Beadle's Half Dime Library (no. 1065) (1897 12 21)
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oe” fi d Class Matter at the New York, N. Y., Post Office. December 21, 1997. Entered as Secon 51966. Maser cart” Seer. Vol Sue 2 WILLIAM STREET, New YourK. i f\ aT | i} { t 1 \ N " SPSS a2) . \ WAV, af t, Y !
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2 Sure Shot Seth, THE Boy RIFLEMAN: OR, The Young Patriots of the North. BY OLL COOMES, AUTHOR OF “THE KIT BANDY” NOVELS. CHAPTER I, THE SPY IN THE LOG. An August night in the year 1862 hung over the forests of Minnesota. : The sky was overcast with a leaden-gray mist, and the pale moon looked feebly to earth. The river rolled on through the purple shad- ows, whispering low and sullenly to the stately pines, its faithful sentinels of centuries gone. Through the woods bordering on the Minnesota river, and contiguous to the Yellowstone Agency, a figure was glidijg noiselessly along—a human figure—that of a bby with bright blue eyes and strong, prepossessing features. He was light in form and lithe of limb, and darted onward through the gloom as tnough it were ; element. He seemed perfectly familiar with his course, and dodged in and out of the tangled mazes of the! grim old wood, and along the sinuous windings of the valleys like a hound up- on the trail, At length he drew up in the forest under ‘some | stately pines, where the darkness seemed to have been born of infinity. Dropping the butt of his rifle to the ground, Sure Shot Seth, the Boy Rifleman and ppy, listened. ‘* To-whit-to-whoo-hoo-00-00! ”* tree overhead. Seth shook his head thoughtfully. *“*T never like to her an owl hoot,’’ he said to himself, ‘‘ for it is a bad sign.’’ The sound was immediately followed by a scrambling among the branches, as upon heavy wing the bird went lumbering away through the night. Then a silence profound as the grave followed. ““Ah,’”? mused Seth, ‘‘ that frightened cry and flight of the owl, and this terrible silence have a meaning. He bent his head and. listened intently. Off in the direction of the river he heard the leavy tread of feet. “ They’re comin’, sure as death!’’ the youth said to himself, then he dropped to the ground and crept into a hollow log near by. ‘The footsteps approached and — under the Fe! pines within a few feet of the log. The boy new they were the steps of booted feet, and had some idea to whom they belonged. He applied his eye to a knot-hole in his retreat, and peered out, but all was wrapped in Egyptian gloom. He pressed his ear to the orifice and listened. To and fro be- neath the branching trees he heard the unknown piecing with restless impatience. Presently he heard voices in conversation, and then a faint beam of light streamed into the log. He Ss his eyes to the hole again, and, in the tight of a ort 15 antern, saw four a stand- ing, and looking like Titan figures in the gloaming. hree of them Seth recognized as the notorious Sioux chiefs, Little Crow, Inkpaduta, and Little Priest. The fourth was a white man, whose long hair, broad-brimmed hat, peculiar garb, and gen: eral appearance were characteristic of no other class of men than the wealthy planters of the Southern States. **So you have kept your appointment,” said the white man, raising the lantern and scanning each face before him with knitted brows. * Little Crow is a great chief,” said the redoubta- ble chief himself, “‘and never breaks his word with his friends.” The other two answered in the same words. “Tam glad to hear this, chiefs, for it gives me greater s'rength,”’ replied the white man. “I have come from the sunny land of the South to confer with my red brothers; are they ready to listen?— are there no enemies’ ears near us?” “The trees have ears, and the wind sometimes tells secrets,"’ answered Little Crow. ie a you do not deem this a safe place to con- sult?” ** No; the night-jar screamed with affright, and shot into the sky when he passed near here. e is rung from the spirit that warns the red-man when darkness | hides dangers from his eyes. There are safer places than this to talk,” replied the chief. ““Let my red brother select the safest place, that the ears of our enemies may not hear what we say,”’ suid the white man, “A brave waits by the river-side to take us in his uoe whither we desire to go. Let us seek the soli- t . le and well-guarded shores of the island in the river below. ere can we talk in safety, for no eemy’s ear can cross the water.” ‘It is well, great chief,’’ answered the white plot- Ss. Disappointment clouded the face of the youth in the log as he heard the four emissaries of evil mov- ing away. now course of action, and, creeping from the log, he rose to his feet and glided away by the dark- ness, going in the direction of the river, but keeping wide of the four enemies. his own | the | But his quick brain soon suggested a | Shot Seth. He reached the bank much in advance of them. Then he stole softly down the river until he came in pene of the Indian and canoe spoken of by Little row, The warrior sat in the boat with his blanket drawn over his head. A rifle lay on the thwart at his side. The prow of the canoe lay partly upon the beach. The pale moonbeams, struggling downward | through the darkness and mist, revealed all to the eyes of the young spy, as he crouched in the shadows near. The keen ear of the savage boatman was on the alert. It detected a slight. sound in the shrubbery. | He started from his seat and fixed his eyes on the bushes before him. Then followed a ‘“ whirr;” a dull, sodden blow; a groan; the rush of feet; a plash | ia the water; the dip of a paddle, and the prow of a boat cleaving the waters. The enoon hid her face behind a cloud as if with shame; while the river flowed on as merrily as ae its waters had not been stained with human doo CHAPTER I. THE LONE ISLAND CONFERENCE. SLowLy toward the river Little Crow and his three companions made their way. The moccasined feet of the savages trod as lightly asa ape but the tramp of the white man gave ample potice of his approach. The red-skins glided under and around the brush that disputed their way, | but, like an ox, their companion crashed his way | through, much to their annoyance, Finally they reached the river-bank a few rods above the canoe. The moon uncovered her face and looked to earth once more, | The dip of a paddle arrested the Indians’ ears. Out upon the river Little Crow saw his boatman seated in the canoe, toying with the paddle. His head and shoulders were covered with his red and blue blanket. The chief called to him. He headed. the canoe ashore. As the prow touched upon the beach Little | Crow courteously bade his white friend enter it. The white man stepped into the craft, advanced and seated himself. The boat was a long, slender affair, made of a log. The paddler occupi the stern; the white man a seat next, Little Crow third, and Inkpaduta the row. pn Let Serleque head for the island below,” said Little Crow, in a low tone. | Without a word the paddle dipped, the boat back- | ed out from the shore, swung its long prow around, | and then under the skillful management of Serleque, glided away down the stream. Silence sealed the lips of the party. The white man gazed around him with a wild look of admira- tion upon his face. The moonbeams strugglin through the white mist rendered objects weird an somber. The dark woods on either side rose up like | the black walls of a mountain pass. Now and then ight-jar screamed overh The rolling waters | ani surged and gurgled under and around them. Bright flashed the dripping paddle in the moon- beams—light was its fall in the placid waters. Swiftly onward through the waves glided the craft. Ina few minutes more the island was reach- ed. Inkpaduta, followed by Little Priest, Little Crow and the white man, landed. The boatman swung his boat alongside the little sand-bar, laid down his paddle and drew his blanket closer around his head. The island was not over a rod in width by two in length. It was a barren sand-bar, yet well guarded by the waves on either side. Little Crow spread his blanket upon the ground and invited the white man to be seated upon it. Then the chief sat down opposite him, while the other two chiefs sat down, one upon the right and one upon the left. “Let our white brother speak, for we are now ‘safe,’ said Little Crow. The white man at once opened the conference; he represented himself as agent of the Southern Con- federacy, then waging war against the Union. He claimed that he bad been sent North to effect terms of compromise with the Sioux under Little Crow, and enlist their aid in battling their enemies, promising them a vast tract of territory in case victory crowned their arms. The chiefs listened closely to the prop- ositions of the Southern agent, and iter the latter had concluded, Little Crow arose and delivered a warm g.nd eloquent speech. He set forth the wrongs they had suffered at the hands of the government, and expressed a belief that their grievances would justify them in taking up arms, e did not come to a final decision, however, until Inkpaduta and Little Priest had se gprs themselves on the subject. | When they had, and-hé found that they favored the | agent’s views, the great Sioux chief at once entered | into an article of agreement with the agent to assist | them in their battle against the Union. Even the | very day and hour upon which the Indian massacre, so prominent on the pages of history, was to beg were agreed upon by the chiefs and the agent fore the conference ended. Altogether, an hour was consumed by these four arch-plotters, and finally they rose to depart. As they turned toward the boat, a cry of surprise burst from their lips. The boat had left the island and was half-way across to the shore. Little Crow called to his boatman, but the latter made no reply. He pushed on and soon entered the | border of shadows along the shore. Theu he pores the mantle that enveloped his head and shoviders to fall to his feet, while a low, silent peal cf saughter escaped his lips. | And in this manner, the young Spy possessed him. | self of the secret plot so soon to del | The boatman was Sure Shot Seth, the Boy Spy, the Indian, as Little Crow believed. From his covert in the woods hed Seth hurled « stone and stricken the Indian boatman down, Then he tossed the body overboard, enveloped himself ir the savage’s blanket, turned -the boat away from the scene of the tragedy and paddled along the shora up-stream until hailed by the chief coming down, not uge the land in blood, CHAPTER Ii. THE DEATH TUSSLE. Sure Sot Serum turned and glanced back toward the island. He could see the four forms upon it, and hear the chief calling to Serleque, his boatman. Taking up his rifle from its concealment under the seat, he examined its priming, and was about to try ashot at one of the plotters whena seund in the water arrested his attention. He gazed downward and to his horror beheld a human face peering up at him from the side of the boat. It was an Indian's face—the face of Serleque, the boatman! He had recovered from the blow he had received at the hands of the young spy, and was there to seek revenge. He stood in the water to his waist, and the instant his eyes met those of ne 43s he threw up his hands and seized hold of the at. Seth saw, at a glance, that the savage had an ad- vantage to begin with; and the first thing the youth did was to place his finger to his lips and utter a shrill, piercing whistle that fairly started the savage as its intonations quivered through the air. Instantly, almost, it was answered in a similar manner from back among the hills, and then the savage knew that the young pale-face had friends near. But, not tobe thwWarted in his plans of ven- geance, he rocked the canoe violently and pitched Seth out into the water. Then the two grappled in 2 deadly struggle—the red-skin and the white—the man and the boy. The former uttered a yell of savage fury, the latter a shout of defiance. Although he was weak from recent loss of blood, the savage had no idea but that he could easily van. quish his youthful enemy; but the moment the rappled he found he had reckoned without hig feet: tor the boy not only was possessed of wonder- ful strength, but the agility of a panther. The red-skin had no weapons save those that nature gave him, Seth having deprived him of his knife.and hatchet at the time of throwing him over- board. And his young adversary was no better pro- vided, owing to the suddenness in which the conflict had been brought about; oe. the fight was confined to skill, strength and endurance. Seth made one or two attempts to draw his knife, and finally succeeded, but before he could use it, he was forced into such a a that he was compelled to drop it. Thisleft him no recourse save in his skill and power. Unfortunately for the youth the course of the ac. tion gravitated toward the center of the river, which fact gave the enemy another advantage in conse- uence of his hight and the depth of the water. ut brave, desperate and determined, the lad strug. gled manfully, heroically, giving the savage all he wanted to do. Their flying arms and feet t and chyrned the water to a foam around them, as in rapid evolutions they whirled and spun to and fro in every direction. At times they would sink from view, the water boiling and surging over them, then pop up perhaps a rod From where me sunk, me and blowing with sheer exhaustion. Now and then they would cease their struggle for a moment to en a but never relinquishing the hold upon each other. During one of those lulls in the conflict, half a dozen shadowy figures glided from the woods, and pausing on the shore eee up and down the stream. Then a voice called: ‘Seth? Seth? where are you?” ‘Here in a—” The rest of the sentence was lost in the savage’s yell and the renewal of the conflict. ‘* Boys,” cried one of the party upon the shore, “Sure Shot is in peril.” “Yes! Yes!” responded the others. “ Beaver, Beaver!"’ exclaimed the first speaker, ‘that is your element—” The lad addressed as Beaver uttered the peculiar ery of the fur-bearing animal of that name; then, divesting himself of his outer clothing, plunged into the water and struck out toward the struggling foes. By this time Seth and the Indian had drifted out into the middle of the river, where the current was swift and strong. The element was an enemy that was no respecter of persons, and not only proved a eat annoyance to the combatants, but threatened he lives of both, for they were under water a good portion of the time. Beaver swam rapidly and with as much ease ap parently as though the water was his home. Wher within a few rods of Seth and his antagonist when they rose to the surface from a long submersion, and to encourage his friend, he shouted: ‘Brace up, Sure Shot; brace up, for I’m coming,” and he ended with the sharp, piercing cry of the animal after which he had been named. For a few moments they struggied in the swiftest part of the current; then spun rapidly across to the aepiee shore, and disappeared among the hanging network of roots, laid bare by the wash of the waves, The Beaver knew they were out of the water by the sounds; but they were in blinding darkness. How- ever, he was about to follow to the scene of conflict when he saw a dozen savage forms appease on the bank just over the combatants,and he was com
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SS a rr ss se 6h Uwe rw revs FT we oww” = §6*D eh al Serer cae Woe Eee rae 1a me Sure Shot Seth. ——— pelled to change his mind. He remained perfectly still on the waves and watched. yf walked to the edge of the bank and looked over, but not see- ing the foes, one of them dropped himself down into the river and crept under the bank to his friend’s assistance. The next moment acry of agony issued from "inderthe bank; then all became still. The battle was ended, but who had been the victor? The Beaver, slowly drifting down the river unseen Ly the savages, held his breath in suspense. } The next moment a figure crept out from under the bank, and climbing up into the moonlight, brandished aloft a human scalp, at the same time uttering a fierce, triumphant war-whoop, CHAPTER THE WRONG SCALP AND THE BOY BRIGAD®. THE Beaver drif‘ed slowly down the river beyond danger, then sought the shore and his companions. **Boys,”’ he said, sad and heavy-hearted, ‘our gallant young leader is gone. The accursed savages were too much for him. first of the long-threatened troubles,”’ A groan of the deepest anguish was wrung from the lips of each of the little band of youths—follow- ers of Sure Shot Seth. “Dearly they loved their young leader, and his death fell heavily upon their young hearts. But, all that was now left for them to do was to search out the body, give it a respectful burial, and go on with sad and heavy hearts with the duties of life assigned them. They held a short consultation in theedge of the woods among the shadows; and as the Indians had left the opposite shore, they concluded to embark in the canoe, that lay on the beach before them, in uest of Seth’s body. But at this very moment the ndians came back, terribly excited, on the opposite shore, and at the sameinstant the boys discovered that a large party was also approaching on their side from above. “Scatter, boys!’ exclaimed one of the party, and the next moment all disappeared like a shadow be- fore a burst of sunshine. Asavage yellrung through the forest—a yell, the like of which had not been heard for a long time in that region. It was a blood-curdling war-whoop! Away through the forest like hounds glided the shadowy forms of the savages, their treacherous hearts thirsting for human blood. Here and there, every boy taking care of himself, glided the followers of Sure Shot Seth. With the sence of panthers they crept among the bushes dodged around the trees and rocks, and stole onwar through the woods and darkness. Suddenly the sharp bark of a fox broke upon the night. One of the fleeing youths started as though a bullet had whistled past his ears. He stopped bent his head and listened. Again the barking of the fox broke upon his ears. A smile of happy sur- prise burst over his face, and clear and distinct he sent forth an exact imitation of the sound he had heard. Then he glided away in the direction whence the barking had emanated. He moved briskly, yet with silence, keeping the one course in a “‘ bee-line.”’ He had gone nearly a hundred yards when a low voice hailed him: “ Hullo; is it you, Reynard?” “Great heavens!” was the excited answer; ‘‘do my ears deceive me? or do Lhear the voice of Sure Shot Seth?” “T am here, Reynard,’’ was the response, and Sure Shot Seth stepped from a cluster of bushes and con- fronted his friend. “Well, by the Lord Harry!” exclaimed Reynard, “there's a big mistake somewhere. Why, Seth, we mourned you as dead. That savage flourished a scalp aloft when he came from under the bank and uttered a triumphant scalp-cry.” “T know he did, the deluded fool; but the fact is, he took the scalp of a friend. He succeeded in get- ting his knife out just as I discovered that a second redekio had vie en on the scene, and by a sud- den movement I brought my peg f into such a ¥ sition as to receive the knife of his friend in his heart. The savage knew not but that it was me, and tearing off his scalp, rushed out and climbed up the bank in great glee with a comrade’s scalp, leaving me to make my way out at leisure. But are the other boys about, Reynard?” “Yes; they are scattered through the woods, and not a few red-skins are after them. But, Seth, what did you discover to-night? Were the chiefs in coun- cil with that Southern agent?” “Yes; and I discovered all I wanted to—that the red-skins have dug up the hatchet, and that the Yellow Medicine Agency, Fort Ridgely,. New Ulm and the Lower Agency are all marked for destruc- tion. The good settlers of these places must be put upon their guard at once; and so J will call the Bri- ade, and then turn our faces in that direction. hippowil! whippowil!” | we The last two words whistled from his lips in an exact imitation of that night-bird, whose peculiar song seems very plainly to articulate the syllables which compose its own name. A moment later a similar answer was given; and still a few moments later, a figure emerged from the shadows into the little opening where Seth and Reynard stood in waiting. “ Ay friend Whippowil!” cried Seth, extending his hand. “Blessed Virgin!’ exclaimed the youth in the Celtic brogue, “and, bedad, and I’m glad to mate ye, Seth, me b’y.” : The t soon rela’ into silence; then Seth uttered a cry like that of a beaver, and was soon answered in asimilar manner, A few moments af- Poor Seth! his scalp is the | | hunt the fox, or the wolf, or the deer. terward, the lad, Beaver, who had swam to Seth’s assistance, joined the group, beside himself. with joy. Then Seth sent forth the hoot of an owl, the howl of a wolf, and the scream of a panther; and, in | answer to the calls, three more youths made their | appearance, and joined the group amid the wildest | rejoicing. And then and there in that wildwood opening were assembled seven youths, differing as widely from | each other as nature could make them; yet joined together as if bound by all the ties of a sacred bro- therhood. By profession they were trappers, and were known as the Boy Brigade. Each represented some different nationality, or peculiarity. There was an Irish, German, African, and Indian youth in the party, the others being Americans. All had been reared in the woods, and amid the wild dan- gers of the border. As a party, they were as one; jut individuality made them as different in tastes and notions as seven peores could well be. While one liked to trap the beaver, another would rather And it was the same way with the sounds they heard. While one loved to hear the plaintive song of the whip- powil, another found more music in the jarring | 100t of an owl. Thus, by their different pursuits and respective eccentricities, had each come into possession of a sobriquet by which he was known to the band. Seth March, the leader of this Boy Brigade, was ealled Sure Shot, in consequence of his unerring marksmanship, Justin Gray was the Beaver. He made that ani- mal a special object in hunting and trapping. Teddy O’Roop loved the song of the whippowil, and the name of that bird was given him. Baldwin Judd became Reynard, the fox, after hav- ing caught a number of those animals. Tim Tricks, the African youth, being cook, became Black Pan. . ee Owl was the big-eyed, round-faced German ad. Hooseah, the Indian boy, answered to the name of Le Subtile Wolf. The name was not given him because he had any particular love for that animal, but because his movements were as sly and cunning in “bagging” game as the wolf’s in taking prey. The glossy skin of a wolf was part of his dress, These names and their pe ted were but boyish bea A all had become familiar in the local his- tory of M age and experience. The oldest of the party was nineteen, the youngest sixteen. Sure Shot Seth, their leader, was eighteen, and yet possessed all] the developments of perfect manhood. Asa trapper, he had.no peer; and it was with no feeling of envy or reluctance that he was chosen leader of the little band of boys, who, early thrown upon their own re- sources, chose the exciting, adventurous calling of the trapper. For two years their business had been one of meng an profit and pleasure, but now the threatened Indian war would put an end to it; but they accepted all in the spirit of true heroism, and decided to stand and fight by those who had stood by them in days gone by. Their mission for the night having ended, the Boy Brigade bent their steps southward. Rapidly, and yet silently, they made their way through the trackless forest. Mile after mile was traversed, until finally they drew up in front of along, low, double cabin built o logs, and standing in the heart of a deep, dense wilderness of mighty pines. It was the home of the Brigade; and here, inside and out, was evidence of no little culture and refine- ment. The odor that pervaded the atmosphere was not that of the wildwoods alone; but the mingled frag- rance of wild flowers filled the air. The cabin was overrun with honey-suckles and morning-glories and a dozen other flowers, all carefully cnltetad by the boys, contributed their sweetness to that delicate sense of refinement so seldom found among the rude children of the border, The cabin door was approached through a long, shady arbor of wild cucumber vines, where the hot days of summer were passed on the age ss beneath the sylvan shade, The little band filed down this avenue of green, fragrant verdure, and paused before the door. Seth raised the latch, pushed open the door, and entered. His companions, followed him across the threshold. All was gloom in the cabin, but, halting in the. enter of the room, Seth sniffed the air, then exclaimed: * Boys, what do you smell?” “Tobacco, by the Howly Virgin!” exclaimed the bed eg and all repeated his answer. “That's it,”’ answered Seth, “and as none of us ever use the weed, some stranger has been here camera Quite a liberty to take in other people’s ouse,”’ A candle was at once lit, and as its light dispelled the gloom, the boys glanced hastily about them to see if the intruder had taken liberties with their cabin, But all was as they had left it. The cabin was divided into two rooms by a par- | tition of logs, and the one the boys first entered was used as a kind of sitting-room. The walls | were hung with fancifully-wrought robes and furs and adorned with the stuffed skins of beautiful birds and small animals. Over each door were the branching antlers of an elk, among which were coiled monstrous spotted serpents. On a table in one corner was a@ number of time-worn books— books of the very best kind for the young mind; and, in addition to this source of mental culture and pastime, a violin and harp hung upon the wall. The young trappers set aside their weapons, and seating themselves, entered into conversation, The conference, to which Seth hud been an auditor, innesota; forthe Boy Brigade was an or- | ganization of its kind unsurpassed even by men of | formed the general topic of discussion. That an . Indian war was inevitable, they had not a doubt; | and as it would be impossible for them to continue trepping, they decided to gather in their traps dispose of their stock on hand, and vacate Hermit Hut, as the place was called, and take up arms against the savage. At least this was the de- | cision of most of the party, a few evading a direct | answer as to their future course. Seth noticed this hesitation with no little surprise, but said nothing. He resolved to let the matter rest until morning, | then insist for a direct answer from all. | ‘“*Boys,’’ said Seth after they had discussed the different topics of interest, “‘this is probably the last night we will be here, and so let us have some | music, and a final merry-making.”’ All acquiesced, and the Indian lad, Le Subtile Wolf, having been placed on guard outside, Tim Tricks took down the fiddle and Sure Shot Seth the | harp. The first named led off with a sprightly air ; and when Seth struck up the cabin fairly trembled under the violent strains of music. The Whippowil became inspired by the ravishing notes, and, spring- ing to his feet, executed a dance that greatly in creased the interest of the moment. ‘“*Good for the wild LIrishman,”’ exclaimed his | companions, when, with a sudden movement, be turned a summersault and came up on a seat at the opposite side of the room. “Och, anda broth av a b’y was me aged grandad on a jig; and begorra the gift came down through the whole ginerashins of O*Roops with various im- | provemints. But, give us a march, b’ys, somethin” to rouse the blood that fit at Bunker's Hill—some- thin’ military—ay, some martial moosic, that’s the digger. im Tricks and Seth were both fine musicians, and, in accordance with the Whippowil’s request, struck up the “‘ Grand Russian March,’ much to the delight of their auditors. The music swelled out in enchanting melody, and, with its varying notes, the blood of the youths glided through their veins in symphony with the soul- stirring strains. The scene was one seldom met with under similar circumstances. In the flickering, changing light | dancing over the walls, the dead birds and animal: that ornamented the humble home of these trapper boys seemed aquiver with life and ready to start | from their perch, enchanted by the music. The youthful faces of the lads glowed with the emotions stirred within their breasts, and their senses scemed floating away on the ravishing sounds called forth by the skillful hands of the performers. But in th midst of all, while every mind was diverted ficm: t} ; cares of the outside world, and absorbed in t 3 sweet melody of music, a dark body sudde: 7 dropped from above in the middle of the floor witl. dull, heavy thud, and something bright upon ‘t glinted in the light. The music ceased, and the boys started to their feet with an involuntary exclamation of horror. In the room befcre them stood a powerful savage, his head shaven, his face in war paint, and wreathed in a sinister smile of diabolical triumph. There was no loft in the room, and, glancing up- ward, the boys saw an opening had been made in the roof during the musical entertainment, and, be- fore they had time to act, a second savage swung himself down into the room and confronted the young hunters. He was immediately followed by a hird, a fourth, and soon, until six powerful war- riors stood in the middle of the house, facing the Boy Brigade, with their hands upon their weapons, a devilish smile of triumph upon their faces, and a murderous intent in their hearts. CHAPTER V. THE STRUGGLE IN THE HUT. For fully a minute a speechless silence reigned in the Hermit Hut, the savages eying the boys, and the latter exchanging glances with one and another. Had the red-skins entered the door as had been their wont in days past, the boys would not have mistrust- ed them of murderous designs. But their war- | paint, and every feature of the face, and the black | ferret-eyes, bespoke the evil, murderous purpose in their hearts. Sure Shot Seth was the first to speak. | “Why do our red frierds not come in at the door as they used to?”’ he asled, calmly. *“Why do the pale-face boys stand a guard near the door?’ was the savage spokesman’s reply; “they didn't use to do this.’ Seth was puzzled for an answer to this savage retort. The fact of their having placed one of their number on guard outside was evidence of their f¢ ars of danger, for not once in the two years pas! had they ever been compelled to take this precaution. “We placed a guard near the door,” Seth finally answered, ‘ because we have heard that the Indians and whites have dug up the hatchet and were going to war with each other.” “ And are not the trapper-boys of the Hermit Hut the friends of the whites?’ asked the savage, with a sardonic smile. ‘“‘We are the friends of all—both red and white. The red-skins have broken bread with us as often as the whites since we came to the Hermit Hut. If there is trouble between the Sioux and the whites, we can be neutral.” “The white boy’s tongue is crooked. He knows he will fight the Sioux. When he came into the cabin, we were on the top of his wigwam and heard him talk.” In an instant all flashed through the boy's mind. | During their absence the Indians had climbed to the
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4 ~ they came in. They saw there was no compromising with them—that a conflict was inevitable. The Brigade had deposited all their rifles in one | corner, and edging around by degrees, the savages managed to get themselves between the boys and the guns, believing that they were in possession of no other weapons. But in this the red-skins were mistaken. Each of the boys was possessed of a small revulver, and which, at close quarter, would | be the most desirable weapon. The youths felt no fears of the number that confronted them; ‘ut that | others might be waiting outside to join them in case of a collision. The savages were armed with the deadliest weap- ons—the tomahawk and scalping-knife. But none of them were drawn, and a movement of a hand to the belt would be a signal for the boys to precipitate the conflict, Each boy was actuated as if by a single impulse. The threatened danger forced measures in common upon each mind; and having exchanged glances with their leader, all stood at 7 to fire the first shot ever fired in anger, or with deadly intent upon a human being. It was a momentous hour in the lives of the young Brigade—started from the sweet, rapturous enjoy- ment of music into the presence of death. Yet aay faced the savages—great, powerful, athletic fellows that they were—with a cool, calm determination | that in a measure awed the sanguine audacity of the Sioux, For half a minute a lull—such as precedes the violence of the storm—fell upon the two lines pf enemies, though each form seemed to trem- | ble with the emotions that were pent up within it. ' Seth had, adroitly, yet without any apparent mo- | tion whatever, transferred his hands to his breeches | pockets, in the right of which he always carried his revolvers, it being more convenient. His friends saw this movement, and comprehend- edits meaning at once, though it never entered the Indians’ brains that hismovement was other than a manifestation of peace; and as the youth’s compan- ions assumed positions and attitudes that brought their right hands in juxtaposition with their revolv- ers, a savage spoke: ** We will not kill the boy trappers if they will go quietly as prisoners to the village of Little Grow.” “We haven’t the least assurance of this,’ an- swered Seth, ‘‘for we have found the Sioux to be treacherous as the moccasin snake.” “For these words shall the pale-face boy die,” re- lied the chief, unloosing his tomahawk. But, be- ‘ore he could release the weapon, the hand of the young trapper-boy was withdrawn from his pocxet and extended toward the savage’s face. There was a flash and report simultaneously, and the warrior, with a deep groan of horrible pain, started back; his face contorted with agony and his muscles quiver- ry ea fell like an ox upon the floor. A round hole in forehead bearing the powder-marks around its edges told where the unerring bullet had struck. This was a signal for a general attack, and the clash of five other revolvers rung out sharp and stunning on the night. Every savage went down be- fore the deadly weapons, and victory seemed but the labor of an instant for our friends; but in the mo- ment of their bloodless triumph, a fiendish yell out- side the door burst from the lips of a score of red- skins; the door was flung open, and the yelling de- mons rushed into the cabin like a tornado. Turning on his heel, as: the door burst from its hinges, Sure Shot Seth fired at the candle, snuffin, out the light as completely as though done by a gus of wind! Then the revolvers of the boy-trappers were turn- ed toward the door, and a constant stream of fire flashed in the faces of the savages. The groans of the dying wretches were mingled with the crack of the revolvers, the sodden fall of heavy bodies, and the tumbling of the excited savages over their fallen comrades as they rushed into the darkened room. The ge eg gradually edged around toward the door ee i into the opposite room; and as each one emptied the last chamber of his revolver, he passed out into the adjacent apartment. Not a word he ipa the lips of our young friends, and one by one their revolvers became silenced; but whether ft was by death, or by being emptied, each could tell nothing regarding his comrade. The danger was nof all on the side of the savages, for the moment the light was put out, they began throwing their tomahawks, clubs and knives in every direction; and their clash and thud fell thick as hail nst the walls, But the confusion was so reat and deafening that the savages could tell noth- ng. of the result of their attack, ene | the tumult became hushed; a light was obtained by the savages; and then it was that they beheld the terrible loss they had already sustained. Maddened by the sight of their dead braves, they sought the foe in the pasotnie room, but the scene of battle had been transferred to the open air. In front of the cabin the boy-trappers met a number of savages as they passed out, and here another con- flict ensued. ** Boys,” cried Sure Shot Seth, ‘‘make for the woods!—every fellow for himself!”’ A moment later there seemed to be a perceptible use in the struggle as the sound of the conflict spread out in all directions, and yells of savage ven- ce rung through the forest. By these sounds ure Shot Seth knew that his men had obeyed or- ders, and that all the survivors were seeking safety by flight tothe woods. But how many had fallen? was the question that now rose in the youn earns 8 mind as he pursued his lonely way throug the k and gloomy wilderness. When assured Ay PIN BE Bie roof of the cabin, and were there concealed when / Sure Shot Seth. that he had eluded his pursuers, Seth stopped aad sat down upon a log. All noise of the late conflict was left behind, and unbroken silence pervaded the night, and grad- ually animated nature began her myriad of sounds and soon the great lungs of the sleeping worl were sending forth their pulsing, throbbing respira- tions. Sure Shot Seth grew easier now. He knew by the sounds that came to his ear that no danger was lurking near. The acute ear of the experienced woodman can read the voices of nature as though spoken in an intelligible dialect. Through force of | habit he becomes accustomed to his surroundings, and intuitively learns by instinct the language of both animate and inanimate nature, for inanimate nature has a language, and one that never deceives, The chirp of a cricket, the hum of insect wings, the viping of a tree-frog, and the patter of the velvet feet of night-prowling beasts, all mingle and pro- duce a weird, monotonous drone that instinctively inspires one with a feeling of solitude; and this feel- ing assur s him that no enemies, or friends, for that matter, are moving about. On the contrary, if all is silent and drear, it is a warning that danger lurks near—that, conscious of the murderous intent of the skulker, nature hushes her song. It was the assurance that no danger lurked near that gave Seth relief; and when satisfied that be could do so with impunity, he gave utterance to the sharp bark of the fox. Instantly he was answered in a similar manner from among the hills. ; “Reynard, the Fox, lives,” the young leader said; then he uttered the cry of the beaver, and was answered. Then changing his position, he gave utterance to the scream of a panther, the howl of a wolf, the hoot of an owl, and the cry of a whippowil. Allanswered but one. “As I live!’ soliloquized Seth, “tthe boys all answered but the Indian, Le Subtile Wolf. Can it be that he has been slain?” Hooseah was a brave and fearless youth, with but little of the savage in his nature. He was a Chippewa by birth, and had spent all his days among the whites, coming from northern Michigan when quite a lad; so there was no danger to appre- hend of his want of fidelity to the whites. Seth was satisfied that he had either been killed or else had not heard his call. He did not repeat it through fear of confusion, or of increasing their danger. Moving further back into the woods, Seth finally sat down ina dense thicket of shrubbery, leaned against a tree and went to sleep. This was not a very commendable act for a borderman, but Seth knew that no danger could befall him there in such a lonely and desolate spot, Moreover, he was almost exhausted with his night’s adventure, and nothing but sleep could restore the much-needed strength, and drive away the dizzy whirl of the brain. It was just growing light when he awoke. He could see the dusky outline of the tree-trunks around him, and pening against one of these, mo- tionless as the tree itself, he saw the outlines of an Indian warrior! CHAPTER VI. A QUBER OLD CUSTOMER, Sern started to his feet, half bewildered and ~~ terrified at sight of the savage standing over him, -To his surprise, however, he saw that the Indian did not move, and a second thought and second glance removed a terrible weight from the youth’s mind; for he now recognized the red-skin as his friend, Hooseah, or Le Subtile Wolf. The Indian lad was standing there spt! It was the way a Chippewa slept on the war-path. Seth glanced around him, and on the opposite side of the same tree against which he had reclined he saw the form of Justin Gray, the Beaver, curled up in a sound slumber; and under another tree not far away the form of Black Pan, the African, stretched at full length along the ground. Seth gave utterance to theshrill cry of a bird, then in a clear voice called out: “Le Subtile Wolf?” “Ugh! me here,” muttered the lad, starting from his slumber. * Justin Gray?” “a Here.,”’ “Tim Tricks?’ ‘* Here I is, ole boss,” “Baldwin Judd?” ‘Here,’ came from in the bushes. * Teddy O’Roop,?” * Here, bedad. ** Mort Schultz?” **T here ish.”’ And as each one answered to his name, he emerged from among the shadows and stood before his young leader, Sure Shot Seth. : ni Thank God, we are all permitted to meet again,” said Seth. This was the point designated as a rendezvous be- fore leaving the cabin when the savages were pour- ing in upon them; hence the remarkable manner under which they all met. The marks of a restless night, and of excitement, were upon each face; yet no look, word or move- ment betrayed the least sign of fear. Nobly had the youths fought their way through a terrible danger, and now as they stood congratulating each other on their miraculous escape—while the red dawn of the rosy morn was bursting into light around them a shrill, 8 voice suddenly cried out: ae n The boys started as though a torpedo had ex- Ths an eh yer m AS at ee ae ploded in their midst. They glanced around them, then at another, a look of wild astonishment upos each face. ** Here!’ again shouted the unknown voice, and the sound was followed by an outburst of rollicking laughter. It came from overhead, and raising their eyes, the young bordermen saw that which forced an involun- tary exclamation from their lips. Attached to a limb of the wide-spreading oak was a sort of a rude hammock made of a blanket, and over the end of this the quaint, comical face of an old man looked down upon them. He was about twenty or thirty feet above them, and his hammock was attached to alimb that grew straight out from the body of the tree yet slender enough to give it a gentle, swaying motion, This old stranger was a man of nearly threescore years; yet the bright luster of his mischievous gray eyes, and the smile upon his thin, bearded face, told of a youthful, buoyant spirit. His nose was of a strong Roman type—a type indicative of indomitable courage, Considerable severity was betrayed in the thin lips, yet the general features of ‘the man were the embodiment of humor, eccentricity and drollery, _“T'm in at roll-call, too,” he exclaimed, in a whim- sical tone; ‘sound the revielle, beat the drum, and rat-tat-too, for day has broke, the birds are astir, and the devil’s to pay.” “Will, now!’ exclaimed Teddy O’Roop, “and what fur a baste have we got there now?” ‘Hello, boggy-tongue,” answered the man, with a comical smile, as he turned over on his stomach in his hammock and gazed complacently down upon the Brigade, while he kicked up his heels like a listless school-boy lying in the shade. ‘‘I should think you could see that I’m not a possum up here; nor that I’m not an oriole in a hangin’ nest, but a full-fledged rooster of the gunus man who roosts high and dry.”’ ‘We observe that you are rather elevated in your ideas of repose,” said Seth. ** Elevated, did ye say?” replied the man; ‘‘ Jews and Gentiles! that’s no name for it, It’s perfectly delicious up here. Yousee, I've slept around on the yearth with bugs, and snakes, and tortles, and bears, and wolves, and Indians, and snails, and alligators, crawling over and sniffin’ round me long enough; and so I come to the conclusion that I’d hang myse up in a tree after’ds; and I find its delicious swaying in the breeze while the beasts of the field roam be. neath, and the birds of the air sail above me. I'm old Joyful Jim Tucker, a brother of the veritable Daniel who had a Darby lamb; and so I'll jist coma hat my chamber in the air, and quiz you chaps 4 it.” The man se! outupon a limb, unfastened his hammock, took a rifle and its accouterments from among the thick foliage above his head, and then descended to the ground. He shook hands with the; boys all around, then said: **S*pose you chaps are on the war-path?”’ “Can't say that we are, exactly, though we had quite a fight last night with savages at our cabin, and were routed, though we lost no men.” “You don’t mean to say that you com Sure Shot Seth’s Boy Brigade, that’s been ranchin’ at the Hermit Hut?” exclaimed Joyful Jim. ‘**We’re the Boy Brigade,” answered Seth. ** Judas and Benedict Arnold! Why, boys, I war just on my way to your ranch.” ‘*From where?” ‘‘Minnisota in gineral; you see I’ve been doin’ a little tradin’ up here ‘mong the Ingins for the past few years. I’ve been tradin’ ’em beads, pocket- knives and ‘doctored water,’ for peltries; but as they’ve dug up the hatchet, I concluded to make myself seldom in their midst, and so pointed nose for the Hermit Hut. And so they’ve routed yc & hoss and foot?” ' “They came upon us ten to one.” ' “They did? al, then, thar’s no denyin’» looa and war are upon us; and so I per to have 2 hand in it. If the critters hadn’t confiscated i rhy stock, I’d been easier onto ’em; but now I purpose to let ‘em know that I wer’n’t eddicated in the city. I'll jist sail right into ‘em, boot and toe-nail, and I'll pee the fust n I'll tackle ’ll hear som’thin’ gur- Pde “1 “Faith, and wouldn’t somethin’ le if yees should tackle a jug av poteen, Joyeal Vinita, eh now?” said Teddy. ‘Irishman, do you take me for a drunkard? Do you s’ if I had a gallon of ‘ oh-be-joy-ful’ that J wouldn’t let you have half of it? What do you take me for, anyhow?” *Yow-oo-o!’ suddenly rung in a low quavering echo through the woods. Every boy started as if shot. “Tt is Le Subtile Wolf,” said Seth, who, for the first time, noticed the absence of the Indian from their midst; ‘it means danger.”’ “Then s'’pose we obscure ourselves,”’ suggested the trader, and the party at once concealed them. selves, Joyful Jim selecting a thicket some distanca from the boys. They h scarcely done so ere 9 savage in ie eso eame stealing slyly as a pan. ther through the woods, tis eyes and ears on the alert, and his body bent tly forward as if to give intensity to the precaution he was 0 Joyful Jim, who was not concealed from the Bri- gade entirely, turned and ‘ee toward the boys with a comic grimace and a wink, and shook his head as if ready to burst with suppressed laughter. **Och, and the oul’ bla’gard’ll not keep still,’ said Teddy, ina eve i ‘No danger of his betra: us,” returned Seth, “T think he can be trusted.” The red-skin advanced slowly, cautiously. He was pursuing a course that, if continued, would take him Phe
