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DROP? INC THE

 
Sure Shot Seth,

THE BOY RIFLEMAN-

OR,

The Young Patriots of the North.

BY OLL COOMES,
AUTHOR or “mm m sum” xovm.

 
CHAPTER I.
THE SPY IN THE LOG.

An August night in the year 1862 hung over
the forests of Minnesota.

Th.- skv was overcast with a leaden-gray mist,
and the ‘pale moon looked feebly to earth.

The river rolled on through the purple shud~
(-\\'S, whispering low and sullenly to the. stately
pines, its faithful sentinels of centuries gone.

'l‘hrough the woods bordering on the Minnesota ‘

rim-r, and contiguous to the Yellowstone Agency,
:1 “Hum was 81Man nulSt'lPSSly along—a. human
iigure—that of a bby with bright blue eyes and
>trong, prepossessing features. lie, was light in
form and lithe of limb, and darted onward
through the gloom as though it were his own
element. He seemed perfectly familiar with his
course, and dodged in and out of the tangled
mazes of the grim old wood, and along the
sinuous windings of the valleys like a. hound ill"
on the trail.

At length he drew up in the forest under some :

hidit‘ly pines where the. darkness seemed to have
been born 0 infinity. Dropping the butt of his
rifle to the ground. Sure Shot Seth, the Buy
ititiernnn and Spy, listened.

“ ’i‘o-whit—to-whoo—hoo-oo-oo!
tree overhead.

Seth shook his head thoughtfully.

“i never like to her an owl hoot," he said to
himself, “ for it is a had sign."

The sound was immediately followed by a
scrambling among the branches, as upon heavy
wing the bird went lumbering away through the
hi ht.

Then a silence rofound as the grave followed.

“ Ah." mused eth, ” that frightened cry and
flight of the owl, and this terrible silence have
.1. meaning.

lie bent his head and listened intently.

«MT in the direction of the river he heard the
l-vn‘n'y tread of feet.

" They're, comin’. sure as death!" the youth
.1:th to himself, then he dropped to the. ground
.md crept into a hollow log near by.

The footste approached and ansed under the
great pines w thin a few feet of he log. The boy
new they were the steps of booted feet, and had

" rung from the.

some idea to whom they belonged. He applied his 

e c to a knot-hole in his retreat, and peer out, but
al was wrapped in Egydptian gloom. He pressed
his ear to the oriﬁce an listened. To and fro be-
neath the branching trees he heard the unknown
picing with restless impatience.

Presently he heard voices in conversation, and
then a faint beam of light streamed into the log.

He applied his 0 es to the hole again, and, in the
fight 0 a iocket— antern, saw four plemons stand—
in , and 100 ing like Titan ﬁgures in t e gloaming.

hree of them Seth recognized as the notorious
Sioux chiefs, Little Crow, Inkpadnta, and Little
Priest. The fourth was a white man, whose long
hair, broad~brimmed hat, peculiar garb, and en-
eral appearance were characteristic of no other c ass
of men than the wealthy planters of the Southern
States.

"So you have kept your appointment," said the
white man, raisin the lantern and scanning each
face before him w th knitted brows.

" Little Crow is a great chief,” said the redoubta-
his chief himself, “ and never breaks his word with
his friends."

The other two answered in the same words.

"I am gltd to hear this chiefs, for it gives me
greater s' rv-ngth," replied the white man. “ I have
come from the sunny land of the South to confer
with my red brothers; are they ready to listen?—
are there no cnemies‘ ears near us?"

“ The trees have ears, and the wind sometimes tells
secrets," answered Little Crow.

‘l‘Then you do not deem this a safe place to con-
su t?"

“ No; the night- ar screamed with affright and
shot into the sky w en he passed near here. Be is

the spirit that warns the red-man when darkness ,

hides dangers from his eyes. There are safer places
than this to talk," replied the chief.

“Let in red brother select the safest place, that
~hu ears 0 our enemies may not hear what we say,”
e-iid the white man.

" A brave waits by the river-side to take us in his
~ doe whither we desire to go. Let us seek the soli-

t . le and mad arded shores of the island in the
l .ver below. cre can we talk in safety, for no
enemy‘s car can cross the water."
' It is well, great chief,“ answered the white plot-
‘4 
Disappointment clouded the face of the youth in
the log as he heard the four emissaries of evil mov-
ing away. But his quick brain soon suggested a
now course of action, and, creeping from the lo ,
he rose to his feet and lided away thro h the dar -
noes, going in the direc ion of the river, ut keeping
wide of the four enemies.

I

Sure Shot Seth.

 
He reached the bank much in advance of them.
Then he stole softly down the river until he came in
.(sight‘ of the Indian and canoe Spoken of by Little

Irow.

The warrior sat in the boat with his blanket drawn
over his head. A rifle lay on the thwart at his side.

The prow of the canoe lay partly upon the beach.

The pale moonbcams, strugglin downward
, through the darkness and mist, rcvea ed all to the

eyes of the young spy, as he crouched in the;

shadows near.
The keen ear of the savage bontman was on the,
alert. It detected a slight sound in the shrubbery.

I He started from his seat and ﬁxed his eyes on the.

. bushes bcfore him. Then followed a “whirr:“ a

t dull, sodden blow; agroan; the rush of feet; a plush

f in the water; the dip of a paddle, and the prow of a
boat clcavin the waters.

‘ The moon id her face behind a. cloud as if with
shame; while the river flowed on as merrily as
though its waters had not been stained with human
) 00’

i CHAPTER II.

THE LONE ISLAND CONFERENCE.

SLUVVLY toward the river Little Crow and his three
t companions made their wa '.
The moccasined feet of the savages trod as lightly
as a Fanther's; but the trampof the white man ave
am e notice of his approach. The red-skins g ided
um er and around the )rush that disputed their way,
, but, like an ox, their companion crashed his way
' through, much to their annoyance.

Finally they reached the river-bank a few rods
above the canoe.

The moon uncovered her face and looked to earth
once more.

i The dip of a paddle arrested the. Indians” ears.
Ont upon the river Little Crow saw his boatman

seated in the canoe, toying with the paddle. His

head and shoulders were covered with his red and

blue blanket.

1 The chief called to him. He headed the canoe

‘ ashore. As the prow touched upon the beach Little

i Crow courteously bade his white friend enter it.

‘ The white man stepped into the craft, advanced
and seated himself.

The boat was a lon , slender affair, made of a log.
The paddler occupie the stem; the white man a
seat next, Little Crow third, and Inkpaduta the

)I‘O‘V.

I “ Let Serleque head for the island below," said

Little Crow, in a low tone.
, Without a word the paddle dipped, the boat back-
' ed out from the shore, swung its long prow around,
i and then under the skillful manag ~ment of Serleque,
i glided away down the stream.

 
Silence sealed the lips of the party. The white,
man gazed around him with a wild look of admira-
tion 11 on his face. The moonbeams strugglin

, throng l the white mist rendered objects weird an

i somber. The dark woods on either side rose up like

‘ the black walls of a mountain ass. Now and then

a night-jar screamed overh The rolling waters
surged and gurgled under and around them.

1 Bright ﬂashed the dripping paddle in the moon-
beams—light was its fall in the placid waters.

Swift] onward through the waves glided the
craft. n a few minutes more the island was reach~
ed. Ink )aduta, followed b Little Priest, Little
Crow am the white man, nded. The boatman
swung his boat alon .ide the little sand-bar, laid
down his paddle and row his blanket closer around
his head.

The island was not over a rod in width by two in
length. It was a barren sand-bar, yet well guarded
by the waves on either side.

Little Crow spread his blanket upon the ground
and invited the white man to be seated u on it.
Then the chief sat down opposite him, w e the
other two chiefs sat down, one upon the right and
one upon the left.

“ Let our white brother speak, for we are now

‘safe," said Little Crow.

The white man at once opened the conference' h
re resented himself as agent of the Southern Con-
fe eracy, then waging war against the Union. He
claimed that he had been sent North to effect terms
of comgromise with the Sioux under Little Crow and
enlist t eir aid in battling their enemies, pronnsin
them a vast tract of territory in case victory crown
their arms. The chiefs listened closei to the rop-
ositions of the Southern agent, and at or the utter
had concluded, Little Crow arose and delivered a
warm and eloquent speech. He set forth the wrongs
the had suffered at the hands of the government,
an expressed a belief that their 'evances would
justify them in taking up arms. 0 did not come to
a ﬂux decision, however, until Inkpaduta and Little
Priest had expressed themselves on the subject.

1 When they hzu , and he found that they favored the
agent ‘s views, the great Sioux chief at once onto
into an article of agreement with the agent to assist
them in their battle against the Union. Even the
very day and hour upon which the Indian massacre.
so prominent on the pages of history, was to be h,
were agreed upon hy the chiefs and the agent
fore the conference ended. Altogether, an hour was
consumed Iy these four arch-plotters, and ﬁnally
they rose to depart. As they turned toward the
boat, a cry of surprise burst from their lips. The
boat had left the island and was half-way across to
the. shore.

Little Crow called to his boatman, but the latter
made no re )ly. lie ushed on and soon entered the
border of s mdows a ong the shore.

Then he v-rmittcd the mantle that enveloped his
head and s iot'iders to fall to his feet, while a low,
silent Deal 0" laughter escaped his lips.

 
The boatman was Sure Shot Seth, the Boy Spy, not
the Indian, as Little Crow believed.

From his covert in the. woods had Seth hurled n
stone and stricken the Indian boatman down. Then
be tossed the body overboard, enveloped himself it
the savage’s blanket, turned the boat away from
the scene of the tra redy and )addlcd along the shore
lip-stream until ha ed by t 18 chief coming down,
And in this manner, the young sp possessed him~
self of the secret plot so soon to eluge the land in
blood.

 
CHAPTER III.
THE DEATH rrssuc.

Srmr. Snor SETH turned and glanced back toward
the island. He could see the four forms upon it, and
hear the chief calling to Scrleque, his boatman.
Taking up his rifle from its concealment under the
seat, he examined its priming, and was about to try
a shot at one of the plotters whena sound in the
water arrested his attention.

He gazed downward and to his horror beheld a
human face peering up at him from the side of the
boat. It was an Indian‘s face—the face of Serlequc,
the boatmant He had recovered from the blow ho
had received at the hands of the young spy, and
was there to seek revenge. He stood in the water
to his waist, and the instant his eyes met those of
{$5 foe, he threw up his hands and seized hold of the

at.

Seth saw, at a glance, that the sav 6 had an ad
vantage to begin with; and the ﬁrst 1 ing the youth
did was to place his finger to his lips and uttera
shrill. piercmg whistle that fairly started the savage
as its intonations quivered through the air.

Instantly, almost, it was answered in a similar
manner from back among the hills, and then the
savage knew that the young pale-face had friends
near. But, not to be thWarted in his plans of ven-
geance, he rocked the canoe violently and itched
Seth out into the water. Then the two grapp ed in 9
deadly struggleL the red-skin and the white—the
man and the boy. The former uttered a yell ot
savagle fury, the latter a shout of deﬁance.

Alt ongh he was weak from recent loss of blood,
the savage had no idea but that he could easily van-
quish his youthful enemy; but the moment the

rappled he found he had reckoned without his
Eost, tor the boy not onl was possessed of wonder-
ful strength but the agi ity of a panther.

The red-skin had no weapons save those that
nature gave him, Seth having de rived him of his
knife and hatchet at the time of t rowin him over-
board. And his oung wiversary was no tter pro-
vided, owing to t e snddenness in which the conflict
had been brought about; consequently the ﬁght was
conﬁned to skill, strength ant endurance. Seth
made one or two attem ts to draw his knife, and
ﬁnally succeeded, but be ore he could use it, he was
forced into such a 1position that he was com lied to
drop it. This left lllll no recourse save in is skill
and power.

Unfortunately for the youth the course of the ac.
tion gravitated toward the center of the river, which
fact gave the enemy another advantage in conse-

uence of his hight and the de th of the water.

nt brave desperate and deform ned, the lad strug.
gled man ully, heroically, giving the sav 8 all he
wanted to do. Their ﬁyin arms and feet t and
ch ed the water to a, 0am around them, as in
rap (1 evolutions they whirled and spun to and fro
in eve direction. At times they would sink from
view, t e water boilin and surging over them, then
p0 up perhaps a rod gram where neg sunk, gutting
an blowin with sheer exhaustion. ow an then
they woul cease their struggle for a moment to
rest; but never relinquishing the hold upon each
0t ier.

During one of those lulls in the conﬂict, half a
dozen shadow ﬁgures glided from the woods, and
pausing on the shore cglanced up and down the
stream. Then a voice ed:

“ Seth? Seth? where are you?"

“ Here in 11—“

The rest of the sentence was lost in the savage’s
yell and the renewal of the conﬂict.

“Boys “ cried one of the party upon the shore,
“Sure Shot is in peril."

“ Yesl Yesl" responded the others.

“Beaver, Beaverl' exclaimed the ﬁrst speaker,
“thatis our element—"

The addressed as Beaver uttered the peculiar
cry of the fur-bearing animal of that name; then,
divesting himself of his outer clothing plunged into
:he water and struck out. toward the struggling
oes.

By this time Seth and the Indian had drifted out
into the middle of the river, where the current was
swift and strong. The element was an enemy that.
was no respecter of persons, and not only proved a

at annoyance to the combatants, but threatened
he lives of both, for they were under water a good
portion of the. time.

Beaver swam rapidly and with as much ease ap
parently as though the. water was his home. Whei
within a few rods of Seth and his antagonist when
the rose to the surface from a long submersion,
an to encourage his friend, he shouted:

“ Brace up Sure Shot; brace up, for I‘m comin ,“
and he ended with the sharp, piercing cry of t 0
animal after which he had been named.

For a few moments they struggled in the swiftest
part of the current' then spun rapidly across to the
op site shore, and disappeared among the hanging
no work of roots, laid bare by the wash of the waves.
The Beaver knew they were out of the water b the
sounds; but they were in blinding darkness. ow-
ever, he was about to follow to the scene of conflict
when he saw a down savage forms appear on the

just over the combatants.and e was con»

 
~v'I—v‘ut .

HUHWHHUr—w~ -

(Pi-HF

QBFBEFO WO."I

rz-v

l
i

Sure Shot Seth.

3

 
pelled to change his mind. He remained perfectly
still on the waves and watched. Theﬁ walked to
the edge of the bank and looked over, nt not see-
ing the foes, one of them dropped himself down
into the river and crept under the bank to his
friend‘s assistance.

The next moment acry of agony issued from
‘inderthe bank; then all became, still.

The battle was ended, but who had been the
ait'tﬂl‘?

The B \avcr, slowlv drifting down the river unseen
by the savages, held his breath in suspense.
' The next moment aligurc crept out from under
the bank, and climbing up into the moonlight,
brandished aloft a human scalp, at the same time
uttering a ﬁerce, triumphant war-whoop,

CHAPTER '.
THE WRONG scum iixn Tan nov BRIGADE:

Tm: Beaver drif ed slowly down the river beyond
danger, then sought the shore. and his companions.

“Boys,” he. said, sad and heavy-hearted, “ our
_ allant young leader is gone. The accnrscd savages
were too much for him. Poor Seth! his scalp is the
ﬁrst of the long-threatened troubles.”

Agroan of the deepest anguish was wrung from
the lips of each of the, little band of youths—~f011ow-
ers of Snrc Shot Seth. Dearly they loved their
young leader, and his death fell heavily upon their
young hearts. But, all that was now left for them
to do was to search out the body, give it a respectful
burial, and ro on with sad and heavy hearts with
the duties 0 life assigned them.

They held a short consultation in thoedge of the
woods among the shadows; and as the Indians had
left the opposite shore, they concluded to embark in
the canoe, that ia on the beach before them, in

nest of Seth’s h0i y. But at this very moment the

mlians came back, terribly excited, on the. opposite
shore, and at the same instant the boys discovered
that a large party was also approaching on their side
from above.

“Scatter, boys!" exclaimed one of the party, and
the, next moment all disapxwared like a s ado” be
fore a burst of sunshine.

A sava e yell rung through the forest—a yell, the
like of w ich had not been heard for a long time in
that region.

It was ablood-cnrdling war-whoop!

Away through the forest like hounds glided the
shadow ' forms of the savages, their treacherous
hearts t irsting for human blood.

Here and there, every boy taking care of himself,
glided the followers of Sure Shot Seth. With the
silence of panthers they crept among the. bushes
dodged around the trees and rocks, and stole onwar
throu rh the woods and darkness.

Suddenly the sharp bark of a fox broke upon the.
n' ht. One of the. ﬂeeing youths started as though
a ullet had wliistled past his ears. He stopped
bent his head and listened. Again the barking o
the fox broke upon his ears. A smile of happy sur-

over his face, and clear and distinct he
lent forth an exact imitation of the sound he, had
heard. Then he glided aw in the direction whence
the barking had emana He moved briskl -. yet
with silence, keeping the one course in a “ bee- inc."
He had gone near y a hundred yards Wth a low
voice hailed him:

“ Hullo; is it you, Reynard?”

" Great heavens!“ was the excited answer; “do
my ears deceive me? or do I hear the voice of Sure
Shot Seth Y”

“I am here, Reynard," was the use, and Sure
Shot Seth stepped from a cluster of ushes and con-
fronted his friend.

“Well, b the Lord Harry!” exclaimed Reynard,
"there’s 8. lg mistake somewhere. Why, Seth, we
mourned you as dead. That savage ﬂourished a
scalp aloft when he came from under the bank and
uttered a triumphant scalp-cry."

“I know he did, the deluded fool; but the fact is,
he took the scalp of a friend. He sui-Ceeded in get-
tin his knife out just as I discovered that a second
reds-skin had aplpcared on the scene, and bya sud-
den movement brought my enein into such a po-
sition as to receive the knife of is friend in us
heart. The savage knew not but that it was me, and
tearing oﬁ' his scalp, rushed out and climbed up the
bank a great glee with a comrade‘s scalp, leaving
But are the

 
me to make my way out at leisure.
other boys about, Reynard?“

“ Yes; the are scattered through the woods, and
not a few -skins are after them. But Seth, what
did you discover to-night? Were the chiefs in coun-
cil with that Southern agent?“

“Yes; and I discovered all I wanted to—that the
red—skins have dug up the hatchet, and that the
Yellow Medicine Agency, Fort Ridgely New Ulm
and the Lower Agency are all marked for destruc-
tion. The good settlers of these places must be int
upon their guard at onCe; and so i will call the ri.

ade, and then turn_ our faces in that direction.
6Vhlppowili whippowdi" _

The last two words whistled from his lips in an
exact: imitation of that night-bird. whose peculiar
song seems very plainly to articulate the syllables
which compose its own name. a moment later a
similar answer was given; and still a few moments
later, aﬁgure emerged from the shadows into the
Hts}?i opening where Seth and Reynard stood in
w n .

“Aye, friend Whippowill" cried Seth, extending
his hand.

“ Blessed Virgini" exclaimed the youth in the
Celtic brogue, ‘ and, bedad, and I‘m glad to mate
ye Set me b'y." ‘

e soon relapsed into silence; then Seth
nttereda cry like that of a beaver, and was soon
mend in a similar manner. A few moments at-

 
J———

 
terward, the lad, Beaver, who had swam to Seth‘s i formed the general topic of discussion. That an

assistance, joined the group, beside himself with
()V.

