Adventure Magazine Cover — page 108: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

TO2 When he and the captain were by themselves Ourry spoke of the desperate situation the place was in. ae Bouquet I’ll hold out as long as I live,” he said. HE journey to Carlisle revealed the remarkable tension and panic that the countryside was in. There were exaggerated rumors abroad regarding Indian depredations, and Ballou could do little to quiet the fears of the settlers. Carlisle was in great confusion; and the forest-runner and Black Beaver arrived to find Colonel Bouquet at his wits’ end. After giving his report Ballou told the old soldier of Fort Ligonier’s plight. The colonel was already aware of this and gave orders to send out a part of his small forces with word that he himself would follow soon. At this moment they were interrupted by a com- motion outside headquarters, and on going to in- vestigate Ballou met a man newly arrived in town. “T’m Gregory Dunn,” the visitor stated. Ballou couldn’t help regarding him with sus- picion, for the fellow was wearing among his scalps one that had belonged to an Indian woman and one to a boy. He discussed the red terror with Dunn for some time and finally asked if anything had been seen of the girl, Nell Marks. “She is at the Great Island village on the west branch of ihe Susquehanna. I heard the warriors say they were taking her there,” the stranger told him Ballou returned to Bouquet and related his inter- view. To his astonishment the colonel became greatly excited. “‘Waste no time!’’ cried Bouquet. ‘We'll find this fellow and question him.” But when they went to get hold of Dunn the latter had disappeared. The forest-runner talked with Black Beaver and was startled to hear him vilify the missing man. ‘‘Among the Leni-lenape, his friends, he is called the Trade Knife,’”’ the Indian informed him. Ballou knew then that he had let a notorious renegade escape. He now resolved to make a trip to Great Island in hope of locating Nell Marks. He and the Conestoga were on the point of leaving when they met up again with Hance Whit and Meekly. His old friend was eager to accompany them; but Whit decided to remain behind on account of his arm, which he had lately broken. The two forest-runners and Black Beaver were soon traveling by canoe down the Susquehanna River. When they had made camp at the end of the day they were terrified by hearing a strange cry ring through the woods. They sat shivering about the fire, and suddenly the horrible scream sounded close by. Looking up, they saw a frightful appari- tion glaring through the bushes. The next moment it disappeared. ‘“‘Gagosa!’’ cried Black Beaver. None of them could sleep after that. They continued their journey on foot, reaching a point opposite Great Island, began to scouts the locality. Ballou swam across the river and captured a sleeping sentinel. The coup was soon discovered by the red men, and the distant bank was lighted up by excited searching-parties. Black Beaver, elated by this success, put on his mask and, diving into the water, went over and caught another Adventure of the enemy, who was wading near shore. The Leni-lenape were now throughly frightened, and in the uproar, the three friends discerned the Trade Knife, who evidently held an important position among the savages. Ballou was growing more uneasy about Nell Marks and determined to do some scouting on his own account. He crossed the river and was making good progress when he fell into a “wampum trap.” The Indians were overjoyed by this catch. They hurried with their prisoner to Chief Tamaque. The whole camp began preparations for torture, and Ballou knew that his only hope for life lay in a precipitate rescue by his friends. The Knife taunted him and stated that the Marks girl had been taken to Pontiac’s stronghold. He said also that the two men, recently murdered, had been found and brought back. The fires were lighted and the skinning-knives sharpened. The white man was bound to a stake and the ceremony began. All at once what seemed to be a ghost appeared at the edge of the torture- place and stood next to the corpses of the Leni- lenape warriors. The savages were overwhelmed with fear. They fled for their lives when a second ghoul—the one Ballou and his companions had seen before—came shrieking through the woods. Under cover of the confusion Black Beaver crept through the shadows and released his white brother. Quickly making their escape, the two were joined by Meekly, and they all sought refuge in the forest far from the haunts of Tamaque’s fiends. "THE two forest-runners and their Indian friend began the journey to Pontiac’s stronghold. They ran across the fearful ghost of the previous night, which turned out to be Rickards, half-mad and starving. After helping him as much as possi- ble, they allowed him to accompany them—a de- cision which later proved of value. They now headed for Sandusky and, reaching Lake Erie, traveled along a shoreline trail westward. They had proceeded but two or three miles when the crazy Rickards said— ‘‘ Pears to me some one’s comin’ behind us.” They prepared an ambush and presently sure prized and killed four Leni-lenape who had been trailing them. Journeying on a little farther, they soon learned that Pontiac’s camp was near and that they were likely to be caught any time. They stopped, therefore, for a hurried consultation and resolved that if met by any hostile warriors, Ballou was to pose as the Trade Knife with Meekly his prisoner and Black Beaver as guide. They were to be on a mission from Tamaque. Rickards was safe from harm on account of his insanity. As they had anticipated, they were soon cap- tured and taken at once to Pontiac himself. There followed a long and difficult parley between Ballou and the great chief, during which the white man found out that Nell Marks was probably in camp and certainly destined to be sold to an evil halt- breed named the ‘‘Rat.”’ Meanwhile the four murdered Indians had been discovered by the Ottawas and brought in; Tamaque was expected any hour; and the position of the four “guests” was growing more and more precarious. Ballou wondered when the crisis would come and what it would be like when it did. DOOLK (C@