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¢. sar - — » = ao mT — a = within two pawes of the trader, and our young friends experienced no little uneasiness ror the old man’s satety. behind the shrubbery, his hands outstretched before him as if to part the bushes, The savage stole on, and when opposite the thicket he was started with all the sudden affright and fer- ocity of a surprised tiger. He turned his head and saw the bushes part before him, and the face of the fearless old Joyful Jim appear in the opening, ‘* Howdy ?—mornin’ to ye, red-skin!”’ exclaimed the trader, with a desperate grin. The savage started back witha grunt, while a look | of demoniac ferocity mounted his painted face. His hand sought the knife at his girdle, but before he could use it, the bony fist of the trader shot through the shrubbery, and striking the warrior in the face, felled him tothe earth. Then with a shout, the old man sprung from his covert er the savage and engaged him in a hand-to-hand struggle, The bat- They could see the trader as he stood erect | tle waxcd warm and desperate, but in the hottest of | the contest, the red-skin gave a wild yell, that was immediately answered by a dozen friends, not far distant; and the next moment eight or ten warriors came darting through the woods toward the scene of battle. “Tet them have it, boys!’’ excx.imed Seth: “ we're in for another fight.” Searcely had he spoken ere the rifles of the Bo Brigade rung oufon the clear morning air, and h vf the advancing savuyes fell dead. CHAPTER VII. GIVING THE RED-SKINS “‘ FTTs.” Tur instant the Boy Brigade fired, those ef the red-skins that did not fall dodged behind the nearest trees and at once ee a sort of a random fire. The boys, however, had also availed themselves of the cover of trees, and, while they could render Joyful Jim no assistance in his struggle, they resolved that | no assistance should come to his antagonist. There was little danger of old Jim receiving a shot from the savages under cover, for the rapid evolutions of the two made it dangerous, to frienc to fire upon them. Theonly hopes of each party lay in keeping the other at bay until the contest should be settled between the two combatants themselves. Sure Shot Seth was without a gun, but with a pis- tolin hand, kept an eye on the enemy, the nearest of whom were not eighty yards away. Joyful Jim and his antagonist seemed to have taken each other ata disadvantage, and so labored in the conflict. each other’s embrace. The hold of each was exact- ly the same. The old trader’s right arm pinioned In rapid evolutions they whirled in | as well as foe, | the savace’s left, and the savage’s right pinioned | the old man’s left. Jim, however, finally succeeded in getting hold of the red-skin’s long scalp-lock, which hung down his back;-and by pulling severely upon this appendage, drew_the areas? head back in such a manner as to render him almost helpless. The savage uttered a hoarse, rattling cry when he saw that his foe was gaining upon him, and his cry reaching the ears of his friends, created a lively stir among them. By every device known to their cun- ning brains they tried to draw the Brigade from its covert. But they had met their match, and failed in every attempt. Meanwhile, firing was heard in the woods some distance to the south, and that Hooseah, the young Chippewa was in trouble, the Brigade had not a doubt; but none of them dare attempt to leave, for every tree that concealed one of them was marked by a savage eye and covered by a savage rifle. | ted, Finally, however, the Indians saw that their friend | was getting the worst of the conflict, and that some- | thing must be done. intimidated less brave hearts than those of the Boy Brigade, the Sioux dashed from their covert and eared toward the combatants reeling as they ran, to a_ert the bullets of the enemy, iS the Boy Brigade was ready for any emer- gene *,'and heving discharged their rifles, bounded from, their concealment and met the foe by the t:vo struggling combatants, over whom a desperate conflict ensued. k The Boy Brigade now had an opportunity to call into practical use their skillful, athletic training; and right lively did they exert py mere ing, whirling and darting through the air so rapidly and swiftly that the eye could scarcely follow their movements, Teddy O’Roop, as he came rp near the red-skins, turned a complete hand-s ring and shot himself forward, with such force that his feet, coming in contact with a savage’s stomach, sent him breath- less to the earth. Baldwin Judd, or Reynard, the Fox, leaped into the air over a savage’s head and planted his feet in the red-skin’s face with great violence, while Tim Tricks, the darky, dropped his bullet-head, shot forward as if Ley from a catapult, and drove it into the stomach of a red-skin, doubling him up on the earth, Taken thus, the red-skins were unprepared to meet the flying enemy, as it were. They were com- letely confused and astounded by the flying, whirl- ioe. arting, tumbling forms around them, Heels, heads, fists and forms shot hither and thither in confusion; and ere the red-skins were aware of the fact, the Boy Brigade was master of the situ- ation, Two of the savages had been slain, and the Nea knocked ee ee earth and secured be- ‘ore they could offer resistance. By this time Joyful Jim had ended the conflict be- tween himseif and the savage, and had come out victor without even a wound of oe i i ee The firing heard a few minu previous had ceased, and the shout of victory that rung from Qld Jim's lips was answered by another from the With a yell that might have | | it would holc | contest. | and the contest was likely to be a close one. 5 Sure Shot Seth. lips of Hooseah, the Indian lad, who, at this junc- ture, came bounding into the midst of his friends, followed by a strange lad and brandishing above his head a Sioux scalp. ‘Great shockin’!” exclaimed Old Jim, ‘here’s this bloody Turk with a red-skin scalp, Who Suys you can civilize or tame an Ingin?”’ “Tt’s an Indian’s nature to scalp, and I presume you can’t preach it out of him,” said Sure Shot Seth; **but who have you here, Hooseah?’’ and he turned to the white lad accompanying him. ** Ed Thornly,” answered the youth himself. “Ed Thornly? Haven’t I seen you at Yellow Medicine?” “Yes; I reside there; you are Sure Shot Seth, I believe?” “The same,”’ answered our hero. “Then my mission is at an end, though I thought for awhile the Indians had ended it this morning for me when they captured me. Thanks to your red friend here I was liberated.” . “Then you were on your way to the Hermit fut?’ * Yes—totally ignorant of the fact that the Indians had begun their depredations. But I am here to see you, Seth, on a little matter concerning us boys at the Agency. To-morrow we are to have a shoot- ing-match there for boys. A fine rifle is to be the prize. There is some rivalry between Tom Grayson and Ivan Le Clereq, the two best shots at the place; but on the part of the latter it is not a friendly rival- ry. Hehas already resorted to foul means to de- feat Tom, whom the majority of the people like, By the mean advantage aiready gained, it is feared that Le Clercq will win, so we boys held a meeting and sdepiaded to send for you, and have you take some of the conceit and self-arrogance out of that fellow. Lhave a request here, signed by nearly all the boys in the Agency, for you to come down and scoop Le Clereq out.” Seth’s eyes brightened as Ed presented him the paper, upon which were a number of names, It was a concession to his superior marksmanship, and he | felt proud of the honor thus conferred upon him by the Agency boys. He could, under no circum- stances, decline, and expressed his surprise at the honor bestowed upon him, and promised Ed that he would be on hand at the shooting-match. “T'll teach your friend, Ivan, a lesson he has never learned in handling firearms,” he said, ‘* and, as lam without a rifle now, it will be a kind of a Godsend to ret anew one. Yes, you can tell Tom Grayson that ‘Il be there.” The whole band now moved southward, accom- anied by Ed Thornly and Joyful Jim, the reputed ndian trader. That night they encamped ten miles from the Agency. Sd Thornly went on home alone, but uncer cover of the darkness, Bright and early the next morning Sure Shot Seth left the Brigade and set out for Yellow Medicine to fulfill his engagement at the shooting-match. Shortly after his departure the Brigade struck a fresh Indian trail leading toward the south-west, and feeling fully satisfied that the enemy were upon the war-path, they set off in pursuit of the foe—upon their first war trail. CHAPTER VIII. THE BOY CONSPIRATORS. Yettow Mepicine AGENCY was the scene of no little excitement, for there was to be a shooting- match there thatday; and a big time was anticipa- for such amusement of the border settlers usually drew a large number of persons. And, what made this all the more interesting, it was to be a match for boys. A fine rifle of exquisite workman- ship and elegant finish was to be the prize given to the champion marksman. There had been several matches, for men during the past season, at which the boys were not allowed to compete; and so old Soujre Podson concluded that he would make a match for the boys, and not admit themen. He concluded that if the threatened Indian war was an incentive to Hass skillful marskmanship in men, good in boys, and so he sent off and purchased the prize rifle, then gave notice of the The shooting was all to be done with the new rifle, at the distance of one hundred and fifty paces, The boys at the Agency—and there were quite a number of them—were wild over the coming match, and were out practicing daily in the woods at target- shooting. There were some fine shots in the party, here was but little difference in the shooting of Tom Grayson, Josh Parson and Ivan Le Clereq. If there was any difference, it was in favor of the lat- ter. Le Clercq was a French half-breed, and all be- | lieved that he was older than he represented him- self to be. He was a fine-looking lad, with dark eyes, pleasant face, and a form straight as an arrow. e was rather wild and wayward, and some thought a little treacherous and insincere in character. There were those in Yellow Medicine that objected to their boys associating with Ivan; and there were others who exercised but little control over their boys, and did not presume to select their compan- ions. The result was that those inclined to mischief e the followers of the wild, harum-scarum Ivan Le Clereq; while the quiet disposed were the friends of Tom Gra, le The latter was a kind, brave and whole-souled lad of seventeen, who loved the sports of the woods as well as any one living. He was kind and generous to both old and young, and of all the at- tributes of a true and perfect man, both moral and hysical. But somehow or other, a spirit of rivalry sprung. up between Tom and his followers and Ivan and associates. On the part of Tom, how- | ever, it was in the friendliest spirit; but with Ivan the characteristic jealousy of the half-breed cropped out on more than one occasion. As a boy, from a certain period, has a natura} tendency toward sin, Ivan, as a matter of course, had the largest party of followers; and as the two parties stood divided on all other questions, so thee were divided on the coming shooting-match. Ivau and party practiced off by themselves, keeping the | result a secret from the others; but in themean time he sent a spy into Tom’s camp, and thereby kept posted as to tom and Josh’s skill. The latter, however, were not ignorant of Ivan’s movements, and his skill as a marksman, and lost no time in preparing themselves for the contest so far as practice was concerned. This was really what Squire Podson wanted. He knew -that practice made perfect, and if they were to have an Indian war, a boy, if a skillful shot, could make up in marksmanship what he lacked in physi- cal power; and thus both boys and men could be brought into service. Ivan Le Clercq finally became so anxious to be the winner of the prize that he let his ambition stoop to the unscrupulous trick of stealing Tom’s gun and hiding it away where it could not be four for several days. At least, all suspected him doing it, upon very strong circumstantial evidcnea, This roused the blood in Tom’s veins, and he r- solved to have Ivan defeated in the shooting-4mctch, even at the sacrifice of the honor of winning the prize himself; and so sent an invitation to Surc Shot Seth to attend the match. Some way or other, Le Clercq got wind of this movement, when another trouble was added to his list of fancied wrongs; and to obviate this@ew dan- ger to his winning the prize, he called a council of | four of his most intimate friends ow the even’ «, be- | indifferent result. fore the day of the contest. They met about sunset on the river-bank, and in tones of secrecy discussed the probable result of the morrow’s sport. All felt satisfied that if Sure Shot Seth came, he would win the day without any trouble. “But we must not let him come,” said Le Clereq, emphatically; ‘‘ we don’t want the word to go away that us Yaller Medicine boys war beat shootin’ by @ woolly-headed trapper boy.”’ ** But if he concludes to come, how are we going to help ourselves?” asked one of his companions, “That's the question before the house,” said Ivan, ‘‘and Id lke it if you fellers could help me figger it ont.” “There's no way that I can see, unless we can in- duce the squire to admit no one to the contest what don’t ‘gars in fae Agency,” Rube Johnson sug- ested. vs He couldn’t do that now, for the old fool’s givin’ notice to all the States and territories, and the citi- zens of the moon, that we're to have a shoot, and so the thing ‘] have to go off as advertised wouldn’t keer if it wa’n’t for that Seth. I thin could jist scoop all Yaller Medicine slick and cle: But I've away in my mind as how to keep & away.” “How?” asked a companion. **Guess.”’ “ Shoot bim?”’ * Not that rough.” 4 aoe him into the river with a stone round J-is neck?’ ‘*No; watch the road he'll come to-morrow, aid catch him and tie him up till after the shooting over,”’ said Ivan. “That'll fix him,” exclaimed a companion, ap- provingly. ‘* Let’s do it,” echoed the others. “Nuff said,” added Ivan; “if you fellers ‘ll say you'll help me, I'll get ropes ready to-night and to- morrow we'll come down here and watch him where he crosses the river, and snail him up. Whatdo you sa 79? - tan right! we'll help!” cried the young scamps. And the matter being thus settled, the conspira- tors adjourned, and retraced their footsteps toward home. But scarcely were they out of sight ere two maidens, of about sixteen summers, stepped from a thicket near, their pretty young faces aglow with pleasure, and their bright eyes sparkling with in- ward delight. “We'll see about that tying up Sure Shot Seth, won’t we, Maggie?” said one. “We will that, Emma; and. won't it be jolly to beat such bad boys?” And the two maidens laughed merrily over the enn tag hand-in-hand they sauntered leisurely home> war CHAPTER IX. WHO WON THE RIFLE? Tue day of the shooting-match dawned bright and clear. The air was soft and light, and not a breeze was stirring. Nature seemed to have pre- pared the day especially for Squire Podson’s enter- taipment; and by noon all the people in the Agency and vicinity had gathered in the ‘‘Openings ” in the river bottom to witness the contest. Not all either, for Ivan Le Clercq and four of his boon com- sige were not there, Neither was Sure Shot eth, but he was momentarily expected. At one o’clock the shooting commenced, with Tom Grayson was not a little 8 at the absence of Ivan Le Clereq, and bitterly disappointed not to find one other face among the pero, That was the face of Emma Milbank. the rest of the women and girls of iis Saaneantency were there except she and Now, Tom loved Emma very dearly; hence his disa tment at not her there. F seein ets tha prin would hats fees aa Me
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6 Sure Shot Seth. a [—_———_——_—S—SSaaKnK—_#=§_ —aaaeaeaeaeaaaaaaeaaaeaee to him than a dozen prizes; for her to have cheered his success with one smile, would have been worth still more than all; for it would have assured him of | her regards—that his love was ina measure recipro- | cated. He was not positive that Emma loved him; | but she had always received his advances in suck a | way as to give him encouragement. | Meanwhile, we will look after Ivan Le Clercq and his party. Early that morning the young rascals put out for the river, and, having reached its banks, scattered out along the stream about a Inuidred yards apart to watch for the coming of Sure Shot Seth. After hours of impatient waiting and watching, a boat rounded the bend up the river with a single occupant—Sure Shot Seth, the Boy Ritleman. The boy that made this discovery hastily commu- nicated the fact to those below, and in a few min- | utes all were together. They knew about where Seth would land, and as he would have to pass | through a strip of dense woods after leaving the | river to reach the Agency, Ivan and his party ran on ahead, and, having masked their faces, awaited the approach of Seth. he unsuspecting youth soon came _ tripping lightly along, whistling as merrily as only a boy ean. He was dremed in a neat-fitting suit of buckskin, with a fringe of the same material up the seams of the leggings and around the waist and shoulders. He carried no rifle, nor weapon of any sort that were visible, which fact removed eg | fears from the breasts of those lying in ambush for him, A smile rested upon the face of the boy, which was evidently the offspring of some pleasant thoughts; and to this was added the spring of an elastic step and a buoyant spirit. Suddenly the rush of feet arrested his attention. He stopped and looked around him, ‘Five persons, with masks upon their faces, rushed out of the shadows and seized him. He struggled desperately, heroically, and for awhile held his adversaries a lively fight. But superior numbers finally triumph- ed. He was overpowered, borne to the ground, and bound and gagged. Then he was carried into a thicket and tied to a tree where no human eye could detect his presence ten feet away. This done, the young ruffians urrien away in the direction of the “* Openings,” whence they could al- ready hear the clear ringing report of the rifles at the shooting tournament coming. When a few rods from the thicket they threw aside their d ses; Ivan Le Clereq’s face looked red and excited; it showed the unmistakable signs of a guilty conscience. But calming his emotions the best way he could, he entered the crowd gath- ered in the penings. ‘*Ho, Ivan, my boy,”’ exclaimed Squire Podson, “vou are late, young man; whar the deuce ’ve you deen ?”’ ‘“We’ve been out on a deer-hunt, Buck Jones said thar were three deer that come down to the old ferry every morning to drink, and we thought we'd secure one or two.” And what a falsehood the boy told! “ Well,”’ continued the squire, “‘ you were just in time, for the last boy has shot, and Tom Grayson is champion so far. e have been looking for Sure Shot Seth, down from the Hermit Hut, all morning, and he may come yet. But now, Ivan, do you want to try your hand? “To be sure I do; that’s what I come for,” was the impertinent re Sa The squire load gun and handed it to Ivan. The youth turned facing the cenget, raised the gun —shooting off-hand—and fired. In a minute the news — up from the target that he made a win- uing shot. The crowd cheered the boy lustily. Each contestant was allowed three shots, the best in three winning. Tom Grayson had hit the target twice out of three possible shots, : Again the gun was loaded, and again Ivan Le coche | fired. In a moment the news came up that he had made another winning shot. Loud and prolonged rung the shouts from the spectators; while with a look of triumph, Ivan’s eyes sought those of Tom. Again was the gun loaded and handed to the outh. With more than usual ceremony, intended command admiration, Ivan raised the rifle, and glancing along the barrel, fired. Then with a bow to the spectators, he turned and handed the rifle to Podson. A deep and deadly silence fell upon the crowd, and an eager and expectant look mounted every face, in the anxiety to know the result of Ivan’s last shot. Slowly upon the air came the response: “Missed entirely.” Then the lull broke into a storm of shouts of de- rision and exclamations of regret. A general hub- bub of voices arose, and the crowd became clamor- ous to know who had won the prize. ** Nobody, in course,’ answered Squire Podson; ‘Tom “nf ivan tied, and so the two ’ll have to shoot jt over.” This satisfied the friends of the two boys and the shooting was resumed; but it resulted as before—in & tie. “Shoot itover ag’in,” said the squire; but at, this juncture a new-comer pushed his way inté the crowd and demanded a in the contest. No one had noticed this young stranger until he was in the midst of the party; and all were not a lit- tle surprised, as well as enlisted with curiosity, at his presence. He was rather an odd specimen of the genus boy. There was no telling how old he was; but that he | comic old owl was not beyond the limitations of the rules of the | contest, was evident to all. His face was covered with a complication of rings and dirty streaks made of the different pigments used by the Indians. Around each eye was painted three rings—the inner one being black, the second blue, and the third red —which gave him the wild, staring expression of a His nose was painted black; his cheeks were touched with blue; and his mouth en- circled by a ring of dirty red, His hair was cropped close and the bristling stubs had also received a coloring of red, black and blue, in spots. He was dressed in a suit as odd and queer as himself; and, altogether, he was the most comic and clownish- looking person it had been the fortune of our friends to meet. ‘* Mortal inspiration!’ exclaimed the old squire, at sizht of the lad, ‘*who in all the mystery be you?” “T are the young ring-eyed eagle, jist soared down from the Rocky Mountains to try a shot at this bis- ness,” exclaimed the youth, in a kind of a squeaky tone, keeping one corner of his mouth depressed ; “Tare the little eagle whose dad lords it over the | United States and screams along the sky. Show me | the chicken that says he can beat me shootin’, and I'll flop a wing into his anatomy.” * Hold on here, youngster,” said Podson, “ you’re crazy, ben’t you?’ “Crazy! Oh-a-yi! a-yil’ he screamed, in exact imitation of the eagle, “‘give me a few shots at the target, and I'll show you that the ring-eyed eaglet of Sky-Punchey-Peak can warm the wax in any boy’s ears this side of his fust birthday at shootin’. Fight, did you say? Lord,no; I'd run afore I'd fight, for I’m the young bird of Freedom—a-yi! a-yi!” The inquisitive throng, that had crowded around the lad, filled with great excitement and curiosity, now burst into a peal of laughter at the comic antics - a rollicking young Eagle from-Sky-Puncher- e@ak. ‘“Well, now, lookey here, Bagle,”’ said Podson, ‘‘whar you from, and what do you want here?” “From Sky-Puncher-Peak, I tell ye, and am here to take a hand in the shootin’-match. Jist furnish me a gun, show me the thingamagig you shoot at, and I'll show you that the ring-eyed Eagle from Sky-Puncher-Peak’s not so slouchy, if he is jist git- tin’ his fust pin-feathers.”’ Podson, as well as a number of others, saw that the lad, whoever he was, was playing a vole in his disguise; and while they were wondering who he could be, and what his object was, their amusement became manifest in peals of hearty laughter. Fi- nally the old squire said: ‘Well, if you’ve come here to shoot, why, in course, you must have a chance. This ’ere rifle’s the prize, but, mind, itll take three shots in the center of yon target to take it.” ‘* How many chances’ll you give me—forty?” “ Just three.” “Oh, vampires and harpies!” exclaimed the youth, with a grimace that provoked a roar of jaughter. ‘Then ‘cordin’ to that some chap has scored two out of three; just show him to me, lease, till I see the white of his eye, and then I—” **I’m the chap, sir,’’ said Ivan Clereq, stepping out and confronting the Eagle-from-Sky-Purcher- Peak. “That’s nothin’,” said the youth, running his eye along Ivan’s form with a quick, but critical look. *“Thar’s a tie,” interrupted the squire, ‘‘ between him—Ivan—and that feller; so if you want to try a shot at the mark, why, do so.” “Thank you; please pass me yer fusilade and I'll try its mettle. Cl’ar the track, folks, for the young Eagle-from-Sky-Puncher-Peak,”’ The crowd parted in a lane extending down to- ward the target, and scarcely was the range cleared ere the boy agony threw the rifle to his shoulder, and the gun was discharged, as all supposed, by accident. * Oh!” burst redtonge end from the boy’s lips, and then an exciamation burst from the lips of those who saw his movements, and were ready to censure him for his carelessness. ** He’s not fit to handle a gun,’’ observed one in an undertone, to a companion. “Don’t fool yourself. He’s no fool; he’s playin’ off,” said another; ‘‘ but listen to the report.’ t “A plumb-center shot,” was the announcement that came up from the target. A wild, prolonged shout that fairly split the heavens burst from the lips of the crowd. The boy whistled softly as if with surprise at his ownskill. The shouts of the crowd turned to laugh- ter as they saw the sober,comic expression of the inimitable young clown’s face. ‘* Ready for another,” said Podson, as he placed a cap on the nipple of the gun. i The boy spat upon his hands, winked at an im- aginary friend, then took the mfle, and before it was scarcely leveled, fired. A deep silence followed the report, and every eye turned toward the target. “Another winning shot,” was the announcement that the recorder sent forth, and again the crowd cheered the young “‘ ring-eyed eagle,’ The third time was the gun reloaded, and the third time did the lad awkwardly swing the weapon to his shoulder, squint first with one eye then the other along the barrel, to the amusement of the ars then he finally closed both eyes and For the next half a minute not a soul seemed to breathe, so deep and intense was the anxiety and ex- pectaney of the party. But it was the calm that pre- ceded the storm following the announcement: “ That shot takes the prize—the Haqle-of-Sky-Puncher Peak has won!” CHAPTER X, HUNTED AND HAUNTED, Tue shouts that followed the announcement of the result of the shooting-match were deafening; and the young Ring-Eyed-Eagle-of-Sky-Puncher- Peak became the recipient of a hundred congratula- tions. Tom Grayson was the first to grasp the young stranger's hand, for since he had failed to win the prize, it afforded him supreme pleasure to know that Ivan Le Clercq had been defeated. The latter stood off at one side among his little party of friends scowling with chagrin, and burning with anger at his defeat, “By heavers’” he exclaimed, in a whisper to his four companions, “if I can get old Podson to extend the time, I’) run up and release Sure Shot Seth, and let him come down and beat that young braggart. Tom Grayson is tickled half to death ‘cause I got beat, and I’d give an eye just to see him look down his nose, and that daubed-faced fool beaten.” “Here, youngster,’” the voice of Squire Podson suddenly broke in, as he handed The Eagle the rifi¢ and accouterments belonging to it; ‘here’s the prize—take it, for you have won it fair and honor- ably, whoever you may be. The gun is loaded, and thar’s not less’n fifty bullets in the pouch, and pow- der in the horn to shove’em. Take it, and I hope you will make every shot count so long as you may possess it.’ A faint scream of terror came from the direction of the woods some two hundred yards away, before The Eagle could respond, as he was about to do. Every eye was at once turned in that direction, and to the horror of all, a maiden, whom all recog- nized as Emma een emerged from the woods at the top of her speed, closely pursued by an Indian warrior. ‘*Oh, my God!” burst from Squire Podson’s lips, “the savages are at their hellish work already.” Brave hearts trembled, and white lips quivered. Women fell faint, and children crouched with terror at the feet of their parents, It was a terrible mo- ment in the history of those people's lives, for al} seemed paralyzed with the terrors of death. But = are started from their lethargy by another shriek. “The savage has caught Emma!’ was the terri- ble announcement that now pealed from a dozen lips aTre enough, the savage had overtaken her within ten rods of the edge of the timber, and lifting her in his arms was fleeing back to the woods with her.* “Stand aside for the Eagle-of-Sky-Puncher-Peak,” shouted that mysterious lad, and swinging his newlys won prize to his shoulder glanced along the barre} and fired. A yell of agony came down from the woods; and when all saw the savage stagger and fall, a shout burst from their lips; the Eagle had made another wonderful shot, and had saved the maiden from captivity. With the speed of a deer the young marksmar dashed out of the crowd and sped away toward the fallen foe. He met the maiden he had saved on the way, and exchanging a few words with her, ran on, passed the fallen savage and plunged into the woods, A moment later a rifle-shot rung through the forest and echoed in quavering intonations along the val ley of the Minnesota. Scarcely had the sound died on the air, when forth from the woods south of the Openings a hundred half-nude forms rushed, yelling like demons. With a cry of horror the surprised settlers turned and fled toward theirhomes. With the womenand children in front, the men covered their retreat, fighting the foe as they fell back. The savages’ on- ward rush was checked several times; but nothing daunted, they rallied and renewed the contest fierce and deadly. It soon became evident that the se @lers could not repulse the foe, and so the retreav was turned in the direction of the stockade or fort, north of the agency. The savages seeing their intentions, at tempted to thwart their plans by a general on- slaught; but nobly and heroically did the valiant settlers fight for their wives and little ones. Many however, fell before the fort was reached and the gate closed ween them and danger; and on the pages of histdry this struggle is known as the Mas- sacre of Yellow Medicine Agency. On the same day, the minions of Little Crow, Inkpaduta and Little Priest, scattering out over the country, began a general massacre. Acton, in Meeker county, ly became the scene of the first bloodshed, if_we except that at the Hermit Hut, the home of the Boy Brigade. Fort pads was closely besieged, and the country to the south overrun, The call to arms rung through the north, and everywhere the hardy young yeomanry of the land Jeft the plow within the furrow and the harvest ungleaned and rushed to battle. The stg of Minnesota rung wild with the war-whoop of the savages and the shouts of their enemies. But few troops were in the State. Forts Riley, a ed and Abercrombie could not muster over two hundred men, and so the savages had but little to contend with in their onward rush to the destruction of the whites. But history has recorded all the main facts of this terrible Indian outbreak. We have ouly to deal with one of the chains of in- cidents co’ uent upon the war, and which has es ca the notice of the historian. en Emma joined her friends at the Openings after the Eagle had rescued her by shooting down her captor, her first words were: ““Oh, they have got Maggie! the Indians have captured her!” fore any one could respond, the savages burst from the woods, and all sought shelter in flight, Not until all those that had escaped were inside of
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the half-breed possessed a a Sure Shot’ Seth. ? the fort was the subject of Maggie’s capture brought up. Then the father of the missing gir] sought out Emma, and from her learned the particulars of his daughter’s capture. But she carefully omitted tell- ing the object that had taken her and Maggie alone into the woods. Mr. Harris’s agony and suspense became intense. | The savages surrounded the fort, and there was no escape until darkness should set in, The sun was still two hours high, and during the time spent in waiting for the shadows of night, the distracted father made preparations for going in search of his child. A number of friends volunteered to go with him; and among them were Ivan Le Clercq and his four boon companions, There was one person among the band of besieged that uoticed a wild look of uneasiness upon the face of Ivan and his party; and had it not been for the general excitement that prevailed among the crowd, others might have noticed that their looks were the outgrowth of a guilty conscience. Even their move- ments and very actions denoted guilt; and finally they went to one side and entered into a secret conversation—very suspicious under the circum- stances. “Boys,” said Ivan, glancing furtively around him, “I’m afraid an awful crime rests upon our heads.”’ d ** You mean *bowt that Sure Shot Seth affair, don’t you?” asked Rube Johnson. “Yes; the Indians, I expect, found him and killed fkim,”’ said Le Clereq. **}’ve thought of that, too,” added Gus Stewart. ‘*Mebby, though,” said Abe Thorn, ‘‘ Maggie and Emma let him loose before the Indians come; you know Emma run out of the woods near where we left him.” **S*pose we ask Emma,”’ said Rube Johnson, “Heavens, no!” replied Ivan, ‘‘for if he didn’t et away, that'll let the whole secret out; and if e should be found dead, we might get our necks stretched.” “We might ask her if she seen him,’ said @us Stewart. ““No,”’ persisted Ivan; “we don’t want to say a word about him, for all know that we were away when the shootin’ match begun; and if we should go to askin’ ay questions, it might raise suspicion at once. Just keep still, and when I get out of this fort, I'll slip out into the woods and see if he is there ret.” : Thus the matter was settled for the time being, and finally, when darkness set in, the father of the -eaptive girl, followed by Ivan and party, and also, Tom Grayson and Harry Busted, stole out of the fort, and away into the woods without discovery by the red-skins. When near the point where they tied Sure Shot Seth to the tree, Ivan whispered to one of his com- panions: **T’m goin’ to drop out of the crowd now and slip over to the tree; and if I don’t overtake you in ten minutes, why, you will know that I can’t find you and so give the hoot of an owl; and if I hear, rl answer.’ ** All right, Ivan,” answered his friend. Ivan dropped behind the party, and finally he turned to the left and went off in another direction. It was so extremely dark in the deep, dense woods that the absence of the youth was unnoticed, and, with the silence of shadows, the party pushed cau- tiously on. Le Clereq crept softly along through the darkness of night with the stealth of an assassin. His heart lay like a leaden weight in his breast, and his breath came in gasps. The fear of discovering himself a murderer worked like a horror upon his mind; and there was nothing in the blackness of the night, nor ‘the solitude of his surroundings to inspire him with aught else than the gloomiest forebodings. van Le Clereq had no intention of injuring Sure Shot Seth. It was his intention to wander off through the woods, after the shooting-match had ended, with the new rifle that he felt certain he would win; but at the same time he intended to happen to stumble across the luckless Seth and liberate him. Unfortunately, the Indians interfered with these arrangements; and Ivan knew not but he had added the crime of murder to his dishonorable trick. But cruel, envious, treacherous as he was, heart capable of the feel- ings of remorse and fear; and, ever and anon, as he -erept on through the woods and hy tere he glanced ! back over his shoulders as wrath of an inscrutable God. He was well acquainted with every foot of the ground he was traversing, and, notwithstanding the darkness, he moved directly toward the thicket where he had left Sure Shot Seth. When within a wildl fleeing from the few yards of the tree to which ms tied the young trapper, he paused and listened. But all was silent as the presence of death. A chill passed over his form, and the lump in his throat seemed to grow larger and more depressing. A thousand ogreish forms seemed to unfold themselves from the dark- ness, and flit in endless procession around him. His brain throbbed; bis knees grew weak, and his hand trembled, The thought of flight from the horrible spot entered his mind, but he seemed possessed of no power to execute the desire of his w He seemed spellbound and unable to move in any direction, save that of the tree to which his victim had been bound. Some horrible fascination drew him thither; and ere he was aware of the fact, he stood by the tree, motionless and breathless. He could see nothing. The darkness of night, and the cloud of sin hovering over his soul, blinded him. He swal- Jowed back the t lump in his throat, stretched out his hand, and touched the tree. He back, as though he had touched the shining form of a serpent, and an icy chill was com- municated by the touch to his whole body. For a moment he stood peering into the gloom, as immov- ably fixed as astone statue. But, gradually recover- ing; he again put out his hand, and, touching the tree, ran his fingers downward along the trunk, feeling for the rope that girded it and the body of Sure Shot Seth, were the youth still there. Slowly he moved his fingers down, and when it came in contact with what he knew to be the rope, he start- ed, with a low, gasping breath, as though his very soul had beensuddenly convulsed. The rope was still there, and he had no doubt now that Seth, living or dead, was on the opposite side of the tree, for the strands were drawn taut. ““Seth!*’ he cailed, in a low tone, but started back, crouching as with abject terror, for the sound of his | own voice seemed re-echoed by the sepulchral voice of a dozen demons. Terror had wrought his brain toafrenzy. But now, wholly under the influence of fear, he moved around the tree, with his hand out- stretched before him; and he had gone buta step or two when his fingers came in contact with something cold, unnatural tothe touch, It was a human face, cold and clammy in death. * Great God! he’s dead!” involuntarily burst from the wretched boy’s lips, and he turned to flee. But that terrible, invisible power seized upon him again, and held him by the side of his victim. Ivan Le Clereq was suffering all the tortures of a uilty conscience. His heart grew sick and bis head dizzy. Finally, the thought of detection and a more terrible punishment rose in his mind, and measures toward concealing the crime were suggested. He never stopped to think that his four companions were equally guilty as himself, but reaching forward he cut the rope that bound the body to the tree. The stiffened corpse fell heavily to the ground, Ivan took up the rope and tossed it away out into the brush; then he dragged the body into the under- growth; and, with the reflection that the wolves would soon make identity impossible, he turned and fled from the scene of his crime, with the blood of a fellow-being resting upon his soul. CHAPTER XI. THE LED TRAIL. Mr. Harris, accompanied by his young com- panions, poet his way through the deep woods and lonely halls of the night. e knew not where they would find the captive maiden, but by scouting inall directions through the woods, hoped to gain some clew to her whereabouts. Ivan Le Clereq’s four companions hung on the rear of the party, eagerly listening for Ivan’s call; but as the minutes wore away into an hour, and nothing of his approach being heard, the boys began to feel great uneasiness about him, and a thousand conjectures as to his prolonged absence passed rapidly through their minds. Something of the same fear as that experienced by,Ivan “himself began to smite the conscience.of the four boys; and in tones of bitter so pons they expressed _ their re- deg of having aide th, The wake that had so suddenly fallen upon these boys, the destruction of their homes, and the loss of friends, all conspired to render them victims of the deepest remorse and most painful fear, It was a punishment they were receiving for their bad con- duct, their wicked ways, and cruelty to others who did not please them, or who refused to become followers of that young vagabond, Ivan Le Clercq. Hitherto, these boys had been brave and fear- less in the woods at night; but now, with the fear of retribution for the crime of murder hanging over them, they became tlmid and cowardly; and shrunk close to each other; and started, even at the snap of a twig, or the rustle of a bush, proving, beyond a doubt, that Nate and strength come only of a — conscience—that cowardice is the offspring of evil. For hours the party journeyed on through the woods, but as Ivan failed to join them, Rube pm plucked his three companions aside, and said: “Boys, Ivan has either been lost or else got into trouble; and I don’t think we’d ort to desert him. We're all to blame, if Sure Shot Seth is dead; and I expect he is.”’ “Oh, I wish we hadn’t tied him up to the tree,” said Abe Thorne, regretfully. to convince them that Maggie was in the party, all concluded that, as the enemy were moving away from the Agency, they had her in custody. There had not been over five warriors in the party, They had taken no precaution to hide their trail, nog the number of feet that made it. Itran rather zig« zag in its course, owing to the open condition of the woods, and always following the best route. From these facts, Mr. Harris and Tom Grayson, added to other circumstantial evidence corroborative of theit belief, concluded that Maggie had been taken that war. They pushed on, and soon struck the smolderin embers of a deserted camp-fire; and, that it h been left quite recently, was also evident from vari- ous facts. Not far away lay the carcass of a deer that had been slain that morning. One quarter had been removed, and had, no doubt, fed the hunger of those who had been encamped there. Our friends pounced upon the carcass like hawks, and soon each vet ges a rich, juicy slice broiling on a heap of red coals. Mr, Harris made a careful search of the ground for some evidence that his child had been there. He had no difficulty in making it out an Indian camp, but if Maggie had been a prisoner there, her captors had taken great pains to conceal every trace that would ay friends, disposed to follow in search of her, of the fact. The keen eye of Tom Grayson finally discovered something that raised a question among the party. He found where a number of green boughs had b been cut from the parent branch of an oak; but as these boughs were not seen about, their absence provoked some curiosity. After some search however, they | were found stuck in the ground here and there | among other shrubbery where none but the keenest | eye could have told but that they had grown. in the affair with Sure Shot | ‘*But then we didn’t mean to have him killed,” . answered Gus Stewart. “T know it; but then the law won’t excuse igno- rance, and if it’s ever found out, we'll be apt to hang | like Zeke Snyder did,’ said Rube. “Oh! oh!” companions. Here the conversation drop and the rest of the party h they came up. ‘Giving out, boys?” asked Harris. d, for Mr. Harris you can lead, Mr. Harris.” “Well, I'm beginning to think that it’s useless tramping ’round here through the night, and pro- _ we camp here until daybreak,’ answered the settler. To this all assented, and then all but one lay down | upon the earth to rest. Few ve closed in sleep, however; the terrors and excitement of the day were too fresh in every mind to admit of the com- | posing influence of slumber. By daybreak every man and boy was ready to march; and without a bit of b fast the their lonely way through the woods, trusting to Providence for some to eat. Fortunately, they struck an Indian trail soon after sunrise, and although there was nothing in the trail stopped to wait till | | Rube Johnson’s lips, as he pointed out across the took | exclaimed his frightened, horrified | And even after they had been found, but few could have formed the least idea of what they had been used for; but Tom Grayson was an experienced woods: man, and at once explained what he believed were the facts in the case—that the bushes had been used for a bower; and if so, the bower had never been erected for any of their number, nor for a male prisoner, but for one whom they wished to protect from the dews of heaven and the chilly air of night. And who else could this have been but the frail, tender maiden, Maggie Harris, whose beauty was far more calculated to inspire devotion and admira- tion in the savages’ breasts than any feeling of ill or barbarous treatment. Mr. Harris grasped at this clew, slight as it was, to his child’s whereabouts; and became anxious to resume the search at once. Hom, however, more prudent and thoughtful despite his years, advised caution and moderation; and after a sumptuous re* past had been made off the deer, and portions of it roasted and stowed away in pockets for future need, the party took the trail. They followed on about two miles, when the struck the eastern shore of Lake Rock Islan Here it parr that the enemy had talsen to the water, and although the lake was small, it afforded an admirable place of shelter among its many rocky islands. Mr. Harris suggested a division of the*party to scout around the lake, but before this could be carried into effect, a ‘‘dugout,” with five Indians, Xp seen creeping down toward the southern shore. Our friends at once arraped back under cover of the woods, watching the red-skins narrowly. They soon reached the shore and landed, but had no captive with them; and so Tom Grayson, as well as his companions, were led to believe that Maggie had been secreted among the islands in the lake, and as soon as the red-skins had passed out of sight, the sugary began moving around the lake to the north. As they advanced, the shore became rough broken and rocky, and in many places shelving an precipitous. The path th: y were following finally ressed them to the water's edge; and once there, here was no deviation to the right nor left, unless they scaled the hights or took to the lake. 1ey had filed along the narrow way until the west shore was reached, when Tom Grayson stopped and exclaimed: “ x 308, what if the Indians should cage us in ere The little party started with an exclamation; the idea had never entered their minds before. “We cannot observe too much precaution,” said Mr. Harris. ‘No; if the enemy should see us in here, it would be all day with us,’ said Tom. ‘*We could neither retreat nor advance, and of course, we couldn’t climb this embankment; so the lake would be our only avenue of escape. Who knows but that we’ve been led into this?” “Oh, gracious! look here!’ suddenly burst from | water, “Oh, no,” answered Rube; “we can follow longas | | met his gaze, and clutchin; “Oh, God!” cried Daniel Harris, at the sight that his brow, he staggered back and would have fallen but for the wall of | rocks that supported him. CHAPTER XII. THE BOY RESCUER, A BREATHLESS silence fell upon the little party. Rube Johnson with outstretched arm pointed toward the nearest island in the little lake. Every eye following in the direction indicated be- held a fearful sight. The island was about fifty yards from the shore, It was a rocky bed with but little shrubbery. A edge, narrow defile —e at tbe water's terminated in a sort of low cavern, and in the pase sage, with her back toward them and her hands