1 Then Seth sent forth the hoot of an owl, the howl
of a wolf, and the scream ot’ a panther; and, in
answer to the calls, three more youths made their
ap ieai‘ance, and joined the group amid the wildest
re oiciiig.

And then and there in that wildwood opening were
assembled seven youths. (lilferiug as widely from
each otheras nature could make them; yet joined
together as if bound by all the tics of a sacred bro-
therhood. By profession they were trappers, and
\vero known as the Boy Brigade. Each represented
some different. nationality, or peculiarity. There
was an Irish, German, Afiicaii, and Indian youth in
the party, the others being Americans. All had
been reared in the woods, and amid the wild dan-
gers of the boider. As a party, they were as one;
but individuality made, them as different in tastes
and notions as seven iersons Could well be. While
one liked to trap the ieaver, another would rather
hunt the, fox, or the Wolf, or the deer. And it was
the same way with the sounds they heard. While
one loved to hear the plaintive song of the whip-
powil, another found more music in the jarring
hoot of an owl. Tlnis, bytheir different pursuits
and respective cccontricitics, had each come into
possession of a Sobl‘iqut‘t by which he was known to
the band.

Seth March, the leader of this Boy Brigade, was
called Sui-e Shot, in consequence of his uncrring
IllilT'lx’SlilllllSlllI).

Justin (irav was the. Beaver. He made that ani-
mal a special object in hunting and trapping.

Teddy ()‘Rnop loved the song of the whippowil,
and the name of that bird was given him.

Baldwin Judd became iteynard, the fox, after hav-
ing caught a number of those animals.

Tim Tricks, the African youth, being cook, became
Black I’an.

The Owl was the big-eyed, round—faced German

at .

Ilooseah, the Indian boy, answered to the name
of Le Subtile \Volf. The name, was not given him
because he had any particular love for that animal,
but because his movements were. as sly and cunning
in “bagging” game as the wolf‘s in taking prey.
The glossy skin of a wolf was wt of his dress.

These names and their einb ems were but boyish
whims: yet all had become familiar in the loud his-
tory of Minnesota; for the Boy Brigade was an or-
ganization of its kind nnsur )lLSSed even by men of
age and experience. The 0 dust of the party was
nineteen, the youngest sixteen. Sure Snot Seth,
their leader, was eighteen, and yet possessed all the
developments of iei'fectinanhood. As a. trapper, he
had no pecr' am it was with no feeling of env ' or
reluctance that lie was chosen leader of the ‘ttle
band of boys, who, early thrown upon their own re-
sources, chose the exciting, adventurous calling of
the trapper. For two cars their business had been
one of indis nted proiit and pleasure, but now the
threatened ndian war would put an end to it; but
they accepted all in the spirit of true heroism, and
decided to stand and ﬁght by those who had stood
by them in days one by.

Their mission or the night having ended, the Boy
Brigade bent their steps southward.

Rapidly, and yet silently, they made their way
through the tracklcss forest. Mile after mile was
traversed until ﬁnallythe drew up in front of along,
low, double cabin built ofV logs, and standing in the
heart of a deep, dense wilderness of mighty incs.
It was the home of the Brigade; and here, inside
and out, was evidence of no little culture and reﬁne-
ment.

The odor that pervaded the atmosphere was not
that ofthe wildwoods alone; but the mingled frag-
rance of wild ﬁowors ﬁlled the air. The cabin was
ovemin with honey-Stickies and morning- lories
and a dozen other ﬂowers, all carefully c tivated
by the boys, contributed their SWeetness to that
delicate sense of reﬁnement so seldom found among
the rude children of the border. The cabin door
was ap )roaclied through a long shady arbor of wild
cucum -r vines, where. the hot days of summer were
passed on the grass- ilot beneath the sylvan shade.

The little band ﬁ ed down this avenue, of green,
fragrant verdure, and paused before the door. Seth
raised the latch. pushed open the door, and entered.
His companions followed him across the threshold.
All was gloom in the cabin, but, halting in thet enter
of the room Seth sniffed the air, then exclaimed:

“ Boys, w lat do you smell?"

“Tobacco, by the Howly Virgin!" exclaimed the
Whip wil, and all repeated his answer.

“ at‘s it,” answered Seth, “and as none of us
ever use the weed, some stranger has been here
gmoking. Quite a liberty to take in other people‘s

ouse. '

A candle was at once lit, and as its light dispelled
the gloom, the boys glanced hastily about them to
see if the intruder had taken liberties with their
cabin. But all was as they had left it.

The cabin was divided into two rooms by a par-
tition of logs, and the one the boys ﬁrst entered
was used as a kind of sitting-rm m. The walls
were hung with fancifully-wronght robes and furs
and adorned with the stuffed skins of beautifu
birds and small animals. Over each door were the
branching antlers of an elk, among which were
coded monstrous spotted serpents. On a table in
one corner was a number of time-worn books—
books of the yery best kind for the young mind;
and, in addition to this source of mental culture
and pastime, a violin and bar ) hun upon the wall.

The young trappers set asi e the r weapons, and
seating themselves, entered into conversation. The
conference, to which

Indian war was inevitable, they had not a doubt;
and as it would be im ssible for them to continue
tripping. they decide< to ather in their tra .
dispose of their stock on 13nd, and vacate e
Hermit Hut, as the place was called, and take up
arms against the savage. At. least this was the de-
cision of most of the party, a few evading a direct.
answer as to their future course. Seth noticed this
hesitation with no little surprise, but said nothing.
He resolved to let the matter rest until inoriizig,
then insist for a direct answer from all.

“Boys,” said Seth after the ' had discussed the

, different topics of interest, “t is is probably tl.e

last night we will be here, and so let us have some
music, and a ﬁnal inerry-makin .”
All acquiesced, and the In ian lad, Le Snbtlla

, “'olf, having been placed on guard outside. Tim
. Tricks took down the ﬁddle and Sure Shot Seth the

 
Seth had been an auditor, _

ha ).

The ﬁrst named led off with a sprightly air,
and when Seth struck up the cabin fairl ' trembled
under the violent strains of music. The hippowil
became inspired by the ravishing notes, and, s ring-
ing to his feet. executed a dance that great y inr
creased the interest of the moment.

“ Good for the wild Irishman.“ exclaimed hh
companions, when, with a sudden movement. he
turned a summersault and came up on a Scat at the
opposite side of the room.

‘ Och, and a broth av a by was me aged grandad
on ajig' and begorra the gift came down through
the who c ginerashins of O‘Roops with various im-
proveniints. int, give us a march, b‘ys, seinethin'
to rouse the blood that ﬁt at Bniiker's Hill—sonie~
thin’ military—3y, some martial moosic, that‘s the

jiglger. ’

im Tricks and Seth were both ﬁne musicians,
and, in accordance with the \‘v'liippmvil's request,
struck up the “ Grand Russian Marc i,“ much to the
delight of their auditors.

The music swelled out in enchanting melody, and.
with its varying notes, the blood oi‘tlie youths glided
through their veins in symphony with the soul-
stirring strains.

The scene was one seldom met with under similar
circumstances. In the ﬂickering, changing light.
dancing over the walls, the (lead l irds and animals
that ornamented the humble home of tl.< so trapper
boys seemed aquiver with life and rcntly to start
from their perch, enchanted b ' the nu sic. The
youthful faces of the lads glowe with the emotion s;
stirred within their breasts. and their semi-s H ( med
ﬂoating away on the ravishing sounds called forth
by the skilllul hands of the performers. Bi t in ti 1’
midst of all, while every mind was diverted iii i‘.i t‘
cares of the outside world, and absorbed in t a
sweet melody of music, a dark body snddci I
dropped fri In above in the middle of the ﬂoor wi‘il i
dul , hca\ y tind, and something bright upon ?L
glinted in the light.

The music ceased, and the boys starth to thiir
feet with an involuntary exclamation of horror.

In the room befrre them stood a powerful savai'e
his head shaven his face in war paint, and “retitled
in a sinister smi e of diabolical triumph.

There was no loft in the room. and, giant-in up-
ward, the boys sawan opening had been m e in
the roof during the musical entertainment, and, be-
fore they had time to act, a second savage swung:
himself down into the room and confronted the
young hunters. He was immediately followed by a
third, a fourth. and so on, until six powerful war-
riors stood in the middle of the house, facing the
Btéy Bri ade, with their hands upon their weapons.
8. evili smile of triumph upon their faces, and a
murderous intent in their hearts.

 
CHAPTER V.
THE srnroom IN THE BUT.

F03 full ' a minute a speechless silence reigned in
the Hermi But, the savages eying the boys, and the
latter exchanging glances With one and another.
Had the red-skins entered the door as had been their
wont in days past, the boys would not have mistrust-
ed them of murderous designs. But their war-

aint, and every feature of the face, and the black

erret-cyes, bespoke the evil, murderous purpose in
their hearts.

Sure Shot Seth was the ﬁrst to speak.

“Why do our red friei iis not come in at the door
as the ' used to?“ he a: it d, calmly.

“W y do the pale-face boys stand a guard near
the door?“ was the savage spokesman‘s reply;
“the didn‘t use to do this.‘

Set was 112th d for an answer to this savage
retort. The act of their having laced one of their
number on girard outside was evi ence of their it ms
of danger, for not once in the two years pas: had
they ever been ('( n.pi lied to take this precaution.

“ We placed a guard near the door," Seth ﬁnally
answered, " because we have heard that the lndians
and whites have du up the hatchet and were going
to war with each 01 ier.“

“ And are not the trap r-boys of the Hermit But.
the friends of the whites ” asked the savage, with a
sardonic smile.

“We are the friends of all-bothred and white.
The red-skins have broken bread with us as oft; n as
the whites since we came to the Hermit But. If
there is trouble b tween the Sioux and the whites,
we can be neutral."

“The white boy's tongue is crooked. He hows
he will ﬁght the Sioux. When he came into the
cabin, we were on the top of his Wigwam and heard
him talk."

In an instant all ﬂashed through the ho ‘s mind.
During their absence the Indians had chm to tho

 
4

Sure Shot Seth.

 
roof of the cabin, and Were there concealed when
the came in. They saw there was no compromising
wit them—that a conflict was inevitable.

The Brigade had deposited all their riﬂes in one
corner, and edging around by degrees, the savages
managed to get themselves between the boys and
the guns, believing that they were in possession of
no other Weapons. But in this the red-skins wore
mistaken. Each of the. boys was possessed of a
small revolver and which, at close quarter, would
be the most esirable weapon. The youths felt no
fears of the number that confronted them; but that
others mi ‘ht be waiting outside to join them in case
of a collis on.

The savages were armed with the deadliest weap<
ons—the tomahawk and scalping-knife. But none. of
them were drawn, and a movement of a hand to the
belt would be a signal for the boys to precipitate the
conﬂict.

Each boy was actuated as if by a single impulse.
The threatened danger forced measures in common
upon each mind; and having exchanged glances
with their leader, all stood rear to fire the first shot
ever ﬁred in anger, or with oligadiy intent upon a
human being.

It was a momentous hour in the lives of the young
Brigade—started from the sweet, rapturous cn'oy-
ment of music into the presence of death. Yet t iey
faced the savages—great, powerful, athletic fellows
that they were—with a cool, calm determination
that in a measure awed the sanguine audacity of the
Sioux.

For half a minute a lullmsuch as precedes the
violence of the storm—fell upon the two lines
of enemies, though each form seemed to trem-
ble with the emotions that Were pent up within it.

Seth had, adroitly, 'et without. any apparent mo-
tion whatever, trans erred his hands to his lll‘t‘titfllt‘ﬂ
pockets, in the right of which he always carried his

revolvers, it being more convenient.

His friends saw this movement, and comprehend
ed its meaning at once, though it never entered the
Indians‘ brains that his movmnent was other than a
manifestation of peace; and as the youth’s compan-
ions assumed (positions and attitudes that brought
their right ban 3 in juxtaposition with their revolv-
ers, a savage spoke:

“ We will not kill the boy trappers if the will go
quietl as prisoners to the village of Little row."

“ e haven’t the least assurance of this," an-
swered Seth, “for we have found the Sioux to be
treacherous as the moccasin snake."

“For these words shall the pale-face boy die,“ re-
lied the chief, unlaosing his tomahawk. But, be-
ore he could release the weapon, the hand of the,

young trapper-boy was withdrawn from his pocket
and extended toward the savage’s face. There was
a ﬂash and report shnultanoously. and the warrior,
with a deep groan of horrible pain, started back; his
face contorted with agony and his muscles quiver-
in , he fell like an ox upon the ﬂoor. A round hole
in forehead bearing the powder-marks ar. und
its edges told where the unerring bullet had struck.

This was a signal for a general attack, and the
clash of ﬁve other revolvers rung out sharp and
stunning on the night. Eve savage Went down be-
fore the deadly wea one, am victory seemed but the
labor of an instant or our friends; but in the. mo-
ment of their bloodless triumph, a ﬂcndish yell out-
side the door burst from the lips of a score of red-
skins; the door was ﬂun 0 en, and the yelling de~
mons rushed into the ea in 'ke a tornado.

Turning on his heel, as the door burst from its
hinges, Sure Shot Seth ﬁred at the candle, snufﬂn
out the light as completely as though done by a gus
of wind!

Then the revolvers of the boy-trappers were tum-
ed toward the door, and a constant stream of ﬁre
ﬂashed in the faces of the savages. The groans of
the dyin wretches were min led with the crack of
the rave vers, the sodden fa of heavy bodies. and
the tumbling of the excited savages over their
fallen comradesas they rushed into the darkened

room.

The boy-trappers gradually edged around toward
the door eadin into the opposite room; and as each
one emptied t to last chamber of his revolver, he

assed out into the adjacent apartment. Not a
word esca d the lips of our young friends, and one
by one the r revolvers became silenced; but whether
It was by death, or b ' being emptied, each could
tell nothing regardin is comrade.

The danger was no all on the side of the savages,
for the moment the light was ut out, they began
throwing their tomahawks c ubs and knives in
every direction; and their clash and thud fell thick
as hail mat the walls. But the confusion was so

reat an deafening that the savages could tell noth-

ng of the result of their attack.

inall the tumult became hushed; a light was
obtalne by the savages; and then It was that the
beheld the terrible loss they had already snstaine .
Maddened by the sight of their dead braves, they
sought the foe in the adjoinin room, but the scene
of battle had been transferret to the open air. In
front of the cabin the boytrappers met a number of
savages as they passed out, and here another con-
ﬂict ensued.

"Boys," cried Sure Shot Seth, “make for the
woodsl—ever fellow for himself!"

A moment ter there seemed to be a
pauseinthe stru gle as the sound of t e conﬂict
spread out in all ( irect ons, and yells of savage ven-
geance!“ through e forest. By these sounds

are Shot th knew that his men had obeyed or-
ders, and that all the survivors were seekm safety
b nighttothe woods. But how many ha fallen?

was the uestion that now rose in the youn
r‘s min as he pursued his lonel way throng
the dark and gloomy wilderness. hen

rceptible

that he had eluded his pursuers, Seth stopped and
sat down upon a log.

All noise of the, late conflict was left behind,
and unbroken silence pervaded the night, and grad
uaily animated nature began her myriad of sounds
and soon the great lungs of the sleeping worh
Were sending forth their pulsing, throbbing respira-
tions.

Sure Shot Seth grew easier now. He knew by the
sounds that came to his ear that no danger was
lurking near. The acute car of the. experienced
woodman can read the voices of nature as though
spoken in an intelligible dialect. Through force of
habit he becomes accustomed to his surroundings,
and intuitively leai us by instinct the language of
both animate and inanimaw nature, for inanimate
nature has a language, and one that never deceives.
The ('llll' ) of a cricket, the hum of insect wings, the
pipingo a tree—frog, and the patter of the velvet

eet of night-prowling beasts, all mingle and pro-
duce a weird, monotonous drone that instinctiver
inspires one with a feeling of solitude; and this fee -
ing assur s him that no enemies, or friends, for that
matter, are moving about. 0n the contrary, if all
is silent and drenr, it is a warnin that danger lurks
near—that, conseious of the mur erous intent of thc
skulker, nature bushes her song.

It was the assurance that no danger lurked near
that gave Seth relief; and when satisﬁed that he
could do so with impunity, he gave utterance to the
sharp bark of the fox.

Instantly he was answered in a similar manner
from amon the hills. .

“ lteynart , the Fox, lives," the young leader said;
then he uttered the cry of the beaver, and was
answered.

Then changing his position, he gave utterance to
the scream of a panther the bowl of a wolf, the hoot
of an owl, and the cry of a whippowil. Allanswored
but one.

“ As I live!“ soliloquized Seth “the bovs all
answered but the Indian, Le Subtlle Wolf. Can it
be that he has been slain?"

IIooseah was a brave and fearless youth with but
little of the savage in his nature. e. was a
Chippewa b birth, and had spent all his days
among the w ites, coming from northern Michigan
when quite a lad; so there was no danger to appre-
hend of his want of ﬁdelity to the whites. Seth was
satisﬁed that he had either been killed or else had
not heard his call. He did not repeat it through fear
of confusion, or of increasing their danger.

Moving further back into the woods, Seth ﬁnally
sat down ina dense thicket of shrubbery, leaned
against a tree and went to sleep. This was not a
very commendable act for a bordennan, but Seth
knew that no danger could befall him there in such
a lonely and desolate s Jot. Moreover, he was
almost exhausted with h s night's adventure, and
nothin but sleep could restore the much-needed
strengti, and drive away the dizzy whirl of the
brain.

It was just growing light when he awoke. He
could see the dusky outline of the tree-trunks
around him, and leanin against one of these, mo-
tionless as the tree itsel , he saw the outlines of an
Indian warrior! _‘

CHAPTER VI.
A unnn ou) cus'rom.

Sara started 0 his feet, half bewildered and
hplf terrified at sight of the savage standing over
h m.

To his surprise, however, he saw that the Indian
did not move, and a second thought and second
glance removed a terrible wei ht from the youth's
mind' for he now reco niz the red-skin as his
frien , Hooseah, or Le ubtile Wolf. The Indian
lad was standing there asleep]. It was the way a
Chip we. slept on the war-pat .

Set glanced around him, and on the opposite side
of the same tree against which he had reclined he
saw the form of Justin Gray, the Beaver, curled up
in a sound slumber; and under another tree not far
away the form of Black Pan, the African, stretched
at full length along the ground.

Seth gave utterance to theshrill cry of abird,
then in a clear voice called out:

“ Le Subtile Wolf?“

“ Ugh! me here,“ muttered the lad, starting from
his slumber.

“Justin Gray?"

“ Here. ”

“ 'l‘im Tricks?"

“ Here I is. ole boss."

“Baldwin Judd?“

“ Here,“ came from in the bushes.

“ Teddy O‘Rooki"

“ Herc, bedad.

“ Mort Schultz?"

“ I here ish."

And as each one answered to his name, he eme
from among the shadows and stood before is
youn leader, Sure Shot Seth. '

“ ank God, we are all permitted to meet again,”
said Seth.

This was the point designated as a rendezvous be-
fore leaving the cabin when the any es were pour-
ing in u [1 them; hence the remar ble manner
under w ich they all met.

