Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 183 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

“Well, Watkins?” “ An Ingin gal, gineral, sez she must see you. Told her it was out of natur’ in an ignerant critter like her to want to see the gineral, but she would have it, and here she be.” “You may admit her,” said Wayne, care- lessly. ‘‘I wonder what she wants here?” The orderl into the tent Morena. The general looked up, indolently, but actually rose in surprise as he saw the lovely face and form of the girl, and brought forward a seat, and gave it to her, with a courtly grace, which was a part of the education of a gentleman of the old school. Morena was won by his noble and command- ing air, and took the camp-stoo] he offered her, with a graceful gesture of thanks. “IT hardly hoped to be favored with a visit from a lady in my camp,” said Wayne, polite- ly. ‘*‘My blundering orderly said an Indian irl wished to see me, and then brought you in. What wonder if I was taken by surprise?” ‘Your orderly spoke the truth, general,” replied Morena. ‘“ An Indian girl lam, of the great Wyandot tribe, and come to warn you.” ‘Of what?” said Wayne. ‘‘ Danger, great and terrible. The chiefs are pg, you off with specious words, in order see what is necessary to be done preparatory to a grand attack upon you, with the design of cutting you off as they did Harmar and St. Clair. The Big Whirlwind* has his eyes open, but he may close them for a little sleep, and in that hour the enemy will come upon him like a thief in the night, and steal away his life.” ‘Tf this is true—and I can well believe it— how is it that you, a woman of the Wyandots, have come here to warn me?” ““My mission is one of peace,” replied Mo- rena, ‘‘ Perhaps your braves have told you of Morena, called the Queen of the Lake.” “They hve indeed told me of what wonder- ful woman, but I have never seen her.” ‘‘1 am Morena,” said the girl, quietly, ‘and I have done all I could to keep down the bad passions of Darromed and the rest, when the strike the war-post. naught when the war-trumpet sounds and the eagles of war are gathering. l have heard tbe | entere e warriors preparing for sharpening 0 deep forest they have set up their watch-fires, and danced about them until morning.” Gilbert, the Guide. | and they have great chiefs in the Delaware appeared again, and brought oe neither is Darromed, of the Wyandot, a child. ‘‘Once more in regard to my men. They are in the Indian country yet: can you tell me where?” ‘*Somewhere upon the river, a few miles above. They are searching for the white girl called Helen, and they have sworn an oath never to turn back until she is saved from the hands of Darromed.” | | battle, and the | tion of her beauty and grace. hatchets and knives. In_ the | upon the bank, and entering it, she took up the ‘*Do you know where she is?” ‘*No; Darromed has hidden her somewhere, and does rot go after her. 1do not think he has chosen her for himself, but for another, who has seen and loved her, perhaps one of the white officers at Detroit.” ‘* You speak English well. Who was your teacher, if I may ask?” said Wayne. Morena told him of the kindness of the lady at York and Detroit, and how she had taught her all she knew of civilized life. She had never associated much with the women of her tribe. Her high position as a priestess and prophetess had given her the right to look down upon the others, and only a favored few were permitted to be near her. ‘You are a brave girl. Will you promise me, if you find out the secret of Helen’s hiding- place, for I know her well, that you will come at once to me and tell me where she is?” IT will, if I can,” replied Morena. ‘‘ The warriors and chiefs know that I love peace, and suspect me, and I cannot come often. You will conquer in the coming battle, for you go into it with open eyes and a brave heart, hen you are conqueror, promise me that you will not be too hard upon my tribe, for many of them are for e, even among the chiefs.” ‘‘T promise, and | never break my word. Must you go now?” **'Ye:; when the attack is decided on, I will give ieee a signal. If yousee afire upon the top of yonder hill at any time, you will know that upon the night following the warriors will attack you. I will light the fire with my own But, a woman’s word is | hand.” , She oe from the tent as quietly as she had it, leaving the general rapt in admira- er canoe lay paddle and glided gracefully down the current, watched by the soldiers of Wayne, who had ‘What tribes are in the confederacy which | never seen so rare a specimen of forest beauty is opposed to me?” ‘““Why should I name them? Shawnees and Wyandot lead, the rest will fol- low. They have said, ‘Let us lull him to sleep with soft words, and then come in the night and