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8 at her back, they beheld the form of Maggie Har- ris; while crouched before her in the mouth of the eavern was a huge panther with dripping jaws glowing eyeballs, and quivering tail. The anima was ready for the leap, and waited only for a move- | ment of Maggie as the signal. The maiden seemed transfixed with horeor, for she never moved nor uttered a sound indicative of fear. The head of the terrible beast could be seen only to the left of Maggie’s cheek and just over her shoul- der. To change the position either to the right or left, the walls of the defile concealed the panther from view, while it was impossible to get above them on the bluff. The body of the beast could be seen distinctly enough, but it lay in such a position that a bullet shot at it would range backward without any fatal result, in which case the wounded creature would soon destroy the helpless girl. The’ only vital spot exposed was the right eye; but this could be reached from the shore only at the risk of Mag- gie’s life; for this vital mark lay in a range with the maiden’s cheek, and that range would not admit of an inch deviation. To slay the beast without injuring Maggie would require the skill and nerve of an unerring shot. The skill was present, but not the nerve; for Mr. Harris, as well as the boys, had all been wildly ex- cited by the terrible situation in which they found the maiden. Tom Grayson was the best shot in the party, but he refused to shoot. His hands trenihled. He raised his rifle once, but lowered it again, saying: **J dare not shoot, Mr. Harris. To wound the | ) | spair, anther would be sure to result in a horrible death | Maggie; and to shoot it in the head, a bullet must fairly graze the maiden’s cheek.” “Oh, my God!” cried the distracted father, “my child will be torn to pieces! The moment she moves it will spring upon her! For heaven’s sake, boys, make no noise that will draw her attention away. So long as she gazes into the eyes of the beast, it may not attackher. Both are under a terrible fas- cination—that of each other’s countenance. But, boys, won't some of you try a shot?” “T’ll try one,” said the voice of a new-comer, and turning, all beheld that strange, wild youth who had won the prize at the shooting-match—the indomita- ble young Eagle-from-Sky-Puncher-Peak. “Oh, my young friend!” cried Harris, “‘can you not slay that beast and save my child?’ “T can try it, sir,’ said the Eagle, and stepping for- ward he threw his new rifle to his shoulder and fired before any one had time for a second thought. A scream rose upon the island—a scream from Maggie’s lips, and was answered 4 a shout of joy from the father as he saw the panther stretched at full length along the earth, its limbs extended and quivering in the paroxysms of death. Maggie turned toward her friends and uttered a wild cry of joy, then staggering, she fell—overcome by a sudden reaction from terror to Joy. “My poor child?” cried the father, ** she has faint- ed, and will yet be dead ere I can get to her,” It was plain to all that Maggie’s hands had been bound, and she left alone upon the island, What had induced.the savages to do so, was incomprehensible to our friends. Tom Grayson expressed a belief that there were savages concealed on the island ready to entrap any one who might venture thereon; and as Maggie lay unconscious on the island, there was no way by which they could satisfy themselves of this fact before venturing over there. “What do you think, my young friend?” said Mr. Harris, turning to the Eagle, who stood silently at one side reloading his rifie; ‘do you think there are savages concealed on that island?” “T can't say, gineral, for sure; it seems queer that *em red scavengers would leave her there alone unless they thought she would not get away and that no one would dare follow them here. ‘But that's a question that must not keep assistance from her, na Pm going to board that log and paddle over there. Slinging his rifle well up on his shoulders, he waded into the water, threw himself astride of a log that had floated there, and with a large piece of bark, paddled out into the lake toward the island. } hopes of savin Ly The fearless lad was submerged almost to the | waist in the water, but his rifle and accouterments were kept ay i He moved slowly and with some dif- ficulty—the log being inclined to roll in the water. With eager impatience those on the shore watched the progress of the boy as he labored on through the waves. Mr. Harris paced the shore with restless anxiety, muttering a prayer for the safe landing of the young borderman, and the rescue of his child who still lay motionless on the island. The Eagle had nearly reached the island when a hi arose to the south, and gre in that direc- on all saw, totheir utmost horror, a dozen savages coming along the shore toward them. Before one of our friends had time for a word or act, the voice of the Eagle cried out: * Flee, friends, and trust Maggie’s safety to God and me.” There was really no alternative but to obey, and Mr. Harris and his young friends at once ta retreat in the direction they had come, pur- sued by the yelling savages. The Eagle reached the island before the sav were within ot, and assisting e to her feet, conducted her to.a point of safety on the oppo- prs 8 Oe ein si th said, “I ou see, Maggie, e you am now ha a chance to repay your kindness.” ¥' my friend!”’ she , ‘I am almost crazy. The Lord only knows what I have suffered since a ve, Yahi aaa a the savages destroy the ‘“‘Not altogether, Miss Maggie,” the lad an- swered; “though, several were killed before the fort was reached. Your friends are all alive, Iam happy to say.” mow my dear father is,’’ she answered, ‘‘for I saw him on the shore; but, are we not in great peril, here?” ‘“ We're in danger, it is true; but we must not de- If we can hold the red-skins at bay, we will get off after night sets in.” “How?” Maggie asked, perplexedly. ‘« Some one will bring a boat to us, surely; if not, | I can construct a raft out of this driftwood. But, remain here under cover, Maggie, and I will watch the movements of those savages,” the gallant youth answered, He crept around the island and when he had dis- covered that the enemy was gone in pursuit of Har- ris and his party, the youth went down to the water’s edge and washed the paint and dirt from his face | and hands and then arranged his clothing in such a different, yet really natural way, that the boy was completely transformed from the odd, grotesque- | looking Eagle-of-Sky-Puncher-Peak, to a different being; and that being was—Suve Shot Seth, ihe Boy Rifleman ! laggie Harris was not ignorant of his identity. She and Emma Milbank had rescued him from the | tree where Ivan Le Clereq and his companions had | | bound him; and that Ivanand his | the remorse that the | brave and fearless rty might suffer | now really were, these two | irls had assisted Seth in arrang- ing his disguise and keeping the secret. Unfortu- nately, their kindness to Seth had resulted in Mag- rie’s capture; but never for a moment did the kind- hearted maiden regret what she had done. Returning to M now call the Eagle- with a smile. “You have disearded your disguise?” “Yes; I think it has served me through,’’ he an- swered. “Idon’t think one of my five young ene- mies, or friends either for that matter, penetrated it. I affected so much when in their presence that no one could think it was I.” “Then you won the prize at the contest?” she | said, her pretty eyes sparkling with admiration and | delight, as she gazed upon the manly form and | handsome face of the boy hero. “Yes; without any trouble, Maggie, thanks to you | and Miss Milbank, This is the gun, and with it I slew Emma’s captor, then ran into the woods in you, but was too late.” vonder what Ivan thinks of his treatment of you by this time?” she asked, “T presume he thinks the Indians found me and slew me; and I desire that he knows no different until he has suffered in conscience, if he has any —— at all, sufficient to make a better boy of ioe ‘*He is a bad boy and I am afraid nothing will re- form him,” said Maggie. ‘Then you haven't seen any thing of them since yesterday?” “Not of Ivan; the other four were with your fa- ther a few minutes ago; but I know they failed to recognize me,”’ “Qh, dear! dear!’ cried the maiden, as her mind reverted to the horrors through which she had s0 | recently passed; “I hopeI will not have to pass through another such night of peril; but then if an | Indian war has begun, we Lng ape be slain.” ‘Do not borrow trouble, Maggie,” said Seth, his | eyes beaming with a li-ht of admiration; “‘as soon ! as the news reaches the government authorities, | gie, Sure Shot Seth, as we will -Sky-Puncher-Peak, was greeted ‘ troops will be sent to quell the savages.”’ “But it may be too late to save us, then.” ‘““We must trust to fate, and not give up until re- sistance and perseverance are no longer of avail.” Searcely had he spoken the last word when a bul- let whistled past his ears and flattened against the rock behind him. Glancing along the east shore he saw a cloud of smoke recy, te upon the edge of the woods, nearly two hunc ie yards away. The distance, and the close proximity of the shot to his head, caused him to marvel; for he knew that, as a general thing, there were no such shots among the savages. For fear that another shot might be more success- ful, he withdrew with Maggie to the interior of the island, and they concealed themselves in a sort of a cave or a pocket in the rocky slit. Here they would have to wait until darkness came to their relief; and the moments that the young people passed there iu each other's society were moments of supreme joy, to which the surrounding danger and their situation gave an air of wild romance. Sure Shot Seth became deeply interested in Mag- gie, and that interest gradually deepened beyond mere friendship. From the moment he had met the maiden in the forest where Ivan and his friends had bound him, her bright, blue eyes and radiant, ows ish face threw the enchantment of love around his boyish heart. It was his first love, and, scarcely conscious of the power that had come over the spirit of his ui ly free and light heart, he had been led on to risk danger and hardships in search of her—to tify that strange longing which, he ow. admitted to himself, was the longing of love. On the other hand, Maggie had conceived an ad- miration for Seth that was fast developing into re- ciproeal love; and Seth was not slow in noticing her confidence and trustin him. But, both were young and unsophisticated in the workings and changes to which the human heart is susceptible; genta mitted no doubt, no fear, to cross the ed tranquillity and pleasure of love’s young dream. ‘oe a Pee ay Nts veere away into ees and the mipu o hours, the attention o suddenly of an fndian ple was drawn to the f Mere oh) ‘ Me vy x He was over three hundred yards away, else Seth would have been tempted to try his new rifle upon him. From appearances, he was a young war-chief de- corated in all the paraphernalia of barbaric finery. His scarlet blanket flashed brightly in the sun, and standing on the southern shore of the lakelet. contrasted handsomely with the spotted jaguar skin that girded his loins. His movements were somewhat awkward and stiff, as though unaccus- tomed to the dignity required of one of his position, ‘““There seems to be more of the white man than the red-skin about that fellow yonder,”’ said Seth, “and if I mistake not, he is a white man.” “IT am sure the announcement gives me no more hope than ever,” answered Maggie, ‘‘for I would rather be the prisoner of a red Indian than a white one. % Yes, ten times, Maggie,” answered Seth; ‘* but I en t propose that you shall be either, if I can help i They watched the chief until he had left the beach, then entered into a discussion of the events of theday. And thus the day wore away without any further demonstration on the part of the enemy; but about sunset a sharp and vigorous firing was heard in the woods east oF the lake, and that a bat- tle was going on, Seth had not a single doubt. Night finally closed in and put an end to the firing; and now Sure Shot Seth became restless and uneasy. He knew the enemy would avail themselves of the cover of darkness to regain the island and their fair captive, and, as they were likely to come in force, it would be impossible for him to repel them. He had been unable to do anything toward the construc- tion of a raft during the day, and now the darknes9 made it almost impossible. His only hopes lay in Maggie’s friends coming to their relief before the In- dians got there. The moon would not be up before ten o'clock, and the gloom was rendered more intense by the gray mist that hung over the lake. Seth silently paced the shore in eager anticipation of the approach of friends, ever and anon halting to listen for some sound, Buta deep silence reigned. | Not a breath of air was stirring—not a ripple chafed. the island. With her shawl drawn hood-like over her head, Maggie, tired and hungry, sat under a ledge within. | the sound of her young protector’s footsteps. Suddenly the discharge of firearms burst upon the night, heavy, sullen, and stunning; and was followed ; by yells and groans that fairly chilled the blood in the veins of Seth and Maggie. The latter sprung from her seat, and, running to Sure Shot’s side, grasped him by the arm and ex- claimed: ‘What did that mean, Seth?” “T am afraid that the friends we have been wait- ing for, and the Indians we have expected, have rum together on the water,” answered Seth; “from the sound, however, I ‘think our friends were the ones that fired.” Silence succeeded the murderous discharge of weapons. Not a sound could be heard, and what the result of the collision had been, Seth could not tell. But in the course of a few minutes the sound of waves breaking upon the island became distinctly audible. As there was no air stirring, our friends knew a boat must be approaching. Ina breathless silence they waited and listened, Soon the faint dip of a paddle was heard. Seth strained his eyes into the gloom, and was soon en-~ abled to make out the dimmest outlines of a long boat creeping toward them across the lake. The silence observed was sufficient evidence of itself, that the craft contained enemies; and making this fact known to Maggie in a whisper, the two ie ie back under the shadow of a shelving rock, and waited the approach of the craft, Seth with his revolver in hand. The danger that threatened the young folks seem- ed to strengthen their eyesight, or else, at this junc- ture, it became somewhat lighter, for they were now enabled to make out the dark length o* a long Ms nara with three persons seated init, quite dis- ctly. The ey of the craft soon touched the island - when the occupants landed, and having drawn the boat partly upon the beach, turned and moved cau- tiously away across the island. They passed with- in a few paces of Seth and Maggie; and no sooner were they out of sight than Seth whispered: ‘‘Now’s our time, Maggie. Let up Jump into their boat and flee,” Maggie made no dissent, but taking hold of Seth’s arm, pexmised herself to be led to the boat. Step- ing into the craft Seth assisted the maiden in and oaseat, But the instant she sat down she uttered a little cry of terror, for her seat moved under her—a savage, who lay curled up in the craft evidently for that very purpose, sprung to his feet_and uttered a yell. But it was his last. Scareely had the sound died upon his lips ere Seth’s revolver flashed in his face, and he fell overboard into the lake, his limbs: beating the water in his last agonies. But Sure Shot Seth now found himself m a dilem- ma from which there was no esca Before he could get the dugout off, or seek shelter among the rocks, the three savages were eae him. He turned and met them, rab she! wt a a gr of ne shot him, and, leaping in e boat, seize aggie. Roth was standing up in the prow at the time, and the impetus with ich the savage landed in the dugout shot it out into the lake so abruptly that ee Shot was pitched forward, head foremost, upon e beach. As the youth fell, he fired his revolver and killed one of the remaining warriors; but before he could regain his feet the other had and together they fought in deadly embrace upon beach. a es re PEC a AL Cas a! . ae Se oat —
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: ‘ ae. + CHAPTER XIiil. THE DISGUISED CAPTOR, Maaare was thrown almost prostrate by the sud- den lurch of the boat, and before she could recover herself, she found that she was in the power ofa Savage, who, in plain English, said: “ Not a word, or I’ll smother you.” Filled with terror, she sunk half-unconscious in the wet bottom of the boat, while her captor took up the addle and kept the craft moving out further and further from the island. The maiden knew not what had beer the fate of her brave young companion. She could hear the sounds of a struggle somewhere, nad supposed they proceeded from the island. She breathed a prayer for Seth’s pboogr tex et she felt there was little hopes for him, boy that he was, con- tending with two powerful savages. In the midst of her devout supplications, a strange medley of cries rose upon the night, and was followed bya savage yell, the crash of firearms, and the shouts of com- atants. The savage ceased paddling, as if paralyzed by the sound; and, for a moment, he seemed undecided as to the course he should pursue. He dipped the pad- dle, turned and whirled the craft in one direction, then in another. Maggie could now see his motions, for the moon had now sailed up above the eastern forest and flooded the lake with a sheen of mellow light. She saw, also, that he was dressed in the garb of a chief. and was the same individual that she and Seth had seen that day pacing along the margin of the lake. Inamoment the chief regained his composure, and sent the boat rapidly toward the shore; but with a fickleness unbecoming a chief, he soon changed fis mind again, and turned into a little island, and janded. e assisted ie from the boat, and conducting her to the interior of the island, spread his blanket upon the und for her to be seated. Tired and weary, in both body and mind, the maiden availed herself of his proffered kindness; and when seated, he lifted the edges of the blanket and wrapped them about her shoulders, = Pet the white maiden rest easy, for no harm shall come to her now,’ the young chief said, in good English. Maggie started at the sound of his voice, for it struck her as being familiar. She endeavored to re- eallthe faces of the Indians she had known and heard during the days of peace; but among the many that frequented the ency, she could remember no face to which the voice belonged. Re- covering her power of speech she answered: “Why, then, have I been taken from my ergs id **Why does the maiden pluck the rose from the parent stem?’ was his answer. Maggie made no answer. *STt because she loves the flower,” the chief answered, “and that is why I have taken the white rose of the pale-faces,”” “You were not with my captors last night,” she answered, ‘*My warriors were,” he answered, ‘Long has Hawk-Eyes loved the white maiden and wanted her for a wife. now.”’ “ Hawk-Eyes tells a falsehood!” reiterated the maiden, scornfully, “‘and I hate him for it. My friends are not all dead,”” “Ueh! the white rose has thorns that are con- beaded,” the chie. answered sarcastically, for her re- tort cut sharply into his cowardly spirit; “but they are harmless,’ hc added, regentce, “A brave chief would not mock a feeble, helpless girl. He dare not face the friend f left on the d and speak thus to me.” “ Hawk Byes fears not the dead,” was the savage’s reply, that fairly crushed the maiden’s heart; but she bravely concealed her emotions from her tor- mentor. pon reflection she took paged, be She knew her captor’s assertion was made without any positive ng eng 2 as to whether Seth had been slain or not, for they had left before the struggle had been decided between her friend and the sav- es. oe rhe discharge of firearms, the shouts, yells, and strange cries that rent the ht soon after their departure from the island, had died out, and a deep silence reigned. Pretty Maggie noticed that her eaptor betrayed uneasiness, yet he endeavored to 2onceal it, in every way possib e, from her. Suddenly a shout rung across the lake, that seemed to increase the chief’s fears, and he at once embarked in the dugout for other quarters. Some- \ thing in the sound he had heard convinced him that it was not pee 2 tarry longer; ate what gave him uneasiness and fear, gave e hope and courage, The chief plied his paddle with extreme caution, and darted from one island to another, anon to rest.and listen whenever under the haan io an islet. Maggie sat in front of her captor, her head bowed. end her eyes fixed oat the glassy water rippling out ‘om the side of the boat. They had passed two or three islands and finally reached the one furthest south. It was covered with a number of tall pines that cast long, wide shadows out upon the clear water. They were creeping shrough this long stretch of shadows when % cry suddenly and involuntarily burst from Mag- gie’s lips. There was a single spot in the shadow where the moonbeams, struggling through the tree- tops, fell upon the as bright as if concen- trated theve in a focus. In this patch of light, as whey paused, Maggie beheld an upturned human Sure Shot Seth. face—a face white as that of a corpse and stained She recognized the face; it in spots with blood. was that of Sure Shot Seth! CHAPTER XIV. A MYSTERIOUS CHARMER. To return to the island where we left Sure Shot Seth engaged with a savage, is to follow up the events | that have been rapidly crowding upon us, The struggle of our hero had lasted but for a mo- ment only, when he succeeded in getting the muz- zle of his revolver against the savage’s temple, and fired, This ended the hand-to-hand conflict; but searcely had he time to realize his victory, ere he caught the dip of a number of oars and the heavy 9 rifleman had the pleasure of seeing him disappear around a little island in the distance, Finding themselves defeated in slaying Seth, the savages mounted the rock, and, rushi g across the top, thought to take the whites by surprise and shoot them down, But, before they could fire, the Brigade darted under the ledge, entirely out of sight, and, gliding along the wall to each end, secured a position and opened fire on the red-skins, causing them to beat a hasty retreat to the other side. ““Yoop, ye rollicking smoky-skins of Satan!” yelled Joyful Jim; ‘‘jist come over on our side if ye want to be snaked into purgatory. We're the lolly-pops that can kink yer systems wusser than a green per- | simmon, Yoop! tempest in a tea-pot, possum in a swash of a long batteau plowing its way through the | water at a fearful speed. Simultaneous with this discovery, the bark of a | fox, the howl of a wolf, the scream of a panther, | the hoot of an owl, the cry of a night-hawk and other sounds rose upon the night, filling the soul | of Seth with joy; for in the sounds he recognized the presence of his friends, the Boy Brigade. With a shout h. answered them, then ran around the island and met them where they landed. Maggie’s father and Tom Grayson accompanied them, and almost the first words of the former was an inquiry after his child. Seth had scarcely time to answer ere the savages landed on the opposite side of the island, and with a yell came rushing across toward our friends, The moon now lit up the surroundings and the whites were enabled to see the dusky forms of the enemy uite distinctly; in an instant a dozen rifles rung | orth on the night. There was no telling how any fell, but, with a random discharge of their gums, the savages quick- y ee shelter behind the rocks, and silence fol- owed. The red-skins had evidently been surprised, or were ignorant of the number that confronted them: and the result of the collision could be determined now only by stratagem and cunning. **To hole, ye Fory. critters!” i old Joyful Jim, who had allied himself to the Brigade, and number- ed himself as ‘‘ one of the boys.”’ A defiant yell answered him. Only a wall of rocks running across the island like the fin of a fish’s back now separated the enemies. On the Indians’ side it rose perpendicular to the hight of ten feet, and on our friends’ side it wasa little a and of the same hight. It varied in width from ten to thirty feet. To pass from one side to the other they would have to go around the ends of the wall, which would force them close upon the water's brink. But neither party seemed de- sirous of gaining the a osite side for the sake of a fight. Each conclud act upon the defensive, being ignorant of each other's force. In a few words Sure Shot Seth made known the circumstances under which he and Maggie Harris had been separated a few minutes before. Mr. Harris groaned in spirit over the hope he had been so fondly cherishing of recove his child. “I’m going to try and get away from here at once,” said Seth, “‘and hunt M eup. I dare say her captor will wait among the nds the result of his friends’ attack here; and, if so, I may creep around and rescue her, She was in the power of but one savage when I last saw her.” “Oreepin’ tarrapins!” exclaimed Joyful Jim, **thar’s just about as much likelihood of Re findin that Ingin and gal to-night as thar is of old Inkpa- duta becomin’ an angel.”’ “Tl try it, nevertheless,” answered Seth, in a whigper; “‘one cannot tell what he can do, nor what he cannot do, until he has tried. Mr. Harris, I will leave my and accouterments with you, as I will here to swim away from here. My knife is all that I wan “Boy,” said old Jim, “ I’m afraid you'll git a pellet of lead into your system. I dare say they’re watch- in’ out for us.”’ “Then, my friends, we must watch out for them.” ** Faith, and that we will,” said Teddy O’Roop. “Seth knows his old friends,” said Justin Gray. * And can trust his new ones,” said Tom Grayson. “Tt requires no words to assure me of this,” an- swered Sure Shot Seth. The young rifleman divested himself of his weapons and such outward clothing as he could dispense with, Then he crept down tothe water's e and entered the lake, e swam off on his back, his head and face alone being visible on the moonlit surface of the water. His friends trembled with the fear that the savages would see him and bring their to bear upon him. Nor were their fears with- out foundation. Seth was scarcely three rods from | shore ere a rifle rung out over the wall and a bullet, striking the water obliquely, skimmed along the sur- face of the lake. This shot was immediately follow- | ed by two more that cut the water close to the face of the swimmer. Those on the island were unable to cover his re- treat. There was no way by which they could reach the top of the rock that separated them from the foe, while the latter were afforded this means by the ht inclination of their side of the wall. Not to be outdone, however, Hooseah, the Indian lad, sudden- y darted out from under the | , and, utteri 6 sharp cry of a wolf, lea st at the same time throwing him; and just as his head came up even with the top of the rock he fired. A yell of agony on the o posite side of the wall told how fatal had been shot, notwithstanding the manner in which it had | ly,” again been made, This caused a diversion in Seth’s favor; and before vith another shot could be fired the friends of the young holler! I’m beginnin’ to feel fightish, and fust thing ye know Til bulge through this wail and tackle the 211 Ingin nation. I’m feelin’ real awful—super- bumfustic, I can’t hold myself much longer.”’ “Kape cool, Joyful Jim,” said Teddy O’Roop, “and save yer fire for the sthruggle that’s sure come soon—wirra!’’ A shadow passed over the speaker and a stone fell in the lake beyond. ‘“The bloody devils are beginning to throw stones over here in hopes of crushing us,’’ said Tom Gray- son, Our friends were again obliged to avail themselves of the protection of the shelving wall, for the stones were now raining down on their side like hail, while they had no chance to return the “ compliment, ” In fact, the savages ——— the most advantageous position, being enabled to scale the wall at pleasure, and with impunity. For fully five minutes the missiles hurtled through the air. Saddenty there was acrash. A stone had fallen into the canoe—a long, frail bark concern— and stove a hole through the bottom, rendering it perfectly useless, This left our friends in a rather precarious situation, and served to increase their ears. A yell from the savages told their gloating triumph; but it was immediately answered by a strange medley of shouts and cries from the Brigade, The whites, also, began to return the shower of stones as soon as they dare venture from under the ledge; and the groans and cries of excitement which came from the opposite side told that the reds were being dangerously disturbed, as they had not the advantage of a shelter that their enemies This hurtling of stones was kept up untilit became unendurable by savage patience and fortitude, and with a wild yell they charged around the eastern end of the wall. e whites were not taken un- awares, and a deadly struggle ensued. But it was brief as it was desperate. The savages were driven back to their own side, while a shout rung forth upon the air from the lips of the victorious Brigade. ‘* Och, now,”’ exclaimed Teddy O’Roop, “ and isn’t it delicious fun, b’ys?”’ “Tish fun very much,” replied young Schultz, “Hark! hark!” cried Justin Gray. With bated breath all listened. A sound, soft and weird as the strains of an Eolian harp, floated to every ear. Every sound became hushed by the magic power of the mysterious music, Even the waves seemed to still their murmur and listen enchanted. A shadow fell across the rock that separated the foes—a vision appeared upon its summit. It was the vision of a woman—the author of these enchant- bg. bapapcie of ewe fs he hazy moonlight; the sylph-like peporicon of the figure; the gray, mist-like robe that enveloped it; the white face, and flowing wealth of flaxen hair gave the mysterious creature upon the rock pagers spiritual form, and enshrouded it ina nimbus t partook of the light of a celestial bg: fi In her arms she held a harp over which her white ye danced and flashed like ripples of sunshine; while her face, clothed in the radiance of wo love, was lifted toward heaven; and her lips poured forth an accompaniment to the harp that would have ona the stoniest heart and soothed the wildest The scene was indeed wondrous. The night; the little forest-girded lake; the rocky island; the savages motionless upon one side as the unconscious forms stiffening at their feet, and their painted faces up- turned toward the strange visitant—not contorted with wild frenzy, but mute with solemn awe and mysterious admiration; while on the other side stood our friends, rooted to the spot with ew toe by the sudden change from the terrors of battle to the enchanting st of music, Neither whites nor reds had seen the strange musician approach; and where she had come from was a question beyond their comprehension. Silent and unmoved, she stood upon the rock and sent forth those sweet seductive strains, whose melody awoke a feeling in the breasts of the audi- ence that they had scarcely ever experienced. The heart of each seemed to leap forth in response to the silvery notes, while the soul became by the sounds that seemed born of heaven i A Thus for all of ten minutes the unknown continued to play; then, as the last note faded away like the vision of a dream, she turned, and in a tone soft as @ flute’s, said: **Oh, why do my red and white friends fight and ng | slay each other!’’ ght into the air, | rifle at a level before | A profound stillness followed. The question was repeated; and from the Boy Brigade came the re sponse: “We are enemies.” “ But you are brothers—of the same human fami- ke the angel of whose sweet face looked down w astonished foes eaven’s serenity, Shi her white. hands over her breeet: and itching bee voice intc,
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1 — ——_—_—_ — Sure Shot Seth. ——eeaeee —_— an appealing tone, cried out: red and white; cease your struggles here. You are all brave, but this is not an honorable battle-field.” ‘The red-men have dug up the hatchet,” said a gavage, in a clear; full tone that was distinctly heard by the Brigade. “Then go tothe woods and fight where the van- uished can have a chance for life,” answered the air unknown. “Already my red brothers have lost half of their friends, while my white brothers are strong as when they came. Go, red-men; take your boat and depart, and the Great Spirit will be pleased.” Under any other circumstances the savages would **Oh, my brothers! | the Indians. have received this request with derision; but their | answered Seth. loss of men and fen gerne) destruction made them more considerate of her appeals. “Tf we leave here, the pale-faces will slay us, said a warrior. “‘T, Heaven’s Messenger of Peace and Mercy, will, ” him that there were wounded warriors among them; and he felt satisfied they were the Indians who had engaged his friends at the island. And this now forced the query upon him: who had been victors? his friends or the savages? A figure swept suddenly past them, going toward is movements were heavy and clumsy —evidence of excitement and want of savage pre- caution. He was no Indian; of this Seth was as- sured, and a moment later he found he was correct. The figure reached the Indians and began talking in plain English, but in an excited tone. ‘*Seth, do you not recognize that voice?’ asked Maggie, clinging closer to her young friend. “Tt sounds familiar, but I really can’t place it,” “It’s the voice of Hawk-Eyes, that Boy Chief, | whom you threw overboard.” on behalf of my white brothers, promise you a safe | retreat from this island. The pale-faces are not cowards, and they will respect a woman's wish.” “Pair bein?!’ exclaimed old Joyful Jim, ‘of heaven, of earth, of air, or wharever ye mout be from, we have no respect for a red-skin, I am sorry to say; but we'd be wusser than heathens not to re- | spect the wish of an angel, wouldn’t we, boys?” ‘** Yes, yes,” was the unanimous response. “Then, let my red brothers depart hence in peace,” said the songstress. The savages were only too glad to obey, andina moment they had all. embarked for the There were scarcely a dozen rods from the island ere the maiden on the rock came nearer and said, in a natural tone: “Repair your boat, friends, and flee, or you may never again have the chance.” She spoke excitedly, and her voice and form now seemed more of earth than heaven. ** Who in the wisdom of Solomon be you?” asked old Jim, glancing up at her with a quizzical look, “Vishnia of the Valley,” she answered, with an anxious, impatient gesture, at the same time glanc- a uneasily around her. Several of the boys flew to the damaged boat, and, dragging it up on the beach, set to work to re- pair the injuries, which could only be effected by contributions of superfluous clothing stuffed into the geping rent. While they were thus employed, Mr. rris stood and conversed with Vishnia of the Val- ley. of Vishnia, where do you reside?” he asked. *In the valley of the Minnesota, with my father, whose mission On earth is love and truth, and the in- culeation of the principles of peace and glory of God,” she answered. “But how came you here?” he asked. “As I now depart,” she said, and, tripping down from the wall, she sprung into a canoe, that was so small her robe almost concealed it from view. Then lifting a light paddle, and wishing our friends a God speed, she darted away over the waters with oe rapidity, and soon disappeared from ew. “Great shockin’!”’ exclaimed Joyful Jim, ‘‘she’s a sort of a star of the fust magnitude, ar’n t she boys? Bless my eyes, if 'd mind marryin’ such a woman S that, though Ialers swore that I'd never marry e pur—”’ > aboard?” cried one of the boys, as they launched the boat a for departure. The next momentall rend on the western shore of the lake, and where he tumult of battle had waged a few minutes be- fore, the silence of death now reigned. CHAPTER XV. A SECRET COUNCIL. Macere Harris was paralyzed by sight of the face she had seen in the water. Unable to move, unable to cry out, she sat motionless, with fixed eyes staring at the little patch of moonlight. But she saw the face of him she loved no more. The distance and loom had enshrouded it, and her heart sunk in | ondency. awk-Eyes used the paddle nervously and awk- wardly, which would have been evidence to any one waned in the nature of the Indian that he—the chief —was not a red-skin. Maggie mistrusted as much from the first: and as it gave her no relief to think that he was a white person in disguise, she dismissed the matter from her mind. Slowly they made their way toward the southern shore, and were already within the deep border of darkness that skirted the margin of the water when there was a sudden commotion alongside the boat; a dull, heavy blow, a groan, ant the fall of a body into the water. The boat rocked violently; Maggie was almost thrown into the lake, and before she ae seer from her fright, a voice said: e , A low, subdued cry burst from Maggie's lips, for #e recognized the voice as that of Sure Shot Seth. e youth had swum silently up to the boat, coh A well-directed blow knocked the chief overboard, en, having made his presence known, he sprung fnto the boat, and, having addressed a few words o eheer and assurance to the maiden, took up the pad- die and drove the boat ashore. Having landed and assisted Maggie from the canoe, he conducted her rapidly away around thelake. He was satisfied that he had not slain the young chief, and that his cries would soon set a horde upon their trail; and so the greatest precaution and haste were essential to escape. They had gone but a short distance when the gound of voices fell upon Seth’s ears. He stopped and listened, and, by the sound of the speakers ¥oices, discovered they were savages. A groan told ad embarked for the nearest | shore. | | thoughts of each were busy. asked herself if Seth had been actuated in his mo- | tives of kindness toward her by a feeling greater | than friendship. She wanted onl | standing their danger. ** Sorry, then, that I didn’t kill him,” “Seth,he is not anIndian. He is awhite boy in disguise,” affirmed the maiden. “What? Hawk-Eyes a white war-chief?” exclaimed Seth. ** Yes.” “Then we have more to fear than if he wasa savage. A white Indian has a less human heart than a genuine Indian.”’ ‘Where, then, shall we go?’’ asked the maiden. ‘* Let us bear off to the left, and edge around to the uorth. There is no telling where we will be safe now. The wood is full of enemies, and the Agency closely besieged.” “Seth, you are endangering your life for me,” said Maggie; ‘it is better that ]—” ‘Not a word, Maggie,” interrupted the gallant youth; ‘it is the greatest pleasure I ever enjoyed to be enabled to protect you. Moreover, I owe_you all this; had it not beet for you and Emma, would have been slain there where Le Clereq and his com- panions bound me. It was your own hands, Maggie, that liberated me from that tree, and had you not gone there for that purpose you would never have been captured. So you see I am indebted to you.” “T blame Ivan Le Clereq for all our present troubles.” ** And at the same time, Maggie, I can’t say that I boy and a Sioux | am sorry he acted as he did,” said Seth, in a slightly hesitating voice. ‘““Why, Seth?” she asked, in surprise. ** Because I might never have met you,’ “Oh!” she exclaimed, involuntarily, and some- thing of the truth flashed across her mind, sending the warm blood coursing through her veins, They moved on a few moments in silence; but the A dozen times Maggie the assurance of this fact to make her supremely happy, notwith- On the other hand, Seth was laboring under the same anxiety and uncertainty, Maggie was the first to break the silence. ‘** Have you seen Ivan Le Clereq since the shooting- match?” she asked. ‘‘T have not; his four friends, however, were with your father and Tom Grayson this morning; but I ave them no chance to identify me, and I presume they all think Sure Shot Seth is dead.” ‘“T hope Ivan and his friends may know no differ- | ent until their conscience has punished them severe- ly,” said Maggie. hey moved right onward warn the lonely halls of the forest. eary miles were traversed; but they brought the tired fugitives to no point of safety. The morning dawn was fast breaking into the light of another day, when the glow of a fire burst sudden- ly upon their gaze. It was not more than twenty rods away, and it required no second glance to tell Seth that it was the camp-fire of whites. There were four of them—all boys; and to the surprise of both Seth and Maggie, they beheld the companions of Ivan Le Clereq. They were seated before the fire, apparently in close conversation, eth was undecided as to the course he should pursue; but, before he could arrive at any conclu- sion; he saw a young Indian chief emerge from the bein beyond and approach the boys with quick strides. Maggie uttered a little cry at sight of him, while Seth's hand sought the weapon at fla belt...” It was Hawk-Eyes, the M Chief, who was wel- comed by the four youths to th eir canp-fire. CHAPTER XVI. A STARTLING DISCOVERY. Sure Spor Sern was astounded by what he had seen, and trembled for the safety of the fair girl at his side. They occupied a | ppirte not altogether secure from the keen eyes of a savage, and the first act of the youth was to retrace his footsteps and gain the friendly cover of a dense thicket. en he turned to Maggie and said, in a subdued tone: “Maggie, 1 must know more about those boys. There is some treachery going on, and if I can learn the object of their interview with the chief, I may be able to save those at the Agency. Iam going to try to overhear their interview.” ' Be very, very careful, Seth,” Maggie answered. With a word or two of caution, Seth moved away. Magee watched him out of sight, then sat down. é€ approached the party, keeping a clump of bushes between. He gained a position within ear- oie and pausing, listened. He heard Hawk-Eyes “Do the ni rage youths know that Sure Shot Seth is dead?’ He spoke in good English, but ina tone evidently disguised and unnatural, “We found the skeleton of one whom we believe was Sure Shot Seth,’ answered Rube Johnson, * Do the settlers mistrust anything of the truth?® the chief asked. Seth saw at once that the chief was there to con- fer with the four boys by appointment, and that er was some kind of an understanding betweem them. “Tam afraid they do,” answered young Johnson; ‘just last night I hada conversation with Emma Milbank, and in speaking of ‘Tom Grayson gittin’ beat at the shootin’-match, she got mad as fire. You know what a little spitfire she is when she gits. mad; and as she’s sweeter’n maple molasses on | Tom, why, she won’t hear anything against him, and so she up and says: ‘ You'd better not say much | about that shootin’-match, for there’sa secret con- nected with it that might hang somebody I know,’’ ““'Then, by heavens, she knows all about it!” ex- claimed Hawk-Eyes, forgetting the dignity of his position as a war-chief, and betraying no little ex- citement and cowardly fear. Seth started at the change in his voice. “Yes,” he heard Rube Johnson continue, “I be- | lieve she and Maggie seen Sure Shot Seth tied up to the tree, and know who did it.” _ “ And assure as it is found out, we'll all catch am invitation to court,’ said Gus Stewart. “Between the Indians, and the fear of punish- ment, we’llhave no rest for—well, God only knows, how long,”’ said Abe Thorne, in a tone of penitence. ‘*T wish we had left him alone, for after all, The- Eaglet-from-Sky-Puncher-Peak got the gun.” _ “Do not fear the Indians,” said Hawk-Byes, ‘‘ for if you show them no hostility, I will assure you of their friendship.” “Good!” exclaimed Rube; “ why not join the In- dians at once and be done with it?” _ “That would never do, I want you to work for me in the Agency. You can place both Maggie and Emma in my power, and then you willhave nothing to fear from them. I expect to remain an Indian chief. But a few days ago, Hawk-Eyes, the Boy Chief, was slain, and, I have taken both his name and rank, and have sworn to exterminate half of Minnesota’s whites.”’ “ Just so, my worthy young villain,” said Sure Shot, to himself; “I think you’ll have to swear to that again.” ** But,” continued Johnson, “ we are afraid to re- turn home, and had concluded to skulk and hide oA og in the woods until assured, it ’d be safe to go ac 4?” ‘**T think your friends have need of all their forces to keep the besiegers away, and that they ‘ll have no time to investigate Sure Shot Seth’s case.” ‘Well, we will hang around in the woods awhile anyhow; and if the Indians capture the fort, we'll be outside,” Rube put in. “I’m for just going right home and makin’ a clean breast of it all,” said Abe Thorne, “and take the risk. We can tell ’em that we war in fun with Seth, and mebby they’ll let us off. I’d rather be shot tham hidin’ ‘round in the woods and startin’ and shudder- in’ at every sound just like a guilty murderer.” “‘Hear Abe whine, will you?” sneered Gus; ‘he’s. been a-tryin’ to crawfish in this matter ever since last night.” “Boys, I have an old mother dependin’ on me for ee — bread, and I cannot desert her,” Abe pro-~- sted. “Then I sup you'll desert us, turn State’s evidence, and let us swing,” suggested Ches Pa- n. ‘No, I will do no such thing; I want to git all out of this scrape in an honorable way,” persisted Abe. “You'll get out inno such way as you prepose,”” replied Ru indignantly, “‘for you can’t make crime honorable.” “T have a right to do as I please,” was Abe’s reply. You may have the right, but not the liberty,” was the threat of Hawk-Eyes. ‘ “*T want to do what is honorable with you all; but I will not be driven to add crime to crime. I have gone just as far as I’m going in this matter, and shall return to the Agency. If you fellers go with me, all right; if not, all right. I shall keep silent, however, until Iam called upon to tell the truth in this matter.” “Yes, you confounded coward,” exclaimed Rube, “vou mean to betray us all,”’ **J mean to do just what I say, and you can’t scare me into anything else, either,” was Abe’s response, given in a tone of unflinching determination. ; “Then go, seek your skim-milk mates—go!” and Rube 5 in a tone of authority. Abe Thorne Rose to his feet, his boyish face flushed with anger, and his eyes blazing with indi nation, Abe had not been hopelessly lost in wicked- ness; nor had his companions; but he was, by na. ture, both kind and honest. He was rather wild and reckles yet had no desire to commit crime; and he shrunk from the idea of to conceal the ae osed death of Seth in the way proposed by Hawk. yes, the Boy Chief. Taking up his rifle, the youth mpoke a few parti words to his companions, then turned and moy away. The eyes of the Boy Chief followed his retreating form with a fierce, murderous look that caused Set to start with sudden fear. That violence was upper- most in the young villain’s mind there was not a doubt in the world. Seth watched the conspirators until Abe was out of sight, then he turned and crept back tc where M e was waiting for him. “Maggie,” he reves his voice Lege a: no little rise, “‘ I am completely shocked, for I have made a discovery that no doubt ee you. Jvarn Le Clercg and Hawk-Hyes, the Boy Chief, are one ang the same person |” : .