The marks of a restless night and of excitement,
were upon each face; 'et no look, word or move-
ment betrayed the lean sign of fear. Nobly had
the youths fought their wa through a terrible
danger, and now as they s congratulating each
other on their miraculous escape—while the red
dawn of the res mom was bursting into light around
them a shrill, 8 voice suddenly cried out:

 
The boys started as though a. torpedo had ex-

 
ploded in their midst. They glanced around them,
the-111 at another, a look of wild astonishment upol
can 1 face.

“ Ilerc'" again shouted the unknown voice, and the
sound was followed by an outburst of rollicking
laughter.

It came t‘rom overhead, and raising their eyes, the
young bordermcn saw that which forced on involun-
tar’ cxclanmtion from their lips. Attached to a
lim )ot' the wide-spreadin ' oak was a sort of a rude
hammock made of a blan 'et, and over the end of
thisthe quaint, comical face of an old man looked
down upon them.

He was about twenty or thirty feet above. them,
and his hammock was attached to a limb that grew
straight out from the body of the tree yet slender
enough to give it a gentle, swaying motion.

This old stranger was a man of nearly threescore
years; yet the bright luster of his mischievous gray
eyes, and the, smile upon his thin, bearded face, told
of a youthful, buoyant spirit. His nose was ofa
strong Roman ty )e—a type indicative of indomitable
courage. Consn erable severity was betrayed in the
thm lips, yet the general features of the man were
the embodiment of humor, eccentricity and drollcry.

.“ I‘m in at roll-call, too,“ he exclaimed. in a whim-
s1cal tone; “ sound the revielle, beat the drum, and
rat-tat—too, for day has broke, the birds are astir,
and the devil‘s to pay."

“ Will, now i“ exclaimed Teddy O‘Roop, “and
what fur abaste have we got there now 'r"

“ Hello,  gy-tongne,” answered the man, with a
comical sml e, as he turned over on his stomach
in his hammock and gazed complacently down upon
the Brigade, while he kicked n his heels like a.
listless school-boy lying in thes ade. “1 should
think you could see that I‘m not a ‘possumu here;
nor that I‘m not an oriole in a hangin' nes , but a
full—ﬂedged rooster of the guan man who roosts
high and dry.“

‘ We observe that you are rather elevated in your
ideas of repose," said Seth.

“ Elevated, did ye say?" replied the man; “ Jews
and Gentiles! that‘s no name for it. It‘s perfectly
delicious u here. You see, I‘ve slept around on the
yearth wit bugs, and snakes, and tortles and bears,
and wolves, and Indians, and snails, and alligators,
crawling over and sniﬂin‘ round me. long enoug '
and so I come to the conclusion that I‘d hang myse
up in a tree after‘ds; and I find its delicious swaying
in the breeze while the beasts of the field roambc
neath, and the birds of the air sail above me. I'm
old Jo fnl Jim Tucker, a brother of the veritable
Danie who had a Darby lamb; and so I‘ll jist come
grom my chamber in the air, and quiz you chaps a

it.“

The man stepped out upon a limb, unfastened his
hammock,too ariﬂc and its accouterments from
among the thick foliage abovo his head, and then
descended to the ound. He shook hands with the.
boys all around, t en said:

“ S‘pose you chaps are on the war ath?“

‘fCan‘t say that we are, exactly, hough we had
quite aﬂght last night with savages at our cabin.
and were routed, though we lost no men.”

“You don‘t mean to say that you com o Sure
Shot Seth‘s Boy Brigade that‘s been ran in' at the
Hermnt Hut?“ exclaimed Joyful Jim.

“ We’re the Boy Brigade,” answered Seth.

“Judas and Benedict Arnold! Why, boys, I wan
just on my way to your ranch."

“ From where?"

“Minnisota in gineral; you see I‘ve been doin’ g
little tradin‘ u here 'mong the Ingins for the st
few years. ‘ve been tradin‘ 'em beads, rice ct.
knives and ‘doctored water,‘ for ltries; ut as
they‘ve dug up the hatchet, I conc uded to make
myself seldom in their midst, and so pointed nose
for the Hermit Hut. And so they’ve routed ytn
boss and foot?“ !

“They came u n us ten to one." '

“They did? 8.1, then, thar‘s no denyin’ 4100‘
and war are upon us; and so I perpose to have h.
hand in it. If the critters hadn’t conﬁsch all thy
stock, I’d been easier onto ‘em; but now I urpo‘se
to let ’em know that I wer‘n‘t eddicated in c city.
I’ll jist sail ri ht into ’em, boot and toenail, and I ll
bft the fust ﬂigln I‘ll tackle ’u hear som‘thiu’ gur~
g e. ' "‘
“Faith, and wouldn't somethin' g 10 if yeen
should tackle a jug av poteen, Joyfulmglmmle, eh
now?“ said Teddy. '

“Irishman, do you take me for a drunkardi Do
you s‘pose if I had a gallon of ‘ oh-be-joy-ful ’ that I
wouldn‘t let you have half of it? What do you take
me for, anyhow?“

“Yow—oo-o!" suddenly rung in a low quavering
echo through the woods.

Ever? boy started as if shot.

“It Is Le Subtile Wolf," said Seth, who, for the
ﬁrst time, noticed the absence of the Indian from
their midst; “ it means danger.“

“Then s‘pose we obscure ourselves," ested
the trader, and the rt at once conceal them
selves Joyful Jim  a thicket some distance
from the boys. They h scarcely done so etc a
savage in war-gaint came stealing sl ly as a pan.
ther through t 8 wood its eyes an ears on the
alert, and his body bent Qsliﬁtly forward as if togivo
intenslt tothe recaution e waso .

Joyfu Jim, w 0 was not concealed from the Bri-
gade entirel , turned and lanced toward the boys
with a com c grimace an a wink. and shook his
head as it ready to burst with suppressed laughter.

“ Och, and the oul‘ bla’gard‘ll not keep still," said
Tedly‘tln a Whillpiir' bet ying " t ed Seth.

“ 0 er 0 is ra us, re urn
“ I thinkallilegcan be trusted. ‘

The redan advanced siowl , cautioual . He was
pursuing a course that, if con ued, wo d take him

 
'.. _..2r' - a —_ -. - ._ 

 
within two pace; of the trader, and our young friends

ex writ-need no little. uneasiness for .‘he. old man‘s 1
They could see the trader as he stood erect f
behind the shrubbcry. his hands outstretched before

so. cty.

him as if' to part the bushes.

i

. . |

The savage stole on, and when opposite thcthicket . I . _ I _
’ you can civilmo or tame an lngm?

he. was started with all the sudden ail‘right and i'cr-
ocity of a surprised tiger. lle turned his head and
saw the bushes part oet‘ore llim, and the face of the
fearless old Joyful Jim nope ll' iii the opening.

“ llowdy‘f—nitirniu’ to y e, red—skin I" exclaimedthe
trader, with a desperate grin.

The savage started back witha grunt, while a look
of dcinoniao ferocity mounted liis )aintcd ftlft'. llis

hand sought the knife at his girl 1e, but before he ,

could use it, the bony fist of the trach shot through
the shrnbbciy, and striking the warrior in the face,
felled him to the earth. Then with a shout, the old
man sprungr from his covert upon the savage and
engaged him in a hand-to-hant struggle. The bat-

tle waxed warm and desperate, but in the ho: test of ;

the contest, the red-skin gave a wild yell. that was
immediately answered by a dozen friends, not far
distant; and the next moment eight rr ten warriors
came darting through the woods toward the scene
of battle.

“ Let tlicmlinvc it, boys!“ cxcrdmed Setli' “we‘re
in for another tight.“

Scarecly had he, spoken ere the riﬂes of the B0
Brigade rung out on t ‘-e clear morning air, and h
of the advancing savages fell dead.

CHAPTER VII.
Grvmo THE usn skiss “rrrs.”

THE instant the B0 ' Brigade fired, those of the.
red-skins that did in it all dodged behind the nearest
trees and at once opened a sort of a random tire.
The. boys, however,
the cover of trees, and, \\ bile. they could i'cnderJoyful
Jim no assistance in his struggle, they resolved that
no assistance should come to his antagonist.
was little danger of old Jim receiving a shot from
the savages under cover, for the ra )id evolutions of
the two made it dangerous to friciu as Well as foe,
to fire upon them. ’l‘lieon y hopes of each party lay
in keeping the other at bay until the, contest should
be settled bet ween the. two combatants themselves.

Sure Shot Seth was without a gun, but with a pis-
tol in hand, kept an eye on the enemy, the nearest
of whom were not eighty yards away.

Joyful Jim and his antagonist seemed to have ,

taken each other at a disadvantage, and so labored
in the conflict. In rapid evolutions they whirled in
each other‘s embrace.
l' the same. The old trader‘s right arm pinioned

tie savages left, and the savages right pinicned ,
Jim, however, finally succeeded v
in getting hold of the red-skin‘s long scalp-lock, ,

the old man‘s left.

which hung down his backrand by pulling severely
upon this appendage, drew the sav re‘s head bac '
in such a manner as to render him a most helpless.
The savage. uttered a hoarse, rattling cry when he

saw that his foe was gaining upon him and his cry .
reaching the cars of his friends, creatci a lively stir 1

among them. By every device known to their cun-
ning brains they tried to draw the Brigade from its

covert. But they had met their match, and failed ,

in every attempt.

Meanwhile, 1 ring was heard in the woods some
distance to the south, and that Hooscah, the young
Chi )cwa was in trouble, the Brigade had not a
don ) ; but none of them dare attempt to leave, for

every tree that concealed one of them was marked ‘
‘ ted,
‘ usually drew a

by a savage eye and covered by a savage rifle.
Finally, however, the Indians saw that their friend
Was getting the “'(il‘rt of the conflict and that some.-
thing must be. done. With a ’('ll that might have
intimidated lt‘f'S bravn heartst ian tliOse of the Boy
Brigade, the Sioux cashed from their covert and

i'ar‘ud toward the co~~1lritants reeling as they ran, '

to avert the bullets of the enemy.

Lu: the Boy Brigade was read for an
geni‘ ', and having discharged their riﬂes. ounded
“ronjl their concealment and met the foe by the
two struggling combatants, over v. both a desperate
conflict ensued.

The Boy Brigade now had an opportunity to call

into practical use their skillful, athletic training; 1
and right lively did they exert themselves—leap- '
.Y

ing w‘.irling and darting through the air so rapid

and swiftly that the eye could scarcely follow their ‘

movements. .

Teddy O'Roop as he came Up near the red-skins,
turned a comp etc hand-s rin' and shot himself
forwardwith sudi force t iat l31in feet, coming in
contact with a :avage’s stomach, sent him breath-
less to the earth.

Baldwin Judd, or Reynard, the Fox, leaped into
the air over asavage’s head and muted his feet,
in the red~skin's face with great vio once, while Tim
Tricks, the darky, dropped his bullet-head, shot
forward as if e co from a._catapult, and drove it
Into the Atomac of a redalnn, doubling him up on
the earth.

Taken thus, the red-skins were unprepared to
meet the ﬂ 'ing enemy, as it were. The were com-

iete con used and astounded by the ying, whirl-
ﬁzg, Ming, tumbling forms around them. Heels,
heads, lists and forms shot hither and thither in
d confusion' and ere the red-skins were aware
of i0 fact, the boy Brigade was master of the situ-
ation. Two of the savages had been slain, and the
gent kaiocked pgeighiess who earth and secured be-

orot e con 0 erres rice.

By thg time Joyful Jim had ended the conﬂict be-
twaen himseif and the savage, and had come out
victor without even a. wound oi‘ angensequence.

The ﬁring heard a. few minu previous had
ceased, and the shout of victory that rung from
“Jim's lips was answered by another from the

' and conchide<

lad also availed themselves of ‘

Tin-re .

. the Agency boys.

The hold of each was exact- ,

emer- .

 
Sure Shot Seth.

 
5

 
 lips of Hooseah, the Indian lad, who, at. this junc-

ture, came, bounding into the midst of his friends,
followed by a st range lad and brandishing above his
head a Sioux scalp.

“(lreut shockin'!

u

exclaimed Old Jim “here’s

this bloody 'l‘urk with a red-skin scalp. {Vlio says i

7

“it‘s an indian's nature to seal , and I presume
you can’t preach it out of him,‘ said Sure Shot Seth;

! “ but who have you here. liooseah?" and he turned

to the white lad accompanying liim.

“ lid Thornly,” answered the youth himself.

“ lid 'l‘hoi-iily‘r Haven‘t I seen you at Yellow
Medicine?"

“ Yes; I reside there; you are Sure Shot Setli,I
believe?”

“ The same," answered our hero.

“ Tlien mv mission is at. an end, though I thought
for awhile the Indians had ended it this morning for
me when they ca mired me. Thanks to your red
friend here I was iberatcd."

I “Then you were on yom‘ way to the Hermit
Int?”

“ Yes—totally ignorant of the. fact that the Indians
had begun their depredations. But I am here to
see. you, Scth, on a little matter concerning us boys
at inc Agency. To-morrow we are to have a shoot-
ing-match there fox-boys. A fine rifle is to be the
prize. There is some rivalry between Tom Ura son
and I 'an be Clercq, the, two best shots at the p ace;
but on the part of the latter it is not a friendly rival-
ry. lie has alrcad ' resorted to foul means to dc-
feat 'l‘oui, whom 1 ie majority of the people like.
By the mean advantage alreadv gained. it is feared
that Le Cleru will win, so we boys llt'l'I a meeting
to send for you, and have you talu-
501110 of the conceit and self-urnigaiice out of that,
fellow. l have a request here, signed by nearly all
the boys in the Agency, for you to come. down and
Scoop lie (.‘lcrt'q out."

Seth's eyes brightened as lid presented him the
paper, upon which were a number of names. Itwas
a concession to his superior iiiai'ksniansliip, and he
felt proud of the honor thus conferred upon him by
He could, under no circum-
stances, decline, and expressed his slit irise at the
honor bestowed upon him and ])l‘()llllS('( Ed that lie

. would be on hand zit the s iootingvmatch.

" l'll teach your friend. lvan, a lesson he has never

1 learned in handlingfirearms," he said, ‘ and. as lam

without a rifle now. it will be a kind of a Godsend to
get a new one. Yes, you can tell Tom Grayson that
I'll be there."

The whole band now moved southward, accom-
anied by lid Thoriin and Joyful Jim, the reputed
ndiaii trader.

That night they cneanipcd ten miles from the,
Agency. Ed Thoriin went on home alone, but
under cover of the darkness.

Bl‘l rht and early the. next morning Sure Shot Seth
left t ie Brigade and set out for Yellow Medicine to
fulﬁll his engagement at the shooting-iiiatch.

Shortly after his depart urc the Brigade struck a.
fresh lndian trail leading toward the south—west,
and feeling fully satisfied that the enemy were upon
the war—path, they set off in pursuit of the foe—upon
their first war trail.

CHAPTER VIII.
'rmr. iiov coNsPiiu’ronS.

YELLOW MElill'lNE AGENCY was the scene of no
little excitement, for there was to be a shooting-
niatch there, that day; and a big time was anticipa-
for such amusement of the border settlers
large number of persons. And,
what made this all the more interesting, it was to be
a match for boys. A ﬁne rifle of exquisite workman-
ship and elegant finish was to be the prize given to
the champion marksman. There but been several
matches, for men during the past season, at which
the boys were not allowed to compete' and so old
Squire l'odson concluded that he Woud make a
match for the boys,and not admit the men. He
concluded that if the threatened lndian war was an

incentive to lproduce skillful niarskmansliip in men, 1

it would holi good in boys, and so he sent off and

purchased the prize rifle, then gave. noticcof the ‘

contest. The shooting was all to be done with the
new riﬂe, at the distance of one hundred and fifty
paces.

The boys at the Agency—and there were quite. a.
number of thcin——we_re wild over the coming match,
and were out practicing daily in the woods at target-

‘ shooting. There were some ﬁne shots in the )arty,
‘ and the contest was likely to be. a close one.

here
was but little difference in the shootin of Tom
Grayson, Josh Parson and Ivan Le C ercq. If
there was any difference, it was in favor of the lat-
ter. Le Clercq was a French half-breed, and all be-
lieved that he was older than he re resented him-
self to be. He was a. fine-looking ad, with dark
e 'es, pleasant face, and a form straight as an arrow.
I e was rather wild and wayward, and some thought
a little treacherous and insincere in character.

There were those in Yellow Medicine that objected
to their boys associating with Ivan; and there were
others who exercised but little control over their
boys, and did not presume to select their com )an-
ions. The nesult was that those inclined to misc icf
became the followers of the wild, harum-scarum
Ivan Le Clerc ' while the quiet disposed were the
friends of Tom ra son.

The latter was a ind, brave and whole-souled lad
of seventeen, who loved the sports of the woods as
well as an one living. He was kind and generous
to both 01 and young, and )f all the at-
tributes of a true and perfec man. both moral and

bylian But somehow or other a spirit of riva‘lg
Ipﬂlﬁ up between Tom and his followers
Ivan and memos. 0n the port of Tom, how-

 
ever, it was in the friendliest spirit: but with lvan
the characteristic Jealousy of the half-breed cropped
out. on more than one occasion.

As a boy, from a certain period, has a natural
tendency toward sin, Ivan. as a matter of com‘sc,
had the lar est party of followers; and as the two

’ parties stooi divided on all other questions. so tin.

were divided on the coming shooting-match. Ivan
and iarty practiced off by themselves. kce llllL’ the
result a secret from the others: but in themean
time he sent a s iy into Tom's cam i, and thereby
kept posted as to ’lloni and Josh‘s skil . The latter,
however, were not ignorant of lvan‘s movements
and his skill as a marksman, and lost no time
in preparing themselves for the contest so fares
practice was concerned.

This was really what Squire Podson wanted. He
knew that practice made perfect, and if they were
to have an Indian war, a boy. if a skillful shot, could
make up in marksmanship what he lacked in pliysr
cal power; and thus both boys and men could be
brought into service.

Ivan Le Clercq finally became so anxious tobe
the winner of the prize that he let his ambiinn
stoop to the unscrupulous trick of stealing Tom‘s
gun and hiding it away where it could not be four
for several days. At least, all suspected him
doing it. upon very strong circumstantial evilt s «X.
This roused the blood in Tom‘s veins, and lie is?-
solved to have Ivan defeated in the shootingin. (ch,
even at the sacriﬁce of the honor of winnii '; Hie
prize himself; and so sent an invitation to Sun Shot.
Seth to attend the match.

Some wayoretlu-r, Le Clerc got wind of this
moveuu‘nt. when another troub e was added to 1m
lirt of taiicied wrongs; and to obviate thistle“ dan-

I gcr to his winning the prim. he (“ddin 11 come ii of

tour of his most intimate Ii’li aids on the even .u lye-
fore the day of the Contest. They met about sunset
on the river-bank. and in tones of secrecy discussed
the irobable result of the niorrow's sport.

Al felt satisfied that if Sure Shot Seth came, he
would win the day without any trouble.

‘* But we must not let him come," said Le (‘lercq,
emphatically; “ we don‘t want the word to go away
that us Ya] er Medicine boys war beat shootiii‘ by a
woolly-headed trapper boy.“

“ But if he concludes to come, how are we going to
help ourselves?" asked one of his companions.

“ That‘s the question before the house," said
Ivan, “and I‘d hke it if you tellers could help me
tigger it out.”

