Red Belt, the Tuscarora — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

26 RED BELT, THE TUSCARORA, Shaking off his sadness however, he turned to his compan- ion, and saying something in an undertone, disappeared at once in the recesses of the cave, followed by Red Belt and Eagle. The day passed slowly, and the shades of night were begin- ning to fall before Sampson Lowe and Red Belt emerged from the cave. But, they had not been idle. Of course they had slept some to recruit them for the exhaustion and loss of sieep of the night before, and to fit them for the work they had mapped out for themselves to do. A moment or so, and under Red Belt’s hands a bright fire sparkled on the cliff. Its beams did not penetrate beyond the palisade. Then the two hunters prepared their evening meal, They ate in silence; and then Eagle had his share. “ Now, my brother,” at length said the old man, “ we must dress the palisades and fix the canoe. Before the moon rises, we must be off. My heart misgives me that we did not follow anyway, for ere this, harm may have befallen poor Roy.” The Indian made no reply; he simply bowed his head, and then scattering the burning brands with his moccasined foot, he looked up approvingly. The hunter then went cautiously to the palisades and peered in all directions—up the creek to the lefi—and down the great Kanawha to the right—then over the wild, moaning forest in front uf him. But, as night was rapidly falling he could not see far. Then he bent his ear and listened ; but no sound came to him save the mournful forest hymn, and the deadened wash of the waters as they met and broke on the jagged rocks at the foot of the cliff. “’Tis well!’ he muttered. “They have gone, and I know their way. We can work in peace, my brother,” he said, turn-* ing to the young warrior, “ and the sooner we begin the better. You know, that moonlight often tells tales.” He approached the gate in the palisade—opened it, and went out; Red Belt followed; but Eagle, at a sign from the hunter, held back, and settled himself quietly by the mouth of the cave. The two men were gone for a half-hour. When they re- turned they bore on their shoulders large bundles of freshly- cut evergreen boughs. They entered the inclosure by the gate, and then with the aid of a rude ladder they set to work cover- ing the tall palisades with the green branches, A half-hour and an hour elapsed before the men had comicbooks.com = - aw