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Sure Shot Seth. CHAPTER XVII. WAS IF THE SHOT OF AN ASSASSIN? A RIFLE-sHOT rung suddenly through the forest, starting Seth and Maggie with sudden fear. The re- rt was followed by a groan, and that Abe Thorne’s | riends had assassinated him, Seth had not a single doubt; for the look the young villain, Hawk-Eyes, |! gave him when he turned to leave, meant mischief. “Tam afraid,’ said Seth, “that they have mur- dered poor Abe, for they quarreled with him, and he | left then.” “Tf Hawk-Eyes is Ivan Le Clercq, as you say, he | jwill not besitate todo anything,’’ replied Maggie. “Why + re you afraid they have killed Abe Thorne?” Seth | riefly narrated all that he had heard at the camp-fi e conference. Seare ily had he concluded, ere a peculiar ery rung forth uyron the air—a cry that sent a smile of recog- nition over his young face. Then, from different quarter’ among the wooded hills, rose half a dozen answer! hg cries, plain and distinct. “Ah! my friends, the Boy Brigade, are near,” | said Se! bh. A fie: ce savage yell rung through the forest, then the shgrp, stinging report of a rifle followed, only to be succeeded by other shots fired in rapid succes- sion. The boy conspirators started to their feet, and, like so many frightened deer, bounded away into the | woods, while Hawk-Eyes turned and crept through | the shadows in the direction whence the sounds of | conflict came. “‘Jlaggie,” said Seth, “‘my friends are near and | You will be safe here for | e while, and I wil go to their assistance; but return | engaged with the savages. vryyou soon, .f we succeed in defeating the foe, our escape will be certain.” : ni do, Seth, to your friends’ assistance. I will await your return,’’ said the brave little maiden. Seth crept away through the woods, and soon came in sight of the combatants, He placed a whistle to his lips and blew a sharp blast uponit. Instantly from different quarters, rose the answering cry o the Boy Brigade. A savage yell answered the latter. A deep hollow divided the foes, who were conceal- ed in the timber that crowned the summits of the bluffs. But not a friend or foe could Seth see. could see, however, a little cloud of smoke puff up from behind a tree, now and then, telling him where | the combatants were. Keeping well under cover, he moved on toward his Hietrnde. b A sate thar!’ suddenly exclaimed a voice over- ead, Seth looked up and saw Joyful Jim, the trader, erched upon a Fim loading his gun. His head was re, and across uis forehead was a long wound or abrasion, from which a little rivulet of blood was | running down each side of his face. The body of the tree screened him from Indian bullets. “Why, Jim!’’ exclaimed Seth, ‘‘what are you do- ing up There?” *Punchin’ red-skins, Seth,’’ was the laconic reply. BS Tt seems to me they’ve been striping your ** Yes, the *tarnal sulphurians knocked the bark off my frontispiece, and sprung a leak in my system, Gallons of the best blood, unadulterated with cold water, haye evaporated, but it'll soon return in a copious shower to relinquish and fructify the ” h. “My old friend,” said Seth, “‘a red-skin ‘ll get sight of you, first thing you know, and put a bullet through your system.” “Tl risk it, Seth; besides, I’m up here where Ican gee how the cat ay and warn the boys. Oh, I t ul ye, it’s de-lightful sport, Seth—this Ingin fight- in’. = used to furnish the ’tarnal smoky-skinned | sulphurians their spirits; now by alittle tapping pro- cess with powder and lead, I extracts their spirits. Don’t you perceive the difference with half an eye?” ae you know the force of the enemy?’ asked th. «*! Mow nothin’; you ean’t count snakes that are In their holes. But I opine thar’s quite a number of ‘em—say half a million or less of the superbumfus- tic varmints.”’ * Are che boys all afoot yet? “Yes; and perambulatin’ red-skins over the Jor- ding ata lively rate. I tell ye, Seth, your Boy Bri- auto are a reg’lar set of young squackers on the hoot. But, lookey here, whar’s that gal?” * Safe for the time being,” answered Seth. “Good,” > egg eee Joyful Jim; then, havin, zapped his rifle, he began peering cautiously aroun +he tree for a red-skin; but before he had the chance of a second shot, a fierce yell rose in the rear, start- ig both with a shudder of terror. *Flanked, by the New Jerusalem!” exclaimed old Jim, turning and glancing toward the horde swarm- ame ruen the woods upon thera, th took to his heels, fleeing in the direction of his friends. The savages on the opposite bluff charged from that direction. Joyful Jim started down the tree, but he saw at a glance that he could not escape the foe, and so es his notion and climbed higher among tho bra Sure Shot Seth soon came to where his friend, the Beaver, was, and together the two ran on toward the valley. Others of the Brigade fell in with them, and by the time they had gone fifty ig the whole of the band, including Maggie Harris's father and Tom Grayson, had joined them. Tne Indians, now to the number of nearly a hun- were in pursuit of them. Sure Shot Seth led way to the precipitous bluff that overhung He | nches in hopes the savages would not discover | . the head of the valley, and which he knew to be honeycombed with numerous caverns and subter- ranean passages where one might elude an enemy | with ease. To reach the mouth of one of those pas- sages required but a few moments, and no sooner were they under cover than all turned and poured a deadly volley into the ranks of the advancing enemy. A number Of the latter fell; but their death only served to madden their surviving friends, who, like demons, came on toward the cavern, determin- | ed on exterminating the band of whites. That the savages were ignorant of the advantage of which our friends had availed themselves, was | evident from the incautious manner in which they approached. The Brigade fell back a few paces | from the entrance, and, facing about, waited until | the foe came up, when from the black mouth of the | | vault they poured another withering volley. This caused the enemy to'retreat with a full knowledge | of the situation, and, for the time being, all relapsed | into silence. “ Well, here we are cooped up like so many fowls,” said Justin Gray, ‘and are likely to remain so for a | while.” **Nigkt let us out,’ said Hooseah, the Indian lad, “Och! and it’s meself knows what will let us out | widout a doubt,’ remarked Teddy O’Roop. ‘* What?” eagerly question young Judd, **Death, be jabers!” * Ay, Ted; this is no jesting matter,” said young Gray, soberly, ‘‘for other lives depend upon our ; ” | safety.’ covering breath. **T left her alive and well,” was the answer; ‘ but | God knows what will be her fate ere we escape | from this place.” The father groaned in spirit, and with heart beat- ing in agony, he listened to Seth’s recital of his ad- ventures since he had rescued Maggie. broke the news of Ivan Le Clercq’s traitorous con- | duct, Tom Grayson started as though pierced by a dagger. He couid scarcely credit the statement, yet the absence of Le Clereq and his sudden disappear- ance went, in a measure, to corroborate the young rifleman’s story. While most of the brigade guarded the entrance | of an outlet. They found the passage sinuous as a serpent’s path, and in places reduced in size, so that | it was with difficulty they were enabled to pass on. The passages also rose and fell at irregular intervals, but finally took an upward slant, which led the boys to believe they would succeed in finding the sought- cor exit, The slope finally terminated in a network of roots, stone and dirt. They were satisfied, nevertheless, that it was not far to the surface, and a few heurs’ tunneling would admit them, to the open air. Before they could decide upon ang definite course, further than that already arrived at, the sullen roar of a chew! rolled through the resonant chambers of the vault. boas By gracious!” exclaimed Tom Grayson, *‘ they’re having a fight down at the entrance. “Come,” said Seth, as discharge after discharge boomed through the cavern. They hurried back and found their friends engaged with the savages who were trying to force an en- enabled to hold their position against ten times their number, and so the savages were driven off. A yell of defiance and triumph followed the red-skins, who, could watch the mouth of the cavern. A close watch was now kept upon the movements | of the enemy, but no further demonstration was made during the day. As the shadows of night week, The thought of Maggie was never absent from his mind, and in his anxiety to return to her, time seemed to drag on leaden feet. - was nearly dark outside, and all arrangements for escape were perfected, when, to the sudden sur- prise and dismay of all, the bright glare of a light suddenly lit up the mouth of the cavern. he ing all hopes of our friends’ escape that way for the time being. ter despair. said Seth. * Let us try at once,” suggested Tom Grayson. With Teddy O’Roop, Sure Shot Seth repaired to the extremity of the cavern, and with knives and tomahawk began the uncertain task of digging out. Their labors was attended with difficulty. The darkness prevented them working with dispatch. The knife and tomahawk clinked on the stones, and sparks of fire were emitted by the contact. If they were near the surface, and an enemy should hap- pen to pass that way, he would be sure to hear the sound of their working; so, altogether there was nothing to insure escape, even should they succeed in working a way out. owever, Seth resolved to | lose no time in testing the result, for the pretty, fair | stant appeal for help and protection. searcely had the sounds of their own blows died away ere Teddy grasped Seth by the arm and in an excited whisper said: ‘* Whist, Sith, me b’y!"" was so very faint they could not locate the F ed from which it came. It seemed dull and far off. “Tt must be the echoes of our knife and toma- trance. But being in the dark, and each provided | with a revolver, and some with a pair, the boys were | in dismay, sought shelter behind trees where they | “What ef Maggie, Seth?’ asked Mr. Harris, re- | When he | hawk still reverberating through the cavern,” sai Seth. ** Niver, lad, niver. Press yer ear against this wall and yees can hear something er some one dig- ging. none did as requested. He started, with the re- ply: ** You are right, Ted; there is some one digging within a foot of our cavern wall. But who cén it be?” As if in answer to the question, the left wall cf the cavirn fell inward, revealing a passage beyond. A cloud of dust rose in the cavern, but through the black fog thus pervading the place a dim light sud- denly appeared, and behind it was a fearful human visage! CHAPTER XVIII. A SPOILED COUNTENANCE. “Hoty Moruer!’’ burst from Teddy's lips, as his eyes fell wpon the horrible-looking visage, bloated and distorted, Sure Shot Seth started back in amazement, his eyes fixed upon, the face just visible, through the cloud of dust, in the lurid, wavering light clutched in a bony hand. The face was contorted like that of the demon of rage. It was covered with dirt and blood, while the wet, matted hair ung in twistec, cerpent-like locks about his face, like the h-ir cf tho Furics. “Haw! haw! has!” burst in a deep, sonorous peal from his lip=, the soun. starting a shudder in the hear n’ myself on the ground, into a thicket, and throw | eluded further persecution, though a million of ‘em follered me, but findin’ I'd give ‘em the slip, they went back and took a crack at the red-skins. I never see’d sich squirmin’ in all my days,and 1 isid thar in them bushes and just shook with laugiiter till I settled myself a foot in the ground. Why, them half-naked red-skins jist roll and clawed, and kicked, and floundered, and pounded, and hollered wusser’n a hundred fiends smokin’ hot from Hades. | I just laffed and laffed till the bushes got to shakin’, face of Maggie Harris stood before his mind in con- | They worked diligently for nearly an hour; but | They listened intently. They heard a sound. It | and then to dancin’, and if ever there was a gay old time, it was then and thar. Them red-skins got stung so that they puffed up wusser than an inflated bladder. They could not lay on the hillside, and so rolled into the valley, and asI couldn’t do ‘em any ood, and thar bein’ several stray hornits hangii’ k as a reserve ready to lance their harpoons into anything that might show itself, I vacated that vi- cinity in blooded-racer style. I retreated south, and as I war makin’ my way along the ledge of Llufis that face the valley of the B Woods, a groan fell upon my ear.”
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12 —_ x ** A groan?’ exclaimed Seth; “ did you find Maggie \Harris?” **No; war thar whar you left her?” “Tt was near the ledge of which you speak that t left her,” replied Seth, excitedly. “‘T saw nothing of her; but I found a dying boy there. It was Abe Thorne. He had bean shot through the lung and was nearly gone when I got to him. He tried to talk and tell me somethin’, but the seal of death was upon the poor lad’s lips. He pointed this way and that. fis lips moved, but I couldn't catch one word. I shouldn’t wonder, Seth bui he war trying to tell me "bout Maggie. Ah t tell ye, boys, 1 war teched to the very heart. If,. laushed with joy a few minutes before tell I cried, - cou'dn’t keep back tears of pity as I looked upen that poor lad with his pale face, his quiverin’ lips, and dilated nostrils, dyin’ there with no mother, nor sister, nor friend’s kind words to cheer him up, nor bid him adieu afore he went away into the unknown worll. I stood by him till he died, then I carried the body away and buried it in the woods under a tree. It went hard to put him away without a word bein’ said, seein’ he was a boy. I remembered a real nice prayer that my old mother l’arnt me ‘when I was a cub, but my heart. failed me when I come to say it. I war afraid the Lord would pay no gitention to the prayers of a blasted old sinner like @ld Joyful Jim. No; [laid the boy away as nice as possible; covered him up and piled stones on the grave; then I took myself away into the woods. I erept around to the north of this nil] and got into the @avern, enterin’ from that side, I’ve been diggin’ thar four solid hours.” ** Poor Abe Thorne!” said Seth, ** he has been slain by the hand of a boy friend, or one who pretended to be his friend. As to Maggie I presume the Saiegrter have got her. Fool that I was for leaving er; but then I acted, as I supposed, for the best.” Sin Whar’s the rest of the Brigade?” asked Joyful im, “ At the mouth of the cavern! Let us join them t once and prepare to leave this place. I'll suffocate I don’t get into the open air soon,” They at once returned to their friends, and in as few words as possible, reported the discovery of nother passage opening on the northside of the ' Harris became almost frenzied as he listened to woyful Jim’s story of Abe Thorne’s death and the e Sen capture of his daughter. With as short delay as possible, the little band ynade haste to vacate the cavern. Led by Joyful Wim, they filed away through the dark passage. The savages seemed to have instinctively antici- ated their intentions and swarmed in after them. eir yells echoed in tones of thunder through the chambers of the great vault. But, nothing daunted, our friends pushed on. They finally reached the rear opening of the chamber, halted just within, and sent old Jim out to reconnoiter, In five minutes the signal agreed upon was given, and the little band filed out and joined the scout. ** Now, which way?’’ asked the old man. “Toward Lake Luster,” answered Seth, and taking the lead, headed toward the south-west. Savage cries, satigrgeeey | the escape of the Boy Brigade, rose upon the night. From all points they were answered; bnt, silent as phantoms, our friends stalked on through the darkness, led by the indomi- table yo riflerman, Seth gradually bent his course so as to bring him back to where he had left Maggie Harris; but, when he reached the point and found her gone, he sail nothing but pushed on into the valley. They soon entered what was known as the Black ‘Woods—a deep, dark, and almost impenetrable forest, where the shadows were eternal. Stately pines reared their heads heavenward like giant sentinels; the mold in which their roots found nour- ishment was heavy and sodden; the atmosphere damp and depressing. Animal life seemed ed from the place, and a depressing, foreboding silence reigned there. ut this silence lasted only for a short’ period—a few minutes—ere voices could be heard calling to each other, from out the depths of the woods, in un- natural tones, They were savages. Suddenly a sharp and sullen boom, not unlike that of a cannon, burst upon the night, its echoes re- bounding from hill to valley and fading away in quavering intonations, The Boy Brigade stopped and discussed the matter of the noise; but as they could form no conception as to its meaning, they pushed on through the woods, They had journeyed nearly a mile when, all of a sud- sett a broad expanse of dazzling light burst upon heir eyes, They stood upon the shore of Lake Luster—the tiny jewel that sparkled upon the bosom of the grim Black Woods, as it lay bathed in the mellow beams of the full, round moon, CHAPTER XIX. WHITHER SHALL SHE FLY? Maacerk Harris was a brave and peerless ‘When left alone to await her young protector’s re- turn, she stilled the beating of her heart, and recon- eiled her mind to her situation, She could hear the firing of back in the woods, and knew that a desperate conflict was going on. Then, when the savages charged the Boy e, and their yell rose and fierce upon the air, she was filled with a grave fear. But, before she had time for much ion, a movement in the bushes arrested her attention, She turned and beheld an object creeping along the carth, with great difficulty; and a second glance told her itwas a human form Her first impression “Was that a savage was creeping stealthily upon her, i girl Sure Shot Seth. A cry rose to her lips, but with supreme effort she restrained it. She recognized the voice, but not the face. The latter was haggard and covered with blood. It was Abe Thorn. He was wounded, and bleeding to death. Maggie moved toward him, all the kindness of her young heart wakened by sympathy for the wounded OY. “You, Maggie? Are you alone?” asked the youth, in a feeble tone. “Yes; but Abe, what ails you?” asked the maiden, shuddering. “Oh, Maggie!’ he cried, in a feeble tone, as he | sunk upon the earth, overcome with sheer exhaus- tion from loss of blood; “I’ve been shot, and I’m roing to die.” ** Who shot you?—the Indians?” “No; one whom I always knew was treacherous, { yet whom I considered my friend—Ivan Le Clercq, who is now an Indian chief,” **My f.iend suspected as much; but, Abe, let me bind up your wounds and take care of you till help comes.’ ‘*No power on earth can save me; that I know,” replied Abe. ‘Our troubles all come about on ac- count of Sure Shot Seth. The day of the shooting- match Ivan and some more of us caught Seth and tied him up to a tree, so’s he couldn’t win the prize. But the Indians came before we could release him, and he was killed while bound helpless to the tree.”’ i “Are you sure he was killed, Abe?’’ questioned lageie. ‘**Yes; Ivan found his form stript of flesh still lashed to the tree, The wolves had eaten him. And so you see, Maggie, I die with a heavy load upon my soul, and I’m afraid the good Lord will not forgive ‘He will not punish you for the death of Sure fees Seth, Abe,’’ Maggie answered, ‘ for Seth still ives,” Abe started as if from a dream. “Sure Shot Seth alive!”” he exclaimed. ‘‘ Maggie, are you not mistaken?” “Tam not; he left me but a few minutes ago.”’ ‘Then I can die in peace,” he said, again sinking to the earth; “ but, Maggie, let me warn you of dan- ger. The fear of punishment for the supposed death of Seth drove Ivan Le Clercq to the Indians, and, for some deed of valor, he was given the posi- tion lately occupied by Hawk-Eyes, the Boy Chief. Ivan loves you, Maggie, and he will exert every effort to get you into his power, Because I opposed further wickedness, he shot me down when T turned to leave them. I know not what the other boys will do; but I do know mother will think a deal more of me dead, dying as I do, than a living traitor. If you ever meet her, Maggie, tell her of me, and our talk. But you had better not remain here, Maggie. There are many Indians in the Black Woods bent upon the destruction of all the whites they can find.” ‘*T cannot leaye you, Abe, suffering as you are.” eri! can’t suffer long, Maggie, for I am nearly ‘one, F Overcome with emotion, Maggie sat down by the dying youth, and, burying her face in her hands, bie bitterly. silence, broken only by the maiden’ sobs, en- sued, When Maggie again turned to Abe his eyes were half closed, his lips were slightly parted, while his face wore that calm, yet awful expression of death, She supposed he was dead then; but he was not. “Poor Abe!” sobbed the maiden; but she started at the sound of her own voice. It sounded hollow and unnatural. She glanced wildly around her. The distant report of fire-arms, the moan of the woods, and the presence of death, all conspired to fill her soul with horror. She started to her feet, then turned and fled the spot like a frightened ‘awn, She ran on deeper and deeper into the shadows of the Black Woods, as though there were some irresistible power drawing her into their gloom labyrinths. The shadows were deep as twilight, though now and then a faint stray beam of light, dim and ghostly, fell across her path. An indescribable horror lent speed to her feet, and she glided on until her steps were arrested by a blaze of light bursting upon her from before. She found the forest had terminated in a broad sheet of glimmering water. She stood on the shore of Lake Luster. She glanced over the little sheet and around its margin. No sign of life was visible. The place seemed wrapt in profound solitude, Deep in the bosom of the at black forest re- poset the little lake. The stately pines grew out to he very shore. Their branches reached out over the water. A narrow rim of white sand encircled the lake. A border of shadows hung over all. Here and there a little cove or inlet indented the shore, Wild flowers mingled their breath with the odor of the green wood, Half exhausted and haif delirious by her violent exercise, ie sunk down under a tree. She leaned her bbing head against the trunk, and clasped her hands over her beating heart. She closed her eyes and sunk into mental repose. She inhaled the fresh air and the sweet essence distilled on its breath; and, lulled by the soft cadence of the breeze among the tree-tops, she sunk into a gentle slumber, that was as sweet and refreshing as am- brosia to the lips. Even the sense of hearing was enraptured as she slept. The soft, flute-like notes of music fell upon her ears in dreams. Bright visions and enchanting scenes passed in rapid review before her, like the figures of a orama, Ki she awoke. Was it mockery?—all bitter disappolutment that, had attended her refreshing . \ a tas * fa Yh 2s , ui DY yc ot ek 4+ slumber? No, not at ail; the sweet breath of the woods was.there, and low, soft and melodious the weird and solemn refrain of a harp came to her ears. She started up in pare bewilderment, gaz- ing wildly around her, She benv her head and list- ened. Nothing save the ravishing strains of music, broke the silence. They seemed to issue from a cluster of bushes along the shore to the left, and, as if unable to overcome the weird fascination of the sound, she turned and moved toward it. She soon came to a little bay surrounded by a deep fringe of green-foliaged trees, whose boughs overhanging formed an Areadian bower over the still placid waters of the. bay. Upon the bosom of the latter rested a strange-looking craft, resemblin the long, narrow roof of a house with gables. deor opened in the side of this roof-like structure, and in front of it sat two persons, an old man and a young girl. The former sat with his face buried in his hands, apparently absorbed in deep reverie; while the maiden, with snowy fingers flashing over the strings of a Spanish harp, called forth those wild, wvird strains of celestial music. CHAPTER XX. PALACE OF OLD NEPTUNE. ENCHANTED by the music and startled by the scene, Maggie Harris stood silent and motionless, listening to the one and studying the other, The player was a young and beautiful girl, possibly not over gem years of age. Her rare loveliness, her sylphb-like form, her queenly grace, and air of high- born accomplishments contrasted strangely with the surrounding scene. Her eyes were of a soft brown, large and lustrous, and full of tenderness and love. She was robedin a gown of misty blue with a white collar around the snowy neck, Her cone hair hung like silken floss down her back. A iny, golden clasp at the throat, and a modest little rose in her hair were the only ornaments the fair creature wore. She sat near the old man, her very attitude, the pore of the head, and the manner in which she held her harp, all were positieus of ex- quisite grace and ease. The man was gn iadgaoe of sixty years of and in type and dress the personification of 0.4 Neptune. is face, his beard, his hair, and ever his trident spear, bore a ee. resemblance to those of the God of the Sea. His brow wore the covtracted fur- rows of care and deep thought. By his side lay some mechanical contrivance, consisting of wheel rods and shafts of copper; and by thes.» sat a kit o tools, such as would only be used by & master me- chanical hand. , The craft upon which those two mysterious people were seated was as odd as it was nious, It was about twenty feet long by ten in width, and sloped gradually from the water to a point like the comb of a house-roof, though it was plainly evident that some portion of its square was submerged, The whole was plated with melvanised sheet iron which ave it a white, clouded color. On the top were our small tubes resembling chimneys, though it was not ble that all were used as such, Magee regarded the strange sight for some time with speechless emotion. She had often heard of Lake Luster and the foreboding solitude that surrounded it; but never had she heard of these people, who had, from all appearances, dwelt there for some time. She scarcely knew whether to consider them friends or foes. There was something in the stern looks of the old man and the desolate repose that surrounded his habitation, that made her doubtful of his character. But, the fair and lovely creature at his side—isnocence, womanly love and kindness were written upon every feature of her face; and in the strains that floated out from the h came the accompaniment of a sweet and holy spirit. While the fugitive maiden stood undecided as to the course she should pursue, the old man started up, seized his trident and thrust itinto the water. A smile overspread his face—a smile that drove away all those hard lines, and relieved the fears of Maggie Harris. As the old man drew back ree our heroine saw a rah 2 fish impaled upon it, strug: gling in the grasp of the terrible barbs. Releasing the fish, and securing it from escape, the old man again relapsed into silence, while the maiden continued at the harp, Five minutes, per: haps, hed passed, when he again threw his spear and drew in a second fish. While he was releasing v the er ceased playing, and, walking to the ol man, 3 “Oh, what a nice fish, father! The two will be ample for our want for a day or two. The oe thing, how it struggles. It seems a pity to kill map r having enticed them here by the enchantment of music.” «“ has placed the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea at our command; and we have only to take them when our needs de- mand them. A slice of venison, or a roasted fowl, would be a welcome change at our table; but these are perilons times, and the report of a rifle might guide enemies to our retreat.” ‘““Hnemies? what enemies have we, father?’ ques- tioned the maiden. “There's no telling: the sav will doubtless re- gard all whites who do not join their ranks a8 ene- mies; and, if so, we will be in danger, for I will never bear arms against my countrymen.” ‘“Why not observe a strict neutrality, father?” “This would be impossible with the red-skins, igo 8 have no knowledge, in their savage ignorance, of civilized warfare, and we could not convince them that, as neutrals, we had any rights they were bound te) * “ , : ynot quit Lake Luster till peace is restored wii. gel ; pera STN ees Rel, a ———
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Sure Shot Seth. EN ] | wielding great “I could not think of it, Vishnia; especially, while m the eve of success in my invention that must ve me fame and wealth through all ages to come.” ** But, father, if there is a war between the North and South, the sale of your pee self-act- ing torpedo, may give you both fame and wealth. Now would be a good time to introduce your inyen- tion.” “Not very, daughter. The war between the North and South will not be a naval war. It will be princi- pally on land,” the old man replied. “At any rate, why waste more of your life over a project that you may never achieve, and which has | ruined the life and mind of many a wise genius?” Magzie heard all this conversation, and was not a little surprised. She saw that the old man had se- cluded himself there to work out in secret the com- plication of some. great invention. She had heard and read of such self-abnegation before, on the part of wise men, for the furtherance. of science. But such great sacrifice had been uncalled for, and was usually attended with an overwrought imagination, | In the subdued light of the old man’s eyes, his knit brows, and snowy temples, she could see the pres- ence of a partially-clouded mind. His conversation vevealed this, and Maggie had resolved not to in- trude upon the privacy of his beloved schemes, and | was about to turn away when she heard a rustle in the shrubbery to her right. p beheld a clump of bushes carefully parted, and a painted savage face appear in the opening. A-cry rose to her lips, and like a deer she darted from her concealment and ran toward the water. She had gone but a few paces, however, when the savagf overtook her. He grasped her by the arm and a rested her flight; then he lifted her in his naked, brawny arms and turned to flee. But, before he had taken a dozen steps, something struck him in the back witha dull thud. A gasp vee: ge his lips, and with a convulsive quiver running through his whole form, he sunk heavily to the earth, falling across the unconscious form of Maggie. A massive footstep approached from the lake, and the tall form of the mysterious old man of Lake Luster stood by the side of the dead warrior and the helpiess maiden. Stooping, he seized the savage’s form and hurled him aside, then from the body he withdrew his barbed spear, lifted Maggie in his strong arms and carried her aboard his boat. Scarce- ly he done so when a fierce, savage yell burst upon the air, and a score of savages rushed from the woods to avenge their fallen comrade; but, before they could reach the water’s edge, the boat was put in motion by some invisible means. The savages fixed at the craft, but their bullets \ fir a from the metal covering of the structure shail from a stone wall; and, in a few moments re, it was even beyond rifle-range, out upon the m |'bi jom of Lake Luster. CHAPTER XXI. TRULY INFERNAL, Tr was on the night following the events just nar- ted that we left the Boy Brigade on the shores of ake Luster, then bathed in the mellow radiance of i} full moon. Anexcla mation of surprise and admiration escaped pap lip a8 they gazed out over the little sheet and dark-green border of forest trees, But few of the little party had ever looked upon flake Luster under similar circumstances. It was i place seldom frequented by hunter or trapper. ‘he deep shadows seemed to have expelled all ani- mal life from within its borders, and it was only by accident that one happened that way. “Ry mighty!” exclaimed old Joyful Jim, “if that xr’n’t the most rumantic scene I ever mes ae m ey on. Why, she burns like a jewel on the blac Soa a nigger gal, Lake Luster, did you say, “Yes; the water is almost transparent. In many laces you can see the bottom and the fish s — ‘**That’s good; and I hope they'll continue to ob- serve this sana Y i , low, mind what I tell you,”’ said Sure Shot Seth. “'Wharfore?’’ old Jich demanded. “They are led by a white man; or rather a white boy, whose youth will be nothing in our favor. Ivan Le Clereq is he terse gg and bad. He has ust enough of Indian bl in him to make him loodthirsty and revengeful: and enough of French | to make him subtle in plotting and planning. Yes; in Hawk-Dyes, the Boy Chief, we lave @ powerful buck against the Pp. rifi ” ns een an entire sti r to me, Jim; but I tnow she is mortal; and, hermore, I am in- tlined to think she is a personage known to and Turning her eyes, she | ’ | had been absent from the main party, reconnoit- | | said: 13 ower over the red-skins, But, boys, we must find Miss Harris, if living, so let us move on, and—”’ | At this juncture, Hooseah, the Indian lad, who ering, came running up in great excitement, and ** Bad Ingins—lots—on ahead!” “Indeed?” exclaimed Seth; ‘‘are they watching for us?” ** No—watchin’ big wigwam on the lake—see him | float out from the shadows.” He pointed out over the lake, and all eyes turning | in the direction indicated, beheld a long, triangular structure floating out from the border.of shadows that lined the southern shore, into the moonlit | | waters, **It’s a tent!’ exclaimed Mr. Harris. “Tt looks like a tent; but it surely isn’t one,” | answered Seth. ‘It appears to glimmer like a | metal shield.” “ Dogged if it isn’t a little queer,” said one of the | | boys. “It puzzles me, I assure you,’’ remarked another. “It is moving quite fast, and yet I cannot see from whence it receives its motive power,’ said Harris. The craft continued on into the open lale until it had gained the center, when it came to a stand. | Then our friends saw a door open on the a | side and a man appear from the interior. lle stoo in front of the door and gazed around him. The Brigade could see the outlines of a tall person with long beard and hair. In his hand he held a staff with a trident-spear on the end of it. From the darkness along the shore a tongue of fire suddenly shot out, and the report of a rifle started the midnight echoes for miles. “Och! and the bloody Ingins are firing on the stranger,” said Teddy. ‘Yes; and by that,’ answered Seth, ‘‘we are to understand that the stranger is an enemy of the red- skins, whatever he may be to us.” With an imperious wave of the hand, the old man on the raft turned and entered his boat; but soon he appeared again, bearing something in his arms, Carefully he scanned the surrounding shores, but seeing no one, he sat down and gazed calmly around him, Our friends stood still on the shore watching his | movements, and puzzling their brains as to who he was. A boat suddenly crept out from the shadows of the east bank and moved toward the strange raft. There were five occupants in it. They were savages. and =: oe flashed their paddles as they rose an fell in the water. | der the boat, and a roar like the sudden burst of a The man now rose to his feet, and in deep, thun- derous tones warned the red-skins back, But they either did not understand him, or else heeded not his warning. Seeing this, the old fellow got down upon his knees and placed the article that he had brought out with him in the water. Our friends could see that it,emitted a very faint glow not much larger than the coruscation of a firefly. No sooner was it placed in the water than it began to move— lide smoothly along the surface of the lake directly Sard the red-skins. “What now, in the name of Sodom, does that mean?” exclaimed old Joyful Jim. ‘See it, boys?— ad. little speck of fire creeping along to’rds that i at?” All answered in the affirmative. ‘What do you opine it are?’* he questioned. None could tell. All were equally puzzled. ** Shouldn’t wonder if it wer’n’t some of the devil’s own contraptions,”’ said Jim, kno :. Ae All relapsed into silence and watched with bated breath and fixed eye the mo speck of fire. The Indians, too, had discovered i MSR and sat holding their dies in motionless hands, regarding the tiny object with silent attention. Meanwhile, the old man on the boat stood with folded arms gazing after the moving speck, while a silence as deep and profound as creation’s morn hung over all. It was a foreboding stillness. Straight toward the red-skin’s boat, which had not deviated a foot from its course toward the un- known raft, the floating spark made its way. The Indians were deeply puzzled by it, and although their minds were not unmixed with ree Seg ey re- garding Lake Luster, they affected no fear of the ap- ober object. It was so very small that no arm could possibly come of it; or, at least, this was the conviction that it forced upon our friends, as well as the red-skins. A slight commotion agitated the savages as it neared them, and our friends saw the foremost war- rior dip his paddle and turn the prow of the boat southward. But for this act, the floating ee them slightly to the right; but would have Pes | the prow of the boat being thrown across its path, it came in contact with the craft, when, horrors! a sheet of fame burst from the bosom of the lake un- volcano shook the ht. High in the air flew water and fragments of the canoe and the riven forms of its human freight—so high that when the debris came down in an arm and torn hand fell on the shore before their horrified gaze. CHAPTER XXII, * SCATTER !”” “My God; was the exclamation of Harris, at sight of the human limb that had been torn from the body by the terrible explosion and thrown on the beach, ME Mg rai Joyful Jim; “I told one of the devil's own contraptions, I te ‘ou it war ye, boys, Satanic majesty is aboard that boat, or else my head's not hot.’ “It must have been a torpedo that burst under the boat,’’ Sure Shot Set” zsemarked. we Without a dows,” said Harris, ‘‘and the light we saw floating out from that boat was, without a doubt, attached to the deadly machine.” “But from whence did it derive its power of pro- pulsion?” “That I cannot answer; but, I dare say, itis some ingenious mechanical contrivance of the inmate of that boat, whoever he may be,”’ answered Seth. ** But who és the inmate of that craft?” ** That’s the question,’’ said Seth; ‘“‘ but an idea is creeping into my head, and I'll wager anything that the angel that came, and sung, an played between the muzzles of yourand the savages’ guns last night belongs in that little craft.” “ Who? Vishnia of the Valley?” “Yes; she’s probably some wild, crazy girl, and | the act that saved you on the Rock Island was but a freak of her diseased mind. No sane girl would dare wander alone, of her own free will, through those woods at night, much less perform such a reckless act as to come between the guns of two deadly foes as a peacemaker.”’ “That’s mighty sound doctrine, Sure Pop,” said old Jim, thoughtfully, “and P’'ll go a cookskin that, if she’s aboard that craft, crazy as a loon, her father’s thar also, crazier’n a March hare.” “Crazy people sometimes perform miraculous—” Harris was here cut short by a wild, triumphant peal of laughter ringing across the lake from the raft, fully substantiating, and settling in the minds of those who heard, the truth of old Jim’s assertion —that the man on the boat was a madman. By this time nearly every vestige of the terrible explosion had disappeared. The lake had become tranquil; and not a savage was to be seen. The mysterious boat still occupied its position on the lake, and its occupant his hw upon its deck. But soon, the latter retired from view, and silent and grim the craft lay upon the placid bosom of the glimmering sheet. While Seth and his ge prmeerne stood discussing the tragedy, the sound of footsteps was heard ap- proeng. This enjoined silence upon them; but he footsteps turned and retreated. at they were made by 4 feet the Brigade had not a doubt, roan that they had not been discoyered was also quite evident. Scarcely five minutes had elapsed when the rush of a hun feet was heard along the shore, A horde of savages were stea upon the Brigade, “Whirr-rr-rr-rr-rr-r,”” sudden Bowe from the midst of the Brigade, like the “ w ” of a pheasant in a copse. Instantly, almost, the whole of the little band scattered in every direction like a flock of sheep. The savages uttered a yell, and sent a volley inte the darkness after them, but not a bullet took effect. The footsteps of the Brigade fleeing in every di- rection confused the red-skins, so that pursuit was baffled forsome time. This gave our friends an cp- portunity to make good their escape. It was a part of their tactics under such circumstances. G) “‘whirr’”’ issued by Sure Shot Seth’s lips was well understood; it was a signal to disperse. Away through the darkness of the Black Woods the Brigade fled. Seth took Mr. Harris with him, while Joyful Jim and Tom Grayson, who ha¢ been admitted to the membership in the band, sought safety as did the rest. In ten minutes’ time a deep and profound silence reigned over the forest and lake. The red-skin4 made no attempt to follow the boys far. They knew the danger of scattering in pursuit. Out in the wood, under the deep shadows of 4 great tree, Sure Shot Seth and Maggie’s father,cameé to a halt, and listened. ““We have escaped,” said the latter; “but whe knows the fate of the others?” “Rest assured they are safe,’’ was Seth’s confident reply. PBat they are all scattered like a covey of b Sap I daresay we are the only two that stuck together.’ “That's the idea, exactly. We take the quail for our example. A peculiar ‘whirr’ of the leader’ wiugs disperses them, and, rest assured, each q will remain concealed unti) the leader calls, when it will come out and answer. [ all, as applied to the Boy Brigade, do not answer, I repeat the call; and if some are still silent, it is to be taken for granted that danger lurks near the ones rot veri erey ‘**But suppose one of your band should be led? “ We haye made no provision for such 4 mishap, for we don’t intend to get killed.” lendid organization,” “The Boy Brigade is a said Harris, ““and if it can find my child, 1 will be undone to find her, Mr, under eternal obligations to it.” fallen into the red-skins “We will leave not Harris. She may have power, or she may have grown tired waiting my re turn, and fled. We have only to be patient and con- Stant in our search,” The father sighed heavily. Half an hour went by in silence. i, Not one word nor sound of the others had beer Presently Seth rose to his feet and said: ‘I shall now ascertain where the rest of the boys are,’ He uttered a clear, startling that of a night-bird peculiar to the no: we oods. The sound drifted away through the night and died im the distance. eg ~~ The hoot of an owl came “Ay!” exclaimed Seth; you fas hear his answer, Mr. “Was that one of the boys?” back in response. “the Owl is safe. Did ~~ Harris?” : hee