“There‘s no way that I can see, unless we can in~
ducc the squire to admit no one to the contest what
don‘t lb‘loug in he Agency,” Rube Johnson sug-

estu .
g “ He couldn’t do that now, for the old fool’s givin‘
notice to all the States and territories, and the citi-
zens of the moon, that we‘re to have a shoot. mva
so the thing '11 have to go off as advertised.
wouldn‘t keer if it wa’n‘t for that Seth. l tli‘i.
could jist scoop all Yaller Medicine slick and (‘1' -;
But I've a way in my mind as how to keep Eh ll
away.“

“ flow?" asked a companion.

‘* Guess.“

“Shoot him?”

“ Not that rough."

“Stick him into the river with astone round 3 ‘=
neck?"

“No- watch the road he‘ll come tomorrow. a; '1
catch um and tie him up till after the shooting.
over," said Ivan.

“That'll ﬁx him,” exclaimed a. companion, ap-
provingly.

“ Let‘s do it," echoed the others.

“ ‘Nuﬂ said,” added Ivan; “if on fellers '11 say
you‘ll help me, I‘ll et ropes re y to—n ht and to-
morrow we‘ll come own here and watch im where
he crosses the river, and snail him up. What do you
58 .t,“

zAll right! we‘ll help!" cried the 'oung scamps.

And the matter being thus settl , the conspira-
tors adjourned, and retrach their footste )8 ton u: d
home. But; scarcely were they out of sig t ere tno
maidens, of about Sixteen summers, stepped from a
thicket near their pretty young faces aglow with
pleasure, an their bright eyes sparkling with in-
ward delight.

“\Ve‘ll see about that tying up Sure Shot Seth,
won’t we, M gie?“ said one.

“ We will t t, Emma; and won‘t it be jolly to
beat such bad boys?"

And the two maidens laughed merrily over the
ideaa-as hand-in-hand they sauntered leisurely home-
war

 
CHAPTER IX.
wno won 'rni: Rim?

Tm: day of the shooting-match dawned bright
and clear. The air was soft and ii ht, and not a
breeze was stirring. Nature seem to have pre-
pared the day especially for Squire Podson's enter-
tainment; and by noon all the people in the Agency
and vicinity had gathered in the “Openin s " in
the river bottom towitneas the contest. of: oil
either, for Ivan Le Clercq and four of his boon com-

nions were not there. Neither was Sure Shot

th, but he was momentaril expected

At one o‘clock the shoe g commenced, With
indifferent result. Tom Grayson was not a. little
surprised at the absence of Ivan Le Clercq, and
bitterly disappointed not to and one other face
among tors. That was the face of Emma.
Mil the rest of thewomen and of
his acquaintance were there except she and

Harris.
(“ii-ow, Tom loved Emma very dearly; hence hi.

tmentutnotoeelngher them. I"
winthopriuwould have 

 
6

Sure Shot Seth.

 
_. I ‘ ﬁ

 
to him than a dozen prizes; for her to have cheered
his success with one smile, would have been worth
still 111011! than all“ for it would have assured him of
her regards—that his love was in a measure recipro-
catt-d. lie was not positive that Emma loved him;
but she had always received his advances in such a
way as to give him encouragement.

Meanwhile, we will look after Ivan Le Clercq
and his party. Early that morning the young
rasclls put out for the river, and, having reached
its banks, scattered out along the stream about a
l1u::h'ed yards apart to watch for the co111ing of
Sure Shot Seth. After hours of impatient waiting
and watching, a boat rounded the bend u ) the river
Will) a single occupant—Sure Shot Set 1, the Boy
llilleman.

’l‘ln- boy that made this discovery hastily commu-
nicated the fact to those below, and in a few min-
utes all were together. They knew about where
Seth would land, and as he would have to bass
through a stri of dense woods after leaving the
river to reach t 6 Agency, Ivan and his party ran on
ahead, and, having masked their faces, awaited the
up )roach of Seth.

he unsuspecting youth soon came tripping
lightly along, whistlin as merrily as only a boy
can. He was dresse in a neat-ﬁtting suit of
buckskin, with a frin e of the same material up
the seams of the leggings and around the waist
and shoulders. He carried no ritle, nor weapon of
any sort that were visible, which fact removed
somle fears from the breasts of those lying in ambush
or 11111.

A smile rested upon the face of the boy which
was evident] the offspring of some p easant
thoughts; an to this was a tied the spring of an
elastic step and a buoy Int spirit.

Suddenly the rush of feet arrested his attention.
He stopped and looked around him. Five persons,
with masks upon their faces, rushed out of the
shadows and seized him. He struggled desperately,
heroically, and for awhile held his adversaries a
lively tig 1t. But superior numbers ﬂnally triumph-
ed. He was overpowered, borne to the ground, and
bound and gag ed. Then he was carried into a
thicket and ti to a tree where no human eye
could detect his presence ten feet awa .

This done, the young ruﬂians burrie away in the
direction of the ‘Openings,“ whence they could al-
ready hear the clear ringing report of the riﬂes at
the shootln tournament coming.

When a ew rods from the thicket they threw
aside their (1 es; Ivan Le Clercq’s face looked
red and excl ; it showed the unmlstakable signs
of aguilty conscience. But calming his emotions
the best wa he could, he entered the crowd gath-
ered in the peninﬁ;

“Ho, Ivan, my y," exclaimed uire Podson,
“ you are late, young man; whar the euce ’ve you
been '1”

“We‘ve been out on a deer-hunt. Buck Jones
said thar were three deer that come down to the
old ferry every morning to drink, and we thought
we'd secure one or two. '

And what a falsehood the boy toldl

"Well," continued the uire, “ ou were just in
time, for the last he has 8 at an Tom Grayson is
cham ion so far. 6 have on looking for Sure
Shot eth, down from the Hermit Hut, all morning,
and he may come yet. But now, Ivan, do you want
to tr your hand? ’

“ o be sure I do; that's what I come for," was
the impertinent 

The squire load gun and handed it to Ivan.
The youth turned facing the ta et, raised the gun
—shooting off-hand—and ﬁred. n a minute the
news (flame up from the target that he made a win-
nln s 0t.

T e crowd cheered the boy lustily.

Each contestant was allowed three shots, the best
in three winning.

Tom Grayson had hit the target twice out of three
possible shots.

Again the gun was loaded, and again Ivan Le
Clerc fired. n a moment the news came up that
he hat made another winning shot.

Loud and rolon ed rung the shouts from the
spectators; w ile With a look of triumph, Ivan‘s
eyes sou.:llt those of Tom.

A ain was the gun loaded and handed to the
on 11. With more than usual ceremony, intended
a) command admiration, Ivan raised the riﬂe, and
glancing along the barrel, ﬂred. Then with a. bow
to the spectators, he turned and handed the riﬂe to
F’odson.

Adeep and deadly silence fell upon the crowd,
and an eager and expectant look mounted eve
face, in the anxiety to know the result of Ivans
Last shot.

Slowly upon the air came the response:

" Missed entirely. "

Then the lull broke into a storm of shouts of de-
rision and exclamations of regret. A general hub
hub of voices arose, and the crowd became clamor-
()‘lS to know who had won the prize.

 Nobod in course,“ answered Squire Podson;
~ Tom andv Ivan tied, and so the two '11 have to shoot
l over.”

This satisﬁed the friends of the two boys and the
shooting was resumed; but it resulted as before—in
8 tie.

" Shoot it over ag’in,” said the squire; but at this
jmctum a newcomer ushed his way intc’ the
crowd and demanded a in the contest.

No one had noticed this you stranger until he

was in the midst of the party: an all were not a lit-
tle surprised, as well as enlisted with curiosity, at
hiﬁpresenoe.

e was rather an odd specimen of the genus boy.
There was no telling how old he was; but that he

 
was not beyond the limitations of the rules of the
contest, was evident to all. His face was covered
with a com lication of rings and dirty streaks made
of the dit erent pig111e11ts used by the Indians.
Around each eye was painted three rmgs-the inner
one being black, the second blue, and the third red
—which gave hun the wild, staring expression of a
comic old owl. liis nose was painted black; his
cheeks \vt-re touched with blue: and his mouth en-
circled by a ring of dirty red. His hair was cropped
close and the b1islling stubs had also received a
coloring of red, black and blue. in spots. lie was
drtused in a suit as odd and queer as himself; and,
altogether, he was the most comic and clownish-
looking person it had been the fortune of our friends
Lt) lllUCL.

“ Mona] ins >iratio112" exclaimed the old squire, at
sizht of the lad, “ who in all the mystery be you?"

“ I are the young ring-eyed eagle, jist soareddown
from the Rocky Mountams to try a shot at this his-
ness," exclaimed the. youth, in a kind of a squeaky
tone, keeping one corner of his mouth depressed;
“Iare the little eagle whose dad lords it over the
United States and screams along the sky. Show me
the chicken that says he can beat me shootin‘, and
I‘ll ﬂop a wing into his anatomy."

“ Hold on here, youngster," said Podson, “you‘re
craz , bent out”

“ razyl h—a-yil a-yil" he screamed, in exact
imitation of the eagle, “ 've me a few shots at the
target, and I'll show you t at the ring-eyed eaglet of
Sky-P11ncher-Peak can warm the wax in any boy‘s
ears this side of his fust birthday at shootin‘. Fig t,
did you say? Lo1d, no; I‘d run afore I’d ﬁght, for
I‘m the young bird of Freedom-a-yil a-yil”

The inquisitive. thro 1g, that had crowded around
the lad, tl led with great excitement and curiosity,
now burst into a pen] of Ian hter at the comic antics
(13f lt{he rollicking young ‘agle from-Sky-Puncher—

t-a .

" Well, now, looke here, lagle," said l’odson,
“ whar you from, am what do you want here?”

“ From Sky-l’uncher-Peak, I tell ye, and am here
to taken. hand in the shootin‘-n1atch. Jist furnish
me a gun, show me the thingamagig you shoot at,
and I‘ll show you that the ring-eyed Eagle from
Skyd’uncht-r-Peak's not so slouchy, if he is jist git-
tin‘ his fust pin-feathers."

Podson, as well as a number of others, saw that
the lad, whoever he was, was playin a role in his
disguise; and while they were wont ering who he
could be, and what his object was, their amusement
became manifest in peals of hearty laughter. Fi-
nall the old squire said:

“ Veil, if you’ve come here to shoot, why, in
course, you must have a chance. This 'ere riﬂe‘s
the prize, but, mind, it‘ll take three shots in the
center of you target to take it."

“ How many chances‘ll you give me—forty?"

“Just three."

“ Oh, vampires and ha icsl” exclaimed the
own, with a grimace tha provoked a roar of
laughter. “Then 'cordin‘ to that some chap has
scored two out of three; ust show him to me,
please, till I see the white of is e e, and then 1—."

“ I’m the chap, sir,“ said Ivan Clercq, stepping
out and confronting the Eagle-from-Sky-Puncher-
Peak.

“ That‘s nothin‘,” said the youth, runnin .his
eyekalong Ivan‘s form with a quick, but c tical
loo .

“'I‘har‘s a tie " interrupted the squire, “between
him—Ivan—and that feller; so if you want to try a
shot at the mark, why, do so."

"Thank you; )lease pass me yer fusilade and I'll
try its mettle. .l'ar the track, folks, for the young
Eagle-from-Sky-Puncher-Peak."

The crowd parted in a lane extending down to-
ward the target, and scarcel was the range cleared
ere the boy carelessl threw he riﬂe to his shoulder,
and the gun was scharged, as all supposed, by
accident.

“Oh!” burst involuntarily from the boy’s h’ s and
then an exclamation burs from the lips o t ose
who saw his moVements, and were ready to censure
him for his carelessness.

“ He‘s not lit to handle a gun," observed one in an
undertone, to a companion.

“Don’t fool yourself. He’s no fool; he's playin’
off " said another; “ but. listen to the report.’

‘ A plumb-center shot," was the announcement
that came up from the target.

A wild, prolonged shout that fairly split the
heavens burst from the lips of the crowd.

The boy whistled softly as if with surprise at his
own skill. The shouts of the crowd turnedto la h-
ter as they saw the sober, comic expression of t e
inimitable young clown‘s face.

“ Ready for another,” said Podson, as he placed a
cap on the nipple of the gun.

he boy spat upon his hands. winked at anim-
aginar friend, then took the mile, and before it was
scarce y leveled, tired.

A deep silence followed the report, and every eye
turned toward the target.

“ Another winning shot,“ was the announcement
that the recorder sent forth, and again the crowd
cheered the young “ ring-eyed eagle.’

The third time was the gun reloaded, and the
third time did the lad awkwardly swing the weapon
to his shoulder, squint first with one eye then the
other along the barrel, to the amusement of the
meadow; then he ﬁnally closed both eyes and

d.

For the next half a minute not a soul seemed to
breathe, so deep a'ld intense was the anxiety and ex-
pectancy of the party. But it was the calm that pre-
ceded the storm following the announcement:

“ 72:3: shot takes the min—tho ﬂack-ofﬁth

won . '

 
ﬂ
CHAPTER X.
HUNTED AND HAUNTED.

THE shouts that followed the announcement 01
the result of the shooting-match were deafening;
and the young Ri11g-EyedEagle-of—Sky-Puncher-
Peak became the recipient of a hundred congratula-
tions. 'l‘om Grayson was the first to grasp the
young stranger's hand, for since he had failed to win
the prize, it afforded him supreme pleasure to know
that lvan Le (‘lcrcq had been defeated.

The latter stood off at one side among his little
party of friends soowling \\ ith chagrin, and burning
with anger at his defeat,

“ By heavers'” he exclaimed, in a whisper to his
four companions, “ if I can get old l’odson to extend
the time, I’ll 1un up and release Sure Shot Seth, and
let himcome down and beat that young braggart.
Tom Ura son is tickled half to death ’cause I got
beat, an I‘d give an eye just to see him look down
his nose, and that daubed—faced fool beaten."

“ Here, youngster,” the voice of S uire Podson
suddenly broke in. as he handed The La r1e the riﬂe
and accouterments belonging to it; ‘ here’s the
prize—take it, for you have won it fair and honor-
ably, whoever you may be. The gun is loaded, and
thar s not less‘n lift bullets in the pouch, and low-
der in the born to s love ‘em. Take it, and I lope
you will make every shot count so long as you may
possess it."

A faint scream of terror came from the direction
of the woods some two hundred yards away, before
The Eagle could respond, as he was about to do.

Every eye was at once turned in that direction,
and to the horror of all, a maiden, whom all recog-
nized as Emma Milban ‘ emerged from the woods at
the top of her speed, c osely pursued by an Indian
warnor.

“ Oh, my God!" burst from Squire Podson's lips,
“ the savages are at their hellish work already."

Brave hearts trembled and white 11’ )s quivered.
Women fell faint, and children crouche with terror
at the feet of their parents. It was a terrible mo
ment in the history of those people‘s lives for all
seemed paralyzed with the terrors of deat . But
all] wiere started from their lethargy by another
S ll'li‘ '.

“ The savage has caught Emmal” was the terri-
ple announcement that now pealed from a dozen

1 s.

ITrue enou h, the savage had overtaken her
within ten i‘()( s of the edge of the timber, and lifting
her in his arms was ﬂeeing back to the woods with
her

“ Stand aside for the Eagleof-Sky-Puncher-Peak,“
shouted that 111ysterious lad, and swinging his newly
won irize to his shoulder glanced a ong the barrel
and red.

A yell of agony came down from the woods;
and when all saw the savage stagger and fail, a
shout burst from their lips' the Eagle had made
another Wonderful shot, and had saved the maiden
from captivity.

With the speed of a deer the young marksman
dashed out of the crowd and sped away toward the
fallen foe. He met the maiden he had saved on the
way, and exehanging a few words with her, run on.
passed the fallen savage and plunged into the woods.
A moment later a. riﬂe-shot rtmg thro h the fore‘
and echoed in quaverin intontitions‘ﬁong the val-
ley of the Minnesota. arcely had the sound died
on the air, when forth from the woods south of the
Openings a hundred half-nude forms rushed, yelling
like demons.

With a cry of horror the surprised settlers turned
and ﬂed toward theirhomes. With the womenand
children in front, the men covered their retreat,
fighting the foe as they fell back. The savages’ on-
ward rush was checked several times; but nothing
daunted, they rallied and renewed the contest fierce
and deadly.

It soon became evident that th! at. 01ers could
not repulse the foe and so the retreat was turned in
the direction of the Stockade or fort, north of the
agency. The savages seeing their intentions at
tempted to thwart their plans by a general on
slaught; but nobly and her01call did the valiant
settlers ht for he1r wives and ittle ones. Many
however, ell before the fort was reached and the
gate closed b?ween them and danger; and on the
pages of hist ry the struggle is known as the Mas-
sacre of Yellow Medicme A ency. 0n the same
day the minions of Little grow, Inkpaduta and
Little Priest, scattering out over the country, began
wheral massacre. Acton, in Meeker county,

1y became the scene of the ﬁrst bloodshed if we
except that at the Hermit Hut, the home of the Boy
Brigade. Fort Ridge] was close] ' be ed, and
the country to the sout iovcrrun. he ca to arms
rung through the north, and everywhere the hardy
young yeomanry of the land left the plow within the
furrow and the harvest ungleaned and rushed to
battle. The goods of Minnesota. rung wild with the
war-whoop o the savages and the shouts of their
enemies. But few troops were in the State. Forts
Riley. Ridﬁely and Abercrombie could not muster
over two undred men, and so the savages had but
little to contend with in their onward rush to the
destruction of the whites. But history has recorded
all the main facts of this tcnible Indian outbreak.
We have only to deal with one of the chains of in.
cidents consequent u )on the war, and which has ea
ca 1 the not cc of t e historian.

en Emma. joined her friends at the Open]

after the Eagle had rescued her by shooting down
her raptor, her first words were:

“ Oh, they have got Me! the Indians have
ca tured her!"

fore any one could respond, the uvages burst
from the woods, and all sought shelter in ﬂight.
Not until all those thathad escaped wereinside ot


Sure Shot' Seth.

7

 
‘__-_’

the fort was the subject of Maggie‘s capture brought
up. Then the father of the missing girl sought out
Emma, and from her learned the articulars of his
daughter’s capture. But she care ully omit-ted tell-
ing the object that had taken her and Maggie alone
into the woods. _

Mr. Ilarris‘s agony and suspense became intense.
The savages surrounded the fort, and there was no
«escape until darkness should set in. The sun was
still two hours high, and during the time spent in
waiting for the shadows of night, the distracth
father 'niade preparations for gomg in search of his
child. A number of friends volunteered to go with
him; and among them were Ivan Le Clercq and his
four boon companions. .

There was one ‘rson among the band of besieged
that noticed a wiid look of uneasiness upon the face
of Ivan and his party; and had it not been for the
general excitement that prevailed among the crowd,
others might have noticed that their looks were. the
outgrowth of a guilty conscience. Even their move-
ments and very actions denoted guilt; and finally
they went to one side and entered into a secret
conversation—very suspicious under the circum-
stances.

“ Boys,” said Ivan, glancing furtively around
him, “ I‘m afraid an awful crime rests upon our
heads."

“ You mean ‘bont that Sure Shot Seth affair, don‘t
you?“ asked Rube Johnson.

“lfes; the Indians, I expect, found him and killed
" said Le Clercq.

“ 've thought of that, too," added Gus Stewart.

