Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 183 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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} / ) | (Gilbert, the Guide. 7 CHAPTER VI. A SAD SERVICE. His angry fit passed away, and he looked about him to see what he should do next. The fire still blazed upon the island, and, balancing himself upon the water, he could see that the defenders were getting the best of it, and that the Indians, having lost their chief, were be- ginning to retreat, and that he would be in danger of meeting them if he tried to return. Seizing upon a floating log, he swam rapidly down-stream to be out of reach of the fugitives. He had gone some rods down before he was aware that there was a weight upon the log at the other end, and peering round it, he saw, in the dim light anak the fires threw upon the water at this distance, a man clinging to the log, whose feathered headdress proclaimed him to be an Indian, They were now at the mercy of the stream which was bearing them rapidly downward, and the log whirled to and fro, sometimes with one end down the stream, some- times the other, and Gilbert began to work cautiously downward, to get nearer the intruder upon his property, as he considered the log to be. It was plain that the savage knew that he had a compagnon du royage, and did not care about it, for he raised his head now and then to get a glimpse of him. It neEncned just then that they struck a shallow, and the two men sprung up and rushed at each other with deadly intent. “You sneaking dog!” roared Gilbert. ‘I hate your nation, father and son, and you shall 0 down.” ‘““Gilbert?” cried the well-known voice of Owasco, ‘Stop!’ “It’s lucky I spoke,” said the Guide. “I might have hurt you or you might have finished me, and I hope we love each other too well to do that. Come, let us make for the island, and rejoin our friends, who will be anxious for our coming,” “Stay,” said Owasco, “Is the knife of my brother red, and has it drank deep of the blood of the enemy?” “Deeper than you. think, perhaps,” replied Gilbert. “‘It was a bard battle, but we beat them off with but little loss, or at least they were wavering. when 1 fell.into the water, grappling with my pay erere foe, Darromed. Since then the shouts Ihave heard have told me that our side has been victorious.” “Then listen to the words of Owasco. M heart is very sad, and I cannot rest until know that the white maiden, fair asa lily, is dead in the burning tree. Let us go together, in spite of the Wyandot dogs, and find her bones and give them burial, or save her if they have taken her captive.” “pray God that they may,” replied Gilbert “ although their tender mercies are cruel, for it seems so horrible that one so young, so beauti- ful, should meet such a fearful death. There is my hand, Owasco; and we will Pe | upon this holy duty, and may the we both worship aid us in our task.” Gilbert had kept his knife, which he replaced in its sheath, and then, side by side, they step- ped into the water and pus ed out for the shore, swimming where the water was dee enough, and wading where it was shallow, an they were soon clinging to the bushes under the - bank and listening for some- thing which might guide them to the position of their enemies. Not a sound was pense save at times the cry of some aquatic bird ee ng into the water, or the leap of a great m its surface, They began to think that they must have Janded far below their enemies, and drawing themselves up with caution, they as- cended the bank and lay prostrate, listening in- tently for the slightest noise. The night was intensely dark, and lying as they did upon the bank and peeping under the bushes, the guide caught the glimmer of a fire far up the stream. Then they understood that they had drifted much further down than they had at first im- agined, and were far out of the reach of the red-skins. ' : Taking Owasco by the hand, the guide began to tread onward through the woods in silence, until they saw, just in front, a towering col- umn of fire jetting up in the darkness. That column was the giant sycamore in which Owasco had hidden Helen. They crept up cau- tiously, and as they did so, the column tot- tered, reeled blindly in empty) -pace, and fell with a thundering crash, sending up a column of mingled smoke and flame as it crushed into a hopeless mass of ruins. One look was suf- ficient for them to understand that long before the fate of Helen had been decided, whether for captivity or death, but they ran up to the blaz- ing mass and searched about among it with es they had picked up, until they found— orrible sight!