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al — “Tt was; but listen.” One after the other came the respective amswers of each of the Boy Brigade. “Every one of them is sao,” said Seth, “and, in the course of half an hour, Iw. call them up asa hen calleth her brood.” They remained silent for some time, when Seth sent forth the hoot of an owl. It was answered from the north, and a few moments later young Schultz, The Owl, made his appearance. Then fol- lowed the howl of the wolf, and Le Subtile Wolf, the Indian lad, appeared. Thus one call after an- other was made, until the whole band was together, though no two calls were made in the same place, | through fear that an enemy might gain the location. Once more together, a short consultation was held, which deveiuped the fact that the Black Woods were then swarming with Indians, Jxstin Gray re- ported that, while he was in concealment, 2 number of Indians passed him carrying two canoes in the direction of Lake Luster. As there were a number of small lakes on the outskirts of the Black Woods noted for their’ inexhaustible supply of fish and fishing boats, it was very evident that the Indians were not going to be defeated in the capture of the stranger on Lake Luster, and were- carrying boats io the latter point for the purpose of attacking the enemy, despite the recent horrible fate of their com- panions, Their persistent efforts to capture the raft were, as our friends well knew, led by the Boy Chief; and the trained mind of Sure Shot Seth quickly con- cluded that,in this movement of the enemy, there was something or some one aboard that raft which they desired to possess or slay. Might it not be Maggie Harris? Might she not have wandered from where he had left her to the lake, and been taken aboard the madman’s raft? The stunning report of a rifle, coming from ue direction of the lake, put an end to his cogita- ons. CHAPTER XXII. A GAME WELL PLAYED. Sure SHor Seto made known his convictions, and, at his suggestion, the party returned to the lake. The shadows, by this time were lengthening on the western side of the little sheet; but they had not reached the raft, which still sat motionless on the water, and to all appearance tenantless. Hooseah, the Indian lad, was at once sent out to reconnoiter the western shore, while Seth went him- self to scout along the eastern side of the lake. It was their desire to know what the Indians were about, ard their exact location, as well as their numerical strength. Seth kept back about two rods from the margin of the lake and moved rapidly, yet noiselessly asa hantom. He had gained the northern end of the ke without hearing or seeing anything of the red- skins; but, as he rounded the shore toward the west, he heard a sound that told of the close proximity of enemies. He paused and listened, then with every faculty on the alert, he crept on closer and closer to the foe, stopping every now and then to listen. He at length found himself at the water’s very edge in a clump of bushes, whose drooping foliage trailed itself in the water. Before him was a narrow opening or path, beyond which was another border of dense shrubbery. He was just about to step across this th when he heard light footsteps coming along ward the lake. Remaining quiet, he awaited the approach. A young chief, dressed in all the gaudy penenly of war, brushed past him and stopped on e margin of the lake. ot was Hawk-Eyes, the Boy Chief, Ivan Le lercq! Seth could scarcely restrain the terrible emotion that ran in his breast on making this discovery. His hand mechanically sought the weapon at his girdle; but his better judgment prevailed, and he remained as silent as if frozen to the spot, his eyes fixed upon the young chief. The young renegade ran his eyes over the lake. Seth was so close to him that he could see a strange smile of delight pass over his countenance at sight of something on the water. What it was that pleased him Seth knew not, nor dare he even move his head to ascertain. The chief kept his eyes out upon the lake until his attention was diverted by footsteps behind. He turned and saw a young warrior approaching. “What does Hawk-Eyes see?” asked the latter. Sh!’ cautioned the chief; ‘‘ look yonder.” The warrior did as directed, when a low, sinister smile of triumph shot athwart his dusky, painted e. ‘The next momenta succession of tiny waves began chafing the shore at their feet and the dip of a pad- dle became audible. The chief and his companion stepped back into the shadows, This movement left under less restraint. “Ah! the cunning, cowardly wretches,” thought Seth, drawing his revolver, ‘‘they are preparing to pounce upon some unsuspecting victim, But I'll see about it.’ The next moment a small canoe with a single oc- cupant vouched the bank where the path ended; and that occupant was a female—a young and lovely girl—the fairy-like Vishnia, the maid of the Valley. As she rose to her feet the chief advanced and con- fronted her. She started with a little = of alarm but soon recovered her composure an addressed dian. “Whom have I the pleasure of meeting?” “ Hawk-Hyes, the Boy Chief,” answered the young e. sic so he lead the Indians that surround Lake Luster?” _« “He does,” was the answer. - on ee Sure Shot Seth. ° ~ / “Then with him I came to negotiate terms of ace.”’ She stood erect in her rubber canoe as she spoke. The tones of her voice were soft and child-like in their melody. Through the foliage that concealed his person, Sure Shot Seth could see the symmetr of her profile clearly outlined against the moonht water. <A thin awe enveloped her slender figure. A light straw hat was pushed back from hey head till it rested on her back, thus revealing wondrous features. purity combined in woman radiated from the soul of this fair being; and Seth felt its power as sensibly as though under some mesmerie iniluence. But it was quite evident to Seth that the sweet and holy pres- ence of the girl made no impression on the better nature of Ivan Le Clereq. His heart was dead to all the nobler emotions of the human heart, A look of Even his savage com- features. “What does the white maiden want with the Boy Chief?’ the young renegade asked, his tone and looks devoid of the first principles of courtesy. ““To effect terms of peace.” ‘‘How? By blowing my braves into eternity?” ‘*No,” replied the maiden, ‘‘ we do not wish to do violence; but your warriors would not heed the counsel of my father. But a repetition of the hor- rible deed can be prevented by a proper understand- ing. My father takes no part in this war. He is neutral and desires to remain so; and had it been a arty of whites instead of Indians going to attack ok he would have blown them out of the water all the same.”’ ‘““What is your father?—what’s he doing on the lake in that craft?’ questioned Hawk-Eyes. ** Nothing dishonorable,” she answered, evasively. “That’s not a very square answer,’’ was the rude response. ‘Tt is all that I feel at liberty to give,’’ the maiden said, fear manifest in her voice. ‘Well, lei me hear what propositions for peace you have to make,” the renegade observed. ‘Nothing more than the request that you with- draw your designs against our home yonder, on the lake, and no harm shall befall a red-man, so far as we are concerned,’’ was the maiden’s response, ‘““We fear nothing, nor any one,’’ was the brutal a, of the Boy Chief. ‘The woods and the lakes belong to the red-man, and it is not for the whites to make conditions regarding them.” “T know the Indians are not cowards, and I do not wish to intimidate them, I only ask what is honorable.” ** What is your father’s name?” ‘Neptune,’ she answered; but Le Clereq’s ignor- ance of mythology concealed the evasion in her an- swer. ‘“Neptune,” he repeated; ‘well, I will accede to your demands on one condition.” “I will be pleased to hear what your wish may “Well, there’s a young girl aboard your boat, isn’t there?” Vishnia started, and hesitated for a moment to re- ply; but finally she said: £ *“T have no desire to answer falsely: there isa young girl there—Miss Harris.” Seth’s heart gave ,a great bound. He was afraid that it would betray his presence. Maggie was safe, and that was joy to him. He felt so thankful that he could have kissed the garments of her who brought the glad intelligenc&® But his feelings as- sumed a different m when he heard the young chief say: “Deliver that maiden into my power and you and yours shall be molested no more by the Indians.” “But that would be against her will,’ said Vish. nia. Ahi dare say it would; but no difference about that.” **T would not consent to do a wrong, forif you would hold her a captive against her will, it would be cruel and barbarous,’’ said the maiden. “The Indians are classed as barbarians,’’ Le Clercq replied; ‘“‘so it wouldn’t make any material difference.” ‘Father will never consent to give her up to her enemies,” ‘** But I will make him give her up,” ‘* Do not overestimate your power, young chief.” “Tl see to that. Dl just hold you in hostage till that git és given up.” Vishnia started, and her face grew pale with fear. This was something she had not expected, and she saw little chance of escape from her situation. ‘*T have always heard that the Indians were pos- sessed of gallantry, and under such circumstances would treat a woman kindly,” said Vishnia; ‘* but had I known otherwise, I would never have placed myself at your merey.” “Tam sorry to disappoint you, but the en, of this case demands that I hold you a prisoner Maggie Harris is given up. Black Dog ”’—turning to the Indian—‘tyou will take the pale-face girl to our camp.” Half reluctantly, the Indian advanced toward the maiden, who, seating herself, attempted to flee. But the Indian was too quick for her. He caught her canoe and dragged it half upon the shore; but, before he had time to contaminate her by his touch, Sure Shot Seth saw the bushes on the opposite side of the path move, and the next instant a toma- hawk, wielded by some unseen paeen there, fell upon the head of the savage. Like a log, he went down lifeless, falling partly in the water, Hawk- Eyes started back, aghast with fear and horror. He heard the click of a revolver on his left, and the All the power of love, innocence and | — next moment the weapon itself was thrust througip the foliage into his very face. But not a word was spoken—not a face was visible to the half-terrified young chief. He fixed his glaring eyes upon the ged tp and ran them along the arm thrust from the bushes; but he could not tell by whom he wag confronted. That it was an enemy with a cool head and steady nerve, however, he had not a doubt, Had he known that he stood at the muzzle of Sure Shot Seth’s revolver, his terror would have been still greater; but Seth did not want him to know it, and so kept still and hidden in the bushes. For fully a minute the young chief stood wincing before the weapon thrust at him like the finger cf death; but, seeing the unknown enemy hesitated to fire, he gathered courage, struck up the muzzle of the weapon, then turned and darted into the darkness. Then Seth parted the bushes and stepped out into the moonlight on one side of the path, and Hooseah, the Indian lad, appeared from the other. “Me kill Sioux brave; why Sure Shot no kill Hawk- Eyes?” asked the young friendly, a look of sore re- gret on his face. “IT would not fire through fear of bringing dan- zer upon her,” replied Seth, pointing toward the ittle canoe leaping across the water under the vigor- ous strokes of the fair Visknia’s paddle. CHAPTER XXIV. CLOSE QUARTERS INDEED, VISHNIA waited not to learn whom her rescuers were, but wild with fear, she pushed off from the beach and sped toward the stronghold of her father upon the lake. But, after she had had a few mo ments for I a and her mind had become some. what composed, she felt a pang of regret for having acted so hastily in leavi bar unknown friends without a word of thanks, after they had saved her. To remedy this, however, was now too late; cud she was to remain in ignorance, for the time being, as to the persons who had befriended her. Seth and Hooseah felt inno way aggrieved by the course she had pursued. In fact, it was just what they wanted, for no sooner was Hawk-Kves free than he gave the alarm that brought a horde of the savages yelling to the water's e. But, all they found was a comrade lying dead, his head cloven by a tomahawk. ‘ The two scouts at once beat a hasty retreat along the shore back toward their friends, whom they found in a fever of excitement and anxiety. Seth lost no time in communicating to Harris the discov- ery he had made ies gig aggie. ‘Good Lord bless you, boy!” the happy father exclaimed, wringing Seth’s hand. ‘‘It relieves my heart of an awful load to know that my child lives; but now, another fear rises in my mind—the fear boa the madman on that craft may do her vio- ence.” ‘Rest easy on that point, Mr. Harris,” said Seth, “ for I assure you no harm can befall her there; for she has for a companion as fair and lovely a girl as the sun ever shone upon. I heard her refuse to give Maggie to the savages to insure her own and her fa- ther’s safety. No; Maggie is safe; but the mystery 78 ae that raft has deeply enlisted my inter- est. “Then you don’t think the folks on that consarm are crazy, do you, now?” asked Joyful Jim. ‘Far from it; for if the rest are to be judged by that maiden whom Hooseah tells me is Vishnia, the Maid of the Valley—she who rescued you at Rock Island, then they are superior beings. By keeping in the vicinity of the lake we may be enabled to un- ravel this mystery. It is true, our assistance may be needed at the Agency; but if by remaining here we can hold a score or two of Indians away from there, we will be rendering them a great service; so sup- pose we now seek some safe quarters and rest easy till morning?” “Nuff said,” exclaimed old Jim, “for I'm ‘bout bumfusticated.” All readily acquiesced in Seth's suggestion, when the party at once moved a mile southward aid bivouacked on the margin of the Black Woods. Ber they passed the night, and with the first streaks of dawn they were astir. Hooseah brained a deer wit!» his tomahawk, shortly after daylight, which fur- nished a hearty breakfast and an ample supply of food for the needs of the day. Regaled by their brief sleep, and their meal of sav ory venison, the Boy Brigade felt vigorous, and aux- ious for the day’s excitement to Hooseah and young Tricks being deployed ¢s scouts, the party started back toward the lal«. They had proceeded but a short distance when firi: < was heard in advance, and the peculiar war-cry «f Le Subtile Wolf warned the Brigade that danger Wis very near, In a moment every man and boy sought shelter, and the dozen red-skins in pursuit of Hooseah fou:.« themselves in an.amb e of deadly enemies ¢1¢ they were aware. A short, but desperate cenfi«t ensued. The red-skins were routed, and but for tio dense shadows of the Black Woods, not a man wo! them would have pone Fierce and terrible the war-cry of the Boy Brigade was hurled after the foe, and wild and demoniaca] came the response from the enemy. The Brigade pressed on toward the lake, and at: length came in sight of it. The first thing that met their view was the floating cabin of old Neptune. Smoke was curling from one of the little chimney like boxes on the roof, The door opened, and all saw a little female figure, with « vessel in her hand trip out upon the porch or platform in front, and dip some water from the e, then re-enter the That was the fair Vishnia,” said Seth,
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*oin’ up the housework,” added Joyful Jim, with a strange smile. “And yonder,” said Mr. Harris, “you can see a horde of Indians preparing to embark in canoes from the east shore; and, I dare say, they have de- signs upon the palace of old Neptune. Boys, can’t we drive them away?” ‘Neptune will defend himself, I'll guarantee,” said Justin Gray. “Tl venture the assertion that he’s surroundéd with torpedoes.” Gaining a point where they could command a full view of the savages, the boys watched their opera- tions with no little interest. And it was soon dis- eovered that, in addition to the four canoes which they had brought to Lake Luster during the night, a huge raft of logs was in course of construction. No less than a dozen logs were in the water already, lying at right-angles with the shore, and about three | eet apart. Across the ends of these, a long pine stick of timber was placed and firmly lashed to each eross-piece. Another log, but smaller in size, was lashed across the other ends of the under logs, and then the raft seemed to have been completed. Be- { tween every two logs, two savages took their posi- | tion, their bodies submerged in the water and their | heads and shoulders concealed behind the large log lashed across the ends of the others. It was rather a rude, yet effectual raft for the reparations for the attack upon Neptune with no Fitete 1 fear and doubt. “Tf they succeed in getting within easy gunshot of Neptune’s raft, I am afraid they will be success- ful in their attempts,” said Sure Shot. ‘ How- ever, we will walk around that way and perhaps | we'll get 9n opportunity to take the red rascals in the rear.”’ “And perhaps Niptoon,” said old Jim, “ will bring another of them double-geared, volcano contrapshins to mince the varlets into fish-bait.”’ “T ho so,” said Harris, “but it seems as a he devils were bound to have my poor C t4 aren there goes the raft!” exclaimed young ray. True enough, the savages remaining on shore had pvt the raft away from the bank, and slowly and eavily the cumbersome affair drifted out, propelled by the feet of those in the water. “Now, boys,” said Seth, ‘‘let us hurry around there and do our best for our friends on the lake.” Away they glided like so many shadows and soon came within range of the Indians watching upon the bank. Without a moment’s delay they opened a deadly fire upon them. The savages at once sought shelter; but in such a position as to cover the operations of their friends on the lake, Harris kept by_the side of the fearless young borderman, Sure Shot Seth. and it was with a feel- ing of the deepest agony that he learned of their inability to prevent the advance of the raft upon the structure that sheltered his child. The Bo ts ag was now in its element again. Concealed behind trees, logs and bushes, the fear- less youths watched with eager, burning eyes for a glimpse of an enemy. tea § fought the Indians as Indians fight; and as the red-skins were laborin under the excitement of a surprise, they appeared restless and impatient, and kept and thither like rats, exposing themselves to view; and whenever the clear report of a rifle, fired by one of the boys, stung through the morning air, a death-yell was sure to follow. Sure Shot and Harris were where they could command a view of both the Indians’ raft and the floating cabin of old Neptune. They saw the latter come out on the deen or platform of his domicile, stoop over and piace something in the water, as on the previous night. “Now look out!” exclaimed Seth; ‘‘it’s my opin- fon you'll hear something ‘drop.’ That man has sent another of his infernal machines to intercept them savages.” A savage around the lake fired at the old man but his bullet struck the water several rods short of its mark, skimmed along the surface and sunk near the rope ed eabin, A derisive laugh rung from the lips of the intended victim. About this time a canoe containing a number of warriors put out from the northern shore; but they fa yrange the raft in a rather cautious manner, their eyes searching every foot of the crystal depths before them. Seth and Harris watched the raft closely for some minutes. Slowly and heavily it crept on through the water. At times it seemed to stand still, and the patience of the watchers became sorely pressed; but at length they saw the log that proveoted the savages shoot suddenly into the air, followed by a perfect mountain of water. Then athwart the morning burst an awful, pent-up roar that fairly shook the earth. A perfect maelstrom ges to ingulf raft and savages. The waters of ke Luster endeav- ored to leap from their ved, but fell back with a thunderous surge. Wave after wave rolled with a sullen crash against the shore, and recoiled with a rushing, seething roar. Both savages and raft were lost in the rush of waters; but when the water began to down, several of the dusky wretches were seen buffeting the waves in desperat attempts to ange the ho alg Those ees had ee out in ie canoe with the oste @ purpose of co-oper- ating is the raft, tacked about and -beat a hasty trea re 4 Old Neptune stood in front of his floating cabin and regarded the whole with remarkable indiffer- and as soon as the savages had all disappeared. two female figures issued from the cabin and s dodging hither ; | Sure Shot Seth. An exclamation of joy burst from the lips of Mr. Harris, for he saw that one of them was his own lost child, Maggie. Seth’s heart, too, gave a great bound, but he kept back the words of joy and love that rose to his lips. For a moment the father and lover watched the > pe on the cabin porch, but suddenly the crash of rifles drew their attention aside, and when they looked out upon the lake again, the three forms had disappeared inside their defense. Rendered furious by their defeat upon the lake, the savages massed their forces and turned against | their persistent foe, the Boy Brigade. A sharp and vigorous firing was opened, though with what result neither party was enabled to determine, for the shadows of the Black Woods were deep, almost, as a subdued twilight. It soon became aviteint. however, that the Indians were gradually working in behind the Brigade, with the intention of surrounding it, | and Sure Shot Seth, seeing their danger, at once gave the sound for the Brigade to scatter and seek safety in flight. Instantly, almost, he saw his friends gliding away; and taking the lead, he and Mr. Harris fled also. They started south, but had proceeded only a short distance when, to their surprise and horror, they be- held a dozen savages coming directly toward them. | To their left the woods were now swarming with the purpose intended, and our friends watched the | foe, apparently intent upon the capture of Sure Shot Seth. Behind, the latter knew, the way was cut off, while the lake on the right completed the circle of danger menacing them, They stopped and glanced around them. “What will we do?—where shall we go?” asked Harris. Seth glanced out upon the lake. A few yards from the shore he beheld a large log—one of the tim- bers of the savages’ raftt—floating on the water. Its presence seemed to suggést an idea to the youth who, requesting his companion to follow, Started toward the lake. “Secure your rifie and swim for that log, Harris,” the young rifleman cried, as they approached the shore. Instantly their weapons were secured, and plung- ing into the water they swam like beavers for the log in question. The savages, with frightful yells, came rushing toward the shore, and several of them succeeded in getting a shot at the fugitives; but they acted with such haste and excitement that no injury was sustained by the whites. Ina few minutes more the latter had | came from the northern shore of the lake. 15 Seth turned and glanced toward the cabin to see who this second defender was. ‘Io his surprise he beheld the form of the lovely Vishnia, standing by her father’s side, calmly reloading a rifle whose barrel glinted in the sunshine like polished silver. “Ah, friend Harris!’ exclaimed Seth, ‘‘we have another friend in the old hermit’s daughter,” “We need all the friends we can get now, Sure Shot!” said Harris, ‘‘for Iam inclined to think we are ina narrow strait, or will be if the enemy over- take us in this water.” “Yes, we are, by heavens!” cried the young bor- derman, glancing over their defense, ‘‘for here comes two logs, one behind the other, and both par-‘ allel with our own; and, I dare say, a dozen savages are behind each. If we are overtaken, it will be all day with us.” * Work, men, work for your lives!” came a deep- toned voice from the cabin on the lake—the voice of old Neptune. “Would to heaven he could get one of his infer- nal machines down against them logs,” said Harris, “Our log would intercept it,” suid Seth, ‘‘and the red demons know it well enough.” *Yoop! yoop! stiffen yer sinners, boys! Brace up, for here comes ole Joyful Jim to the rescue! Scat, ye red sulphurians, or another voleano will bu’st in yer midst!”’ The fugitives bent their eyes to the left and saw the old trader, Joyful Jim, coming rapidly toward them ina canoe. The Indians had cpened fire upon him, with the mES of frightening him back, but all to no purpose, for their bullets fell wide of the mark, } At the same instant, however, a deafening yell Six In- | dians had embarked in a canoe from that point, and ot in be- | hind the log, enough of which was above the water | to afford ample protection to their heads from In- dian bullets. ger. The savages could easily swim out to them, as they were not over a hundred yards from shore, and | moving quite slow. ‘We must wider the distance between us and the shore, Mr, Harris,” Seth said; ‘lay your hands upon the log, kick against the water, and Tet us swim and pull the log after us. -It’s our only salvation.” “But we are between two fires,” said Harris. ‘Suppose the man on the raft sends one of his in- fernal machines down upon us?” “I apprehend no danger from that source. He was standing on his cabin porch when we entered the lake; and I think he will see the situation at once, and, knowing we are enemies to the savages, willrender us assistance. At any rate, I believe we had better attempt to reach the floating cabin.” ** Just as you say, Seth,” answered Harris. along Still, they were in no way beyond dan- | fully under headway it required but little effort to keep moving. Seth thrust his head up over the log and saw that not less than three-seore of Indians had assembled on the beach; he saw that great excitement prevailed among them; and, at length, he saw a number, stripped to the waist, plunge into the water and swim toward them. “Now, Harris, we must work,” said Seth; “a number of the red demons are swimmin rapidly toward us. If we only dare get from behin lof we could swim as fast as they; but—” he clear, stinging report of a rifle rung out be- hind them, cutting short the youth’s words. Glan- cing baek over their shoulders they beheld old Neptune standing in front of his cabin with a rifie in his hand. Mr. Harris turned pale, while a look of uneasiness clouded the face of our hero. <A shiver ran over the forms of each as they saw the myste- rious old man raise his weapon and aim it directly toward them. A puff of smoke was seen, then the report stung through the air. ur friends both “ducked” their heads, for they heard the bullet whistle close to their ears; but the horrible shriek of agony that went up from the red- skin’s lips told who the object wf the old man’s vengeance had been. Seth again ventured to peer over the log toward the shore. He saw one of the warriors who had started after them, struggling in his death throes in the water. The savages onshore saw the young rifleman raise his head, and almost instantly a shower of bullets | converged in a focus about where his face disap- peared behind the log. Some of them spattered ainst the log,some chipped the bark, and others whistled over within two inches of his head. Sure Shot, however, had been enabled to see that the savages swimming r them were not over fifty yards away. The See redoubled their efforts to escape. now that they felt encouraged by the attempt of old Neptune to come to their assistance, The reports of his rifle now followed each other in such rapid sue- cession that they were convinced he peater, but when a double report fina’ a re- pealed out, | d this | | firing upon the red-skins from Leos Bis once set the log in motion by swimming | ckward ana pulling it after them; and when | each being provided with a paddle, they bid fair to get between the cabin and our two friends in the water. Old Jim saw the danger and pulled with all his might for his friends, finally reaching them. He succeeded in getting them aboard, then turned to- ward the cabin of old Neptune. But, to their sur- prise and horror, oy Moe that the Indian canoe was standing directly between. **Gosh annihilate the lopin’ devils! they’ve squared their festerin’ karkasses atwixt us and that cabin, and so we'll have to skin out for other quarters.” He turned and pulled toward the south shore, Seth took up old Jim’s gun and opened fire on the savages in the canoe, Firing from the cabin had! ceased, and both the old man and his daughter had sought the cover of their domicile. For some reason or other, the savages in the canoe made no attempt to follow; and as soon as the latter discovered this, they came to a halt to watch the movements of the weg wr The red-skins behind the logs soon came up to ther canoe, A short conference was held, when all head | ed for the cabin of old Neptune. “Now, by the great horned frogs!” exclaimeé Jim, ‘*I s’pose you see what's in their mullet heads,. I reckon as what you perceive what ’em rare flowert of Satan’s propagation are gorin’ to do, don’t yet Great walls of ‘he temples! how I do wish a torpedo *d bu’st under that canoe and spatter them red-skins. all over the northern sky. Hoot! by jings! they’re gorin’ to have to fight for the cabin; the old man’s opened his bos gp on the sweet-scented larkspurs.’” True enough, old Neptune had opened a vigorous oop-holes in the side of his cabin. Two or three of those in the canoe tumbled liteless in the lake, while the remainder ne ety behind the advancing logs. “Boys,” said Seth, ‘we must not desert our un- known friends in the cabin.” “No; to be sure we must not,” said Jim, turning: the canoe. Seth and Harris’s rifles had been rendered useless by their long submersion, but the former took old. Jim’s rifle and opened a slow, but destructive fire upon the heads behind the moving logs. But the red-skins seemed determined in their efforts to cap- ture the cabin of the old hermit of the lake. They een on—they soon came alongside the cabin. hen they swarmed up out of the water upon the latform in front of the door and upon the roof. he blows of tomahawks, the crash of rifles, the yells of a and groans of agony mingled in. a horrible din. Old Jim pressed as close as he dare—so close that he was enabled to use his revolvers, The eh hg stripped of every garment save their loin-cloths, elim and wriggled up the steep, smooth inclin- ation of the cabin, like huge ne ies then slippin and tumbling back—some dead, some wountied some unhurt—plunged into the water. Puffs of smoke burst from the side cf the cabin, followed by stunning reports. Streaks of blood ran down the side of the building and stained the erys- tal waters of the lake. But like so many ravenous wolves upon a helpless, wounded deer, the savages. ee for admittance and the blood of the old maw within. But, suddenly, a wild cry of horror burst from every lip, and the savages sprung away from the cabin as if stung by scorpions. Our three friends saw the cabin of old Neptune reel upon the water like a drunken thing, then to their amazement and horror saw it sink beneath the waves * Lake Luster with its helpless, imprisoned CHAPTER XXvV. THE FACE BENEATH THE WATERS. A Groan burst from the lips of Sure Shot Seth old med while a wail of the most heartrendinpaglane esca) the lips of the settler, Mr. Harris, wher
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16 Se eer aa a —— Sure Shot Seth. they saw the cabin that contained their friends go ‘down in the lake. - “Oh,my poor child! my poor child!” cried the bereaved father, starting up as if to leap in the water, “May Heaven smite their destroyers with its most terrible vengeance!’’ moaned Seth, sick at heart. Can't we help them?’ cried Harris; “can we not—” “No, Harris,” said old Jim, “we can do ’em no good. See, the red demons are "bout to turn to’rds us. We must flee from, instead of going closer to, the fiends.”’ True enough; the savages, satisfied of having destroyed the cabin of old Neptune and its inmates. turned toward our three friends in the boat, flushed with their recent victory. A number of them had entered their canoe, while the rest, getting hold of the logs that had afforded them a bulwark in com- ing over, pushed out for Sure Shot Seth and his friends, Old Jim dipped the paddle and set the canoe in motion, Seth continued to load and fire upon the red-skins; while Harris, with a look of the deepest agony upon his face, watched the spot where the cabin had gone down, and from whence the waves were still circling outward, and hundreds of bubbles were boiling and surging up. Every vestige of the cabin had disappeared be- neath the lake save the four chimney tops; and of these, but a few inches were visible above the ‘waves, There was no possible hope for the inmates of the cabin; and, sick and sorrowing at heart, Har- tris turned his back upon the grave of his child. Old Jim sat silently plying the paddle, a strange amile—half-bitterness, alt-joy—resting upon his face. They moved toward the southern shore, pur- sued by the savages. The latter, however, relin- Suished their chase as soon as they came in gun-shot of the beach, for the rest of the Boy Brigade was there in sight, ready to cover the landing of their friends, The red-skins withdrew to the eastern shore, and in a few minutes Lake Luster was deserted of every semblance of life. Even its shores seemed resigned to solitude. Under cover of a clump of trees the Boy Brigade held a council, their hearts overshadowed by the dis- aster on the lake, “Why stay here now,” said Justin Gray, * since we can be of no avail to the inmates of the floating cabin?” “We owe the dead as well as the livin’ a duty,” said old Jim, thoughtfully, yet with a strange smile upon his face. “Yes, it is a duty—a Christian duty we owe the dead to ae them a Christian burial,’’ declared Sure Shot Seth. Mr. Harris bowed his head and wept, too full of grief for utterance. And so it was decided that they remain by the lake until the bodies could be rescued from their confine- ment, and interred. Seth and Harris hastened to put their guns in con- dition for use, for an attack from the red-skins was momentarily expected. Fortunately, however, they were disappointed, Not a red-skin was seen dur- ing the day; but that they were about, and busily engaged in concocting some trap to catch their ene- mies, the Brigade had not a single doubt; and so never permitted their vigilance to relax for a;mo- ment. To remain inactive, however, was a persecution jn itself to the little band of bordermen; and as the hours wore heavily on, propositions for some move- mént were presented by various persons. All were decided in the negative until Seth announced an adventure that would admit of no discussion; he 224 # i to go, himself, upon the lake, and examine he situation of the sunken cabin, leaving his friends ashore to cover his movements, should the savages make any demonstration against him, ; No one could see any material danger in this, and so the ysane rifleman at once embarked in the canoe, still in their possession, for the scene of death, He used the paddle with remarkable skill, and sent the craft flying over the water. He was guided toward the right spot by the four square chimney-tops protruding above the water. The surface of the lake was smooth and tranquil, and shone like polished silver under the oblique rays of the declining svn. As the youth neared the spot where the craft went down, his heart almost ceased to beat, while a sense of indescribable horror stole over him. He i more fully the bitterness of his heart’s crushed hopes —the sad awakening of love’s young dream. Nerv- ing up, however, he dled softly on toward the four chimneys—now the monument to his sweet- heart’s watery grave. He soon came within five feet of the chimneys, when he ceased dling and permitted his boat to come toarest. He gazed over the side of his craft into the water. Its liquid depths were clear as crys- tal. He could see the bottom of the lake, and the lower edge of the sunken cabin, He turned and looked over the other side of his boat. He started back with a ery of horror, Beneath him lay the eabin. There was a small glass window or skylight in the roof, and at this window, her hands clutched hold of the lower sill, her white, ghastly face uplifted with all the expression of terror that death could stamp thereon, he beheld Maggie Harris, standing erect, rigid and motionless, CHAPTER XXVI. SURE SHOT CAUGHT AT LAST. * Ou, Heaven!’’ burst from the youth’s lips, as he *eheld the face of his dead darling at the dow of the sunken cabin, He turned his eyes away, unable to look upon the ghastly scene. But, he could not drive from his mind the ghastly face, the eyes that were staring wide open; the flowing locks of hair; and the look of despair that he had seen at the window. For a moment or two he sat motionless, para- lyzed. A shrill, quavering whistle rung upon his ear, He started—he recognized it as the warning of danger that belonged to the Boy Brigade’s code of signals. He glanced around him, and, to his sur- } prise and fear, beheld three canoes, loaded with savages, put out from different points around the lake and move rapidly toward him, Taking up his oper he headed toward his friends, while two of he canoes bent their course to cut him off from shore. This, Seth knew, they would almost accom- olish, considering their advantages, were it not for is friends, who would leave nothing undone to cover his retreat. But, scarcely had he considered this self-assuring fact, ere the report of firearms, mingled with yells and shouts, came from the direc- tion in which he was going, telling him that the enemy had attacked the Brigade and that he could look for no succor from that quarter. What had promised a quiet, uninterrupted visit to the grave of his sweetheart, now threatened to be a dangerous adventure. With no one to keep the In- dians back, he could not reach a landing-place be- fore they came in rifle range. He knew by the fapid firing, and the fierce, savage yells in the woods, that his friends were being sorely pressed; and, as he had to depend wholly upon his own exer- tions for safety, he turned his boat and attempted to escape between the canoe to the south and that to the east of him. He worked as he never worked before. The perspiration poured from his face; the blood leaped in hot currents through his veins; and his nerves seemed etrung to nerves of steel. The elastic blade in his hands bent like a bow;_ the canoe fairly leaped under each powerful stroke, and a white, frothy streak across the lake defined the wake of the boat. For awhile, mer one ore of escape encouraged the young rifleman in his almost superhuman efforts; ut, in an instant, all was dashed to the earth, the addle fell from his hands, and he sunk half lifeless n the canoe, a stream of hot blood spurting from his nostrils. Nature had been overdone. An artery had been ruptured, and what of life the hemorrhage left, was nowin possession of his implacable foe, Hawk-Eyes, the Boy Chief. Weak and still bleeding, Sure Shot Seth was taken by the savages and conveyed ashore and out into the woods into the midst of a large band of young war- riors. A yell of triumph hailed the captors’ arrival, and a general rush to see the captive followed. Seth was permitted to sit down, and holding his extended arms above his head succeeded in stopping the flow of blood from his nose. He was literally covered with his own crimson life-tide. The savages respected his misfortune so far as an Indian can respect a wounded enemy. No indignities were visited upon him; but many, fierce and vindic- tive, were their threats. Set his eyes over the faces of his captors for that of the Boy Chief; but it was nowhere to be seen. Presently, however, that young renegade made his appearance with a number of others from around e lake, As he pressed through the crowd of sav- ages surrounding Seth, a cry of abject fear burst from his lips when he caught sight of the prisoner. He started back, at first, as if from the presence of one he feared, but quickly ee and concealing all trepidation from his braves, he advanced to where our hero sat. “Sure Shot Seth,” he said, half to himself. Seth raised his eyes, while a cry of surprise burst from the red-skin’s lip. ** Who are you that knows me ?” demanded Seth, “and English so well?’ **We met last on the morning of the shooting- match at the Agency,’ was the chief’s response. Seth knew it, but pretended ignorance. *“T have no recollection of you,”’ he answered. * Well, you will know me when you see me again, I assure you.” ** Ah, that’s a threat,’ Seth replied, with disdain. “None but a coward would mock and threaten a mer.”’ “You are my prisoner—you, the leader of a band under whose rifles scores of my braves have fallen,” returned the chief. “Tt has been a fair, free fight. You have the odds, and if you get whipped, you have no reason to ¢om- lain,’ returned the fearless boy rifleman. “Then if you get scalped and roasted, I suppose wil have no reason to complain?” “Of nothing more than that it was done at the in- stance of a cowardly knave—a white red-skin, whose name is Ivan Le Sons said Seth, contemptuously, ‘and who, with Benedict Arnold and Judas Iscariot, will go down to posterity in history base hound and traitor. “But the historian will never know the fate of Sure Shot Seth, he who played it well the day of the shooting-match; but I wasn’t asleep.” “Coward ! you believed me dead till you met me here, a min ago; and fearing the ve nee of the law, ro fled—deserted your own people and en- deavored to coax your four white friends away with you; and for all I know succeeded, after sneakingly murdered Abe Thorne, You are a vile wretch—too vile even for an Indian,” The Boy Chief started as if thunderstruck at these words; but he saw that his manifestations of fear petip od looks of derision and disgust to the faces of Bis 2 aN cg and so he rallied his spirit of bravado, oe hae Shot Seth, you know too muen to live."* “* And you too little to die.” ** And, therefore,” the chief continued, “I shan <i you do not escape this time. Nor your band either.” He turned aside and held a short, inaudible con- sultation with his braves. When the pow-wow had ended, Hawk-Eyes took the majority of his warriors and left, going toward the lake. Seth felt sure that the Boy Brigade was the objective point of this movement. Those left in charge of the prisoner finally took him and moved away toward the lake also. On reaching the water ber embarked in a canoe for the interior of the lake. Two other savages in a canoe, that was sunk to its gunwales under a load of stones, followed behind. A third canoe with three occu- pants, towing behind a huge log by means of a rope made of fibrous bark, followed the second. When about one hundred yards from the sunken cabin of Neptune, the canoe of the prisoner stopped, The second ran alongside of it, though oe a few feet of space between into which the third party towed the logs, Something of the truth now entered Seth's aa and sent a shudder through his veins. He believ he was to be lashed to the log and left to die, where his friends, as well as his enemies, eould witness hig agonies, and yet render him no assistance, Nor was he left in a moment’s doubt. The red-skins lifted him from the canoe and laid him back down upor the log.. He was then bound with strips of tough fibrous bark as securely as though he was a part of the log itself. His hands were doubled under the log and bound so that he could not move a muscle. A long rope of bark was next attached to the log and the canoe loaded with rock. Then the bottom of the canoe was cut through in several places; the craft filled with water and sunk to the bottom of the lake, securely anchoring the log in the center of the little sheet. Having completed their fiendish work, the sava- ges retired to the woods to await the result, Seth at once saw through the whole of this devilish work; they had set a trap for the rest of the Bri- gade, Exposed as he was, the red-skins knew full well that his friends would discover his situation and endeavor to relieve him, when they—the sava- ges—would pounce down upon them from their coverts along the shore like hawks upon a brood, Seth’s hands and feet were in the water, and as a strong breeze now disturbed the surface of the lake, tiny waves dashed against the log and spri/“u their spray over him. Rendered weak with the loss of blood and the terror of his situation, this exposure affected him greatly. He could not turn his head; he could not move a muscle; nor could be breathe with half his usual freedom. He could see not. but thesky, from which the i of day was f fading, for by this time the sun had gone down. He saw long, “‘mare tail” clouds stretched across the sky, which were a forewarning of a night of wind. As the twilight shadows deepened around him, he summoned his strength and sent forth the bri- gade’s signal of distress. It was answered from the northern shore: but the answer was immediately followed by the report of a rifle—evidence that the savages were in close proximity to the Brigade. Darkness at length fell. The sky was overcast with swift-moving clouds. The wind swept across the Black Woods and tossed the surface of the lake into tiny billows. Seth was soon drenched to the skin and chilled to the marrow. An inevitabledeath stared him in the face. Wave after wave broke over him. He rose and feli and tossed like an egg- shell on the crest of the billows. The rush and roar of the elements drowned all other sounds. Deep, black and boundless as eternity grew the darkness around him. A thousand vague and awful horrors crowded upon his soul. visions rose up be- fore him and hovered like spirits around, Stra icy’arms were cl around like hoops o; steel. Then followed an awful roaring and the sen- sation of being swept away into the illimitable depths of eternity. Down, down, deeper and dee into the unknown void he felt himse’ inv or buzzing roar gradually dissolving into the notes of far-off music, sweet and —s and finally fadi into that oblivion which knows no pain, no euffering —the hand-maid of Dea CHAPTER XXVII. THE SILENT SLAYERS OF THE LAKE. Wirth anxious, er hearts the Boy Brigade watched their young leader depart upon his lor- ing expedition. They watched him as he glided out over the glassy waters of the lake toward the spot where the floating-cabin of Neptune went down, never dreaming that lynx-eyed danger lurked in ambush for him until they saw the three canoes loaded with savages put out from different points around the shore, ; Bed that ae Seth te 8 yy bacon ytd of the sunken craft; and con is us precaution, a peared not to pring peril; whereupon. Focsene oe the signal of danger. In a moment Seth is retreat, and the Brigade prepared to cover it; but, od the most — atone a score of say: charged upon them m the woods, com them to ux shelter in the ene ad ahadews 3 from the lake. This they lost no time in doing, and had the geod fortune to stumble into a “ windfall” —a number of omg trees uprooted and piled in such away asto afford a temporary defense, The say- ages endeavored to dislodge them from their retreat, but were mal Mage _ aoe Pappa ser that be were com relinquish their object and shelter from the unerring rifles of the Brigade The latter now had a moment's respite to enumer- ate their casualties. To the fear and regrets of all, one of the band, Teddy O’Roop, the Irish lad..wag