“Mebby, thou b," said Abe Thom, “Maggie and
Emma let him oose before the Indians come; you
know Emma run out of the woods near where we
left him."

“ S'Pose we ask Emma," said Rube Johnson,

“ Heavens, no!“ replied Ivan. “ for if he didn't

_ et aw.ly that‘ll let the whole secret out; and if
e shouii be found dead, we might get our necks
stretched.“

“We might ask her if she seen him,"said Gus
Stewart.

“No,” persisted Ivan; “we don‘t want to saya
word about him, for all know that We were away
when the shootin‘ match begun; and if we should
go to askin' any questions. it might raise suspicion
at once. Just 'eep still, and when I get out of this
fort, I‘ll slip out into the woods and see if he is there

'ct."

Thus the matter was settled for the timebeing,
and finally, when darkness Set in, the father of the
captive. girl, followed by Ivan and party, and also,
Tom Grayson and Harry Busted, stole out of the
fort, and away into the woods without discovery by
the red-skins.

When near the point where they tied Sure Shot
Seth to the tree, Ivan whispered to one of his com-
panions:

“ I‘m oin‘ to drop out of the crowd now and slip
over to ghe tree; and if I don‘t overtake you in ten
minutes, why you will know that I can‘t ﬁnd you
and so give the boot of an owl; and if I hear, I‘I
answer.’

“ All right, Ivan," answered his friend.

Ivan dro ped behind the rty, and ﬁnally he
turned to t ie left and went 0 in another direction.
It was so extremel dark in the deep, dense woods
that the absence 0 the youth was unnoticed and,
with the silence of shadows, the party push cau-

tious] on.

Le glerc cre t softly along through the darkness
of night th t e stealth of an assassin. His heart
lay like a leaden weight in his breast, and his breath
came in gasps. The fear of discovering himself a
murderer worked likea horror upon his mind; and
there was nothing in the blackness of the ni ht, nor
the solitude of his surroundings to inspire him with
aught else than the loomiest l'orebodings.

Ivan Le Clercq ha no intention of injuring Sure
Shot Seth. It was his intention to wander off
through the woods, after the shooting-match had
ended, with the new riﬂe that he felt certain he
would win; but at the same time he intended to
happen to stumble across the luckless Seth and
- liberate him. Unfortunately. the Indians interfered
with these arrangements; and Ivan knew not but he
had added the crime of murder to his dishonorable
trick. But cruel, envious treacherous as he was,
'the half—breed possessed aheirt capable of the feel-
ings of remorse and fear; and, ever and anon, as he
-cre t on through the woods and
wil I back over his shoulders as
wrat of an inscrutable God.

He was well acquainted with every foot of the
ground he was traversmg, and, notwithstanding the
darkness, he moved directly toward the thicket
where he had left Sure Shot Seth. Vi'hen within a
few yards of the tree to which theg tied the young
tra per, he paused and listened. ut all was silent
as {he presence of death. A chill passed over his
form,and the lum in his throat seemed to grow
larger and more epressintt- A thoumnd ogreish
forms seemed to unfold themselves from the dark-
ness, and ﬂit in endless procession around him. His
brain throbbed; his knees grew weak, and his hand
trembled. The thought of ﬂight from the horrible
spot entered his mind, but he seemed seseed of no
power to execute the desire of his . He seemed
spellbound and unable to move.in.any direction,
save that of the tree to which his victim had been
bound. Some horrible fascination drew him thither;
and are he was aware of the fact, he stood b the
tree, motionless and breathless. He coul see
nothing. The darkness of night, and the cloud of
sin hovering over his soul, blinded him. He swal-
lowed back the t lumphin his throat, stretched
out his hand an touched e tree.

He started back, as though he ind touched the

ﬂeeing from the

gloom, he glanced ,
i

 
shining form of a serpent, and an icy chill was com-
municated by the touch to his whole body. For a
moment he stood peering into the gloom, as immov-
ably fixed as astoiie statue. But, gradually recover-
ing; he. again put out his hand and, touching the
tree, ran his lingers downwan along the trunk,
feeling fortlie rope that gii'ded it and the body of
Sure Shot Seth. were the youth still there. Slowly
he moved his fingers down, and when it came in
contact with what he knew to be the rope, he start-
ed. with a low, gasping breath, as though his very
soul had been suddenly convulsed.

The rope was still there, and he had no doubt now
that Seth, living or (lead, was on the opposite side of
the tree, for the strands were drawn taut.

“ Seth!" he called, in a low tone, but started back,

crouching as with abject terror, for the sound of his .

own voice seemed re-cchoed by the sepulchral voice
of a dozen demons. Terror had wrought his brain
to a frenzy. But now, wholly under the inﬂuence of
fear, he moved around the tree, with his hand out-
stretched before him; and he had gone biita step or
two when his fingers came in contact with something
cold. unnatural to the touch. It was a human face,
cold and clammy in death.

“ Great God! he’s dead!" involuntarily burst from
the wretched boy‘s lips, and he turned to ﬂee. But
that terrible, invisible pOWer seized upon him again,
and held him by the side of his victim.

Ivan Le Clercq was suffering all the tortures of a
guilty conscience. His heart rew sick and his head
( izzy. Finall , the thought 0 detection and a more
terrible punis iment rose in his mind, and measures
toward concealing the crime were suggested. He
never stopped to think that his four com anions
were equa ly guilt ' as himself, but reaching orward
he cut the rope t at bound the body to the tree.
The stiffened corpse fell lieavil to the ground.
Ivan took u the rope and tossed, it away out into
the brush; t en he ( ragged the body into the under-
growth; and, with the reﬂection that the wolves
would soon make identity impossible, he turned and
ﬂed from the scene of his crime, with the blood of a
fellow-being resting upon his soul.

CHAPTER XI.
THE LED TRAIL.

MR. HARRIS, accompanied by his young com-
panions, ursued his way throu h the deep woods
and lone Iv halls of the night. e knew not where
thev won (1 ﬁnd the captive maiden, but by scouting
in all directions through the woods, hoped to gain
some clew to her whereabouts.

Ivan Le Clercq's four companions hung on the
rear of the party, eagerly listening for Ivan‘s call‘
but as the minutes wore away into an hour, an
nothing of his approach being heard, the boys
began to feel great uneasiness about him, and a
thousand conjectures as to his prolonged absence
passed ra idly through their minds. Something of
the same car as that experienced by.Ivan 'himself
began to smite the consolence of the four boys; an
in tones of bitter anguish they expressed their re-
geltis of having aide in the affair with Sure Shot

t .

The perils that had so suddenly fallen upon these
boys, t e destruction of their homes, and the loss of
friends, all conspired to render them victims of the
deepest remorse and most painful fear. It was a
gunishment they were receiving for their bad con-

uct, their wicked ways, and cruelty to others who
did not please them, or who refused to become
followers of that young vagabond, Ivan Le Clercq.

Hitherto, these boys had been brave and fear-
less in the woods at ni ht; but now, with the fear of
retribution for the crime of murder hanging over
them, they became tlmid and cowardly; and shrunk
close to each other; and started, even at the snap of
a twig, or the rustle of a bush, Erovlng, be ond a
doubt, that courage and strengt come on y of a
cleiar conscience—t at cowardice is the offspring of
ev .

For hours the party journeyed on through the
woods, but as Ivan failed to join them Rube
Johlnson plucked his three companions aside, and
88.“ :

“ Boys, Ivan has either been lost or else got into
trouble; and I don‘t think we‘d ort to desert him.
We‘re all to blame, if Sure Shot Seth is dead; and I
expect he is.“

to convince them that Maggie was in the y, all
concluded that, as the enemy were movmg away
from the Agency, they had her in custody.

There had not been over ﬁve warriors in the party,
They had taken no precaution to hide their trail, not
the number of feet that made it. It ran rather zig-
zag in its course. owing to the open condition of the
woods, and alwavs following the best route. From
these facts, Mr. Harris and Toni (irayson, added to
other circumstantial evidence corroborative of their
belief, concluded that Maggie had been taken that
\Vil".

They pushed on, and soon struck the sniolderin
embers of a deserted camp-ﬁre; and, that it 1135
been left quite recently. was also evident from vari-
ous facts. Not faraway lay the carcass of a deer
that had been slain that morning. One quarter had
been removed. and had, no doubt, fed the hunger of
those who had been encum ed there. Our friends
pounced upon the carcass II c hawks, and soon each
onelhad a rich, juicy slice broiling on a heap of red
coa :5.

Mr. Harris made a careful search of the ground
for some evidence that his child had been there.
He had no difﬁcult in making it out an Indian
camp, but if Maggie ad been a prisoner there, her
captors had en great pains to conceal every
trace that would apprise friends, disposed to follow
in search of her, 0 e fact.

The keen eye of Tom Grayson ﬁnally discovered
something that raised a question among the rty.
He found where a number of green bou hs ha been
cut from the parent branch of an oak; ut as these
boughs were not seen about, their absence provoked
some curiosity. After some search however, they

. were found stuck in the ground here and there

 
“Oh, I wish we hadn‘t tied him up to the tree,” ’

said Abe Thorne, re etl'ully.

“But then we di ii‘t mean to have him killed,"
answered Gus Stewart.

“I know it; but then the law won‘t excuse igno-
rance, and if it‘s ever found out, we‘ll be apt to hang
like Zeke Snyder did," said Rube

“ Oh! oh! ‘
companions.

Here the conversation drop
and the rest of the party b
they came up.

“ Giving out, boys?" asked Harris

“ Oh, no,“answered Rube; “ we can follow longas ,

you can lead. Mr. Harris.“

“Well, I'm be 'nning to think that it‘s useless
tramping 'round
p033 we camp here until daybreak," answered the
se er.

‘ met his gaze, and clutchi

ere through the night, and pro- '

To this all assented, and then all but one lay down i

upon the earth to rest. Few e as closed in sleep,
however; the terrors and exc tement of the day
were too fresh in every mind to admit of the com-
posing inﬂuence of slumber.

By daybreak every man and ho was ready to
mafchl; anld withmtilt1 a big 01fl b oodfsast the took
e r one we. to t e w , trust to
Providenceyfor ngethiug to eat.

Fortunately, they struc an Indian trail soon after

and although there was nothing in the trail

‘ among other shrubbery where none but the keenest
‘ eye could have told but that they had grown. And

even after they had been found, but few could have
formed the least idea of what they had been used
for; but Tom Grayson was an experienced woods‘
man, and at once explained what he believed were
the facts in the case—that the bushes had been used
fora bower; and if so. the bower had never been
erected for any of their number, nor for a male
prisoner, but for one whom they wished to protect
from the dews of heaven and the chill air of night.
And who else could this have been ut the frail,
tender maiden, Maggie Harris, whose beaut ' was
far more calculated to inspire devotion and admira-
tion in the savages“ breasts than any feeling of ill
or barbarous treatment.

Mr. Harris grasped at this clew, slight as it was,
to his child‘s whereabouts; and became anxious to
resume the Search at once. l‘om, however, more
prudent and thoughtful des ite his years, advised
caution and moderation; an after a sumptuous re’
past had been made off the deer, and portions of it
roasted and stowed away in pockets for future
need, the arty took the trail.

They f0 lowed on about two miles when the
struck the eastern shore of Lake Rock Islan
Here it ap ared that the enemy had taken to the
water, 81“ although the lake was small, it afforded
an admirable place of shelter amOng its many rocky
islands.

Mr. Harris suggested a division of the-part to
scout around the lake but before this coul be
carried into effect, a “ ugout," with five Indians,
mas seen creeping down towgrd the southern
s ore.

Our friends at once (1ng back under cover
of the woods, watching t e red-skins narrowly.
They soon reached the shore and landed, but had
no captive with them: and so Tom Grayson, as well
as his companions, were led to believe that Maggie
had been secreted among the islands in the lake, and
as soon as the red-skins had passed out of sight,
the E rsuers began moving around the lake to the
nort . As they advanced, the shore became rough
broken and rocky, and in many places she] ' an
precipitous. The path thiy were following nally
pressed them to the water's edge; and once there,

here was no deviation to the right nor left, unless
tb'ﬁ' scaled the hights or took to the lake.

ie had ﬁled alon the narrow way until the
west 5 ore was reach , when Tom Grayson stopped
and exclaimed:
h“1390ys, what if the Indians should cage us in
ere.”

The little party started with an exclamation; the
idea had never entered their minds before.

“We cannot observe too much precaution," said
Mr. Harris.

“ No; if the enemy should see us in here, it would
be all day With us," said Tom. “We could neither

. , retreat nor advance. and of course, we couldn’t
exclaimed his frightened, horrified

(‘1, fig; Mr. Httirriﬁ =
sto to wai ti 1
p j Rube Jo

climb this embankment; so the lake would be our
only avenue of escape. Who knows but that we’ve
been led into this?"

“Oh racious! look herel” suddenly burst from
t nson’s lips, as he pointed out across the
we er.

“ Oh, God!" cried Daniel Harris, at the si ht that

his brow, he s gered
back and would have f len but for the wall of
rocks that supported him.

CRAP—riff: m

THE nor sums.
A nanxmusss silence fell upon the little party.
Rube Johnson with outstretched arm pointed
toivard the ngam island 11111 the little 
ve eyeoo ngintedirection 63de
held ar'fearful sight.
The island was about ﬂft yards from the shore.
It was a rockbe with ut little shrubbery. A
the water's edge,

narrow deﬁle starting at
terminated in a sort of ow cavern. and in the pun-

sage. with her back toward them and her hand. tied

 
8

at her back, they beheld the form of Maggie Har- l

ris; while crouched before her in the mouth of the
cavern was a huge panther with driprping jaws
glowing eyeballs, and quivering tail. he aniina
was read for the leap, and waited only for a move-
ment of aggie as the signal.

The maiden seemed transfixed with horoor, for
she never moved nor uttered a sound indicative of
fear.

The head of the terrible beast could be seen only
to the left of Mag 'ie’s cheek and just over her shoul-
der. To change t e position either to the right or
left, the walls of the defile c Incealed the panther
from view, while it was impossible to get above
them on the bluff. The body of the beast could be
seen distinctl enough, but it lay in such a position
that a bullet s ot at it would range backward without
any fatal result, in which case the wounded creature
would soon destroy the hel less girl. The only
Vital spot exposed was the rig' t eye; but this could
be reached from the shore only at the risk of Mag‘
gie‘s life; for this vital mark lay in a range with the
maiden’s cheek, and that range would not admit of
an inch deviation.

To slay the beast without injuring Maggie would
require the skill and nerve of an unerrin shot.
The skill was present, but not the nerve; or Mr.
Harris, as well as the boys, had all been wildly ex-
cited by the terrible situation in which they found
the maiden. Toni Grayson was the best shot in
the art , but he refused to shoot. His hands
trem l. . He raised his riﬂe once, but lowered it
again, saying:

“ I dare not shoot, Mr. Harris. To wound the

anther would be sure to result in a horrible death
0 Maggie; and to shoot it in the head, a bullet must
fairl grazii the inaiden’s cheek."

“ h, inv God!“ cried the distracted father, “ my
child will be torn to iecesi The moment she moves
it will spring upon ierl For heaven’s sake, boys,
make no noise that will draw her attention away.
So long as she gazes into the eyes of the beast, it
may not attack her. Both are under a terrible fas~
cination—that of each other‘s countenance. But,
boys, won‘t some of on try a shot?"

‘ I 11 try one " saii the voice of a new-comer, and
turning, all beheld that strange, wild youth who had
won the prize at the shooting—inatcliV—the indomita-
ble youngr Eagle-froin-Sky—Puncher-l’eak.

“Oh, my young friendi“ cried Harris, “can you
not slay that beast and save my child?"

“I can try it, sir," said the Eagle. and stepping for-
ward he threw his new rifle to his shoulder and fired
before any one had time for a second thought.

A scream rose upon the island—a scream from

gie‘s lips, and was answered b ashout of joy
from the father as he saw the pant er stretched at
full length along the earth, its limbs extended and
quivering in the paroxysnis of death.

Maggie turned toward her friends and uttered a
wild cry of joy, then staggering, she fell—overcome
by a sudden reaction from terror to joy.

“ My poor child’." cried the father, ‘ she has faint-
ed. and will yet be dead ere I can get to her."

It was plain to all that Maggie s hands had been
bound, and she left alone upon the island. What had
induced the sava es to do so, was incomprehensible
to our friends. I‘om Grayson ex ressed a belief
that there were savages conceal on the island
ready to entrap any one who might venture thereon;
and as Mag vie lay unconscious on the island, there
was no way )y which they could satisfy themselves
of this fact before venturing over there.

“ What do you think, my young friend?” said Mr.
Harris turni to the Eagle, who stood silently at
one side reloa in his riﬂe; “ do you think there are
savages conceal on that island?"

“ I can‘t say, gineral, for sure; it seems queer that
’em red scave ers would leave her there alone unless
they thou ht s e would not get away and that no
one woult dare follow them here. But that‘s a
question that must not keep assistance from her,
airlid 1:,m going to board that log and paddle over
t ere.

Slinging his riﬂe well up on his shoulders, he waded
into the water, threw himself astride of a log that
had ﬂoated there, and with a large piece of bark,
paddled out into the lake toward the island.

The fearless lad was submerged almost to the
waist in the water, but his rifie and accouterinents
were kept (11?. He moved slowly and with some dif-
ﬁcult -—the OI; being inclined to roll in the water.

Wi h eager m atience those on the shore watched
the progress of he boy as he labored on through
the waves. Mr. Harris paced the shore with restless
anxiety, muttering a prayer for the safe landin of
the you borderman, and the rescue of his c ild
who still ay motionless on the island.

The Eagle had nearly reached the island when a
gall arose to the south, and glancing in that direc-

on all saw, totheir utmost error, a dozen savages
00mins along the shore toward them.

Before one of our friends had time for a word or
not, the voice of the Eagle cried out:

“Flee. friends, and trust Maggie's safety to God
and me."

There was really no alternative but to obey, and
Mr. Harris and his young friends at once beat a
hast retreat in the direction they had come, pur-
lu b the yelling savages.

The is reached the island before the sast
were within gunshot, and assisti Maggie to or
feet, conducted her to a point of ety on the oppo
lite side of the island.

“You see, Maggie." the youth said, “I am now

In a chance to regmy our kindness."
“ mytriendl": ec , “I am almost crazy.
The Lord knows what I have suffered since a

on vet D’p'hwnmadid the savages deotroythe

‘ brave and fearless

 
Sure- Shot Seth.

“Not altogether, Miss Maggie," the lad an-
swcred; “though, several were killed before the
fort was reached. Your friends are all alive, Iam
hin w to say.“

‘ iknow my dear father is," she answered, “ for I
saw him on the shore; but, are we not in great peril,
here?”

“ We‘re in danger, it is true; but we must not de-
spair. If we can hold the red-skins at bay, we will
get off after night sets in.”

“ How?" Maggie asked, perplexedly.

“ Some one Will bring a boat to us. surely; if not,
I can construct araft out of this driftwood. But,
remain here under cover, Maggie, and I will watch
the movements of those savages," the gallant youth
answered.

He crept around the island and when he had dis-
covored that the enemy was gone in pursuit of Har-
ris and his party the youth went down to the water‘s
edge and wash« the paint and dirt from his face
and hands and then arranged his clothing in such a
different, yet really natural way, that the boy was
completely transformed from the odd, grotesque-
looking Lagle-of—Sky-Puncher-Peak, to a different
being; and that being was—Sure Shot Seth, the Boy
Ri leman .’