take his scalp with many more, and hang them on our lodge-poles.’” “ phey may find it more difficult to perform that little operation than they imagine,” and the general smiled. ‘‘I am here on their old battle-ground, in the place where they beat St. Clair and Harmar, and I will reas them, too, unless the Indians sue for peace. How did you come here?” “In a canoe,” ‘“ While you were away, did you see any- thing of some men of e who are missing? Four in all: an Indian Lneeet named Clinton Waterman, Gilbert, the de, an Indian of the Onond nation, and an Irishman called Pat O'Driscoll, who went out on an expedition three weeks ago, while I was coming up from the East, and have not been heard from.” ‘‘T have seen them,” replied Morena, and re- counted the events which had brought them together, and the dangers they had passed modestly keeping back as much as possible of her own share in it. ‘**'Who is this Gandelion of whom you have spoken once ox twice? From what you said he must be an Englishman. What right has an English armed force upon our soil?” “This is the Indian country,” replied Morena, stamping her foot. ‘It is*wrong that you should take away our land and then lanch at us. I am for peace, but not for wrong.” “We will not argue that now,” replied Wayne, pleasantly. ‘‘I question the right of an Englishman upon this soil, and by that I mean south of the chain of great lakes. We fought England to gain certain rights, which we did obtain, and the line between the United States and Canada was the line of the lakes. South of that an English force is an insult to my country.” ‘If the Indians choose to invite their English brothers into the country, they can do so.” “Tt will not do, and I am here to fight, not to argue. I have been bred a soldier, and my ways are rough and rude, but for a!’ that I hope they are not such as to frighten you, my pretty for- est flower.” ‘A man who has earned a great name as a | soldier justly, cannot wrong a woman,” replied Morena, with ready tact. ‘‘Once more, let me tell you, do not trust the deceitful words of the chiefs, and watch them night and day. Double your guards and do not let your vedettes sleep, for in an hour when you think not, they may come, The Shawnee is very wise and sly; * An Indian name for Anthony Wayne, Where the | their view, and the | A turn in the river shut her out from aoa turned with 4 puz- ampton, one of his bravest before. zled look to Colonel leaders, and said: ‘Who does she remind you of, colonel? I can’t get it out of my head that I have some- where seen her living counterpart.” ‘“* No one can equal her except La Belle Helen, as the soldiers her, who was lost last month upon the river.” ‘That is it!” cried the general, clapping his hands. ‘‘ You have given me the clew, at length. Think a moment, and you will say that no two “94, ever resembled each other more than this Indian princess and Helen.” ‘*By Heaven you are right!” responded the colonel, in an excited tone. ‘‘ Whence comes this extraordinary resemblance?” ‘Who cap say? It is enough for me that Mo- rena h sgiven me a warning I can not help be- lieving, and I know that the Indians tate an attack upon us.” ‘* Did she come to warn you?” ‘Certainly she did, and that at the peril of her life, for I know that Darromed would not hesitate to kill her if he thought she had dared to betray him.” _ “*Such a girl has no business in an Indian vil- oo. She bas qualities which might justly adorn any home, vo matter how lofty. hat do you propose doing!” ‘*Prepare at once for the assault. The sav- ages may come at ony moment, and they shall not surprise me as they did Harmar and St. Clair, who led their men into the wilderness ony to sacrifice them. You will take a flag and go once more to the chiefs at their station below the rapids. Say to them that I have ex- hausted every peaceful measure without receiv- ing any response from them. Further measures of this kind are useless, and the United States will no longer be insulted with impunity. The time for action has come. Ha! look there.” Upon the crest of the hill at which Morena had pointed, a fire blazed up, flickered a mo- ment, and disappeared. “* That means that we are to be attacked to- night,” said the general. ‘‘Go, and perform the duty I have intrusted to you.” Colonel Campton took a flag and went down the riverin acanoe. He was gone but a few hours when he returned witb an evasive answer calculated to gain time. Wayne at once gave the order to march, and in an hour the legion was in motion, on the right of the column, its left covered by the river. A brigade of mount- ed volunteers, commanded by General Todd, occupied the left of the line, while the remain- ing volunteer regiment, commanded by Barbie, occupied the rear, From these mounted volunteers Wayne