—a human skeleton, the flesh burned from the bones, and those bones white as chalk. The horrible sight robbed both these strong men of their strength for a moment, and they covered their faces with open hands, be- fore they could nerve themselves to the task before them. Then separating the bones from the burning embers of that vast sepulchral urn, they scooped a shallow grave in the soft earth and laid them there, well knowing that it was not in their power to give them a better burial, but upon the tree under which the grave was made the Guide made a rude cross, with the date of the sad occurrence. ‘‘Lie thou there, young martyr to savage hate and guilt,” murmured the Guide. ‘“‘lLa stained man, guilty of malice and revengeful thoughts, cannot breathe a prayer above thy remains; Iam not worthy; but your grave will yet be hallowed by the tears of love, I feel it due to you and your purity to shed these tears, | but I cannot pray for you. There, Owasco, let us go and tell this sad newsto Waterman. It will break his heart.” As he rose from his knees, ashe had bent be- side the grave, he caught a glimpse of a dark face peering from the bushes. - Then came a horrible yell, and the savages poured upon them from every side, armed to the teeth and thirsting for their blood. Slightly armed as they were, the resistance they made was super- human, and in shorter space than it has taken to set it down, three souls had gone to judg- ment. But what could they do among so many? Gilbert saw that all hope was gone, and dragging away two men who clung like cats to the person of Owasco, he shouted to him to run. ‘*| cannot leave you,” shouted the Onondaga striking down an Indian with his knife. “ Let us die together.” “Fly,” gasped Gilbert, struggling with his enemies. ‘‘ You may aid me, free; you can only die, as a prisoner.” wasco struck right and left, broke through the circle of his enemies and escaped into the darkness, with a dozen painted demons yelling at his heels, Gilbert was knocked down, kick- ed, and bruised, and dragged away to the woods and down to the river bank, where in an open space beside the stream, a fire had been built. hey bound their captive to a sapling, and then Darromed came forward. . | ‘‘ Listen, white dog and fool,” he cried. ‘What were you, that you should measure strength with so great a chief asI? Does not your beart turn to waterin your breast when you thiuk of the fate before you? Many of my braves have fallen by the island in the river and the brothers of the slain have sworn to sen some white man to beara torch before their ghosts as they pass the silent river which bor- ders the happy bunting-ground. We will send you, dog of the base heart.” ‘You know me,” hissed Gilbert, ‘and you can swearlam nota coward. It grieves me to leave my mission unfulfilled, but I am ready to die if it is God’s will. Do your worst, for I defy you, and long to hear the fire burn which will cohsume me. “No,” said the chief. ‘‘ Perhaps you will not die by fire. Who can tell what pangs we will make you suffer before you give your last groan? Where is the white girl who was in the boat in the morning?” : “‘She is dead,” said Gilbert, solomnly. ‘ Your vengeance cannot reach her now, for she is out of the darkness and into the light of God. Pure and unstained, her soul has gone to her Maker, and it was in the holy duty of burying her re- mains that you took me. Do not think that I am going to whine and beg for my life from such a wretch as you are. I should scorn my- self if Lconld be guilty of, that, so call zone demons and let them gather round me, and see if I cannot die as es a man pe has fought well for his country, and whose life has been but a weary load.” Living so long among Indians, Gilbert had imbibed many of their notions. He had learned to boast a little in the face of an enemy, to in- sult the men who tied him to the stake, and to hey in the face of death. But, with all that, he had a simple faith in God and an Eparchy urpose which was wonderful, and set him hig! above the ordinary sons of men, He had wo ed all through life with a p as yet unful- filled, and his death would end all his hopes, yet a man of his firm nature couid look with a smile even upon this chance. Something in the calm serenity of the man awed the savage, and he looked fixedly upon his captive. ‘You have the soul of a warrior,” he said, quietly, ‘‘and will meet your death like a man. e are but poor Indians, and it will make our hearts glad to see such a man die. I leave you, because there is work for us before you meet your death.” ‘What is this?” said a quiet voice at his elbow, and he turned witha start. Morena stood in the firelight, which covered her as with a glory, and revealed her tranquil face and regal sad. ‘* Has the Queen of the Lake come again to sing in the ears of the Owl?” said the Indian, in a submissive tone. ‘‘ The beart of the chief is glad, for he feared that he would never see her again, since she left us in anger.” ‘* Morena cannot be long angy with the Wy- andot,” she answered. ‘‘ She has lived with them long and they have brought her up from a little child, until this time, when she walks the woods in safety. Butachief should be care- ful how he makes the