Iaggie Harris was not ignorant of his identity.
She and Emma Milbank had rescued him from the
tree where Ivan Le Clercq and his companions had
bound him; and that Ivan and his arty might suffer
the remorse that the new real y were, these two
‘r s had assisted Seth in arrang-
ing his disguise an keepiii ' the secret. Unfortu-
natcly, their kindness to Set had resulted in Maﬁ-
ﬁle’s capture; but never for a moment did the kin -

carted maiden regret what she had done.

Returning to Ma gie, Sure Shot Seth, as we. will
now call the Eagle-o ~Sky-1’uncher-Peak, was greeted
with a smile.

" You have discarded your disguise?"

“ Yes; I think it has served me through." he an-
swcrcd. “ I don’t think one of my ﬁve young ene-
mies, or friends either for that matter, penetrated it.
I affected so much when in their presence that no
one could think it was I."

" Then you won the prize at the contest?” she
said, her pretty eyes sparkling with admiration and
deli ht, as she gazed upon the manly form and
ham some face of the boy hero.

“ Yes; without any trouble, Maggie, thanks to you
and Miss Milbank. This is the gun, and with it I
slew Emma‘s captor then ran into the woods in
hopes of savin you, ut was too late."

‘ I wonder w at Ivan thinks of his treatment of
you by this time?” she asked.

“I presume he thinks the Indians found me and
slew me; and I desire that he knows no different
until he has suffered in conscience. if he has any
1crjniscience at all, sufficient to make a better boy of

in. ‘

“ He is a bad he and I am afraid nothing will re-
form him,“ said aggie. “Ti 11 you haven‘t seen
any thing of them since ester ay? ’

“Not of Ivan; the ot er four were with our fa-
thera few minutes ago; but I know they ailed to
reco nize me.”

“ , dear] dear!” cried the maiden as her mind
reverted to the horrors through which she had so
recently passed; “I hope I will not have to ass
through another such night of peril; but then ' an
Indian war has begun, we ma all be slain.”

“ Do not borrow trouble, Maggie," said Seth, his
eyes beaming with a li ht of admiration; “as soon
as the news reaches the overnnient authorities,
troo s will be sent to uell t ie savages."

“ ut it may be too ate to save us then.”

“ We must trust to fate, and not give up until re-
sistance and perseverance are no longer of avail."

Scarcely had he spoken the last word when a bul-
let whistled pleat his ears and ﬂattened against the
rock behind im. Glancing along the east shore he
saw a cloud of smoke hangigg upon the edge of
the woods, nearly two hun r yards away. The
distance, and the close proximity of the shot to his
head, can him to marvel; for he knew that, as a
general thing, there were no such shots among the
savages.

For fear that another shot might be more succesa-
ful. he withdrew with M gie to the interior of the
island, and they conceal themselves in a sort of a
cave or a pocket in the rocky slit. Here the would
have to wait until darkness came totheir re of; and
the moments that the young people passed there in
each other‘s society were moments of su reme joy,
to which the surrounding danger and the r situation
gave an air of wild romance.

Sure Shot Seth became deeply interested in Mag-
gie, and that interest gradually deepened beyond
mere friendshi . From the moment he had met the
maiden in the orest where Ivan and his friends had
bound him, her bright, blue eyes and radiant, rl-
ish face threw the enchantment of love aroun his
boyish heart. It was his first love, and, scarcely
conscious of the wer that had come over the
spirit of his usua ly free and light heart he had
been led on to risk danger and hardships in search
of her-to tify that strange lo ng which, he
finally adm tted to himself, was t e longing of

On the other hand, Maggie had conceived an ad-
miration for Seth that was fast developi into re-
ciprocal love; and Seth was not slow in no cing her
confidence and trust in But. both were young
and unsophisticated in the workings and changes to
which the human heart is susceptible and Sig-Eer-
mitted no doub no fear, to cross the un ed
tranquillity and p ensure of love‘s young .

As the moments wore away into minutes, and the
minutes into hours, the attention of “Ivonnm
pic was mddenly drawn to form on

 
Ila
was over three hundred yards away. else Seth would
have been tempted to try his new rifle upon him.
From appearances, he was a young war-chief dc.
corated in all the para hernalia of barbaric ﬂnery.
His scarlet blanket flas ied brightly in the sun, and

standing on the southern shore of the lakelet.

contrasted handsomely with the spotted jaguar
skin that girded his loins. His movements were
somewhat awkward and stiff, as though unaccus-
tomed to the dignity required of one of his pOsifion.

“ There seems to be more of the white man than
the red—skin about that fellow yonder," said Seth,
“and if I mistake not, he isa white man."

“ I am sure the announcement gives me no more
ho e than ever," answered Maggie, “for I would
rat er be the prisoner of a red Indian than a white
one.

“Yes, ten times, Maggie," answered Seth; “ but I
don‘t propose that you shall be either, if I can help
1

They watched the chief until he had left the
beach, then entered into a discussion of the events of
the day. And thus the day wore away without any
further demonstration on the part of the enemy;
but about sunset a sha and vigorous ﬁring was
heard in the woods east 0 the lake. and that a bat«
tle'was going on, Seth had not a single doubt.

l‘ili-Tht fine y closed in and put an end to the ﬁring;
and now Sure Shot Seth became restless and uneasy.
He knew the enemy would avail themselves of the
00ve_r of darkness to regain the island and their fair
captive, and, as they were likely to come in force, it
would be impossible for him to repel them. He had
been unable to do anything toward the construc—
tion of a raft during the day, and now the darkness
made_1t almost impossible. His only hopes lay in
Maggie‘s friends coming to their relief before the Inc
dinns got there.

The moon would not be up before ten o'clock, and
the gloom was rendered more intense by the gray
niist that hung over the lake.

Seth silently paced the shore in eager anticipation
of the approach of friends, ever and anon halting to
listen for some sound. But a deep silence reigned.
Not a breath of air was stirring—not a ripple chafed.
the island.

With her shawl drawn hood-like over her head,
Maggie. tired and hungry, sat under a ledge within
the sound of her 'oung protector’s footsteps.

Suddenly the discharge of fireanns burst upon the
night, heavy, sullen, and stunning: and was followed
b ' yells and groans that fairly chilled the blood in
ti’ie veins of Seth and Maggie.

The latter s rung from ier seat, and, runnin to
Sure Shot’s Side, grasped him by the arm an ex-
claimed:

“ What did that mean, Seth?"

“ I am afraid that the friends we have been wait.
ing for, and the Indians we have expected. have run
together on the water," answered Seth; “from the
sound, however, I think our friends were the ones
that fired."

Silence succeeded the murderous discharge of
wea ons. Not a sound could be heard, and what the
resu t of the collision had been, Seth could not tell.
But in the course of a few minutes the sound of
waves breaking upon the island became distinctly
audible. As there was no air stirring, our friends
knew a boat must be approaching.

In a breathless silence the waited and listened,
Soon the faint dip of a pa dle was heard. Seth
strained his eyes into the gloom, and was soon en-
abled to make out the dimmest outlines of a long
boat creeping toward them across the lake.

The silence observed was sufﬁcient evidence of
itself that the craft contained enemies; and making
this act known to Mag e in a whis r, the two
stepped back under the s adow of a s elving rock,
an wain the approach of the craft, Seth with
revolver in hand.

The danger that threatened the young folks seem-
ed to strengthen their eyesighﬁor else, at this junc-
ture, it became somewhat 1i hter, for the were
now enabled to make out the ark length 0 a long
Eidu out,” with three persons seated in it, quite dis-

nc y.

The
when t e occupants landed, and having drawn tho
boat partly upon the beach, turned and moved cau-
tious y away across the island. They assedwith-
in a few paces of Seth and Maggie' an no sooner
were they out of sight than Seth wh red:

“ Now‘s our time, Maggie. Let up ump into their
boat and ﬂee."

Maggie made no dissent but takin hold of Seth’s
arm, ﬁrmitted herself to he led to e boat. Step-

ing to the craft Seth assisted the maiden in and

o a seat. But the instant she sat down she uttered
a little cry of terror, for her seat moved under her—a
savage, who lay curled up in the craft evidently for
that very purpose sprung to his feet and uttered a
yell. But it was his last. Scarcer had the sound
died upon his Ii ere Seth’s revolver ﬂashed in his
face, and he fe overboard into the lake. his limbs
beating the water in his last 8800169-

But Sure Shot Seth now found himself in a dilem.
ma from which there was no esca Before he
could et the dugout OK, or seek she r among the

s, e three savages were iépon him. He tui ned

and met them, revolver in han . One pf them shot
t him, and, leaping info the boat, seized Maggie.

th was standing upﬂin the prow at the time, and
the impetus with w oh the savage landed in the
dugout shot it out into the lake so abruptly that
311118 Shot was pitched forward, head foremost, upon

0 beach.

As the youth fell, he ﬁred his revolver and killed
onoof thereinan warriors; but before he could
togethc

row of the craft soon touched the island-

 
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CHAPTER XIII.
ma Disocrssn CAPTOXL

MAGGIE was thrown almost prostrate by the sud-
den lurch of the boat, and before she con (1 recover
herself, she found that she was in the power of a
savage, who, in plain English, said:

“ Not a word, or I'll smother you."

Filled with terror, she sunk half-unconscious in the
wet bottom of the boat, while her captor took up the

ruidle and kept the craft movinlr out further and

urtiicr from the island The milk en knew not what
had been the fate of her brave young companion.
She could hear the sounds of a struggle somewhere,
11.1(1Sllp osel they )roeeeded from the island. She
breathed) a prayer or Seth‘s triumph, 'et she felt
there was little hopes for him, boy t lat ie was, con-
tending with two werful savages. In the midst of
her devout supplications a strange medley of cries
rose upon the hi ht, an was followed by’h savage
'ell, the crash of cams, and the shouts of com-

atants.

The savage ceased paddling, as if paralyzed by the
sound; and, for a moment, he seemed undecided as
to the course he should pursue. He dipped the pad-
dle, turned and whirled the craft in one direction,
then in another.

Maggie could now see his motions, for the moon
had now sailed 11 above the eastern forest and
ﬂooded the lake w th a sheen of mellow light. She
saw, also, that he was dressed in the garb of a chief
and was the same individual that she and Seth had
seen that day pacing along the margin of the lake.

In a momen the chief regained his composure,
and sent the boat rapidly toward the shore; but with
u. fickleness unbecoming a chief, he soon changed
his mind a sin, and turned into a little island, and
landed. e assisted Maggie from the boat, and
conducting her to the inter or of the island, spread
his blanket upon the ound for her to be seated.
Tired and weary, in b0 h body and mind, the maiden
availed herself of his proffered kindness; and when
seated, he lifted the ed es of the blanket and
wra ped them about her 3 oulders.

“ Bet the white maiden rest easy, for no harm
shall come to her now," the young chief said, in
good English.

Ma gie started at the sound of his voice, for it
struc her as bei familiar. She endeavored to re-
call the faces of t e Indians she had known and
heard du ‘ the days of peace' but among the
many that frequented the enc , she could
remember no face to which the voice be onged.
covering her power of speech she answered:

“ Why, then, have I been taken from my people ?"

"Why does the maiden pluck the rose mm the
parent stem?" was his answer.

Mag ie made no answer.

“It .3 because she loves the flower,” the chief
answered, “ and that is why I have taken the white
rose of the pale-faces.”

“You were not with my captors last night," she
answered.

“My warriors were," he answered. “Lo has
Hawk-E es loved the white maiden and wan her
fora wi e. He has spared her life that she might

brighten up his lodge with the ht of her face."

“Then you may as well me here, forIwill
never be your wife," answered Magﬂe, indignant] .

“Let my white rose remember t at her gape
are all dead, and that Hawk-Eyes is her best end,
now."

“Hawk-Eyes tells a falsehood)” reiterated the
maiden, scornfully “and I hate him for it. My
friends are not all dead "

“ h! the white rose has thorns that are con-
cealed," the Chiel. answered sarcasticall , for her re-
tort cut sharply into his cowardly spiri ; “but they
are harmless,” ho added, mocki ly.

“ A brave chief would not moc a feeble hams
girl. He dare not face the friend I left on the d
and it thus to me." '

“ awk Eyes fears not the dead," was the save? 3
rep] , that fairly crushed the maiden’s heart; ut
she ravel concealed her emotions from her tor-
mentor. pon reﬂection she took courage). She
knew her captor’s assertion was made wit ut any
positive knowledge as to whether Seth had been
slain or not, for heyhad left before the struggle
had been decided between her friend and the sav-

es.
aﬁl‘he discharge of ﬁrearms, the shouts, yells, and
strange cries that rent the nisllit soon after their
departure from the island, had ed out, and a deep
silence reigned. Pret Maggie noticed that her
captor betrayed une 3223 at he endeavoredto
eonceal it, in every way b e, from her.
Suddenly a shout rung across the lake, that
seemed to increase the chief’s fears, and he at once
embarked in the dugout for other quarters. Some-
\ thing in the sound he had heard convinced him that
it was not safe to tarry lo er; and what ve him
uneasiness and feaasgave 6 ho

pe an courage.
The chjef plied paddle with extreme caution,

nd rted from one sland to another, usin to
goat ghd listen whenever under the Mano an
Islet.

M e sat in front of her captor, her head bowed
:ndalfeg eggs  ogogltie glassy water rippling out
rom t e 80 e .

They had passed two or three islands and ﬁnally
reached the one furthest south. It was covered
with a number of tall pines that cast long, Wide
shadows out n n the clear water. They were
creeping ‘hroug this 10 stretch of shadows when
a cry suddenly and invo untarily burst from Mag-
gie‘s ‘ips. There was a single spot in the shadow
where the moonbeams, struggling through the tree-
tops, fell upon the surface, as bright as if concen-
trot/ed there in a focus. In this patch of ht, as
they caused. Maggie beheld an untamed uman

 
face—a face white as that of a corpse and stained
in spots with blood. She recognized the face; 1t
was that of Sure Shot Seth!

 
CHAPTER XI“.
A uvs'rumous CIIARMER.

To return to the island where we left Sure Shot
Seth eng red with a savage, is to follow up the events
that have won rapidly crowding upon us.

The struggle of our hero had lasted but for a mo-

ment only, when he succeeded in gettintr the muz- ,

zle of his revolver against the suvuge‘s temple, and
tired. This ended the. hand-to-hund conﬂict; but
scarcely had he time to realize his victory, ere. he
caught the dip of a number of ours and the heavy
swash of a long batteau plowing its way through the
water at a fearful s iced.

Simultaneous wit this discovery, the bark of a
fox, the howl of a wolf, the scream of a panther,
the hoot of an owl, the cry of a night-hawk and
other sounds rose upon the night, ﬁlling the soul
of Seth with joy: for in the sounds he recognized
the presence of his friends, the Boy Brigade. With
a shout 11. answered them, then ran around the
island and met them where they landed. Maggie’s
father and Tom Grayson accompanied them, and
almost the first words of the former was an inquiry
after his child.

Seth had scarcely time to answer ere the savages
landed on the opposite side of the island, and with
a yell came rushin across toward our friends. The
moon now lit up t e surroundings and the whites
were enabled to see the dusky forms of the enemy

uite distinctly' in an instant a dozen riﬂes rung
orth on the mg t.

There was no tellin how many fell, but, with a
random discharge of t eir guns, t e sav es quick-
}y sgdught shelter behind the rocks, and ence fol-
ow .

The red-skins had evidently been 5 rised, or were
' orant of the number that confron 2d them: and
t e result of the collision could be determined now
only by stratagem and cunning.

“To hole, ye ory critters!” gelled old Joyful Jim,
who had allied mself to the rigade, and number-
ed himself as “ one of the boys.”

A deﬁant ell answered him.

Only a w of rocks running across the island like
the ﬁn of ﬁsh’s back now separated the enemies.
On the In ns’ side it rose perpendicular to the

hight of ten feet, and on our friends’ side it wasa
little shelv and of the same hight. It varied in
width from on to thirty feet. To pass from one
side to the other the would have to go around the
ends of the wall, whic would force them close upon
the water‘s brink. But neither party seemed de<
sirous of ning the esp site side for the sake of a
ﬁght. Eac conclud act upon the defensive,
being ignorant of each other‘s force.

In a few words Sure Shot Seth made known the
circumstances under which he and Maggie Harris
had been separated a few minutes before.

Mr. Harris groaned in spirit over the hope he had
been so fondly cherishing of recove ' child.

“I'm so to try and get away rom here at
once," said th, “and hunt Mag e up. I dare say
her captor will wait among the nds the result of
his friends’ attack here; and, if so, I may creep
around and rescue her. She was in the power of
but one savage when I last saw her.”

“Cree ’ tarrapinsi" exclaimed Joyful Jim,
“ thar‘s ust about as much likelihood of your ﬁndin
that Ingin and gal to-night as thar is 0 old Inkpa-
duta becomin’ an angel."

“ I'll try it, nevertheless,” answered Seth, in a
whimer; “one cannot tell what he can do, nor what
he cannot do, until he has tried. Mr. Harris, I will

 
leave my and accouterments with on, as I will
havetto away from here. My ' e is all that I ‘
wan

“ Boy," said old Jim, “ I’m afraid you'll git apellet
of lead into your system. I dare say they re watch-
in' out for us."

11, my friends, we must watch out for them."
and that we will,“ said Teddy O‘Roop.
“ Seth ows his old friends," said J ustln Gray.

“ And can trust his new ones," said Tom Grayson.

“It uires no words to assure me of this, 'an-
swered Sure Shot Seth.

The young rlﬁernan divested himself of his weapons
and such outward clothing as he could dispense
with. Then he cregt down tothe water‘s 19ng and
entered the lake. 8 swam of! on his bac , his
head and face alone bein visible on the mooth
surface of the water. His riends trembled with the
fear that the savages would see him and bring their

to bear upon him. Nor were their fears with-
out foundation. Seth was scarcely three rods from
shore ere a riﬂe rung out over the wall and a bullet,
strikin the water ob iquel , skimmed alon the sur-
face 0 the lake. This sho was immediate y follow-
ed by two more that cut the water close to the face
of the swimmer.

Those on the island were unable to cover his re-
treat. There was no we. by which they could reach
the to of the rock the se rated them from the
foe, w lie the latter were orded this means b the

ht inclination of their side of the wall. Not be
on one, however, Hooseah, the Indian lad, sudden-
liedarted out from under the l , and, uttering
t sharp cry of a wolf, lea st ht into the air,
at the some time throwing rifle at a level before
him; and just as his head came up
top of the rock he ﬁred. A yell of agony on the o
posite side of the wall told how fatal had been hi:
shot, notwithstanding the manner in which it had
been made.

This caused a diversion in Seth’s favor- and before
another shot could be ﬁred the

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even with the ‘ s

i

friends of the young hands over her hreas and pitching

5‘

 
ritleman had the pleasure of seeing him disappear
around a little island in the distance,

Finding themselves defeated in slaying Seth, the
savages mounted the rock. and, rushi 5: across the
top, thought to take the whites by surprise and shoot
them down. But, before they could fire, the Brigade
darted under the ledge. entirely out of sight, and,
gliding along the wall to each end. secured a position
and opened tire on the red-skins, causing them to
beat a hasty retreat, to the other side.

