Red Belt, the Tuscarora — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

82 RED BELT, THE TUSCARORA. Just then a loud splash reached the ears of the hunter's party, and in a moment the rapid dash of quickly-driven pad- dies was borne to them. The old trapper took his own paddle from the water, and whispered Roydon Howe to do the same. The canoe’s pro- gress was checked, and she drifted with the current. Old Sampson turned around in his seat, and bent his gaze back- ward, in the gloom, toward the western shore. Slowly the silver gleaming uprose in the far-off sky ; slowly it spread its shining halo above the tree-tops. - At that moment, a violent splashing and commotion in the water, some distance astern, was borne to the ears of those in the little canoe ; then wild whoops and gurgling cries. Then there was silence. A grim smile passed over old Sampson Lowe’s face, and he muttered, aloud : “Atlast! . . . The plug is out, and there'll be fewer red-skins on the return trail! I hope— Ha! Iam glad of it! He has grit and gratitude, after all!’ he suddenly ex- claimed, as a wild, ringing, peculiar whoop boomed over the water from the dark forest beyond. “Tis the Wild Hawk’s cry,” said Red Belt, quietly; “and he sends us greeting and farewell.” “ Ay !” was all the old hunter said, as he again seized his paddle and drove the boat forward. Away darted the canoe. - At last the eastern side of the river was reached, and after paddling a half-hour the mouth of the Great Kanawha was reachéd. A few vigorous shoves, and the canoe glided into its old waters. But in three quarters of an hour after the accident to the pursuing boat, the long black canoe suddenly shot out again from the jand, the prow pointed westward. In that boat sat some six or cight painted warriors. All night long the hunters urged their canoe up the Great. — Kanawha. They did not exert themselves, for they were al- most exhausted, and did not think now of prrsuit. The next morning, just before the sun rose, the hunting- party landed at their cave, and in a few minutes were once -again in their old stronghold, behind the palisades on the sum - mt of the bald, flinty elif ; Soumebooks.com o ~ a &,