heart of Morena sad, or some day she wil! leave the tribe, never to re- turn. “That would be a sad day to the Wyandot,” said the chief. ‘‘Since you have left us, we have lost many braves, for the white men in the island fight as if they held within theix breasts the spirits of the rocks and trees, evil beings who teach them where to strike. But one, the man who struck me down, who beld me by the throat and disgraced me in the eyes of the tribe and his own friends, is here, and he shall die.” **McKay would give much wealth for this man,” said Morena. ‘‘ Come, let us sell him, and get many muskets and powder and ball, with blankets to keep us warm in winter.” ** Darromed is rich; he does not need any of these things,” said the chief. “It is true, as you say,” replied Morena. ‘“‘Darromed, the Horned Owl of the W yan:ots, is very rich in weapons and blankets, but does he care nothing for those who are poor?” ‘‘ Let them buy for themselves if they need these things, for Darromed will not give up his revenge for them.” ‘But McKay spoke in my ear when we last met, and said that this man held secrets which would aid the Indians and avenge those who are dead. We loved them; they were good men and fought nobly for their :. ation, and we should do something for their memory. Let us take this man then, and give him to McKay, that he may sing in his ear the song which he longs so much to hear.” “Morena,” said Darromed, “ you speak your words in ears which are deaf, and cannot hear what you say. When I would listen, I hear heavy blows and see a chief of the Wyandots fall to the ground, with the band of a white man on his throat. I have spoken; Darromed cannot lie.’ ‘‘ There, little girl,” said the Guide, kindly, speaking in the English tongue, ‘‘ no doubt you mean well, but it isof no use to talk to that flinty-hearted monster, who is hankering after my blood, and I don’t see how I can blame I’ve chased him like a bloodhound for twelve you I killed his brother and bis uncle, and would have ended him long ago but that he holds the secret which is so dear tome. L.reckon » my turn has come to go, and if it bas, I’m not the man to worry about it.” ‘““T will aid you: yet,” she said, in the sam» language. ‘‘Keep up a good heart and trust in me.” ra The Indians were evidently getting ready for a move, and were eagerly rushing up and down the banks, pausing now and then to cast a look of furious anger at the prisoner, whom they blamed in a great measure for the injuries the had received. The island was now dark, as the fires bad gone out, and what the white men weré doing it was impossible to say. The In- dians had constructed a raft with a High front, which when light would float in a foot of water. The front was three feet high, auc thirty m could crowd upon the structure and it would upbold them, e design was to push this c up to the island, and then leap | the top to the barricade. This was, of coursé, to occupied by the bravest of the warri while they assailed the position in front the others were to cross, as hefore, by the aid of the lo e They will go away,” said Morena. _ “* After that I have something to tell you.” | Darromed had been looking at her sust } ly, and seeing her speak to the prisoner he called out four of his men, and gave them secret instructions. To the surprise and a of Mo they stalked up to the tree to Gil was bound and took their position to watch him, and when Morena would mere spoken to him again they ordered her back. look which they received made them quail : little, for they had great faith in her power, but they were su ient to the orders of the chief and had his commands. “What does this mean?” cried the girls - vancing quickly to the side of Darromed. “ Morena a child to be told to do this and not do that? Look, I will have your answer, Dar- oi ae you say I shall not speak to the ner? ~ " ny will speak,” replied Darromed, in a low voice. “It will not be well with you if the risoner escapes from the post, for, much as the yandots love you, they would not endure that, for this man’s hands are red with the life- blood of their kinsmen. Shall all this blood be shed in vain, Queen of the Lake? No, I make reply, and who has the better right to say it, you, who are a woman and no warrior, or Darromed, the Horned Owl, a chief of the tribe?” ‘‘Am I a traitress to the great nation?” she demanded, ‘‘ When I asked you to sell the white man to McKay, I spoke for the good of the tribe, because this wealth which we bt all share would be better than a dead dog, Enough; I will not stay with you, since lam no longer to be trusted, but will go to my home beyond the hills to the east and see you no more.” Darromed was evidently uneasy, for the tribe would not deal kindly with himif their queen left them by his fault. But, something told him that she wished ty save the man he hated from death, and he was armed against it, while he determined to keep her with bim. Gomicbooks.co