“ Yoo ), ye rollicking smoky-skins of Satan 1“ yelled
Joyful im; “jist come over on our side if ye want
to be snakcd into purgatory. W'e’rc the lolly-pops
that can kink yer systems wusser than a green per-
simmon. Yoop! tempest in a tea-pot, ’possum in a
boiler! I‘m beginnin to feel ﬁghtlﬁh, and fust thing
{e know I'll bulge through this wall and tackle the
mil Ingin nation. I'm feelin' real awful—super—
bumfustic. I can‘t hold myself much longer.”

“ Kape cool, Joyful Jim," said Teddy O’Roo ,
“and save yer tire for the sthruggle that’s sure
come soon—wirra!”

A shadow passed over the speaker and a stone
fell in the lake beyond.

“ The blood ' devils are beginning to throw stones
over here in Opes of crushing us," said Tom Gray;
son.

Our fnends were ain ob ' ed to avail themselves
of the protection of t e shelving wall, for the stones
were now raining down on their side like hail, while
they had no chance to return the “compliment. "
In fact, the savages possessed the most advantageous
position, being enab ed to scale the wall at pleasure,
and with in) )unity.

For full ' ve minutes the missiles hurtled through
the air. uddenly there was a crash. A stone had
fallen into the canoe—a long, frail bark concern—
and stove ahole through the bottom, renderin it
perfectly useless. This left our friends in a rat or

rccarious situation, and served to increase their
ears.

A yet from the savages told their gloating
triumph; but it was immediately answe by a
strange medley of shouts and cries from the Brigade.
The whites, also, began to return the shower of
stones as soon as they dare venture from under the
ledge; and the groans and cries of excitement which
came from the 0 posite side told that the reds were
being dangerous y disturbed, as they had not the
advantage of a shelter that their enemies

This hurtling of stones was kept up unti it became
unendurable by savage tience and fortitude, and
with a wild yell the c iarged around the eastern
end of the wall. e whites were not taken un-
awares, and a deadly strug 1e ensued. But it was
brief as it was desperate. he savages were driven
back to their own side, while a shout rung forth
upon the air from the lips of the victorious Bri ado.

“ Och, now,“ exclaimed Teddy O‘Roop, “ an isn‘t
it delicious fun, b‘ys i"

“ "I‘ish fun very much ” replied young Schultz.

“Hark! hark!" cried ustin Gray.

With bated breath all listened.

A sound, soft and weird as the strains of an Eoliu
harp, ﬂoated to every car. Every sound became
hus ed by the magic power of the mysterious music.
Even the waves seemed
listen enchanted.

A shadow fell across the rock that separated the
foes—a vision appeared upon its summit. It was
the vision of a woman—the author of these enchant-
mﬁ'ﬁtrﬁm or “$23; th 1 h lik m r

eazymoon ; e p- eropo onso

the ﬁgure; the gray, mist-liskye robe £3: envelo ed
it; the white face, and ﬂowing wealth of ﬂaxen
gave the mysterious creature upon the rock avaﬁi:é
spiritualform and enshrouded it in a nimbus t
partook of t e light of a celestial being. In her
arms she held a harp over which her w te tingle]?
danced and dashed like ri ples of sunshine; w 6
her face, clothed in the eadian' cc of wom love,
was lifted toward heaven' and her lips pour forth
an accompaniment to e harp that would have
melted the stoniest heart and soothed the wildest

The scene was indeed wondrous. The night; the
little forest-glrded lake; the rocky island; the savages
motionless upon one side as the unconscious forms
stiffening at their feet. and their painted faces up-
turned toward the strange visitant—not contorted
with wild frenzy, but mute with solemn awe and
mysterious admiration' while on the other side
stood our friends, root to the spot with smart”
by the sudden Chan e from the terrors of bat e to
the enchantin st of music.
Neither w tes nor reds had seen the strange
musician a iroach; and where she had come from
was a question beyond their comprehension.
Silent and uanved, she stood upon the rock and
sent forth those sweet seductive at whose
melody awoke a feeling in the breasts of t audi-
ence that they had scarcely ever experienced.
The heart of each seemed to leap forth in response
to the silvery notes, while the soul became msgired
by the sounds that seemed born of heaven itse .

Thus for all of ten minutes theunknown continued
to lay; then, as the last note faded away like the
onofadream,shetumed, andtnatonesoftaso
ﬁute‘s, said:

“ Oh, why do my red and white friends ﬁght and
slay each other!“

A profound stillness followed. The question was
repeatedzand from the Boy Brigade came the re

to still their murmur and

use:
pf{We are enemies."
‘:’But you are brothers—of the same human fann-

ke the angel of whose sweet
lyyo face sllo.';>.glnad down high!) mmw foot
with eaven's serenit , w e she her white

voiceima,_

 
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I

 
IO

Sure Shot Seth.

 
an appealing tone, cried out: “Oh my brothers!
red and white; cease your struggles ere. You are
all h ve, but this is not an honorable battle-ﬁeld.”

“ he red-men have dug up the hatchet,” said a
sav e, in a clear, full tone that was distinctly
hear( by the Brigade.

“Then go to the woods and fight where the van-
uished can have a chance for life,”answered the
air unknown. “ Already my red brothers have
lost half of their friends, while my white brothers
are strong as when they came. Go, red-men; take
your boat and depart, and the Great Spirit will be
pleased.”

Under any other circumstances the savages would
have received this request with derision: but their
loss of men and iin ending destruction made them
more considerate 0 her appeals.

“If we leave here, the pale-faces will slay us,”
said a warrior.

“I, Heaven’s Messenger of Peace and Mercy, will.
on behalf of my white brothers, promise you a safe
retreat from this island. The pale-faces are not
cowards, and they will respect a woman‘s wish."

“ Fair bein’ !” exclaimed old Joyful Jim, “of
heaven, of earth, of air, or wharever ye mout be
from, we have no respect for a red-skin, am sorry
to say; but we'd be wusser than heathens not to re-
spect the Wish of an angel, wouldn’t we, boys?"

“ Yes, yes,” was the unanimous response.

“Then, let my red brothers depart hence in
peace,” said the songstress.

The savages Were onl too glad to obey, and in a
moment they had a1 embarked for the shore.

There were scarcely a dozen rods from the island A

ere the maiden on the rock came nearer and said, in
a natural tone:

“ Repair your boat, friends, and ﬂee, or you may
never again have the chance.”

She spoke excitedl , and her voice and form now
seemed more of eart than heaven.

“ Who in the wisdom of Solomon be you?” asked
old Jim, glancinglup at her with a quizzical look.

“Vishnia of t e Valley,” she answered, with an
anxious, impatient gesture, at the same time glanc-
ln uneasily around her.

. .veral of the boys ﬂew to the damaged boat,
and, drag 'ng it up on the beach, set to work to re-
pair the Injuries, which could only be effected by
contributions of en erﬂuous clothing stuffed into the
gaging rent. Whi 0 they wore thus employed, Mr.

rris stood and conversed with Vishnia of the Val-

le .

{Vishnia where do you reside?” he asked.

“In the valley of the Minnesota, with my father,
whose mission on earth is love and truth, and the in-
culcation of the principles of peace and glory of
God ” she answered.

“ ut how came you here?" he asked.

“As I now depart,” she said, and, tri ping down
from the wall, she sprung into a canoe, hat was so
small her robe almost concealed it from view.
Then lifting a light paddle, and wishing our friends
a God speed, she darted away over the waters with
zondrous rapidity, and soon disappeared from

ew.

“ Great shockin’ l” exclaimed Joyful Jim, “she’s a
sort of a star of the fust magnitude, ar’n t she boys?
Bless my eyes if I’d mind marryin’ such a woman
:1? that, thong I alers swore that I’d never marry

0 ur— ’

“ aboard?” cried one of the boys, as they
launched the boat ready; for departure.

The next momentall ad embarked for the nearest
point on the western shore of the lake, and where

he tumult of battle had waged a few minutes be.
fore, the silence of death now reigned.

CHAPTER XV.
A seem COUNCIL.

MAGGIE HARRIS was paralyzed b sight of the face
she had seen in the water. Unab e to move, unable
to cry out she sat motionless with ﬁxed eyes staring
at the litt e atch of moo 'ght. But she saw the
face of him 3 e loved no more. The distance and
ﬁgom had enshroudcd it, and her heart sunk in

ondency.

awk-E es used the die nervously and awk-
warng w ch would have been evidence to any one
vars in the nature of the Indian that he— the chief
-—was not a red-skin. Maggie mistrusted as much
from the ﬁrst: and as it gave her no relief to think
that he was a white person in disguise, she dismissed
the matter from her mind.

Slowly they made their way toward the southern
shore, and were alreadg within the deep border of
darkness that skirted t e margin of the water when
there was a sudden commotion alongside the boat;
a. dull heavy blow a can, and the fall of abody
into the water. The at rocked violently; Maggie
yes almost thrown into the lake, and before e
gould recover from her fright, a vaice said:

Z l erbd ed b t f M ' ' 11 f
ow,su u cry urs rom aggies ps, or

ﬁle reco ed the voice as that of Sure Shot Seth.
e e{Ion had swum silently up to the boat, and b
w directed blow knocked the chief overboa .
e having made his presence known, he 3p

Into e boat, and, having addressed a few words 0

, cheer and assurance to the maiden, took up the pad-

dle and drove the boat ashore.

Having landed and assisted Maggie from the canoe,
he conducted her rapidly awgy around the lake. He
was satisﬁed that e had 11 slain the young chief,
Ind that his cries would soon set a horde upon their
; and so the greatest precaution and haste were

‘ to escape. \
They had gone but a. short distance when the
Ound of voices fell upOn Seth’s ears. He sto pod
~- - listened, and, by the sound of the er’s

'- dWBmd theywere savages. A groan told

, than friendship.

 
, was Sure Shot So ” answered Rube Jo

him that there were wounded warriors among them'
and he felt satisﬁed they were the Indians who had
engaged his friends at the island. And this now
forced the query upon him: who had been victors?
his friends or the savages?

A figure swe t suddenly past them, goin toward
the Indians. 's movements were heav an clumsy
——evidence of excitement and want of savage pre~
caution. He was no Indian; of this Seth was as-
sured, and a moment later he found he was correct.
The ﬁgure reached the Indians and began talking in
plain English, but in an excited tone.

“ Seth, do you not recognize that voice?” asked
Maggie, clingin closer to her young friend.

“It sounds amiliar, but I really can’t place it,”
answered Seth.

“ It‘s the voice of Hawk-Eyes, that Boy Chief,
whom you threw overboard."

“ Sorry, then, that I didn‘t kill him.”

“ Sctll,'he is not an Indian. He is awhite boy in
disguise,” affirmed the maiden.

“ What? Hawk—Eyes a white boy and a Sioux
war-chief 2'" exclaimed Seth.

“ Yes.”

“Then we have more to fear than if he was a.
savage. A white Indian has a less human heart
than a genuine Indian.”

" Where, then, shall we go?" asked the maiden.

“ Let us hear off to the left, and edge around to the
north. There is no telling where we will be safe
now. The wood is full of enemies, and the Agency
closely besieged."

“ Seth, you are endangeri your life for me,”
said Maggie: “it is better that '——”

“ Not a word, Maggie,” interrupted the gallant
youth; “it is the greatest pleasure ever enjoyed to

e enabled to protect 'ou. Moreover I owe on all
this; had it not beeifor you and Emma, would
have been slain there here Le Clerc and his com-
panions bound me. It was your own ands, Maggie,
that liberated me from that tree, and had you not

one there for that purpose you would never have
een ca tured. So on see I am indebted to you.”

“ I b ame Ivan Clercq for all our present
troubles.”

“ And at the same time Maggie I can’t say that I
am sorry he acted as he did,” said Seth, in a slightly
hesitating voice.

“Why, Seth?” she asked in surprise.

“ Because I might never have met you.”

“ Oh 2” she exclaimed, involuntarily, and some-
thing of the truth ﬂashed across her mind, sending
the warm blood coursing through her veins.

The moved on a few moments in silence; but the
thou ts of each were busy. A dozen times Maggie
aske herself if Seth had been actuated in his mo-
tives of kindness toward her by a feeling greater
She wanted onl the assurance of
this fact to make her supreme y happy, notwith-
standing their danger. On the other han , Seth was
laboring under the same anxiety and uncertainty.

Milfgle was the first to break the silence.

“ ave you seen Ivan Le Clercq since the shooting-
match?” she asked.

“ I have not; his four friends, however, were with
your father and lllom Grayson this morning; but I

ave them no chance to identify me and I presume
t ey all think Sure Shot Seth is dead.”

“ I ho e Ivan and his friends may know no differ-
ent unti their conscience has punished them severe-
ly " said Maggie. '

They moved slowl onward through the lonely
halls of the forest. eary miles were raversed' but
the brought the tired fugitives to no point of safety.

T 6 morning dawn was fast breaking into the li ht
of another day, when the glow of a fire burst sud en-
ly upon their gaze. It was not more than twent rods
away, and it required no second glance to to Seth

that it was the camp—ﬁre of whites. There were

four of them—all boys; and to the surprise of both
Seth and Maggie they beheld the companions of
Ivan Le Clercq. hey were seated before the fire,
up arently in close conversation.
eth was undecided as to the course he should

pursue; but, before he could arrive at any conclu-
sxon; he saw a young Indian chief emerge from the
viogids beyond and approach the boys with quick
s 1-: es.

Mag ie uttered a. little cry at ' ht of him while
Seth’sﬁiand sou ht the wee on aglﬁis belt. ’

It was Hawk- yes, the yChief, who was wel-
comed by the four youths to heir camp-fire.

 
CHAPTER XVI.
A swarms DISCOVERY.

Sm Sno'r SETH was astounded by what he had
seen, and trembled for the safety of the fair girl at
his side. They occupied a position not altogether
secure from the keen eyes 0 a savage and the ﬁrst
act of the youth was to retrace his footste s and
gain the friendl cover of a dense thicket. on he
turned to Magg e and said, in a subdued tone:

“ gie, I must know more about those boys.
There is some treachery oing on, and if I can learn
the object of their inte ew with the chief, I may be
able to save those at the Agency. I am going to try
to Overhear their interview."

-“ Be very, very careful, Seth,” M gie answered.

With a word or two of caution, Set moved away.

gie watched him out of sight, then sat down.
e apgroached the party. keepirég a clump of
bushes tween. He gained a posi on within ear-
mt, and pausing, listened. He heard Hawk-Eyes

“Do the pale-face youths know that Sure Shot
Seth is dead ” He spoke in good English, but in a
tone eviden disguised and unnatura .

“We foun the skeleton of one whom we believe

     
ﬂ -

“ Do the settlers mistrust anything of the truth!”
the chief asked.

Seth saw at once that the chief was thereto con-
fer with the four boys by ap intment, and that
gore was some kind of an un erstanding between

em.

“I am afraid they do,” answered young Johnson;
“just last night I had a conversation with Emma.
Milbank, and in speaking of Tom (irayson gittin’
beat at the shootin’anatch, she got mad as ﬁre.
You know what a little spitﬂre she is when she gits.
mad; and as she’s sweeter’n maple molasses on-
Tom, why, she won’t hear an thing,r against him,
and so she 11 and says: ‘ You‘ better not say much:
about that s iootin’-Inaich, for there‘sa secret eon-a
nected with it that might hang somebody I know.”

“ Then, by heavens, she knows all about it!” ex-
claimed Hawk—Eyes, forgetting the dignity of his.
position as a war-chief, and betraying no little ex—
citement and cowardly fear.

Seth staited at the change in his voice.

_ “ Yes,” he heard Rube Johnson continue, “I be
lieve she and Maggie seen Sure Shot Seth tied up to
the tree, and know who (lid it."

_ “.And as sure as it is found out, we'll all catch am
mutation to court,” said Gus Stewart.

"Between the Indians, and the fear of punish»
ment, we‘ll have no rest for—well,God only knows.
how long,” said Abe Thorne, in a tone of penitence.
" I Wish we had left him alone, for after all, The~
Eaglet-froni-Sky-Puncher-Peak ot the gun.”

_ “ Do not fear the Indians ” said Hawk-Eyes, “for
if you show them no hostiht , Iwill assure youon
their friendship.”

_“ Good!” exclaimed Rube; “ why not join the In-
dians at once and be done with it?"

i “That would never do. I want you to work for me
in the Agency. You can place both Maggie and:
Emma in my power, and then you willhave nothing
to fear from them. I expect to remain an Indian-
chief. But a few days ago, Hawk-Eyes, the Boy"

‘hief, was slain and, I have taken both his name
and rank, and have sworn to exterminate half of.
Minnesota’s whites.”

“ Just so, my worthy youn villain,” said Sure Shot,
to himself; ‘I think you’ have to swear to that»
again.

“ But,” continued Johnson, “ we are afraid to re-
turn home and had concluded to sknlk and hide
grmﬁnd in t e woods until assured, it ’d be safe to go-

ac . ’

“I think your friends have need of all their forces
to keep the besiegers away, and that they ’11 have
no time to investigate Sure Shot Seth’s case.”

“Well, we will hang around in the woods awhile ,
anyhow; and if the Indians capture the fort, we‘ll.
be outside,” Rube ut in.

“ I’m for just gomg right home and makin’ a clean
breast of it all. ’ said Abe Thorne, “and take the
risk. We can tell ’em that we war in fun with Seth,
and mebby they’ll let us off. I’d rather be shot than,
hidin’ ‘round in the woods and startin‘ and shudder-
in’ at every sound just like a guilty murderer.”

“Hear Abe whine, will you?” sneered Gus; “he’s.
been a-tryin’ to crawﬂsh in this matter ever since}

last night.”
""Boys, I have an old mother dependin’ on me for
giggly bread, and I cannot desert her,” Abe prov

S .
“Then I sup so you’ll desert us, turn State’s-

evidence, and at us swing,” suggested Ches Pa-

gan.

“ No, I will do no such thing; I want to t all out
of this scrape in an honorable way,” pers s ..

“ You’ll et out in no such way as you propose,"
replied Ru indignantly, “for you can’t make
crime honora lo.”

“I have a rightto do as I please,” was Abe’s:

re 1 .

R§ou may have the right, but not the liberty,"
was the threat of Hawk-Eyes. _ a \

“ I want to do what 13 honorable With you all: but
I will not be driven to add crime to crime. I have
gone just as far as I‘m going in this matter, and
shall return to the Agency. f you fellers go with.
me, all right; if not, all right. I shall kee silent,
however, until I am called upon to tell the ruth in
this matter.”

“Yes, you confounded coward,” exclaimed Rube,
“ you mean to betas? us all.”

“ I mean to do 311 what I say, and you can’t scare;
me into anything else either,” was Abe’s response.
given in a. tone of unflinching determination. '

“Then go seek your skim-milk mates-go!” and
Rube 13 kc 'l a tone of authority.

Abe _orne to his feet his boyish face
ﬂushed With an er, and his eyes blazing with indi
nation. Abe ha not been hopelessly lost in wick --
ness; nor had his companions; but he was, _by na
ture both kind and honest. He was rather Wild and
reckles yet had no desire to commit crime; and he
shrunk tom the idea of trying to conceal the Sn »
ﬁesed death of Seth in the way proposed by Haw ’-

Tfi’i'the B0 Cgiif' th th k r rt
ingu ‘ e eou eaewpai-
wordsto  companiong’ thenﬂrned and movgﬁt
awe . I

.Y

The eyes of the Boy Chief followed his retreatin
form with a ﬁerce, murderous look that caused Set
to start with sudden fear. That violence was upper-v
mostin the young villain’s mind there was not a
doubt in the worl .

