodge and Its Might through Hie window was but Hie workings of tho wizard's manito. F.ven now. with the Frenchmen si uuihl ing about In the commandant's house, ami calling for lights, with Beauvais madly shouting that there was an F.ngllsh spy Inside the stockade, stock-ade, and with I'ontlac darting aiming Hie terrified red men and fiercely ex-horllng ex-horllng them to catch my friend the Onondaga, we yel had Hare lo take advantage of Hie confusion and make off Into the darkness Hint encroached up lo the rear ot Hie lodge. Bound I'aw pulled the blanket ove. my head mid divw his own covering closer, and seizing my arm raised Hie rear wall and pushed me before him. (TO II IC CONT1NIJKU.) ):io.iX'OOO.oooi:oi:ooo(!iooctwn"M"H-in |