had. selected a number of rangers and Indian-fight- 19 ers, who formed the advance-guard, and re- ceived orders to keep sufficiently in advance to give timely notice for the troops to form incase of an attack. In this order they proceeded, and five miles from Fort Defiance the rangers received so close and severe a fire from the enemy, who were secreted in the high grass and ferns, that they were compelled to retreat in some disorder. The legion, upon the sound of the rifles, imme- diately formed into two lines, mainly covered by a thick wood which stretched away for some miles on the left, and some distance in front. Tbe ground was very difficult, covered with fallen timber, the work of a tornado which had lately passed over the place, and it was impos- sible for cavalry to be of much use, while it protected the enemy stationed in the rear. The savages were led by men who had be- fore taught them how to achieve victory, and were formed in three lines, within supporting distance of each other, and extending at right- angles with the river, a distance of nearly two miles. This was their old battle-ground, upon which they had before met and driven back the army of the Republic, and their efforts were now directed to the task of turning the left of the army. The order was sent back for the second line to advance and support the first, with the whole force of mounted volunteers, most of whom had wrongs to revenge upon the bloodthirsty sav- ages. Major-General Scott, with his command, were ordered to advance and endeuvor to turn the right of the enemy. they were about to advance, a man cov- ered with dust and blood rushed into the bond sence of Wayne. Ragged and blood-staimed as he was, the general knew that it was his favor- ite guide, Gilbert. ‘* Now, sir,” cried the general, ‘‘why don’t you speak?’ ‘*Is General Scott ordered to turn the right of ~~ enemy ?’ gasped the Guide. ‘ es § “Then I must go with him; I must, general! Darromed is there, the enemy whom I have sought through all these years, and I must and will be there to oppose him. Do not say that I can not, general. ‘** You may go,” replied Wayne, briefly; ‘‘ and I am glad to see you. No man knows the ground as well as you do, or can guide the troops so surely.” bert placed himself at the head of the ad- vanced brigade to turn the enemy’s right, and away they went by a circuitous route, thro tangled bushes and rocky paths, and at length reached a place within striking-distance of the Indians. At the same moment their bugles sounded the charge, Mad Anthony rose in his stirrups and gave the order to his men to ad- vance with trailed arms and sweep the woods with the bayonet. Ob, the wild charging-cheer! It can never be forgotten by the actors, even when their locks are growing gray. At the sound of the bugle, the first line was in motion, and with trailed arms Brg on to the charge. Indians never stand the push of the nay bee and at that wild cheer ey rose and delivered a hasty and irregular fire which did little and hardly checked for a moment the impetuous charge. As the Indians rose, like birds in the cover, the legion, even while upon the charge, paused long enough pour in a close and murderous fire, and en: ‘* Charge bayonets !” _The bright steel gleamed in the sun—the in- vincible steel with which Wayne conquered at Stony Point. So impetuous was the cheater that the Canadian militia and their Indian al- lies would not stand nst it, A portion of Scott’s men were thundering way on the right; Captain Campbell, at the head of the legendary cavalry, was sweepin up on the left. It was too much for the fain hearted militia, who did not stand the shock - half so well as the Wyandots and Shawnees, who fought with the fury of demons, romed was there, painted to the waist, eager for the fray, and fighting with wild val- or in front of his men. Gil strained every nerve to get near him. Thrice they reached each other in the conflict, and as many times. were separated in the rush of charging men. At last they joined again, fierce and bloody the Guide having no weapon except the barrel ofa broken rifle, and the savage armed with knife and hatchet. ‘I have spared you many years, Darromed,” cried the Guide; “but your timeis come, Tell me where you have concealed Helen, or as the Lord liveth, you life is this day ended.” Darromed, without answer, threw himself desperately forward. Gilbert made a single retrograde step, and whirled the broken rifle above his head. Vain was the interposition of knife and hatchet against that terrible blow. He went down as surely as if beaten down by a thunderbolt. Gilbert stood over him a mo- ment with blazing eyes, when there was a rusk of savages from the thicket, and half a dozen men assailed him at once, fierce, relentless— GOmicbooks (E()