The Argosy, April 1912 — page 58: what you’re looking at

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

44 to live, it will be by his splendid efforts. Should he die, all must perish.”’ “You are brave, sir,’ she cried, taking my hand impulsively, “and you are good. What I can do for you and for this great leader of yours shall be done. But, oh, count not on it. My father hates the white men. Maybe I cannot save either of you.” She was gone! Gone, in the twinkling of an eye. The earth seemed to cover her. Without a sound, she had left me. “Princess!” I called. _ But the woods above gave back the echo of my voice. I turned back toward camp, my head in a -whirl. I had not gone two steps when the In- dian who had followed me from camp rose up before me_out of the thicket. There was an ugly light in his little eyes. “IT have heard,” he croaked. ‘‘ No mani- tou, but a mortal. Yet I alone know ex- cept the princess, and he who slays a mani- tou, will win high fame. It can be said you attacked me in the forest and I slew you in fight, overcoming your magic by my courage.” He had drawn the hatchet from his belt, and now crouched like a wild beast, for a spring. I was weaponless. I had even laid aside my hunting-knife when I lay down to rest earlier that night. Yet I made shift to sell my life as dear as might be. As he leaped at me, I ran in and grappled with him. Yet he wrenched free one of his hands and whirled the hatchet aloft above my de- fenseless head. There was no time for me to tear loose from him, ere the blow should fall. Down swirled the hatchet, its blade gleaming evilly in the moonlight. But it did not reach my head. Instead, it fell tinkling among the mossy stones at my feet. I felt the savage’s lithe body relax in my grasp. I let go and he sank lifeless to the ground. From between his shoulders protruded the feathered shaft of a war-arrow. And even in that moment of wonder, I noticed that the weapon was far heavier and larger than were the dainty arrows that had filled the princess’s quiver. CHAPTER XVIII. WE BEHOLD THE KING. I MADE my way in a roundabout journey Back to camp, leaving the fallen Indian THE ARGOSY. where he lay. I was so accustomed, by this time, to surprises and to things I could not in the very least explain, that the sav- age’s strange death left me almost callous. My brain was full of my odd meeting with the princess and with forebodings of our next day’s interview with Powhatan. That an Indian had sought to murder me and that an arrow flying out of ,the dark- ness had stricken him dead, would have roused me a few days earlier to all sorts of speculations and to a fruitless search for the unseen archer. But now I was surfeited with adventure and with mystery. In the wilderness one experiences things that would be impossible in the haunts of men. Small wonder that savages, the world over, believe the forest wastes to be peopled by spirits! Back to camp I went. I arrived there in the first dim gray of the morning. The fire was out. Smith still snored beside it. But the Indians were beginning to stir. They eyed me wonderingly as I strolled toward them. There were quick-exchanged whispers. Then a brave left the camp. He “picked up” my trail as a hunting dog picks up a scent. And off he set, over the route I had traversed. I crossed over to where Smith lay. Waking him, I told as briefly as possible the things I had learned that night and the adventures that had befallen me. He listened with keen interest. But when I told of the forest princess’s vanishing, his worried face broke into a grin. “Lad,” he said, “you dreamed it. I have seen these Indian squaws. They are flat-faced, shapeless, hideous. Not in the very least like the woodland nymph you describe.” “T have seen them, too,” I answered. “But I also saw this maiden last night The moon was bright as day, and she was as I have described her. Nor was I dream- ing. I have never been wider awake.” “But you say she vanished without a sound ?” ‘““Assuredly. I had turned my eyes away for an instant. was gone.” 7 “You did not hear her go? no noise of twig or leaf? Impossible! dream, I tell you.” “Was it a dream when Aquia vanished from beside us, in broad daylight, when we were ambushed back here in the glade?” There was A im eo Ghook When I looked back, she CO