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- ee ———— tatssing; and there was not a doubt left in the mind of any one but that he had been killed. Two others had been slightly wounded; and the worst of all, their beloved young leader was, ere this, in the power of his cruel enemy. Nothing but the inter- vention of Providence could save him. é yells that finally rose along the lake told that their worst fears had been realized—Seth was a cap- tive. Disasters were falling thick and fast upon the Boy Brigade. ; ** What do you suppose the fate of Sure Shot will be?” asked Harris. ; “No doubt a horrible death,” replied Justin Gray. A look of sadness overspread each countenance And a solemn grief trembled upon each lip. Still the courage of the little band did not flag. Taught by | experience and similar trying circumstances, ey resolved to put forth every effort in behalf of their young friend and leader—to risk life and limb fp an attempt to save him. As nothing had been seen of their enemies since entering the ‘“ windfall,”’ Hooseah was sent out to reconnoiter. He soon returned and announced the way clear to the lake. The savages had doubtless withdrawn to join their friends in their fiendish tri- umph over the capture of Sure Shot Seth. The Brizade left their retreat and stole back to the shore of the lake. They found the little sheet deserted; not a sign of Seth, his canoe, or the savages could be seen. Scouts were at once sent in opposite directions around the lake, but, before they returned the Bri- gade saw the savages emerge from the forest on the opposite side of the lake, enter a canoe with Seth, ps row out upon the water. Half an hour later they saw the object of this movement. Seth had been left almost in the middle of the lake, bound to a log anchored there, by some means or other. The object of the red-skins was evident; it was the capture of any one who might attempt Seth’s rescue, And, as the Brigade was now without a boat of any, kind, and the water was growing rough, it would be next to impossible to reach their friend by swimming. To and fro beneath the forest shadows, the little band paced uneasily, suffering all the excruciating misery that the predicament of their young captain could force upon them, I said_all; this, however, was not the case, exactly. Old Joyful Jim sat down and with that grim, queer smile that had been no- ticed before, on different occasions, upon his face, he watched the helpless young rifleman. “My God, boys!” Justin Gray finally exclaimed, his face marked by desperation, “I can stand this no longer; Seth must be saved! will swim out there and release him, if I die for it.” ‘“‘Wuss than useless to undertake to swim out thar now,” said old Jim. ‘ Jist wait; it’ll soon be wark; then mebby some of us can make it.” ‘But, he may be dead by that time,” persisted Gray. % Don't fool Pech Seth’s not goin’ to give up so easy as that. I never see’da boy that was as chuck, jam full of life as that Seth. No, them ‘tarnal brim- stonites don’t want him dead till they fit us; there- fore, we want to save caloric, and Tl bet Sure aonb ie to impale more’n one red-skin on a sun- eam.” ‘7 wish I knew that Seay prophetically, Jim,” said Gray, puzzled by the indifferent view the old ex- trader took of the matter, and the coolness he had manifested all along. ‘“ Wait and you'll see, was the anpycr, They did wait until darkness sé ; but time had seemed to lag so worer, that all hope of Seth's es- cape had about died out. It seemed impossible for him to have lived so long. Night shut every object from view upon the lake; and only the roar of the wind and the noan of the woods broke upon the ber ears of the little band. | ld Jim left the Brigade with the avowed purpose of reconnoitering the northern shore of the lake; while Hooseah and Justin Gray prepared to swim out to Seth’s rescue, be the result what it might. These two boys had no ge in watercraft; and upon several occasions had displayed almost superhuman strength and endurance, as well as wonderful feats, in the water. They were well aware of the dangers and difficulties they would have to combat; but there was no peril, no hardship they would not undertake in behalf of their beloved you leader. So, they divested themselves of most 0 their clothing, and having securely fa tened their hunting knives to the ends of long, slender rods, they ‘put to sea.”” They swam side by side, lying upon their backs, their hends and arms submergec their hastily improvised lances slightly elevated and al the surface of the water. They guided them- ives by the wind and waves The Sn gone near- ly a hundred yards when a sound fell upon the ears of the Beaver that caused him to start. It was the dip of a paddle. Le Subtile Wolf answered in a similar manner, when both at once became silent and motionless on the water. Without a doubt a canoe was approaching, The eould hear the dip of the Bera and the prow cu the waves. It came closer and closer. ey can now see the dark outlines of the hull, along the surface of the water, and the shadowy out- lines of grotesque above it. They know what it means. It is asavage canoe patrolling the lake for enemies, They prepare to act, for their situation is There were, at least, six red-skins in the canoe ef My Sure shot Seth. and they were coming almost directly toward the boys, who touched their lances twice, then drew them back, and when the canoe came up, thrust the weapons forward into two of the upright figures within it. A yell of agony burst from the warriors’ lips, and a momentary confusion followed. The un- suspecting warriors knew not from whence those death blows had come, so silently had they been dealt, so dark was the surrounding. The paddlers pede te their blades, and assisted their companions with the two struggling in the agonies of death. This left the canoe within reach of the Beaver and Le Subtile Wolf, who, following up the advantage ained, launched their terrible gr, through the darkness again. Two more of the six had been stricken down by the deadly sting of death; and be- fore the others could recover from their fear | and consternation, the finai blow had been struck and the two desperate boys had won a signal vic- tory. When assured that they had nothing more to fear of those in the canoe, they swam alongside of the boat and threw themselves into it. To consign the bodies to the troubled waves was but the work of a moment, then each laying his lance by his side, took up a paddle, t required some moments now for them to get their course, for in the silent and deadly encounter they had lost their bearings. When assured they were right, they dipped their blades and crept away through the gloom. They were now compelled to use more precaution than ever, for the water, when lying with their ears upon it. was a better conductor of sound than the air. Moreover, their elevation rendered it more difficult to discern objects around them. But they felt themselves equal to the occa- sion, being greatly encouraged by their recent vic- tory. It had been a part of their programme to maneuver for the capture of a canoe in which to con- vey their friend ashore, should they succeed in re- leasing him. It was this that they had in view when they constructed the deadly weapons they carried with them. There was such a harmony of instincts in these two boys, trained as they had been together, that they had not spoken a dozen words since leaving the shore. The touch of their lances had kept them to- gether, and any sudden movement of the weapon by one seemed to convey his thoughts to the other as naturally as one conveys words upon the electric telegraph. With their minds centered upon the one great object of mercy, it was natural enough that the details followed in intuitive harmony. One made no movement that did not ‘*dove-tail,” as it were, with the other’s, and with this silent and per- fect sameness of action, which was, in a manner, characteristic of the whole Brigade, had they been enabled to accomplish so much in the gloom. They moved on, and were finally nearing the spot where they had last seen Seth tossing on the waves, when the sound of voices fell upon their ears. They at once ceased paddling, and holding the blades so that their boats might not drift back, the listened. They could hear the audible dip of a Sut die, mingled with a voice speaking English. The boat of the unknown was crossing the path of our two adventuresome friends, and when nearly oppo- site the prow of their boat, they heard the person in y: pa! tell ye, boss, I’ve jist all I can do to keep that Boy Brigade off the scent. I’ve been afraid, time o ie that they'd find out the little game I’m playing.’ A shudder thrilled through the forms of the two boys, and they ciutched their lances as if to strike. As che boat drew nearer and passed on by Shem, they recognized the voice of the speaker. It was that of Joyful Jim! Was he a traitor to the Boy Brigade? Alas! what else could he have been? CHAPTER XXVIIL JOYFUL JAMES UNDER A CLOUD. THE Weaver and Le Subtile Wolf continued on until they a Woe they were in the vicinity of the log to which Seth was bound; but to their surprise and ear they could find nothing of their young friend. They searched the water over and over, but without reward; and were finally compelled to give up the search, Sad and heavy-hearted, they returned to shore with the int ence of Seth’s Nel Pyohoie no doubt beneath waves of the wind-tossed little sea, The little ban? was sige Si into the deepest gloom, Their hearts sunk within them, and their courage seemed to falter. To add still more to the intensity of their feelings, the words that Justin Gray and Hooseah had overheard upon the lake had been construed into the words of a traitor. “T have often remarked the indifference with which old Jim ed some things of a serious con- “But,” said Tom be eye inclined to give old Jim the benefit of a doubt, ‘“‘hasn’t he done since he has been with us that would be a little un- accountabie if he was a traitor to us?” ‘“‘ Yes; but that has been part of his tactics to mis: lead us,” said Gray. ‘‘He has pretended to serve us, while he has a— *Hooh!” exclaimed Le Subtile Wolf, suddenly; s i on lake—see him?”’ ervey a dim light had become visible near the middie of the lake. It shot a long, subdued beam across the water to where our friends stood, It was such 9 light as shines from a window on a ie a 47 dark night, and seemed to be elevated a few fees above the surface of the lake. : One of the boys decided that ft must be a will-o’: the-wisp; but this idea was exploded by the light dis- eppesene ever and anon as though forms were pass- ~~ to and fro between. he boys puzzled themselves over this light tor more than an hour, but they could obtain no definite information regarding it and were at length compel led to give it up and retire to some safer point in which to pass the wie of dreary hours of night. They sought the ‘‘ windfall,” which had afforded them a safe retreat during the day; and having posted twa uards that were to be relieved at intervals of two ours, the rest lay down tosleep and give their tireé minds repose. Little sleep, however, closed the eyes of the peril environed band that night; and when one did fal? into a doze, the vagaries of an excited brain conjured up a thousand horrors and dangers. Slowly and wearily the night dragged away, and with its darkness went many’df the terrors born of it. Bright and early the boysall were astir, but not until the rising sun had dispelled every shadow did Mir venture out of their retreat. aving first partaken of their morning repast, they started toward the lake. They had procecdlo@ but ashort distance when a “chirp ’ likethut ofa bird overhead caused them ail to look up; when, te their astonishment, they saw old Joyful Jim re- clining in a sort of hammock attached toa limb, looking as smiling and innocent as a clown in acir: cus. Mechanically the prignne drew back the hammers of their guns, while a look of sudden surprise and unutterable scorn mounted their faces. “Careful! careful!” exclaimed the old fellow throwing up his hand; “it’s me, Joyful James; Don't shoot—he—avens!”” The last exclamation was occasioned by a sav: yell not far away, and quick as a flash the Briga turned and started back to the windfall; while old Jim hopped out of his bed and began to scramble down the tree ina hurry. As soon as he had reach. ed the ground, he followed the Brigade, and was nearing the windfall, in which the boys were already ensconced, when a savage with an u plifted toma, hawk sprung from behind a tree and confronted him. As the murderous weapon of the savage de- scended, it was dextrously warded off by the gun barrel of the white man. But the sudden deviation of the tomahawk, and the force with which it fell upon the gun-bayrel, carried both from the hands of their owners, leaving them face to face and empty- handed, Old Jim expecteda shot from the Boy ee to help him out of his difficulty; but as it was not forth- coming, while a dozen Indians behind him were, he saw that he must act with dispatch. He thrust for- ward his bony hands, and seizing the savage by the throat and waist, raised him aloft as though he were a child, and as J sy eyed hurls his thunderbolts against the mountain, so he hurled the red-skin to the earth, crushing the life out of him. Then he grabbed a his rifle and attempted to escape inside the windfall; but before he could do so, three Indians were upou him, and turning, he fought them with the flerce« ness and aaa of a tiger driven at bay. With clubbed rifie he swept the foe down before him. The breech of the weapon snapping off left him the iron barrel, a formidable weapon that crushed and@ crunched its way through the air around the power that wielded it. The Boy Brigade watched the conflict with aston: ishment. Theysaw the old man in combat with those whom they had decided were his friends. But the thought that they might be mistaken flashe@ across their minds the instant they caught sight of his' face. It seemed transformed to that of a mad- man. The cords in his neck and face had swelled out almost to bursting. His eyes glowed with the ferocity of a Fury. He seemed endowed with superhuman power as he fought for his life. The iron weapon in his hand had become bespattered with the blood of his victims, It fairly dripped with Meade! The Brigade saw it. It was enoughit told them that old Jim was no friend to the r seer and in another moment they were out of their cov: to the rescue of the brave and heroic old man. The red-skins were at once driven away; and with Jim, the Brigade sought their shelter again. Here the old ex-trader sunk down, weak and helpless, al- most as if stricken with paralysis. His nervous sys+ tem had been strung to such atensior by excitement that the sudden relapse completely prostrated him, The boys supposed he had been wounded, and ran to his assistance, all anxious to serve him. ““Where are you hurt Jim?” Justin Gray m quired. “Nowhar in partickler,” he answered; “my ph cal stamina’s goin’ back on me, that’s al. Bat didn’t I make the claret fly, though, outer them red- skins? Shades of the Temple! Inever got into sich a muss in all my life; and I thought you fellers war never comin’ to help me. Reckon you didn’t want Bi: Wane aechennad wae t glan but e 'S icant glances, but re- mained aie 4 Old dim recovered his st and rose to his feet, with the announcement that was him: elf again. As the Indians did not,make any further demons stration upon the windfall, the Brigade resolved te eS eae Tai they hark Ne ee uivies regarding e seen during night, es Od Jim could say nothing definite regards -
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floating cabin of old Neptune, or one exactly like it, vesting calmly upon the placid bosom of the little sheet. From ont of its chimneys a thin wreath of smoke was curling, and through the open door, look- tng south, the lithe form of a female was passing to and fro, What did it mean? This was the gassed from lip to lip; but no one cou was a mystery within a mystery. CHAPTER XXTX. LIFE IN A NEW WORLD, WE !left Sure Shot Seth unconscious upon a log $n the middle of the lake, overcome by the loss of lood, cold, and the dorrors of his situation. But he was not lett alone here to die. Under the canopy of night a canoe crept avross the water with two «cloaked ey oe who reieased the youth from the log, took his almost helpless form aboard, and then disappeared in the direction they had come. How long he had remained, unconscicus Sure Shot Seth had no means of telling; but. when reason be- gan to assert its power, it was with a vague uncer- tainty that he regarded his state of existence. He found that he was not in the water nor pon the log, of which he maintained an indistinct recollec- ‘tion; but upon a soft pallet surrounded by walls, vand shadowy forms that were passing around him, The murmur of voices in the distance also assured uestion that answer, It him of the vague, dreamy existence in some sphere | or other: but his mind was so heavy and depressed that he could not collect his thoughts. Little by little, however, objects around him began to as- sume more tangible and material shape. Out of the shadows of unconsciousness those moving figures _gectigng unfolded themselves until he found that e was surrounded by men and women. At length he had so far recovered as to recognize a face bend- ing over him. It was that of Vishnia, the Maid of the Valley. At one side sat her father, old Nep- tune. With their presence was connected some vague horror. He closed his eyes and tried to recall the past. One by one the events of the last fow days came trooping back; and when at length a remembrance of the sinking of old Neptune’s cabin, with all on board, entered his mind, a cry busst from his lips. They lived as he did himself; but ‘was it not in another sphere? They had surely been drowned in Lake Luster and passed into another existence. He had met with a similar fate on the log where the savages had left him. This expla- mation seemed cogent enough to him; but as an- other thought flashed into his mind, he started up, erying out: Where is she? Maggie?”’ Here,” responded a soft voice, and Maggie Har- 4is appeared before him, her face radiant with love and . ; ** Then we are all here,” hesaid, sinking back upon his couch, a great load seeming to have been re- ‘moved from his brain. “Yes, Seth, we are all safe in the cabin of Nep- tune,” answered Maggie, speaking in a low, gentle “oire, * But have we all not undergone a change? we are mot on earth, are we?” the half-delirious youth asked; “you were all drowned when the cabin sunk, ‘were you not?” “No, Seth,” answered Maggie, “‘we were not drowned. This is a wonderful structure. Neptune sunk it at his pleasure to save us from the savages. Every opening can be hermetically sealed, so that no water can enter the rooms. It was Neptune that rescued you and brought you here. You have long been unconscious.”’ Her words swept away the cloud that hovered over the youth’s mind; and ina moment he was in full ession of his senses. He opened his eyes and azed around him. He saw that the room was nice- furnished. The walls, which gradually sloped le the floor to the apex overhead, were heavily painted and varnished. A small sheet-iron stove oc- ecupied one end of the long room. In one corner were cooking utensils and dishes. Further down ‘the room was a table covered with books. In the other end was a sort of a stand or work-bench, upon which lay an almost countless number of tools. A machine—apparently unfinished—of some kind or other, and composed of innumerable cogs, wheels and — s, stood upon the table, On the floor near the bench were the othér parts of complicated machinery, which were evidence themselves of the occupation of old Neptune. Under the table were +wo rubber canoes, one large, one small. Near the center of the room was something that puzzled our hero. It wasa huge box with a crank on one side and a fly-wheel on the other. But what eould it be used for? At first he concluded that it ‘was some apparatus for propelling the floating cabin, if such the domicile might be termed; but, further investigation revealed a long rubber hose lying jled at the foot of the machine, and which led to : Bee pomion that it was used for manipulating the craft. In addition to these things, some Setar? apparel, ‘two or three rifles, a guitar, some beautiful pictures, a couple of pallets and some other articles and orna- ments composed the furniture of the strange place. Three windows, of but a single large ne each, lighted the room, while overhead were four open- ings, one of which served as a chimney, the others as ventilators, ¢ together it was ast structure; but in per- fect keeping with the wild mysterious air that sur- unded its owner, old Neptune, and his fair and ely daughter, Vishnia, There was nothing to fear in the old man’s looks; on the contrary there was a majesty in his tall form, his intellectual face and patriarchal beard, that commanded respect and admiration. His dark Sure Shot Seth. gray eyes, massive brows and expressive mouth, carried the expression of a deep thinker and pro- found student of nature with them. He came and sat down by Seth, administered stimulants to him, and at the same time kept up an easy pleasant conversation. The former strengthened his body, the latter his mind; and in the course of a few hours the youth was on his feet. Neptune con- ducted him to the door and out upon the porch, from whence he had a fair view 9f Lake Luster and the surrounding shores. He searched the latter for some signs of his friends; but saw nothing, The beach seemed entirely deserted. ‘**T wonder if my friends are alive?’’ he said to the old man. “They were at ten o’clock last night,’ replied | Neptune, ‘“‘and I think they had a conflict with the savages this morning, for I beard a sharp firing over on the west shore.”’ ‘The savages seem determined on the destruction of the Boy Brigade,” said Seth. seriously. ‘Yes; and the floating-palace of old Neptune.” ** But Page! can outwit them when we cannot.” The old man burst into a peal of laughter. Seth continued: “Your residence here is a wonderful structure. Its mechanism ge een my comprehension.” “No doubt of it, my boy; but if you will come with me inside, I will explain the whole thing to you in a satisfactory manner.”’ As they turned to goin, Seth caught sight of a savage standing on the eastern shore; and by his dress, recognized him as Hawk-Eyes, the Boy Chief. CHAPTER XXX. PRINCIPLE OF THE FLOATING CABIN, WueEn Seth and Neptune entered the cabin, Vish- nia was playing upon the harp from which she had called forth such ravishing strains a few nights pre- vious on Rock Island. The old man motioned Seth to a seat, then sat down himself, and burying his face in his hands remained silent until his daughter had ceased playing. Then, raising his head: and nervously running his fingers through his gra locks, he took a book from the shelf near at hand, and turning to Seth, read, in a clear voice, as follows: ‘PRINCIPLES OF FLOTATION.—When a body is plunged into a liquid, it is urged downward by its roper weight, and upward by the buoyant effort of he liquid. If the density of the immersed boty is the same as that of the liquid, its weight will be equal to the buvyant effort of the liquid, and it will remain in equilibriam wherever it may be placed. If the density of the body is greater than that of the liquid, its weight will be greater than the ge effort and the body will sink to the bottom. If the density of the body is iess than that of the liquid, its weight will be less than the vega ae effort, and the body will rise to the surface. The body will con- tinue to rise until the weight of the displaced liquid equals that of the body, when it-will come toa rest.” **Now,”’ said the old man, closing the book, “* these are the philosophical principles upon which my craft here is constructed. I have always been a firm be- liever in the ability of talent and genius to construct a submarine house and boat in which people may live and travel under water as well as on the sur- face of the earth and water. The former I have de- monstrated to my satisfaction. In the first place, I had a reservoir constructed thirty feet long, twelve feet wide, and twelve inches deep. -Its capacity, therefore, is three hundred and sixty cubic feet. t was made air-tight, and provided with stop-cock and faucets, and loaded with stone until its density was almost equal to that of the water. Then on to of this reservoir this cabin was erected, and the ad- ditional weight caused the reservoir to sink still deeper so that a part of the cabin is submerged. You can see that the threshold of the door is two feet above the floor, which brings the line of flota- tion nearly the same hight above the floor, so that a portion of the cabin is always under water. The cabin, as you saw, was covered with galvanized sheet-iron, all soldered together, and the door and | windows made to close hermetically. As the amount of water displaced by the air chamber, below, is << to the weight of the unsubme cabin, all I have todo, t6 sink the whole concern is to open a faucet and let ‘the reservoir fill with water, when down we go. The shape of the roof aids the downward pressure. While thus submerged, we receive fresh air through those pipes overhead that project above the surface of the water.” “But suppose you should sink beyond your re then those pipes would flood the interior,’ said Seth. That is an obstacle that I propose to overcome soon,” continued the old man, thoughtfully. “I propose to invent an apparatus by which a supply of fresh air can be had at ey ss even when fathoms below the #urface. ut, when I wish to rise to the surface, I force the water from the reservoir below by means of this force-pump; and the buoyant effort carries me to the surface. | This much have I demonstrated in living under the water. believer in its accomplishment; and have already invented a little machine that travels, by means of a screw worked by a series of clock-works just under- neath the surface of the water- As soon as I had ac- complished this, the idea of a self-moving torpedo was rs deeorge to my mind; and as rumors of a war were abroad in the land, I thought it a good time to invent something of the kind, and sol went to work; and how well I succeeded, Pi have doubtless seen illustrated within the past few days.” “T have seen a savage canoe and raft blown out of the water within the past day or two, if that is what you have reference to,” answered Seth, who ed part of the | As to traveling under the water, I am a firm | EF. -4 had become deeply interested in the man’s explanas tions. “Tt is; andif I had possessed more than the twa torpedoes, no savage canoe would ever have reach- ed my cabin. Since the last attack, however, I have completed another, ready forsome desperate emer gency, for which Iam hourly looking.’ “But I don’t see how you can send your torpedoes so direct as to intercept the craft of the enemy every time,” said Seth. “Well, it requires care. The instrument bein shaped somewhat like a fish, has, what I call ‘sights,’ on each end, by means of which I get it set on a line directly with the object I wish it to strike. The principal machinery is submerged, and to pre vent it sinking, a buoy is attached to it which floats on the water’s surface. If the water is smooth and there is no cross waves, or other objects to interfere, the machine will glide away in a line straight as a bullet could travel. When the canoe is reached, an upright wire that protrudes just aboye the water, strikes the boat, and having connection with the in- side machinery, fires a pistol which in turn fires the magazine, and the explosion follows. So far, I have tested it only on a small scale; but propose to apply the same motor to a magazine sufficient to blow a ship-of-war out of existence.”’ “I daresay you will succeed; but I am surprised at your coming here, into this wild, savage country to pursue your experiments,” said Seth. “Tis the seclusion, the seclusion, my son, tat I sought out here,’’ the old man said, glancing vaguely out across the lake, ‘* Neptune, then, is not your name ?” observed Seth. **Not at all,” was the laconic reply of the old man. Seth relapsed into silence; he saw that the old man had communicated all that he seemed desirous of doing, and, finally, he rose and going to where Maggie and Vishnia were seated said: ‘Maggie, your father and friends mourned you as dead yesterday when they saw this craft sink be- neath the waves.” ‘Poor papa!” said Maggie, sadly, “I know he must have suffered,” and the tears welled up into her hing “Yes; and had you been lost I would have consid. ered myself, in a measure, the cause; for I should not have ieft you the other day when I did.” “You did only what you supposed tc be for the best, Seth,’’ she said, gently. “T know it; but then I cannot be too thoughtful of one who saved my life at great expense to herself.” ‘Tt was not only a duty, but a pleasure,”’ Maggie | answered, her eyes sparkling with all the true 5m wardness of a woman's love; “if the future has no perils, I'll never regret the past.” “Well, I hope our dangers are past; but I fear we have much trouble yettoencounter A few moments ago I saw our enemy, Ivan Le Clereg. Yesterday I stood face to face with him. It is his desire to get you into his power, and me out of existence. He is a desperate character, and I shall always believe that he knew of the intended attack on the Agency, if he did not help plan it. Withcut some previous merit he could not have attained the power of a war- chief in a single day. I daresay he has been the enemy’s agent among us.” ‘Friend March,” called out old Neptune, who was standing at the open door, “will you come this w a moment? I want your opinion on a little matter.” Yes, sir,” answered Seth, and he walked down to the old man. ‘What do you think of the prospect for a battle?” the latter as pa pointing out upon the lake where three canoes, filled with savages, were approaching. “Too promising,” answered Seth; “but if you will provide me with a rifie I assure you they'll not reac here alive, if I know myself.” That you can have, Seth,” replied old Neptune and turning aside he took a rifle from the wall an handed it to the youth; “I have heard that you are called Sure Shot on account of your marksmanship; so now I want to see your skill demonstrated.” They went out upon the platform. Seth looked the rifle carefully over, balanced it upon his hand, tried the trigger and peeped throu 4 the sights, Then with a satisfied air he drew the hammer back, raised the piece, and, taking deliberate aim at the nearest savage, fired. A yell followed the report; and the next moment not a savage was to be seen. They had elevated, over the prow of each canoe, a sort of a breast-work made of slabs thick enough to resist bullets. Three or four of these had been made fast to cross-pieces, and being about five feet lon and four wide completely covered the inmates o each boat. : No sooner did peptune discover this than his face assumed a look of serious gravity. He shook hig noe in adoubtful manner, and then turning to Seth said: “J am afraid we will be unable to repel that oree.”’ “They are well covered from bullets, friend Ne tune,’ answered Seth, “‘ and seem determined on the capture of your craft. However, we can prepare to | givethem a reception.” “Let them come,” said the old man; .“if they get the boat they’ll have to dive for it.” “Then you propose to sink?” ‘Come in; I want you to realize the marvels of Nature under the waves,” answered the old artisan. Seth turned and followed him into the cabin, The door was closed and_ barred, and panels were placed over each window, shutting out the light. “The Indians are coming again, children,’ the old pen said to the two girls, ‘and we have got to go own.” Vishnia was unmoved by the news; but w a shade pale, and her beg having ose of Seth, she involun ao drew nearer tq a eee sf pee oe “
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N EEE TS 7 through fear and the yearnings of her heart. eptune walked to one end of the room and seiz- ing a post that protruded through the floor pulled it upward a few inches. nstantly, almost, Seth felt a tremor pass through the cabin followed by the rush and roar of water ander them, There was a downward motion of the building; a cloud seemed to pass over the windows and the cabin came to rest on the lake’s bottom. With a feeling akin to awe, Sure Shot Seth glanc- ed around as if expecting to see the sides of the structure give way under the pressure uponit. But in a moment all became settled, and stepping under ene of the holes in the roof he glanced through it. He saw the blue sky, and heard the surge of the ‘waves above him. “What do you think of my submarine hut, Seth?” the old man asked, his face beaming satisfaction. “So far it is a success,” answered our hero; “ but ff the enemy finds out the use of those pipes it would be an easy matter to flood us in here.” “But I don’t want them to fird it out,” replied Neptue. : ‘But how are you going to prevent it?” *T cannot prevent it; but should one of them dare to look down one of the chimneys he will be shot while in the act.” ‘Yes, you can do that,” replied Seth; for all, the outh felt that their situation would be a dangerous one should the enemy make 2. close investigation of ‘the sunken craft, And this they were likely to do, for the cabin having risen from a previous submer- sion would doubtless lead to a solution of the mys- ‘tery connected with it. Several minutes elapsed. The water had become still. A clear twilight pervaded the submarine hut, Seth went to where Maggie stood, and together the two walked to one of the yindows and gazed out. The water around them was clear and transparent almost_as the atmospher}. <A hundred little min- nows darted and flashed across their vision like birds in the air. Some +f them grew bolder and bolder, and approached within a’ few feet of the window-pane. resently a whole shoal of large fish game trooping along anc! began to hover around the window, A ‘huge fellow finally approached the lass slowly, cautiously. He came so close that th and Maggie could jee his bright eyes, the move- ment of his fins, and the very quiver of his nose. The scene wasa beautiful one, rendered all the more grand by the sun’s rays, which, falling ob- liquely upon the water, encircled the fish in the prismatic colors of the rainbow. : “Tsn’t that delightiul?” exclaimed Maggie, forget- ting their danger in her admiration for the scene, and joy at being at Seth’s side. “Tt is very beautiful,” answered Seth. ‘ *Yos, it is beautiful, my young friends,” said Neptune; ‘but suppose we were in the middle of the sea? What grand sights would be presented to our gaze! Vish of all kinds, the monsters of the deep; beautiful submarine forests; mountains and valleys, and the wondrous formations of the coral- line polypi. I shall yet complete a boat similar to this, by which I will descend to the bottom of old ocean, and there gaze upon the wonders, and drag to light the mysteries of the deep. I tell you this is no dream—it’s stern reality.” *T hope you may be successful, Aeptune,” re- plied Set for the dangers and privations you are ‘undergoing ‘n the interest of science deserve great reward,”* At this juncture a shadow appeared over the win- alow where the young folks stood. ' A little cry burst from ameee's lips and she shrank closer to Seth, grasping is arm as%f to pre- vent falling. The color faded from her cheeks; her lips grey white with fear; and hereyes became fixed as they gazed upward through the window. “What is it, Maggie?” asked Seth. ““Look!’? she answered. 5 Seth did as directed, and, to his’ surprise and hor- ror, beheld a canoe resting upon the surface of the , nearly over thenis while in the craft he could distinctly see four savages, all of whom were gaz- ‘ing down through the clear water at the little win- -@yw—into his very face! CHAPTER XXXI. NEPTUNE NEPTUNE NO MORE! Srru started back in alarm, calling the attention of Neptune to the proximity of the enemy. The old man evinced some uneasiness, and advane- ing to the pane, looked out. The foe were still there, the canoe appearing to rest in the air above, so clear and transparent was the water. They werestill gaz- ing down at the little window, their black ferret-like eyes pees to dart rays of diabolical terror into the very souls of our friends, Neptune stood and watched them for a moment, then turned away. Seth noticed that a wok of un- easiness was upon his face; and when he saw the old man take a brace of revolvers from a box on his work-bench and examine their priming he felt setie- fied that the cabin was in danger. “The red scavengers of the forest may give us rouble, my young friends,” he said. ‘‘They have doubtless discovered the nature of our boat, and tamper with those be ager of which are open. But in order tha eir curiosity, should it them to look through one of the openings, may fully satisfied, I want each tube rded, an? the fnoment a red-skin’s face =, ie ve it, a bullet put through his savage b: pe “But suppose they undertake to chop off those par cg gp mot g them- Ww we do m Pee ain dant oe wilcnare to Hes to is surface 4nd fight it out,” replied Neptune Sure Shot Seth. “Father,” cried Vishnia, who was watching at the window, ‘the canoe is moving over the cabin.” “*Seth, here is a revolver; watch that tube, will you?” asked Neptune. Seth took the weapon, and scarcely had he taken. his position under the pipe ere a dark object ap- peared at the upper end, and in a moment all light was excluded therefrom. Believing it to be a red- skin’s face, he raised his revolver and fired. A groan of agony, followed by the dripping of some- thing warm upon his hands, and the appearance of daylight at the top of the tube, told the youth that his aim had been fatal. The eo of paddles, the sound of excited voices, and the plash of the water above, told of the excitement that prevailed among the red-skins. And this in- creased the fears of old Neptune, for he now saw that his submarine hut was not invulnerable to the at- tack of enemies. To prevent accident, he caused the panels to be clesed over the windows, thus grt oe all light except that which struggled down throug the pipes above. For some time the little band was kept in dire sus- ense by the foe. What their next movement would , they could not conjecture. They entertained hopes of the red-skins withdrawing; but as the moments passed, and their presence continued above, these — were dispelled by the sound of a blow like that of an ax, which sent a tremor through the whole building and a chill to the hearts of its in- mates. The meaning was obvious enough—the enemy had attacked the pipes with their hatchets. A ery of terror burst from Vishnia’s lips, while, with a look of awful resolve on her father’s face, he sprung to the pump in the center of the room. With the power of a Hercules, he applied himself to the work of saving himself and friends. The pump worked almost noiselessly, and as the water, which overcame the buoyant effort of the structure, was gradually forced from the reservoir beneath by the double-action machine, the sub- marine cabin began to rise toward the surface. Nothing was more evident of this fact than the cries of dismay and bafiled triumph that rose from the lips of the red-skins. Their blows upon the tubes ceased, but were resumed upon the sides of the plated structure with the fury of demons. The cabin continued to rise rapidly, and in ten minutes’ time had reached its line of flotation. Then the faucet and stop-cock were closed, and Neptune’s labor was done for the time being. ey had now escaped drowning no doubt to en- counter another death more horrible at the hands of the red barbarians thundering at the door. But Seth and the old man resolved to sell their lives dearly, and with revolvers in hand stood ready for the worst, Pushing aside one of the panels that protected a window, Neptune thrust his revolver through the glass and opened a deadly fire upon the foe, driving them beyond range around the angle of the building. This be repeated, with the assistance of Seth, upon the other sides, and to their happy surprise the enemy was compelled to beat a retreat shoreward with serious loss, They had, however, gained a par- ‘ial victory. They had unraveled the mystery of the submarine hut, and inflicted such damage upon it as would prevent its being sunk with impunity again. The windows were shattered, and in several p aces the wall had been battered and hacked until day- light was visible through it. In fact, the floating cabin of Neptune was almost a wreck. Neptune sighed with the deepest r t as he looked upon the ruthless spoilation of his craft— —— of his vague, but cherished hopes of immor- ity. The men went out upon the porch and gazed around them. A shout of triumph greeted them from the western shore, and the presence of the Boy pk goer evoked an answer from the lips of Neptune and Seth. Old Joyful Jim came close to the water's edge and shouted aloud to those upon the craft; but Satan himself seemed to have sent his imps broad- cast throughout the Black Woods, and before answer could be given back, a horde of red-skins put the gic 9 to flight. “Tt seems as shocge we are all doomed to cer- tain destruction,” said the old man, gravely, serious- “Yes; those red-skins will give us no peace as long aswe are upon this craft,” answered Seth; “ there- fore I woul suggest that we leave it under cover of it.’ the coming mee “But, my boy,” replied Neptune, “you will not have strength to endure a lon , laborious flight. You are thin and pale as a sheet.’ “I know I have suffered the loss of strength and blood» but I think I could stand a forced march to the Agency.” ’ *“Perhaps,’’ replied Neptune, gazing away like one eo ge in deep deliberation; *- therefore we must avail ourselves of the shadows of the coming night, as yous est, Seth, and get awa Vv. ” ith this understanding, the little party made ae agen for flight. gloom settled upon the row of Nepfune over the thought of desertin his quiet. retreat. But Vishnia seemed plea with the idea that was to release her from the se- clusion of a wildwood prison and her dangerous thralldom, Soon after darkness had fully set in, Neptune and his party began their retreat, By means of a long ae the raft was set in motion by the old man. hey moved slowly toward the western shore, the nearest ee to land. It was their intention to ap- hee the shore as near as possible, then take he two rubber boats. Suddenly two canoes shot alongside of them and # dozen dusky figures in the boats became Visible to | 19 the eyes of old Neptune who was on the look-out for danger. Turning, he sprung inté the cabin and closed the door after him. A yell rose in the night, fiendish and jarring. Blows fell upon the cebin thick and furious. Another attack had begun. ““My God, we are attacked again!” shouted old Neptune, growing furious. cry of despair escaped the maidens’ lips. The light inside was at once put out; the windows opened, and a random firing —— upon the foe; but with but little success. The darkness favore the enemy. In the midst of the tumult of the attack a shrill cry resembling that of a beaver was heard to comé from out upon the lake. Seth, who stood near the window, recognized it ag the cry of Justin Gray, the Beaver, and at once gave an answering signal. Then from other directions rose the sharp bark = fox, the how] of a wolf, the scream of a panther, the hoot of an owl. There was a lull in the attack as these sounds is sued through the night. By bitter experience the savages had learned their import. “Glory!” exclaimed Seth, beside himself, “the Boy Brigade is near.” he savages resumed the attack on the cabin all the more furious. They cut and hacked away until suddenly a yell of agony from one of them caused the whole party to suspend operations. Scarcely a minute had elapsed when another war- rior tumbled into the water with a frightful scream of agony; and as no shot had been fired from the in- terior of the cabin, the savages knew that a new and silent enemy had appeared upon the scene of action. Silence was imposed upon the party, and all listened with bated breath. A savage advanced to the edge of the platform in front of the cabin, and leaning forward, peered down at the water. He caught the outlines of a blac, spherical object lying upon the surface of the lake not ten feet from him; but before he could make his discovery known the »bject raised slightly and thrust forward a lon slender rod with a sharp lance-point which ente his throat, completely severing the windpipe. A half-moan, half-cry, mingled with a horrible gurgling, gasping sound, folowed, and the doomed -skin went overboard into a watery grave. Something of the truth now began to enter the wild brains of the over-triumphant warriors and it at_once became necessary for them to act upon the defensive. They beat a hasty retreat from the vicinity of Neptune's cabin. No sooner was their flight an assured fact, ere a shout of triumph went up from the water around the cabin; and a moment later five of the Boy Brig- ade climbed upon the cabin peepee where they were greeted by Sure Shot Seth and old Neptune. ** Boys,”’ said Seth, “‘you have saved us. But we must get away from here; the enemy is too strong for us. The Brigade can’t work when confined to one place.” ‘Yes; and the sooner you leave the better,” said “for they are growing stronger all the time.” ““My son,” replied Neptune, “we are all ready to depart—in fact were making ashore for that pur pose, when the red barbarians attacked us_ I will proceed to launch my canoe at once.” In a few moments Neptune had launched his rub- ber boats alongside the platform and placed a few simple articles of food and clothing in them. Then the old man and his daughter, and Seth and Maggie bid farewell to the submarine hut and entered the boats. Asthe — boat would carry but one person, and the large one barely three, the old man took the former, and Seth and the two maidens the latter. Justin Gray and his four companions led the way; Seth and his fair friends came next, while Neptune brought up the rear, It was with no little difficulty that the leading boat was followed, owing to the darkness and the extreme silence observed by the members of the Brigade in handling their paddles. Seth, however, being once more in his element, with tae responsibility of the two maidens’ lives —— upon him, exerted every faculty to keep close behind his friends, and to guard against danger. It was this extra precaution measure that enabled him to detect, when a few rods from shore, a black object creeping pensar 5 8 at right les toward them; and having assured him- self that it was a canoe filled with enemies, he at once gave the signal of alarm. But it came too late, The enemy were upon them. CHAPTER XXXIL GONE! “Putt for your lives! pull, boys! The demons are upon us!” cried Sure Shot Seth. eptune turned his canoe and started in pursuit of his friends. But all acted with such precipitous haste that in the darkness and confusion the three canoes became separated. The red-skins pursued; and as the fates would have it, Seth and the maidens, the weakest party. became the victims ,of the chase. When about twenty reds from the shore they were overtaken and made prisoners despite Seth's heroic efforts. No sooner had he discovered the inevitable = ture of himself and the maidens, than he gave the Brigade’s well-known cry of distress., From differ- ent quarters the answer came, and nd.doubt assist- ance; but before he could repeat the cry, a bandage was placed over his mouth; then all three were taken into a large canoe and hurrie« off across the lake. Ten minutes’ rapid paddling brought them to the ce nea pee. = ae and without a moment’s hes 0 4, they hurried away through the deep, dark woods. 5 = i, Seth’s hands were tied at his back. while he was led
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20 on by a cord round his neck like ‘a haltered beast. Twice had he tripped, and not having the use of his bands to prevent falling, he went down, jerk- ine the cord, that held him in the ranks, out of the *ghand. Before he could rise, however, the | Warrior pounced upon him like a hawk and secured the rope. By watching this chances and taking the | warrior off his guard, he thought, by making a sud- | | | en leap, he might be enabled to jerk away from | e foe, and then, with a bound, gain the freedom of | the woods under cover of the darkness. Several miles, however, had been traversed ere fhis opportunity was afforded. Both the maidens, worl as himself, were nearly exhausted with their reed march. The surrounding circumstances re not favorable, but he resolved to make the at- lempt, so, summoning all his strength, he made the pap, springing abruptly to one side, The rope was erked from the red-skin’s hand, and Seth was ree, One bound carried him beyond reach of the enemy’s grasp; but at the next, the earth seemed to,open before him, and the Boy Rifleman felt him- falling downward into unknown depths. CHAPTER XXXHiI. A DROP SCENE. A rew miles gant, of Lake Luster was a yey ne the nesota river, known there- abouts s the Deer-Drive Valiey. ‘Tie name belong- ed tothe nomenclature of the West, and possessed an aptness in its application, At the river the val- ley was nearly a mile wide, with low bluffs; but as it receded into the woods it grew narrower, and the bluffs more precipitous—finally terminating in a rift or narrow gorge, with perpendicular walls of rocks, In years past, the Indians had used this valley for ng deer by driving them in at the river and then | forcing them into the head or rather the neck of the valley from whence there was no escape alive. Hence the name, Deer-Drive Valley. Of late years, however, it had never been visited for this oe JOSE ; for, since the establishing of the Yellow Medicine Agency, most of the game had been driven out of the woods by the Indians and white hunters to- ether; and as there was nothing in the rugged soli- eine of the valley to command even passing interest, it was seldom visited, It was an admirable hiding-place, as long as one was not. hanted there, and, conscious of this fact, three persons who have figured in our story hereto- foue, took advantage of it. These three persons were Rube Johnson, Gus Stew- art, and Ches Pagan, lately the followers of the noto- rious Ivan Le Clereq. It will be remembered that we left these boys in the council with the Boy Chief on the margin of the Black Woods, which terminated in the death of Abe Thorne. Since that time they had been wanderers, as it were, upon the face of the earth. Their minds had become so terrified and excited that they started like guilty, conscience-stricken sound. The stealthy steps of the administers of jus- tice could be heard, in imagination, at any moment. At length, gxrwn tired and foot-sore from long wandering, they crept into the head of the Deer- Drive, and there hid themselves. It is true, their leader in sin, Ivan Le Clercq, had offered them immunity in the Indian encampment but this cold-blooded and cowardly assassination o Abe Thorne filled them with abject fear of him; and they fled. from him and his followers as from all others, Everybody and everything they now re- rded as enemies, and miserable, dejected, and fincgard-looking beings that hep g from the vengeance counter that of God, They had made a good selection of the many hid- ing-places offered them in the vicinity. They had en- of man, only en- were, hiding and | | through the roof above them. things at every | eamped in the narrow neck of the Deer-Drive, where | the walls were fully a hundred feet high and not over twenty feet apart. Over this rift nature had thrown a covering as wonderful and intricate as the gossamer web of the spider, From the facade of each , faa email bluff, a multitude of parasitical vines grown out, and the rift grown full of these slender creepers. Years had lent their growth to those vines which had be- | come interlaced and matted into a perfect net-work, into which no human eyé could penetrate ten feet. The young fugitives made their way through these vines to the very end of the chamber, or rift. There they found themselves in darkness; but a pine torch was readily procured, when with their knives, they get to work clearing a large space—crowding the Revered branches and twigs back into the spongy mass, They cut the vines as high as bey could reach, and when their task was completed they felt somewhat elated over the result. the dim glow of the torch the surrounding walls allseemed of a solid mass, so evenly had the vines been cut. The und beneath their feet was hard, gravelly and ry though a little stream found a source in a cool, limpid spring within five feet of their retreat. Laying in a supply of venison and some pine fag- ots for fire, the trio felt that they would be safe for a few days, at least, in the Deer-Drive. They pase: ed their time in lamenting the course they pur- sued, and in pondering over the fate of their friends at the Agency. It was ht, and a dim, feeble light from,a sput- tering torch pervaded their novel retreat. The day had worn wearily by, and they found themselves there after two days’ confinement, suffering the of inactivit » said Rube Johnson, “ this layin’ ‘round les is gittin’ to be intolerable tome, I’ve either got to git out of here, else you’ have a dead as well as of fear and terror. 30d,” saiG Pagan, sadly. | from the very bottom had | R | straightened up and assumed a Sure Shot Seth. added Gus Stewart. ** Probably if we'd all not been cowards, and done as Abe resolved to do, we’d be happy to-night with oyr folks,’ said Rube; “‘but like the fools that we were, we didn’t dare to oppose Ivan, and so here we are, sufferin’ worse than if we’d gone boldly up and acknowledged our sin and received our punishment. A silence now came over the unhappy trio. Not a sound was heard save the melancholy chir- ruping of a cricket, and the soft bubbling of the little spring near could be heard; and even these had become so monotonous to the fugitives that they bi incorporated into the solemn stillness of the ace, Suddenly Rube Johnson sprung to his feet, a look of wild terror upon his face. His companions followed his example. The three exchanged startled glances —they seemed speechless. But their looks spoke plain enough, A strange sound had burst suddenly upon their ears. It was the sound as of a heavy body crashing down through the tangled vines overhead, “Yes; poor Abe Thorne is out of all this trouble,” | “Boys!” cried Rube, “‘ we have been discovered.”’ | * And our enemies are trying to crush us by rollin’ something down upon us, this end?” cried young Stewart. **T fear never,” added Ches Pagan. Oh, my God! when will | The sound of the falling body had ceased, as if | arrested by the great web of vines; but it was soon resumed again. Down, down, crashing and tearing itcame, nearer and nearer, Tt seemed to be bring- ing the whole mass of parasites with it, The boys saw the top of their retreat quiver and sway. The falling mass was near them; but so terrified were br that they stood as if rooted to the spot, gazing with distended eyes upwarc. And at length a pair of human feet, ineased in moccasins, appeared by a pair of legs clad in buckskin leggings, Slow] downward, as if twisting and struggling through the brushy mass, the body continued to descend until the feet_touched the ground. Then the para- sites, which clung to the head and shoulders of the intruder.tike leeches, let go and sprung back to their former position, trembling and rustling. With speechless horror the fugitives gazed upon the stranger who stood with back toward them, His hands were tied at his back and his clothing torn and tattered. Fora moment he stood as if bewildered by the dazzling torchlight, then he turned and faced the trio of terrified boys. CHAPTER XXXIV. RENEGADES TO THE RESCUE! “My Lord!’’ burst from Gus Stewart’s lips. “A ghost!’ added Ches Pagan, shivering. “The ghost of Sure Shot Seth,’’ gasped Rube Johnson. The trio shrunk back amazed and horrified. A smile mounted the face of the ghost; its lips moved, and these words were plainly articulated: * Boys, how’s this?” ‘*Tt’s him in the flesh and spirit,” said Rube. *Ttis for a fact, boys; but I thought I'd tumbled over into the fathomless pit,’’ continued Sure Shot Seth, his mind relieved of a terrible load. Rube, Gus and Ches drew a Pig breath of relief, ook more human and free of terror. They felt like new beings, “We thought you were dead,”’ said Rube, “T know vou did, boys; but i'm not. If you'll just free my hands back here, Til tell you how I ha ened here,” replied Seth, doubtful of their attitude ward him, oe took his knife and set the Boy Rifleman at iberty. Seth's face and hands were terribl lacerated by the vines; but he pai these wounds, and having gazed around him ina sort of a doubt, he asked: ‘* Where the e are we, anyhow?” “In the head of Deer-Drive,”’ answered Rube, Pings you thrown over the precipice?” asked ube. ‘* Why do you ask that question?” asked Seth, ** Your hands were bound.” *Yes; but the red-skins bound them, and in order to get away from them I jumped over the embank- ment; but I didn’t know where I was goin’ to tillI | Fortunately, the vines broke the was on my oho | force of the fall, and let me down easy by jerks.” “Then there are red-skins about?” “*T left a party of six at the top of this rift. But you have nothing to fear of them, have you?” “ And why not?” questioned Rube. “Your friend, Ivan Le Clercq, is their leader,” “We know it; but we have renounced him as a bad character; and believing you had been murdered, after tying you to that tree the other day, we have been hiding away through fear of punishment.” “Well, I wanted you to suffer in conscience for that mean caper; for Maggie Harris and Emma Mil- bank told me who you were, if you did wear masks. The girls set me at liberty, and a few minutes after the Indians came that way, and but for the girls I would now be dead.” ‘** But that skeleton--” “T tied a dead Indian up to the tree and the | wolves. hel me out with the deception,’ ex- plained Seth, a smile mounting his face. An exclamation of surprise and joy burst from the lips of the trio. Rube Johnson advanced toward Seth with outstretched hand and said; “Seth, can you forgive?” —will you forgive me?” **With all my heart, Reuben, I forgive you,” said Seth, the ere? hand; “for I feel certain that you hove ere? 4m conscience for your con- duct, ané will profit by it” scratched and | no attention to | They were followed | | his new-made friends set off for that point. | assure you it is nothing good, | difficult, the moon was hidden h ‘*God only knows what we have suffered, Seth, Hell couldn’t invent more excruciating tortures thag we have undergone,”’ Rube affirmed, stoutly. Gus and Ches both advanced and asked the for Diag of the young borderman; and when it had een granted, the souls of these three boys seemed metamorphosed into different beings. Instead of that furtive, haggard look, the joyful radiance of @ cleansed soul beamed upon every lineament of the face; and the hollow, depressed sound of their voices changed into the clear, happy and metallie ring of youth. Sure Shot Seth had been a benefac tor to them—a being of divine mercy. “T hope, Seth,” Johnson at length remarked, “that you'll press us into your service, so we can make up for our meanness toward you on the day of the shooting-match. I know you'd ‘a’ won the rifle if you'd ’a’ got a shot against them fellers.” “*T did win it,” said Seth. ‘* Not that day: a stranger-lad callin’ himself the Eaglet won it.” Seth indulged in a low “I was the Young Peak.” ** You!” exclaimed the trio in amazement. “Yes; Maggie Harris and Emma Milbank had overheara you plotting against me the day before the match; and so they had it all arranged as te how you were to be beaten. But poor Maggie! she isin the power of the savages again. They cap tured her, another maiden and myself last night, and we were marched off this way—”’ “Then the girls and their captors are near here?” .., When I left them, they were at the top of thig “Then the red-skins ‘ll be apt to be lookin’ afte? ou, bi Yes; and I presume the sooner I get out of here, the better it’ll be for me.” “Then come along,” said Rube, taking up his rifle and entering the dense canopy of foliage. The four made their way out of the thicket and passing down the valley, climbed the bank and set off in search of the savages. The three boys were well armed with rifles and re volvers, and furnished Seth with an outfit. They crept back to the head of the valley where he had escaped from the red-skins, expecting to find the lat- ter somewhere about. But in this they were disap’ pointed. No trace of them was to be found, As the savages would be compelled to cross the Minnesota in order to reach their stronghold, Seth supposed, from the course taken after leaving th¢ lake, that they were aiming for what was known at Fagan’s Ferry, where a number of boats were usual ly to be found. Acting upon, this supposition, gh ga 1e traveled rapidly, to make up time lost and to get i ahead of the savages at the river, Butin this they were disappointed, The red-skins had preceded leasant laugh, then said: Haglet from Sky-Puncher+ | them to the ford by several minutes; and had just embarked with the captives, in a flat-boat belonging to the ferry, for the opposite shore as they cam@¢ up, “‘Too late!’ exclaimed Seth, his voice full of bit ter disappointment as he looked upon the expanse of water that separated them from the enemy, CHAPTER XXXV. THE TOUCH OF A CLAMMY HAND, Servs, though greatly disappointed at being thus preceded to the ford, did not despair. No sooner had he discovered the embarkation of the enemy than he forthwith devised a new course of action; and was about. to begin its execution when he discovered a second canoe, containing two war- riors, coming down the river. This again interrupted his movements, and he and his three companions would be compelled to remain in concealment until the boat had passed. Unluck- ily the two warriors intercepted those with the cap- tives near the middle of the river, when both parties came to a halt and entered into a conversation, which, at_ times, was inaudible, then loud and bois- terous, Finally, to the bitter surprise and regret of the boys, they saw the two warriors mount the flat- boat and haul their canoe on board after them; while the craft turned slowly down the river. “What can that movement mean?’ asked Rube Johnson, puzzled by the red-skins’ change of course. “T don’t know exactly,” replied Seth, ee They may intend te land at the bend below, in order to conceal their trail. Let us follow along the bank and watch [f don’t intend they shall escape by such a dodge.” So saying, the quartette crept stealthily along the wooded shore, keeping in sight of the drifting flat boat, but ta ‘ood care not to expose themselves, A sharp wind blowing down the river served as an extra motor to the craft, and compelled the boys to move briskly, And, to make the pursuit still more the time behind banks of drifting clouds and stately pines. The bend, where they expected the enem land, was at length reached; but to still add to their surprise, the boat continued on down the stream. they should “That’s queer,” said Rube, “that travel toward the iron s ES Raa is terribly portentous,” remarked Seth, . y so ikl “Tam afraid the Agency has been captured; no-+ thing else would take the savages down the river, The two in the canoe acquainted those with the captives of the fact; whereupon, all turned in the direction of the Agency. Old Little Crow and his followers have been to the Yellow Medicine what Hawk-Eyes has been to Lake Luster. But as several miles separate us from the post yet, and ad- mitting that such is the case. we ™ust act eccord-
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rn, fngry; and never let those girls get into deeper dange1, We must rescue them.” “Suggest your plans,’’ said Rube, “and we will do all in Our power to help you.” They moved on down the stream, keeping the flat- boat just in sight and themselves well under cover. As much as two miles had been thus traversed, and they were fast nearing the Yellow Medicine, where, if the Agency had fallen, all hopes would be lost. Further delay was dangerous. “We must do something, boys,” Seth declared; *“we'll have to meet an opportunity half-way this time. I already have an idea in my head. Do you see an object floating on the water a few rods in ad- vance of the flat-boat yonder?” ** Yes; I noticed that some time ago; what is it?” asked Rube Johnson, gazing at the object. **A canoe, or a skiff, floating bottom up—nothing | more. It is doubtless one of those that belong to the ferry, and has been turned loose by red-skins and sent adrift. Iam going to utilize it. I believe that I can swim out and get under that canoe; then if you fellows can follow me, one at a time, we will float alongside the raft and board it.” ‘““We can follow you, Seth; but we can’t take any firearms,” said Rube. “*No, our knives will be all we can take; but if we surprise the savages we will have no trouble in get- ting possession of the raft, **Lead out and we will follow,” said Gus, eagerly. They hurried on down the river, when a bend in the course of the stream threw its entire width under the shadows of the stately pines that guarded the shore, Here was the point selected to initiate Seth’s plans; and divesting himself of his superflous clothing, he entered the water. Throwing himself upon his back, he swam with scarcely an effort, out in the river ere he found that the inverted canoe had floated into the shadows of the bend, while close behind came the flat-boat. Putting himself into such a position as to counter- act the force of the current, he ‘waited until the canoe came up. Then, “ducking’’ his head under the water, he came up under the craft. An in- spection of his covert showed that the sides of the canoe, or rather the gunwale, were surrounded by a narrow box-rim which had been intended as a seat, and which now greatly facilitated the buoyancy of the floating craft. There was plenty room under it for half a dozen persons. The ventilation was good; and both fore and aft was a little hole through which he could see a faint rift of light. He had taken his sition near the forward end, and, by placing his d upon the side, was enabled to float along with the boat quite easily. The wind was still blowing, and at intervals a wave would dash over or against the craft, causing itto tossand rock. It was pichy dark under the boat, and the swimmer had aoe to cogitate over the further execution of his plans when pier ai ai touched his legs under the water. His first though ‘was that one of the boys had followed him and was then outside; but this was soon dispelled when a cold, dripping hand came in contact with his face. Mechanically he threw up his disengaged hand. It came in contact with a stiff and rigid human arm, “*My God!” burst in horror. from his lips; ‘death fs here with me! a lifeless human creature is my @ompanion!” CHAPTER XXXVI. WHAT WERE THEY DOING THERE? Sure Suor Seru felt a chill of repulsive horror pass through his form when he realized that he was shut up under the canoe with a dead person. His first impulse was to leave the dread, dark place; but be- fore he could do so he heard a voice say: ‘t Divil take the spalpeen!”’ The words were audible notes yet spoken so low that Seth could not recognize the tone nor accent. But he was assured of one thing; if there was a dead man under the canoe, a living one was also there; and thinking that it might be one of his friends who had come there unknown to him, he said: “Who are you?” “ And it’s none ave your bisness,’’ was the prompt reply spoken with the unmistakable Celtic brogue. ‘Pl make it my business,’ replied Seth, “if you don’t answer me. Now, sir, who are you? “And be the Howly Moses! and yer v .<e sounds familiar,” responded the unknown, speax.ag louder and in an easier tone. “By heavens! It’s Teddy O’Roop!” “ And sureis it, Misther Seth,’’ responded the Irishman. “Why, boy, the Brigade has mourned you as dead!’’ answered Seth, completely astonished, “ Andit’s meself that mourned my death, too, but, by the love of the Virgin, mees come out all roight aie up. The red spalpeens knocked the sinses outen me head, and then toted mees off away up here a \captive. But mees couldn’t sthand it, and so mees ups and knocks a couple ave the bucks sthiff, and away mees run, and run till mees reached the river. Then it was dark, and foinding this boat mees tipped her over, got in and set sail down the sthream.”’ “Do you know a dozen Indians are close behind you?” questioned Seth. “ Divil the bit does mees know it.” “Well there is; and apey have M Vishnia, the Maid of the Valley, in their power.” “Holy Mother!” exclaimed the young Celt; “and whyfore are the varmint going down-sthream ?”” “Tam id the Agency has fallen into Little Crow’s and they are going there.” “Och! and would t an ave-Mary would extor- minate old Little Crow and his crew, and mees would put forth all me soul in the proyer.”’ “The Lord has been with us through all our teoubles and trials of the past week; and, rest as- ie Harris and Sure Shot Seth. sured, He will not desert us in the end,” replied Seth, feeling that the mercy of a Higher Power watched over them. ** And what brought yees here, Sith, me b’y?”’ “T came here in hopes of getting aboard that flat- boat.” “ And gitting scalped? now?”’ ‘Three others will be here to join me soon,”’ «Three of the b’ys?” **Yes; but of Ivan Le Clereq’s band. They found out that I was alive and forthwith enlisted under our banner. I left them a few minutes ago.” What could yees do alone, what next have you to tell me, Sith?” “A great’ deal; but I have not the time now. Isn’t that a light shining on the water, back of you, Teddy?” Teddy glanced out at the hole he had cut in the end of the boat, and, sure enough, saw a faint light | streaming across the water. It shone from the deck of the flat-boat. The savages had lit a pine torch me fixed it to an upright post in the center of the oat. That may interfere, somewhat, with my plans,” said Seth, uneasily; “if those boys, however, would come now we might strike whenever the raft floats alongside of us. It seems to me they have had time to reach here.”’ ** Sith, and du you think them b’ys ‘ll do to tie to?” | questioned Teddy, manifesting some doubt, “‘T believe they will not betray me, nor deceive me in their pretended friendship. mitted their wrong-doings, and ness for what they had done to me, “They may be all roight, but, seeing as they war onc’t mean,it makes me juberous of thim,”’ exclaimed Ted, glancing out through the aperture at the flat- | boat, which was nearly alongside of them; “just | change position and look on board of that boat.’ Seth changed position with Teddy, and looking out, he was started with surprise and bitter disap- gee g Oy to see, within the glare of the light on y0ard the flat-boat, the forms of Rube Johnson, Gus Stewart and Ches Pagan among those of the sav- ages. They were enjoying the freedom of the boat, and engaged in conversation with the foe, as uncon- | cerned as you please. Maggie and Vishnia stood at one side of the boat, locked in each other’s arms, downeast and sad, “Oh, curse the folly that ever led me to trust those boys!" cried Seth, in the bitterest tones of regret, “Och! and they’re the divil’s own brats.” “We'd better getting out of here,” said Seth, “for if they are traitors, they will not let me escape —good heavens!—some one overboard!”’ ‘Holy Mother! it’s one av the girls!”’ These exclamations were occasioned by a wild scream and plash in the river. Glancing out, Seth beheld Vishnia struggling in the waves; and simultaneously with this discovery, the crash of firearms on board the boat burst through the night—wild, startling and terrible. CHAPTER XXXVI, THE RIVER GANTLET, Tue flat-boat was alongside the floating canoe. Vishnia was struggling in the waves close to it; and without a moment’s hesitation, or a thought of his own danger, Seth forced the canoe toward her. He soon felt her pono ea and struggling at the side of the craft, and reaching out under the edge of the boat, he grasped her by the arm and drew her under the water into the canoe, Half aie she now lay upon the youth’s arm, making it di cult for him to keep himself and bur- den above the water. But Teddy coming to his assistance, the maiden arm-pits, became pacified by the assuring words of her rescuer whose voice she recognized, By this time the report of firearms had ceased aboard the flat-boat, and in loud and anxious tones a voice was shouting: Seth; ho, Seth)’ It was the voice of Rube Johuson. Something of the truth flashed through the young rifleman’s brain, and he felt ashamed of himself. “Teddy,’’ he exclaimed, ‘‘help me remove this canoe from over us. Those boys have captured the flat-boat.”’ In an instant the canoe had been turned over and the heads of Seth, Teddy and Vishnia uncovered. They clung to the sides of the boat until the raft came up and they were taken aboard, A shout of triumph pealed from the lips of Rube, Gus and Ches, and was answered, though feebly by Seth and Teddy. Maggie rushed forward, and with tears of joy in her eyes, received Seth and | Vishnia aboard the raft; and for a moment the wild- est excitement prevailed, Three or four dead sav lying at the further extremity of the boat told what the wrongfully-mis- trusted boys had been about. ‘Boys,’ said Seth, ‘how is this? Why did you reverse my plans?”’ “Couldn’t help it, Seth,’ answered Rube. ‘We found a canoe soon after you left us; and having remembered that Ivan Le Clercq had offered us our choice of joining the Indians or becoming out- casts, we resolved to avail ourselves of what he told | | it to float away. us. @ gave us our own time to think the matter over, and in case we concluded to join the red- skins, he gave us certain secret signs which woula admit us as friends into the Indian ranks. Well, we jumped into the canoe, paddled over to this boat, gave our signs when discovered, and were taken ahoard. We pret«nded friendship, and, by and by, sueceeded in making them believe that a small party of enemies were on the east side, and got half of | of myself, but I couldn’t he | boys, lyin They freely ad- | egged my forgive- | | and Vishnia concurring, to soon recovered from her | submersion, and although still in the water to her | ; and a Sa them out in search of the foe. When they were out of reach, we seized our rifles and attacked the others with the result already seen.” ** Vishnia,”’ said Maggie, ‘‘ why did you jump over- board?” “TI saw them seize their weapons and thought | they were going to murder us all,” replied Vishn shiverin “Tam really asham a’ “Well, we are right so far; but there is no tellin how long we will remain so,”’ said Seth; ‘ those red- skins that went ashore will be apt to look after us; in her wet ei e p 1 e |} andIam sorry to say we are not entirely beyond “Do say, now!” exclaimed Teddy; “ wirrah! and | rifle range of either shore.” “Very true, Seth,’’ responded Rube. you were not alone under that canoe.” “No; I found my friend, Teddy O’Roop, tucked away under there, snug as a muskrat in bis den,” Without further delay, the boys proceeded to put the boat in a more secure, condition for its crew. This was effected by removing several deck-planks and opening a way into the hold, which, although not over three feet deep, furnished a shelter from savage bullets. Maggie and Vishnia, and three of the boys, took refuge therein, while the other two flat upon the deck, kept a close watch upon all sides, The boat following the main current of the stream, keptin the middle of the channel without any effort from, the occupants. It moved slowly, though harassed by the wind and waves. One thing of importance had Rube and his friends learned of the red-skins while on the boat: Yellow Medicine Agency had been evacuated and the sol- diers and settlers had retreated in the direction of Fort Ridgely, situated on the river several miles be- low. The fort and all the houses and appurtenances thereto had been destroyed; while the whole of the Sioux tribe, with their families, had been concen- trated upon, and in the vicinity of the ruins. This discovery of the situation increased S¢th’s alarm. They were then within a mile or two of the Agency, and to run the gantlet of the enemy there would be im ible. He knew the news of their coming would precede them to the mouth of the Yellow Medicine and that the enemy would leave nothing undone to entrap them. To leave the boas before reaching that point would be attended with great danger also; and what course to pursue to avert a deadly peril became a question of great mo- ment. It was finally agreed, however, with Maggie keep the boat and run “But I see the gantlet at the peel With this in view, all prepared for the terrible ordeal. Seth was not inclined to trust entirely to chance, andat once set about making some arrange- ments for escape, should they be attacked. With an Indian tomahawk he cut a hole, about two feét square, in the side of the boat between the deck and water-line; and within reach of this he had one of the Indian canoes placed. Then all the planks but one were replaced over the hole, and his arrange- ments were completed. Lights on the river-bank among the ruins of the Yellow Medicine Agency soon appeared in sight; and the wild, fearful sounds of a war-dance rung hideously through the night. The sounds of this midnight orgie gave Sure Shot Seth some relief, although there was a horrible meaning in the demoniac revelry. He knew by it that the savages were so occupied in celebrating some at victory that they would be likely to overlook all measures of precaution, and thereby enable them to slip by unnoticed. Silently the boat continued to drift onward, Not a word above a whisper was spoken by thé inmates. Finally, to the great fear of all, Seth discovered a dusky sentinel seated upon the shore, looking out over the river. He was plainly outlined against the sky, now lit up with the glow of the Indians’ camp- fire, several rods back from the river. ‘**By heavens!” cried our hero, “I am afraid we will never get past without that sentinel seeing us.’” a Py, the word, and he’s a dead Inging,’’ respond- ed Teddy, springing to his feet, “T am atraid it would be rather hazardous to at- ba to remove him,’ Seth answered. “Til try him, anyhow,” answered the fearless young Celt, and he began preparing for action, CHAPTER XXXVIII. AN TRISH BOY'S EXPLOITS. Drvestine himself of his coat, hat, and shoes, Teddy crept out of the hole in the side of the craft, noiselessly into the water. The ne moment as gliding away, with nothing but his face exposed, swimming rapidly, and as silent as a floating object, toward the west shore. He moved obliquely across the stream and finally reached the shore, about fifty yards above the sentinel. He crept out under the shelving bank and Spree wert over the water. He was startled by the distin¢tness with which he could see the flat-boat in the glare of the Indian fires. It was already opposite him, and discovery seemed inevitable; however, he resolved to lose no opportunity in behalf of his friends, and began cree along under the bank toward the sentinel. e soon came to a pesaene lea down toa sort of landing, where three or four ca- noes were tied up, To weaken the enemy’s fleet, he cut the painter of each boat and permitted Then he ascended the back and peered carefully around him. He saw the sentinel | Still at his post, gazing out over the stream with a stoical silence, while two other warriors were ap- proaching from the direction of the camp. Fierce and deafening rose the yells of the red res velers dancing around the fire a few rods away. Teddy again glanced over the river, The fiat-boat was almost opposite the sentinel. The latter had
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22 Sure Shot Seth. only to bend his eyes slightly to see it. The [rish | him that it hac passed sefore he came, and rising. lad took in the situation at a glance. He pvelieved that even the death of the sentinel would not save the boat from detection. The youth resolved upon a desperate stroke. He rose to his feet, and utter- ing a sharp igbecethhas be well-known to the red-skins, darted away toward the scene of Indian revelry. The sentinel sprung to his feet and discharged his rifle at the daring enemy. The two warriors approaching uttered a war-cry and started in pursuit of him. The alarm was at once sounded through the camp, and, like a stream of water bursting from its banks, the dancing horde dissolved and went streaming away in pursuit of the daring enemy. Teddy bent his course to the north when he saw he had drawn the attention of the whole camp; and with the agility of a cat and endurance of the wind, | if He found it no difficulty to keep beyond reach of his enemies. The red-skins are naturally swift runners, but Ted- dy O’Roop was without a peer in the North-west; and it was this assurance of superior speed that led to such a fearless expedient to save his friends. It was not his desire to throw his wai § off his trail until assured that the boat had passed all danger, The whole of the clearing was lit up with the glow of'the fires, and while the river guarded the eastern extremity of the camp grounds, and prevented the fugitive’s escape, in that direction, the surrounding forest offered him a safe retreat. Aware of this fact, the Indians endeavored to cut him off from the woods, and Teddy permitted_them to indulge in strong hopes of his capture. He manifested signs of failing strength, and ran on in a zig-zag course—the long stream of pursuers stretching out behind like the tail of a comet—bending and winding over the ridges and depressions, and along his reeling course, like the form of a night serpent. Teddy liked this wild sport. There was a sort of fascination about it that he enjoyed; and he regret- ted that none of his companions were present to witness the grand chase. at the excitement of which he was the author—that he, a mere boy, was the sole object which swayed the wild horde behind him—that turned and directed their course, He ran on until he had reached the woods, into which he plunged, with the red-skins close behind. Here the darkness was et allthe more intense by coming so_ suddenly out of the glare of the lights. But the Indians, spreading out, hoped to cover the trail of the fugitive and drive him into the river a short way ahead, where the stream made an abrupt bend. But, Teddy was not to be caught thus. e knew that the river swept arotind in front of him, and no sooner did he get well in under the shadows ere he stopped short and pressed himself close up against a huge tree trunk. This coup de main worked admirably. The savages neither saw him dodge behind the tree nor missed his footfalls before them; but ran on past him, It was fully five minutes before the rear of the pursu- Ing column had gone by; and even then he could hear some stragglers crashing on with heavy foot- steps through the brush. Of the latter, howeve1, he had no fear, and stepping from his concealment he started back toward the Indian encampment, Before he had gone far he heard a savage approach- ing, and dropping flat upon the ground, he waited. The red-skin came on, stumbled over the prostrate boy, and fell, Before he could rise, Teddy was upon him, and with une or two well-directed blows with his knife, silenced the Indian’s iis forever. Teddy took the blanket from the dead warrior’s shoulders, threw it around his own, and sauntered on until he had reached the margin of the woods. Here he stopped and glanced out into the opening. He saw a few warriors scattered over the clearing, all slowly retracing their footsteps to camp. The spirit of adventure again took possession of him, and drawing the blanket closer about him he en- tered the opening and started leisurely down toward the Indian encampment, keeping a careful watch around him, and imitating the walk of a red-skin. He drew the blanket close abcut his head and face, and kept aloof from the returning enka hs Straight toward the encampment he made his way. he ot mage it, he saw that a number of warriors were there yet; still he was not disconcert- ed by the discovery and moved on. He soon found himself inside the camp, and the full glare of the fire, where it became neces ary to use great precau- tion. He approached within a few rods of the main party, and having assured himself that no prisoners were there, turned and moved leisurely away to- ward the south. But this movement did not escape the notice of the Indians, and a couple of warriors advanced toward him, their curiosity aroused. Disguise being no longer of avail, Teddy threw aside his blanket, uttered a shout of defiance and darted away like a deer. The savages were complevely astounded by this “mpudence of the young pale-face; and while a few ve chase, others set A a howl of alarm to draw e others back that had gone north. The second chase was brief as it was exciting. The woods being nearer, Teddy soon gained its cover and eluded his pursuers. The iad felt certain that those board the boat had had sufficient time to pass all r; and so he at once set out to reach them. In a few minutes he struck the river about a mile below the Agency; but now the question arose in his d—were his friends above or below him? His ility to satisfy himself on this point left him in a state o anxiety. He sat down to rest. He knew the t could not be far away if above him, and to make sure that he did not miss his friends, he goncluded to wait. An hour passed and uo boat came. This convinced he sped away across the clearing. e felt a sense of delight | | night. | side. he moved rapidly away, down-stream. He had traveled about two miles when, to his delight, he | came in sight of the flat-boat. It was floating leisure- ly along, though no sign of life was visible upon it. This, however, gave him no uneasiness, for he sup- | posed all were concealed in the hold, and getting in ahead of the craft, he plunged into the river and swum out to intercept it. When alongside the boat he hailed, but received no answer. He climbed in at the hole cut in the All was silent as the tomb. He called upon Seth; but no answer. The boat was deserted! Teddy now climbed out upon the deck, and as he did so, his foot slipped in something wet, on the plank, it was a pool of coagulated blood. A cry burst from the lad’s lips, and a sense of fear crept over him when he beheld the signs of a bloody conflict con the deck. It told him that, despite his efforts in their behalf, his friends had been attacked, and all, no doubt, killed or captured. What course he should now pursue was beyond his He bent his eyes downward and saw that | | lads turned their attention to the Eigen power to determine, and while he stood crap ae C over the matter, a slight sound behind him arreste his attention. Turning, he was startled with horror to see two savages leap out of the hold and start to- | | not come up with the girls, or gain some clew as ta ward him. With a bound he reached the end of the boat, then ylunged off into the river and disappeared from the | ynx eyes of the astounded red-skins, beneath the | waves. CHAPTER XXXIX. A DOUBLE DODGE. We will now look after Sure Shot Seth and his party. After Teddy left them above the ‘ruined Agency they waited, with burning anxiety, the re- suit of his adventure; and when the yells of the sav- ages convulsed the night, and they saw tlie sentinel | Going ashore, they succeeded in } — = shout of derision from the lips of the quartette whiclp was now beyond immediate danger, “By Jove!” exclaimed Rube Johnson, * that was a Hoon f exchange of boats and positions for us, Sure Shot.”’ “Very,” rejoined their leader; ‘‘and it will enable us to follow the girls on the river, and, consequent- ly, run no risks of passing them, as we might other- wise do. If Teddy O’Roop was only safe with us, ¥ would feel that we had won glory enough for one campaign. But, I shall not worry about hisn until J know I have cause. Teddy is a brave fellow; and while he is the luckiest mortal I ever saw, he van out wit a red-skin, or white-skin, too, for that matter, as easy as he can sight a rifle.” , Dismissing all fears from their minds, the forr j before them. The batteau being provided with several pers of oars, each and all were enabled to take a 1and at rowing. This gave them great speed, and as mile after mile was traversed, it finally cecurred to them that they ought to have overtaken Maggie and Vishnia in that distance. They thought it im- possible for them to have journeyed so far and rap- idly, weak and exhausted as they must have been. s it was almost daylight, however, they con- cluded to keep on down the river, and if they did s their whereabouts by early dawn, they would turn back up the stream in search of them. The red beams of dawn that had so long quivered in livid bars along the eastern sky, finally burst inte flame; and the light of another day was upon them. silling some large | fat fox squirrels, which were dressed, roasted and leave his post, they knew that Teddy had been dis- | covered, and that the whole tribe,was in pursuit of him. Their fears of his capture were great, but they could render him no assistance. They had floated past the point of danger, and were once more under the cover of darkness. They con- gratulated themselves upon their escape, but, in the midst of their rejoicing, Sure Shot suddenly dis- covered a batteau filled with warriors, glide out from the shore toward the boat, and rejoicing was changed to terror. ‘** Girls,’ said Seth, “get out into the canoe, and perhaps you can steal away unseen in the darkness.” “But you, Seth, what—”’ ** Never mind us, Maggie; we will remain here and engage the foe, and take our chances.” he crack of a rifle rung suddenly through the Rube Johnson raising his head and shoul- ders through the opening on deck, had fired upon the advancing foe. And then Gus Stewart and Ches Pagan followed his example with fatal result to two red-skins. But it made their companions all the more furious and determined; and pushing on they soon reached the side of the boat and boarded it. Meanwhile, Maggie and Vishnia had, with Seth’s assistance, climbed out through the hole in the side of the craft, made for just such an emergency, into the canoe. They were concealed from the eyes of the enemy by the projecting ends of the deck-plank; and as Seth re a paddle in each one’s hands an unloosened the boat, he said: “Now work with all your might, girls; and keep down the river. If we escape, we will follow you; but if we never—” “*May Heaven aid you, Seth,” Maggie broke in, her voice half-choked with emotion. The next moment the canoe glided away. of the maidens were skilled in the use of the paddle, and summoning all their strength they plied the slender blades with energy. The red-skins were too deeply engaged at this mo- ) ment to notice them. At the ne onthe deck a deadly strife was going on. The savages, ten in number, were endeavoring to force an entrance to the hold, while the three boys, Seth's companions, held them at bay with rifles and pistols skillfully handled. The latter possessed a great advantage over the foe. Being in darkness the enemy were unable to direct théir aim with any degree of ac- curacy. Thus the conflict continued until half the —- were slain, when they, considering discretion the better part of valor, withdrew to the lower end of the boat where the boys could not get at them, Here they waited in hopes the pale-faces would come out of their defense; but an hour’s patient watching convinced them that their enemies would hazard no chances in an open air fight, and so they iesolved to adopt other means to dislodge them. ith their tomahawks they pried a wide plank up at the end of the boat, then through the opening thus made, dropped themselves into the hold. For a moment a deep, unnatural silence reigned within the black, dismal place; but it was broken by the savages creeping along on all fours toward the boys. tt was not the latter’s desire to engage the foe ina hand-to-hand encounter: and to avert such a conflict they must act with decision. So, at a given signal from Sure Shot, the four youths sprung out upon the deck; then running to the side of the boat, they leaped down into the savages’ batteau, cut the rope that fastened it to the raft, seized the oars and pulled away across the river. So swift and uninterrupted was this movement made that the brave lads succeeded in getting: three rods from the raft before the savages could conceive what was up, and get out upon the deck. A yell of Haftied triumph burst frem the vg of the outwitted red-skins, and was answered by a SIS eR ie Nb” aie > eon Be fy i yg Both | served for breakfast.. This meager repast served te invigorate their worn bodies and revive their spirits. After an hour’s rest they again took to the batteaw and started back up the Minnesota. They had journeyed against the current but a short distance when the sight of an empty canoe floating on the river arrested their attention and filled their breasts with the gravest fears. They recognised it at a glance as the identica) canoe in which Maggie and Vishnia had left the fiat-boat., | They intercepted and examined it to make certain that they were right. They identified it beyond a question; but there were no signs of violence about it. The paddles were both gone, and how and uncer what circumstances it had been deserted by the maidens was a question beyond their comprehen: sion. “Oh, if this canoe could only speak!’’ cried Seth, in the anguish of despair. “Tf it could perhaps it would tell a tale that to us would be better untold.” ‘Very true, Rube; but it does seem as though tl a} fates are against those two innocent, feeble girls. But then I shall never stop short of the very heart: of the Indian stronghold until I know where they ° are ” **Count on us following wherever you dare lead, Seth,” answered young Stewart, With heavy hearts they pushed cautiously on up the river while the happy, twittering birds seemed to mock their misery with their a bent songs and merry-making among the green-robed trees. In the midst of the many sounds that rose on tha breath of the bright, rosy morning there suddenly arose a low, rolonged whistle, such as might issue from human lips. It emanated from the western shore, and turning: | their eyes in that direction the boys beheld a bare head and white face peering from a clump of bushes: on the bank, ““Who can it be?’ questioned Seth, unable to recognize the queer-looking visage, As if in answer to his question, the unknowm stepped from the clump of shrubbery, and, with » wave of the hand, shouted aloud: ‘*Good-marning, me hearties!” “‘Teddy O’Roop!” burst from Sure Shot's lips, as | he headed the batteau toward the shore, It was the Irish boy, true enough; and he was not: alone. As soon as he hailed the boat, a young man, in the uniform of a captain of United States troops. appeared on the bank at his side. CHAPTER XL, WHERE WERE THE MAIDENS? SKILLED in using the paddle, favored by a stronz= current and light canoe, Maggie and Vishnia glided rapidly away from the side of the flat-boat and soor found themselves some distance down the river. But they were not beyond the dreadful sounds of battle behind, and their very souls trembled wit): fear. Mentally they prayed for the success «if ther friends; eagerly they listened for some sound indi- cative of their triumph. Not until all sounds of the conflict had cease:i could they find rage: 3 to yee Then Maggie w; s the first to break the awful silence that weigh ¢ like the presence of death upon them. , “The battle has ended,”’ she said, solemnly, “Yes; but it leaves us in a terrible suspense. We know not who have won,” answered the fair Vir i:- nia, “Let us hope and pray for the best,” Magpie bravely responded. ‘I think the boys had some ad- vantage of their foes in tion, and rest assured they have made good use of it, even though the odds were against them.” i “My dear friend Maggie,” sighed Vishnia, “‘ Thave lived and prayed for the best so long that mv strength and hopes have all nearly deserted me. One peril after another follows in such rapid sue: cession, even when success seems the most promi» ne, Set I am growing despondent and sick at “Don't give up yet, Vishnia,” entreated the brave
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fittle Magrie; “this may be our last peril; i think we willfind friends ere long.” “A week ago, Maggio, 1 knew no fear; but that was before the Indian outbreak, and when all one had to fear was the wild beast of the woods. The Indians were our best friends and daily companions; and no one could ever have convinced me that they would be the treacherous enemies they are. Father and I often visited their village, whe e we were re- ceived and entertained as distinguished guests. ‘They gave us*many valuable presents and seemed to vie with each other in doing us honor. They offered us a home in their village, and, in case we accepted, to confer upon me the royal dignity of queen. For hours have they sat and listened to me play upon the guitar, their very souls, apparently charmed by the music. So kind and devoted did they seem to us that I never dreamed of their turning against us. Even since the outbreak have they obeyed a request of mine, though it is a won- der they did not kill me instead. It was on the night the Boy Brigade was attacked on Rock Island. We heard the din of battle away over at Lake Lus- ter; and when we learned from a messenger, who was on his way to the tribe for reinforcements, that a conflict was going on between the Indians and whites, father and I set out for that point. We didn’t know at the time that a war had begun, and supposed it was merely a personal affair between the two parties. However, I took my guitar; and, in order to reach the island, father took a small rubber canoe. Our object in going was that of peace. We felt in hopes we could bring about an adjustment of their troubles; and when I tell you, Maggie, that I paddled over to that island and took position between the combatants. at the very muzzles of their guns, and there played my instru- ment, you may know my courage is fast failing. But then I accomplished my object, and induced the red-skins to withdraw from the island, and thus the conflict terminated. But the war has not, and all the influence I possessed over the savages vanished in a day; and father and I ' became hunted as enemies as we had once been honored as friends.” “You were brave, Vishnia, to risk your life on the land.” “IT would not do so again, knowing what I do of Indian treachery and vengeance,” ‘‘Thave often wondered to myself, since I first | ‘net you, why it was that you and your father ever took up your abode in such a lonely and obscure place as Lake Luster. I know you_have been ac- customed to good society, and have had the advan- tages of intellectual culture as well as of the com- forts of wealth.” ; “That is it exactly, Maggie; my father is a wealthy man and a great student of nature and science. After mother’s death, three years ago, he shut himself up with his books and sorrow, and studied and brooded over them until his mind was well-nigh overwrought. It became evident that he was iilling himself by degrees—that his once power- ful intellect was yielding to the pee upon it. dur physician recommended travel and a change of climate for recreation. Acting upon this advice, he traveled in the north-west one summer during which time he found Lake Luster. But, while he was benofited by his travels, he was far from being re- stored to health; and having conceived an admira- tion for the life of a frontiersman, he concluded to spend a year or two in Minnesota. So he made upa arty consisting of himself, myself and three gen- lemen friends, The latter are, at present, gone to St. Paul for supplies. They were to have been back in two weeks from time o on “Father having some queer notions about subma- rine navigation, thought it a good time to perfectan invention that he h conjured upin his mind, years ago, and being an ingenious mechanic, he, with the sassistance of his companions, erected the floating cabin in which we have lived eversince, Toit he applied some of his ideas of a submarine vessel, and had he not been disturbed by the red-skins, he would ssoon have completed his invention. His theory of ropulsion he was ee Sete eg on asmall scale y a series of clock-works applied to the torpedoes which you saw placed in the water. “We managed to keep our presence on Lake Luster a secret from all but the Indians, better than | we had anticipated; and had it not been for this Indian war, there is no telling how long we could have remained there unknown at the Agency. Father has quite ned his usual health and strength, and we liked our romantic home so well that we had concluded to spend another season there; and next summer a young lady friend of mine was to have joined us with her father. I have been living in hopes of a pleasant time with her on Lake Luster; but alas! all is now gone, and for all I know, any poor old father maybe dead—a victim of the treacherous Indians.” Here Vishnia choked with emotion. “Don’t borrow trouble, Vishnia,”’ Maggie said, en- couragingly; ‘I might say, and truthfully too, that for all I know, my friends are all massacred; but I ilon’t want to think so, for trouble is sure to come to “5 without our going to meet it, and I want to hus- band my courage for it when it does come.” “Maggie, you are a dear, brave girl, and I actually feel safer in'your presence,’ answered Vishnia. “i am glad of it, Vishnia; and if we are patient awhile longer, I think we'll be out of danger. “What B iriad will we strike below here where we would be likely to find friends, je?” “Fort Ridgely, I think, is the nearest point of safety; but I feel in strong hopes of meeting with friends before we reach there,’ Maggie answered. “Yes, [ should think the boys would soon come u with us if they escaped the Indians, At any rate, it Sure Shot Seth. is growing ‘ight in the east; and daylight will be a welcome blessing to me; for the shadows seem full of lurking danger. Oh, Maggie! just think what a night we have passed!’’ “Tt has been an awful one,” replied Maggie; and here a silence fell upon the maidens and continued for some length of time. Both plied their paddles with their utmost energy. At length day dawned, and the sun rose bright and into the delicate forms of the maidens. The birds warbled their morning carols, and the great trees shook the pearly dew-drops from their emerald robes. The woods were ’wakened by the soft, weird mist, seemed like the picturesque vision of a vague dream, As their spirits revived under the magical influence of day, all The buoyancy of their young hearts re- turned, Their eyes assumed their old sparkle, and their cheeks their wonted hue. They forgot the dan- gers of the past in the joy of the present, and the lips which through the long, dismal night were mute with terror, were now wreathed in smiles. The loud dip of a paddle suddenly broke the spell | that the rosy morn had thrown around them, Both started with a little cry of terror as they glanced around them, Out from under cover of a bunch of reeds—into the river toward them they saw a canoe with three savage occupants glide. Vishnia’s paddle dropped from a nerveless hand, | in possession of her very soul. he savages paddled alongside of them, and with- out the least resistance or scarcely a word expres- sive of terror from the girls, took them captives and transferred them to their own canoe. When they had recovered somewhat from their sudden shock of terror, and had fully comprehended their situation, mages cried out: “Oh, Vishnia! what a delusion—what a mockery has the beauties of this morning been to us!” Vishnia could answer her only in hysterical sobs, The savages were delighted with their captives, whose passive demeanor seemed to imply indiffer- ence to their fate; but they knew not that their si- brings. Having seated themselves, the red-skins turned their boat up-stream, and with measured strokes be- gan stemming the current. There was an abrupt bend in the stream just above them, and, as { clamation burst from one of the warriors’ lips. other two ceased paddling and with vrei. el searched the waters before them. The captives saw that they were alarmed, and when they, also, looked up the river and discovered a number of waves chasing each other from around the bend they took courage; for the conviction that | friends were approaching wz2s intuitively forced upon them, _ One of the warriors finally addressed his compan- ions in a quick, hurried tone, and in his own dialect, which the captives were unable to understand. But the expression of his face and the violence of his zestures were plainly indicative of excitement. As urther evidence of this fact, they at once headed toward the eastern shore and ran in behind a little om, of reeds where no human eye upon the river could penetrate, yet from whence a fair view of the stream could be had. Something of the truth now passed through the minds of the captives, and they exchanged expres- sive glances. “if it is friends,” thought Maggie, her hopes re- viving, “I can call to them, and wid if I die the next moment.” But, alas, vain hope! As if he had anticipated her very thoughts, a savage tore a couple of strips from his blanket and bound them over the mouths | of both the girls so tight they could scarcely breathe, They struggled desperately to remove the band- ages, but their hands were held at their back in such a painful position that they could scarcely move a } muscle; and so they were compelled to yield to the brute force of their inhuman captors. They were not deprived of their sight, however, and, turning their faces toward the river, they beheld a long boat, containing four white persons, cree around the pend above. They recognized the occu- omg at a glance; they were Sure Shot Seth and lis three young companions, Johnson, Pagan and | Stewart, Again Maggie made one last despairing effort to free her mouth, but in vain; and all hope and cour- age faded from her young heart as she watched the trees bib her friends pass down the river and recede rom view. | CHAPTER XLI. BEATING UP THE QUARRY. As Sure Shot Seth and his companions approached the shore where Teddy O’Roop and the young officer stood Seth cried out: The eyes | see you alive!” | *“Och! and it was by the skin av a hair that you ) see me at_all, at all,” returned O'Roop; “but this | gintlemon,” he continued, pointing to the officer, “is Captain Sayton what the red devils are after.” “Captain Sayton,”’ said Seth, leaping ashore and grasping the officer’s hand, “‘I am glad to meet you, though your presence tells me that you are here against your own wishes.” ** Quite right, Sure Shot, as I believe my Irish guide told me you were that distinguished young border- warm above the tree-tops, infusing new life and vigor | melody of nature’s diurnal song, while the river and | its wood-bound shores, overhung by white ethereal | while Maggie sat motionless with a new-born terror | lence came of the despondency that loss of all hope | hey approached this, an ex- | slowly | “Oh, Teddy, we cannot say how glad we are to | 23 | to% | man. I wasscouting up teward Laxo custer withe party of ten mounted infantry when my horse wag suddenly killed under me by ambuscaded Indiangs and it was by mere accident that I escaped on fi to find my way to the river where I fell in with your friend, O’Roop.”’ | ‘Indeed, captain, these are times that try men’s souls. For one week 1 have been into one trouble after another continually,’’ replied Seth. “You seem to be all right now,” remarked Say- ton. ‘‘Not exactly in spirit, captain,’’ Seth answered, ‘for last night we were compelled to separate from a couple of young girls whom we have been unable to find since.” ** And be the Lord! yees jist passed them,” put ip | Teddy O*Roop. “Then you know where they are?” “Sure and I do, Sure Shot; and it’sin the hands of three av the divil’s own children that they are, this minute.” “T assure you Teddy is right,” affirmed Captain Sayton; ‘we were concealed above here when we | saw a canoe with three Indians and two white girls | coming up the river. Just before they reached that abrupt bend above they heard you coming and at | once concealed themselves along the east shore among the reeds. You passed on, and we would have warned you then, but we dare not. When we were free to act we watched for the boat to appear | again. We resolved to attempt their rescue by some means or other. But as they have not left their con cealment, and an hour or more has passed since they put into the reeds, I presume they are still there, or else have gone ashore and hurried away.” “Then let us lose no time in getting after them,” said Sure Shot, entering the batteau and inviting the — to a seat with them. he young officer accepting, they put out from shore into the river. | “Now, we have got to work this matter fine,” Seth said, ““orour game may dodge us. The main force had better land and keep along the shore, while the other a along under cover of the bank | with the boat, and have it near should it be neces | sary for us all to take to the river.” | They crossed the river, and Sure Shot Seth, Ca: tain peyton, young Pagan and Johnson landed, Teddy and Stewart remaining in the boat. The ad- | vance wes at once begun, and with all the caution ossible. Seth led the way, and in a few minutes hey came within sight of the reeds where the foe had hidden; and there, true enough, lay the boat | with the three red-skins and their two white cap- tives. The heads of the former were erect, like those of some wild animals. They instinctively de- tected danger in the air; but seemed in doubt ) eas whence it came. The maidens sat entwined in each | other’s arms, apparently in great and terrible grief. As the whites surveyed the situation, Captain Sayton seized Seth by the arm, and with ted eyes and excited voice asked: “Sure Shot, who is that captive looking thia way?” ‘** Her name is Vishnia; that is «all I know about | her,’ answered Seth, | “Thank God, it is she!” burst involuntarily from | the captain’s lips. ** Who, captain?” **Pardon my excitement, boys; Iam quite beside myself. But, that girl is Miss Ida -Heath, of—of— well, no matter where.” “Well, now, captain, that embarrassment tells me that Vishnia is more than a mere acquaintance to you.” The dip of Teddy’s paddle coming around the bend, put a stop to their whispered conversatio: and warned them that the time for action h | come. There were but three rifles in the party, but Cap- tain Sayton was provided with a brace of revolve | and ata given signal the four charged with a ye | down toward the water's edge. The savages fairly bounced in their seats, so sud- den was their surprise. First they seized their rifles, but seeing the odds were against them, and that flight by water was an advantage that the enemy could not overcome, they dropped their guns and took up the paddles; but, at this juncture, the ‘naval force,” consisting of Teddy and Gus, put in | an appearance for co-operation with the “ land for- ces.” A yell announced their appearance on the opposite side of the reeds. or a moment the savages seemed bewildered, but | quickly recovering they took in the situation at a glance. They fixed their eyes upon the captives, and grasped their tomahawks with murderous in- tent. But, before they could execute their bloody | thoughts, mee | one of them fell dead. | Teddy and Gus then pushed through the reeds, and, running alongside the Indian’s boat, greeted | the maidens with words of cheer and triumph, while a shout of joy rase from the shore. Teddy towed the boat to the bank and the maidens landed, though scarcely able to stand. The handsome uniform of pee oe Sayton caught the eyes of the maidens, and as Vishnia scanned the face beneath the brim of the soldier’s , aocry of joy burst from her lips, and she rushed into the captain's arms. * Oh, Charlie!” she cried, forgetting all else in that | en of _ : 4 ‘Ida, my darling,” murmured the officer, | imprinting a kiss upon her brow. ee ‘ nd thus Vishnia and her lover met, CHAPTER XLII. A WONDERFUL SHOT Serx and his friends saw that were suffering with hunger and ex e and Vishnia ustion, and at
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‘R4 ~_-- fe N once took measures for their relief. Teddy and Rube were sent out in search of game for food, while. the others selected a favorable spot for a camp, and lighted a fire. The maidens being comfortably seated, Seth and Captain Sayton entertained them in a manner calcu- lated to revive their spirits and strengthen their courage. The captain proved a very interesting companion, and after a general epitome of events, he and Vishnia became engaged in a private conver- sation; and while they were talking over the past few months that had separated Shem, Seth and Maggie were also engaged in sweet communion. What passed between them we will not attempt to record; but that the result was one of infinite pleas- ure and deiight was evident from the radiance and joy that beamed upon their young faces, eddy soon came in with a large, fat wild turkey, which was at once dressed and roasted in true hunter style. The savory smell of the meat had shaspened the appetite of the maidens, and when it was placed before them they ate with a keen relish, Never did food taste so luscious to the maidens. It seemed rich enough to tempt the palate of a king, or invoke the envy of an epicurean. After their meal preparations for departure were at once made; but up to this time Rube Johnson had not returned from his hunt, and gieve fears for his safety were entertained, It would never do to go away without him, so they could do nothing but git down and wait. Suddenly the rapid firing of rifies stung through the woods, and the war-whoop of Indians followed. This told our friends that danger was approaching, and they were at_once compelled to flee; for they were afraid that Rube was being pursued, and in his excitement would return to yey instead of leading the foe in seme other direction in order to save the maidens. Trey embarked in the batteau for the opposite shore, having first destroyed the Indians’ boat. Crossing the river they landed, and entering the woods pursued their way westward, Seth taking the lead. ‘They were now in a vicinity, every foot of which was familiar to the members of the Boy Brigade. Not over a mile from there was the valley in which their cabin stood, and in hopes of finding it still standing, Seth headed in that direction. When but a short distance from the place the oung rifleman suddenly discovered a number of dians on a little knoll about two hundred yards in advance of them, The eminence was covered with a spare growth of tall, slender saplings, while underneath was a heavy growth of brush just tall cig o to conceal a man. The Indians percepti- ble, however, were climbing into a tall, straight cepiing, trimming off all the branches as they as- cended. “ What the mystery does that mean?’’ asked Cap- tain Sayton. * Devilment, I assure you,’ answered Seth. A halt was ordered while they watched the move- ments of the foe. There were four Indians climbing the sapling, and when the foremost one was within a fery feet of the top, he stopped and looked down at his com- anions. The slender bush, already swaying under load, inclined down the hill, and the moment the warrior looked down, it seemed a signal for the red- skins all to throw themselves on one side, which they did, when the sapling bent gracefully over un- hil its top touched the earth. The red-skins all disappeared in the undergrowth, ag only the graceful arch of the sapling was visi- e. * Heavens, but wees lost a good chance for a hot,” lamented Teddy When “We way have a chance yet, Ted,’ returned Seth, ‘for I’m of the opinion that that movement means mischief of some kind.” **T am inclined to think there are a number of In- dians in that thicket,” Sayton said, ‘‘ judging from the movement of the bushes.” **My God! look there!” suddenly burst from Sure ‘hot’s lips; “it is as I had expected.” They all saw the pine spring back almost to #s former position, p' gup with it, between hea- ven and earth, a human form that had been attach- ed to it by means of a slender cord or rope. The rope had been tied to the victim's feet and then to the tip end of the sa ling, which, bending slightly, held him beyond reach of limb or shrub. From their position our friends could see the un- fortunate man's arms beating the air and struggling in all the activity of life. The maidens turned their faces to avert the horri- ble sight. 1B 6 Nad off in the woods came the long howl a wolf. Sure Shot started, for there was something famil- far - the intonations that droned through the woods. The bark of a fox answered the wolf. ain at heap Teddy, too, started and exchanged quick, inqui glances. “By the blessed Vargin! and I believe the B’y Bri on is i Tod, and that cee ow it is, an at man hanging yonder {s none other than our friend, Joyful Jim.” ‘i A ey of distress burst from Vishnia’s lips at these words. ‘“*Ts there no hope for him?’ she cried. j *But little, Vishnia,’’ answered Seth, * but I shall make an effort. Teddy, lead these folks south to- gard the old spring and there wait; Gus, give me your rifle, for I find it is a trusty piece.” Teddy led the captain and dens away toward the spring, while Seth, Ches and Gus re where they were. The savages on he knoll had now become boiste- SATE WE eae, até ~ Sure Shot Sezh. rous in their inhuman treatment of the old border man, and were hurling stones, clubs and even toma- hawks through the air at the dangling form, * Now, boys,” said Seth, ‘‘I shall try my skill as a rifleman in behalf of old Jim.,”’ “You don’t mean to slay him, do you?” asked Pagen, Seth made no answer, put raising the rifle—a trus- ty Sharp’s—he leveled it toward the knoll, ran his eye along the barrel, and pressed the trigger. Simultaneous with the report, old Joyful Jim was | seen to drop to the earth like a stone; while the sap- ling whipped the air, as, relieved of its load, it sprung back to its perpendicular. ‘*T did it, as I live!—cut the rope that. suspended him!’’ exclaimed Seth, highly elated at his wonder- ful exploit in marksmanship. Before any report could be had from the knoll, the discharge of firearms to the oorth, and down the western side of the eminence, startled the woods with a thousand reverberations. “Thank God, the Brigade is near!” exclaimed Seth, as down along the forest halls sounded those eculiar cries of his different followers, while over Font the knoll came groans of agony and yells of savage dismay. CHAPTER XLIIL A GRAND REUNION AND GOOD-BY, Dusky forms were seen darting rapidly shone the ridge, evidently fleeing from the deadly aim of their invincible foe. Seth and his two companions hurried across to the knoll to look after old Jim, baving first an- nounced his wipers by a signal to his friends scat- tered through the surrounding woods. The trio soon reached the scene of tragedy, where a sad, ghastly, and laughable sight combined, was presented to their view. Acouple of savages lay dead before them; three others were writhing in all the horrible agonies of death; and in their midst sat old Joyful Jimgwith a serio-comical expression upon his face that would have provoked a smile from the soberest judge on earth. He was looking around him like one"bewil- dered, while he held on with a terrible gripe to some tufts of grass, and braced himself upon the earth as Pe sh were about to be hurled from a giddy ight. a Hullo, there, Jim, what’s the matter with you?” Seth exclaimed, as he approa¢hed the old man, Jim started and gazed wildly about him; then Seth discovered that he had been partially stunned by his fall, and that he was out of his mind. Suddenly one of the Boy Brigade came bounding into the thicket and seized Seth by the hand. “Thank the Lord, old friend, we are permitted abt garg again, sound and well!’”’ he exclaimed, joy- ully. “Tis by the skin of a hair, as Teddy says, that I am here, my dear friend, Justin,” returned Sure Shot. “Teddy?” exclaimed Justin Gray; ‘is Teddy alive, too?” ‘ 4 Yes, and with Maggie and Vishnia near this int.” ** Seth, can all this be true?” “Tt is a solemn fact.” Justin uttered a shout of joy. And now, one by one, the Brigade came up, hail- ing the presence of their young leader with deafening shouts of joy. The presence of Gus Stewart and Ches Pagan, the known companions of Ivan Le Cle caused the Brigade no little surprise; but Seth briefly explained their attitude toward them, and received the best wishes and congratulations of the boys for the change they had made in their conduct. Meanwhile, old Jim sat muttering incoherently to himself, but finally he started up with an exclama- tion and an odd oath, and rubbing his eyes and gaz- ing around him asked: ‘Boys, how’s this, now?” An explanation was not necessary, for in a mo- ment more Jim’s mind was clear; and rising to his feet he gave the Indian lying before him a startled glance, then advanced and greeted Seth with a shake of the hand and a hearty, good-natured laugh. “Strikes me you were in a predicament, Jim,” said Sure Shot, smiling. “Wal, I reckon as what I had a teter in the clouds, and if the string hadn’t ’a’ broke, I reckon them superbumfusticated vampires ’d ‘a’ seen the last of Joyful James, But, great Jehoviah, boys! When 1 drapped from up thar I fell plump on a red- skin, and butted—drove—jammed him cl’ar down to the antytods; and it came dimmed nigh splatterin’ me all over this woods. It war only the adhesive- ness of the bony structures of my cerebellum that kept me from squashin’. But Seth—Shure Shot— friend March,I am monsterously dee-lighted to see ou among us once more. -I was afraid that young hint of a Hawk-Eyes had got the dead wood on you this time; but seein’ he didn’t, I will be safe in sayin’ he'll never—no, never, bother us again.” ‘Why not?” asked Seth. “Owing to the attraction of gravitation, invented by that great, and jolly, old philossofer, Sir Isaker Newton, he came to death, and—”’ sire do you mean to say Hawk-Eyes has been ““Ya-as; as l war goin’ to observe,” said Jim, with a gesture, ‘ by meansof that invention of old Tke’s, Iwar forced downward to’rds the yearth when that string broke with me, and as luck would have it, I gravitated onto the chief’s head and broke his on- hap neck, tharby cheatin’ the gallows. Turn t karkiss over thar and you'll see that what I have said is as true as the solar system is perfect.” direeted, The boys did as and when the body, which had lain face downward, was turned, all looked upon the face of Ivan Le Clercq. Young Stewart and Pagan were deeply affected by sight of the dead face of him who had once beer their companion and leader, They shuddered as they thought of their own narrow escape from the sin which had ended the life of Ivan; and they thanked Heaven for the moral courage that enabled them to overcome their fears and turn into the path of right and honor. And, too, the face of poor Abe Thorne rose before them, and tears of grief and sorrow filled their eyes when they thought of his ; Pp or, childless mother, who would watch in vain for nis coming. But they knew not that, at that very moment, Abe’s mother lay silent in death—a victing to savage vengeance, Old Neptune and Mr. Harris soon joined the perty; and when the presence of Seth was discovered, @ scene of great excitement ensued. Eager to receive some tidings of their daughters, they plied him witb a dozen questions before he could answer one. But when he broke to them the glad news, that both were safe, they wept with joy. Sure Shot finally led the party to where Teddy and Captain Sayton, with the maidens, were in waiting, Then ensued another scene of oyful reunion, “Gosh a’mighty |” exclaimed old Jim ieee on with delight, “it’s better’n a camp-meetin’; and dog my cats if I don’t wish I had a darter or a—a sweet- heart to embrace. If I had, I think my idear of paradise would be complete. I had a smatterin’ taste of love onct; but the dratted critter I sweet- ened on pst mad at me and we parted forever, She got mad "boutnothin’ too—jist because I told her she hadn’t ort to make a corn-patch of her feet by ecrowdin’ them into number-eight boots and then un- dertake to kick a fractious cow into submission, But it war all for the best. She married another fel ler, and now dishes up corn-pone to a cross hus+ band and fifteen children. What parental responsi- bilities I escaped! Humph! killin’ b’ars, bu’stin’ In-+ gins, and gravitation are nowhar.”’ “l see,’ said Gus Stewart, ‘“‘ that you are stilligno» rant of the fact that Sure Shot Seth cut the ro that suspended you in mid-air, with a bullet at the distance of nearly two hundred yards,” “You don’t tell me!” ‘*T do; and for a fact.”’ “I've no more to say "bout vitation and the superbumfustic force with which I drapped onto the cerebellum of that Hawk-Eyes imp!”’ The distant report of a gun suddonty reminded ou¥ friends that peril surrounded them and that delay was dangerous. From Captain sage: they learned that the set tlers of the Yellow Medicine Agency, or those thal had escaped the Indian tomahawk, had fled south and taken refuge at Fort Ridgely; and as this wag the\nearest point of safety, our friends at once set out for that place. Shortly after their departure the party were over taken by Rube Johnson, who had been in considera ble trouble with the Indians. His coming left no.ong fe el and so the party all moved on more cheer+ y. , On the way old Neptune revealed his right name and the place of his home; and while his sojourn in es be pn of ne a Apt ee 6 a" oe end, been of great peril and suffe e not regret that he had come, for he had been restored toni wonted heath and strength. With the cloud that had once seemed gathering over his powerful brain went all his eccentric no tions of submarine navigatiébn; though to have fol. lowed up what he had accomplished at Lake Luster might have led to a success and fame equal to that of George Stephenson and Robert Fulton, Upon one other point the Boy Brigade was enlight- ened; and that was the queer and even icious manner in which Joyful deported himself while around Lake Luster. The fact is, old Jim was in the employ of Neptune as a scout, and secrecy being en- joined upon him, of course he kept it tohimself. So it was his voice that Justin Gray and H , the Indian, beard on the water the night they swam out to Sure Shot’s relief; for it was Jim and Neptune that released him from the log. Abbough Bien J harassed by the savages, our friends Pe ie nee Fort Ridgely, which they found closely beleaguered by the enemy; but,assailed Pranpelied 0. isles the eden Witmwite Me tee com ) se the si t Ww © direction of New Ulm. ed Old Neptune and his daughter soon returned to their old home, where, a few years later—when the war had een Sayton claimed the hand of the fair Vishuia in the bends of wedlock. Mr. Harris took his daughter south, beyond aB sonacrs of Indian invasion, where, in company witk. her friend, Emma Milbank, and the other women of the Yellow Medicine Agency, she t the summer, while he went back to fight under the banner of her lover, Sure Shot Seth. The Boy Brigade rendered inestimable service during the terrible Minnesota war, and although it was in many hard-fought battles, and lost some af its members, its ealnt young leader, Sure Shot Seth, passed through the hottest of all anscath to fall meekly into the ranks of married men, an become one of the most devoted of husbands to on of the most devoted and charming of wives—Maggie THE END. 1066 CowDoy Chris the Desert Centaur, By Wm. West Wilder. 1067 You Bet Bob’s Jangle. By Arizona