Seth watched the conspirators until Abe was out
of sight, then he turned and crept back to where,
M e glas’yhmnsgifoxhigm ice b trayin 11m

“ e 6 v0 e no 8.
Waring, “I am comd'letely shocked, for I gave made
a. covery that no doubt surprise you. lean
La C'IercqaudHawb-EyanM Boy 0 , an m M
the cranium!" '

5

l

I .

   
\"

 
!

Sure Shot Seth.

 
"4'.

 
CHAPTER XVII.
WAS 11 THE sum or AN ASSASSIN?

A RIFLE-SHOT rung suddenly through the forest,
starting Seth and Maggie with sudden fear. The re-

ort was followed by a groan, and that Abe Thornc‘s

rionds had assassinated him, Seth had not a single
doubt; for the look the young villain, Hawk-Eyes,
gave him when he turned to leave, meant mischief.

. “I am afraid,” said Seth, “that they have mur-
dered poor Abe, for they quarreled with him, and he
left them.” 1

“ If B awk-Eyes is Ivan Le Clercq, as you say. he
will not hesitate to do anythin r,” replied Maggie.
“Wh ire you afraid the have ﬁlled Abe Thorne?"

Set 1 rieily narrated that he had heard at the
camp-fr '8 conference.

Scare sly had he concluded, ere a peculiar cry rung
forth upon the air—a cry that sent a smile of recog-
nition over his young face. Then, from different
quarteriamong the wooded hills, rose half a dozen
answering cries, plain and distinct.

“ Ah': my friends, the Boy Brigade, are near,”
said Se! h.

A ﬂei 3e savage yell rung through the forest, then
the she rp, stin 'ng report of a rifle followed, only to
be succeeded y other shots ﬁred in rapid succes-
Sion.

The boy conspirators started to their feet. and,
like so- many frightened deer, bounded away into the
wood“, while Hawk-Eye“, turned and crept through
the shadows in the direction whence the sounds of
conﬂict came.

“Maggie,” said Seth, “m friends are near and
engaged With the savages. on will be safe here for
0 while, and I wil go to their assistance; but return
we you soon. J we succeed in defeating the foe, our
coca will be certain.”

“ 0, Seth, to your friends’ assistance. I will await
your return ” said the brave little maiden.

Seth crept away through the woods, and soon came
Lin si ht of the combatants. He placed a whistle to

slips and blew a sharp blast upon it. Instantly
from different quarters, rose the answering cry of
the Boy Brigade.

A savage yell answered the latter.

A deep hollow divided the foes, who were conceal-
ed in the timber that crowned the summits of the
bluffs. But not a friend or foe could Seth see. He
could see, however, a little cloud of smoke puﬁ.’ up
from behind a tree, now and then, telling him where
the combatants were.

Kee ing well under cover, he moved on toward his

811% e. .
“ o—ate thari” suddenly exclaimed a veice over-

ead.
Seth looked u and saw Joyful Jim, the trader,
rched upon 8. 'mb loading his gun. His head was
re, and across .iis forehead was a long wound or
abrasion, from which a little rivulet 0 blood was
running down each side of his face. The body of
the tree screened him from Indian bullets.
“Wh Jim!” exclaimed Seth, “what are you do
lug up ere?” I
‘Ptmchin’ red-skins, Seth,” was the income reply.
“It”seems to me they’ve been striping your

“Yes the ’tarnal sulphurians knocked the bark
of! my rontispiece, and snrung a leak in my system.
Gallons of the best blood, unadulterated with cold
water, have evaporated but it’ll soon return in a
copiﬁus shower to relinquish and fructify the

“My old friend ” said Seth, “a red-skin ’ et
sight of you, first thing you know, and put a b et
0mm )1. your system.”

“ I’ risk it, Seth; besides, I’m up here where I can
leehow the cat um s and warn the boys. Oh, I
V“ ye, it’s dang tf sport, Seth—this Ingin ﬁght-
in‘. ; used to urnish the ’tarnal smoky‘skinned
aulphurians their spirits; now by alittle tapping pro-
cess with powder and lead, I extracts their spirits.
Don’t you perceive the difference with half an eye?”

“Do you know the force of the enemy?” asked

c“.’;now nothin’; you can’t count snakes that are
In their holes. But I opine thar’s uite a number of
'em—say half a million or less of t e superhumqu-
tic varmlnts.”

“ Are vhe boys all afoot yet?’

“Yes; and perambulatin’ red-skins over the Jor-
di ata lively rate. I tell ye, Seth. your Boy Bri-
glrlige are a reg’lar set of you s uackers on the

cot. But, lookey here, whar’s ha al?”

“Safe for the time bein ,” answer Seth.

"Good," e aculated oyful Jim; then, havin
capped his ri e, he began peering cautiously aroun
‘he tree for a red-skin; but before he had the chance
of a second shot, a ﬁerce yell rose in the rear, start-
ing both with a shudder of terror.

Flanked, by the New J erusaleml” exclaimed old
Jim, turning and glancing toward the horde swarm-
through the woods upon them.
th took to his heels, ﬂeeing in the direction of
N'sl‘lflﬂends- th posite bluff h ed r
esavages on eop carg rom
that direction.

Joyful Jim started don the tree, but he saw at a

glance that he could not escape the foe, and so
his notion and climbed higher among the
branc es in hopes the savages would not discover

Sure Shot Seth soon came to where his friend, the
Beaver was, and together the two ran on toward
the v e . Others of the Brigade fell in with them,
and by 6 time they had gone ﬁfty the whole
of the band, including Maggie Harris’s ether and

Grayson, had joined them.
Indians, now to the number of near a ban-

0
' were in tot them. Sure Shot th led
bl that

' served to

 
the head of the valley, and which he knew to be
honeycombed with numerous caverns and subter-
ranean passages where one might elude an enemy
with ease. To reach the mouth of one of those pas-

sages required but a few moments, and no sooner ,
were they under cover than all turned and poured a ’

deadly volley into the ranks of the advancing enem .
A number of the latter fell; but their death onin
madden their surviving friends, who,
like demons, came on toward the cavern, determin-
ed on exteri-uinating the band of whites.

That the savages were ignorant of the advantage 5

of which our friends had availed themselves, was
evident from the incautious manner in whiclithey
approached.
from the entrance. and, facing about, waited until
the foe came up, when from the black mouth of the
vault they poured another withering volley. This
caused the enemy tolretreat with a full knowledge
of the situation, and, for the time being, all relapsed
into silence.

"' \Vell, here we are cooped up like so many fowls,”

said Justin Gray, “ and are likely to remain so for a :

while.”

“ Night let us out,” said Hooseah, the Indian lad.

“Och! and it's ineself knovvs what will let us out
widout a doubt,” remarked Teddy O’Roo ).

“ What?" eagerly question young Jud .

“Death, be jabeis!”

“ Ay, Ted; this is no jesting matter,” said young
Gray, soberly, “for other lives depend upon our
safet '."

" What of Maggie, Seth?” asked Mr. Harris, re-
covering breath.

“ I left her alive and well,” was the answer; “ but
God knows what will be her fate ere we escape
from this place.”

The father roaned in spirit, and with heart heat-
ing in agony, e listened to Seth‘s recital of his ad-
ventures siiice he had rescued Maggie. When he
broke the news of Ivan Le Clercq‘s traitorous con-
duct, Tom Grayson started as though pierced by a
dagger. He comd svarecly credit the statement, yet
the absence of Le Clercq and his sudden disappear-
ance went, in a measure, to corroborate the young
riileinan‘s story.

While most of the brigade guarded the entrance
to the cave. Seth and Toni Urayson set off in search
of an outlet. They found the passage sinuous as a

serpent’s path, and in places reduced in size, so that i

it was with difficulty they were enabled to pass on.

The passages also rose and fell at irregular intervals, 1

but finally took an 11 ward slant, which led the boys
to believe they woul succeed in ﬁndl the sought-
LOI‘ exit. In this, however, they were isappointe i.
The slope finally terminated in a network of roots,
stone and dirt. They were satisfied, nevertheless,
that it was not far to the surface, and a few hours’
tunneling would admit them to the open air. Before
they cou d decide upon any definite course, further
than that already arrived at, the sullen roar of a
rifle1 rolled through the resonant chambers of the
van t.

“By gracious i” exclaimed Tom Grayson, “ they’re
having a fight down at the entrance.

“Come ’ said Seth, as discharge after discharge
boomed tlirou h the cavern.

They hurriet back and found their friends engaged
with the savages who Were trying to force an en-
trance. But being in the dark, and each provided
with a revolver, and some with a pair, the boys were
enabled to hold their position against ten times their
number, and so the savages were driven off. A yell
of deﬁance and triumph ollowed the red-skins, who,
in dismay, sought shelter behind trees where they
could watch the mouth of the cavern.

A close watch was now ke t upon the movements
of the enemy, but no furt ier demonstration was
made during the day. As the shadows of night
gathered outside, the brigade began to discuss the
subject of escape. To Seth, the day had seemed a
week. The thought of Maggie was never absent
from his mind, and in his anxiety to return to her,
time seemed to drag on leaden feet.

- was nearly dark outside and all arrangements
for esca were perfected when, to the sudden sur-
prise an dismay of all, the bright glare of a ' ht
suddenly lit up the mouth of the cavern. he
eneianly had lighted a number of ﬁres near it, destroy-
ing hopes of our friends’ escape that way for the
time being.

“ Oh, my child! my childl” groaned Harris, in hit-
ter despair.

“ Let us not despair; perhaps we can tunnel out,”
said Seth.

“ Let us t at once," suggested Tom Grayson.

With Ted y O’Roop, Sure Shot Seth repaired to
the extremity of the cavern, and with knives and
tomahawk began the uncertain task of digging out.
Their labors was attended with difﬂcu t . The
darkness prevented them working with ispatch.
The knife and tomahawk clinked on the stones, and
sparks of ﬁre were emitted by the contact. If they
were near the surface, and an enemy should hap-
pen to pass that way, he would be sure to hear the
sound of their working; so, altogether there was
nothing to insure escape even should they succeed
in wor ing a way out. owever Seth resolved to
lose no time in testing the result, or the pretty, fair
face of Maggie Harris stood before his mind in con-
stant appe for help and protection.

They worked diligently for nearly an hour; but
scarcely had the sounds of ,their own blows died
awa ere Teddy grasped Seth by the arm and in an
excl whis r said:

“Whist, S h me b’ 1”

They listened inten 1y. They heard a sound. It
was so very faint the could not locate the int
from which it came. t seemed dull and far 0 .

“It must \ d tom

,3»

The Brigade fell back a few paces ,

! lSiawk still reverberating through the cavern," said

et 1.

"Niver, lad, niver. Press yer ear against this
wall and yees can hear something or some one dig-
gin .”

lSeth did as requested. He started, with the re—

, ‘ You are right, Ted; there is some one digging
v‘ r'ithin a foot of our cavern wall. But who (-2.11 it
‘0‘:

As if in answer to the uestion, the left wall 4 f‘ the
caern foil inward, revea 'ng a passage bi) oi;<i. A
cloud of dust rose in the cavern, but through the
black fog thus pervading the place a dim light Hld'
denly appeared, and behind it was a fearful lnnnan
visage!

CHAPTER XVIII.
A SPOILED COI'NTENANCE.

“ HOLY MOTHER!" burst from Teddy‘s lips, as his
eyes fell upon the horrible-looking visage, bloated
and distorted.

Sure Shot Seth started back in amazement, his
’ eyes fixed upon the face just visible through the

c oud of dust, in the lurid, wavering hght clutched
in a bony hand.

The face was contorted like that of the demon of
rage. It was covered with dirt and blood, \. iiile the
wet, matted hair ’nng in “Third, tollitlii-iiixk' locks
about his face, like the 1.,‘ir of th“ l-‘urii .L'.

“Hawi haw! ban/1‘ burst l‘l a deep, sonorous
peal from his 1i ’1, the soun 1 starting a shudder in
the hear:rs, as He echoss repeated the Lind-like
guffaw over and over in a hundred places through"
out the cavern.

Seth grasped his revolver. The click of the lock
brought the man to a sense of ins situation, and in a
more natural tone, he said:

“Bo s, don‘t you know me‘:
whoI e?”

“Joyful Jim!”
wea on.

“ be same,” exclaimed the old man
through the o nin into the reheat; “ii
to-t’l ' bumfusticate .”

“\ hat in the name of goodness have you been
doin r?" asked Seth, completely z.stounded.

Can't you perceive
exclaimed Seth, (liopl ing his

creeping
tough I’m

 
fell upon my ear."

“ avin’ an old roarin‘ time of it by m self among
the red—skins and hornits." {IIISWEI'Lii Jiin.

“ And how came you here?”

“ I came through that back passage, which, with
a little dig 'ng, let me in here. I alers thought that
but a few eet separated the two caverns, but never
had occasion to find out,” he answered.

“Good! then our escape is certain.”

“Persumeiso; but is the boys all afoot? Glad to ‘
hear it. But I tell you I had a narry escape, Sure
Shot," Jim continued. “You see. lhadn’t timeio
get out of that tree, and so I advised myself to Cllnlbi
a little higher. The Ingins passed on arter you ones,
and I s’posed all I had to do war to git down and off;
but no sooner had I begun my descent than pop!
suthin’ took me like an arrow that jist forced a Cit ar
oath ri ht outen me. Thenlheardanoise below,
and loo ed down; and, rent rage of the Furies!
thar stood two Ingins loo ng up at me, smiling like
Judas ’Scar’ot.”

“ The bloody s alpeensl” interrn ted O’Roop.

“ What to do,’ continued Jim, “ couldn’t, for the
life of me, tell. I knowed they‘d salt inc, and ex-
pected ’em to up and bore me ri ht through; but
instead, they invited me down. n course, I war
gentleman enough to accept of their request, and Le-
gun my descent. The good Lord only knows the
thousands and thousands of things that darted
through my mind as I climbed down that tree; and
one thing that did dart I remember ve well. It
war a b' , healthy hornit with a javelin ike a liar-
poon. T e ’tarnal critter came aloft on airy wing
and plumped its ’tarual p‘ison barb right into the
end of my nose; and afore half a second it had
swelled up big as a unicorn’s probosis. I fired an
awful savage inalediction at that insect and went on
down, to the amusement of them red-skins. I war
nearly to the ground when I heard an awful buzzin’
near my ears. and lookin’ around, I see‘d a homits’
nest about the size of 9. ha —cock hangin’ among the
branches, not two feet rom me. A big hornit
whisked out of the nest just as I set eynes on it and
spat! it took me. But it poked an idea. to my head
just as it did its 'avelin; and reachin’ out, I grabbed
the nest, tore it mm the bough and dashed it down
into the veréfaces of them royal red dewdraps that
war waitin’ slip off my hair. 0h, great fury! you
had ort to ’a’ heard ’em. Ten mil on hornits, by
actual count waltzed out of their overthrown palace
and attacke ’em. I jum to the ground and run '
into a thicket, and throw n’ myself on the ground,
eluded further persecution though a million of ‘em
follered me, but ﬁndin’ I’d 've ’em the slip, they
went back and took a crac at the red-skim. I
never see’d sich squirmin’ in all my days and I laid
thar in them bushes and Lust shook With laughter
till I settled myself a foot thgground. Why them
half-naked red-skins 'ist roll , and claw and "
kicked, and ﬂoundere . and pounded, and hoilered
wusser‘n a hundred ﬁends smokin’ hot from Hades.
I just laﬂed and lafred till the bushes got to shakin’
and then to dancin’, and if ever there was a gay 01
time, it was then and thar. Them red~skins got
stun so that they uﬂed up wusser than aninflated
bind er. They con (1 not lay on the hillside, and so
rolled into the valley and as I couldn’ "12? ’em any

ood, and that bein several stray ho ts hangin’
k as a reserve read to lance their harpoons into
anything that might s ow itself, I vacated that vi-
cinity in blooded-racer style. I retreated south, and,
astar makin’ my we. alo the ledge of bluffs '
thatfaoe thevalleyo ItheB Woodaagroan 

 
‘12 ~.

311.? Shot 7331?}?

 
I

.Harris‘r

“ No; war thar whar you left her?”

“It was near the ledge of which you speak that .t
left her,” replied Seth, excitedly.

“I saw nothing of her; but I found a dying boy
there. It was Abe Thorne. He had been shot
through the lungand was nearly gone when I got to
him. He tried to talk and tell me seinethin', but the
seal of death was upon the )()o1' lads lips. He
pointed this way and that. its lips moved, but I
co. ldn‘t catch one word. I shouldn‘t wonder, Seth
bu, be war t mg to tell me 'boutMu'rgie. Ahll
tell ye, boys, war teched to the Vt'l‘yrllmll‘t. If .
l:ur:hed with joy a few minutes before tell I cried, .
coi.'.1n’t kee back tears of pity as I looked upon
that poor lat with his le face, his quiverin’ lips,
and dilated nostrils, dyin there wit b no mother, nor
sister, nor friend‘s kind words to cheer him up, nor
bid him adieu afore he went awa ' into the unknown
Wori l. I stood by him till he. ied, then I carried
the bod away and buried it in the woods undera
tree. I went hard to put him away without a word
beiii‘ said, seein’ he was a boy. I remembered
3. Pt )1 nice prayer that my old mother l‘arnt me
when I was a cub, but .ny heart failed me when I
com 5 to say it. I war afraid the Lord would pay no
attention to the Krayers of a blasted old sinner like
oldJ.) ful Jim. 'o; I laid the boy away as nice as
possib e' covered him 11) and piled stones on the
grave; then Itook niysel away into the woods. I
crept around to the north of this hill and got into the
cavern, enterin’ from that side. I’ve been diggin’
thar four solid hours.”

“ Poor Abe Thornei" said Seth, “ he has been slain
by the hand of a boy friend, or one who pretended
to be his friend. As to Maggie I presume the
{Indians have rot her. Fool tho. I was for leaving

or; but then acted, as I sup )osed, for the best.”
Ji‘WVhar’s the rest of the rigade?”askcd Joyful

m.

" At the mouth of the cavernl Let us oin them
at once and prepare to leave this place. 1‘ suifoeate
if I don’t get into the open air soon. ”

They at once returned to their friends, and in as
few words as possible, reported the discover of
gnother passage Opening on the north side 0 the

- llarris became almost frenzied as he listened to
Joyful Jim’s story of Abe Thorne’s death and the
s: :onsed ca ture of his daughter.

‘v ith as s ort delay as possible, the little band
made haste to vacate the cavern.
Jim, they filed away through the dark passage.

The savages seemed to have instinctively antici-

ated their intentions and swarmed in after them.

eir yells echoed in tones of thunder through the
chambers of the eat vault. But nothing daunted,
our friends pus ed on. They na reached the
rear opening of the chamber. halted just
within, and sent old Jim out to reconnoiter. In five
minutes the si al agreed upon was given, and the
little band ﬁl out and joined the scout.

“ Now, which way i" asked the old man.

“ Toward Lake Luster," answered Seth, and
taking the lead, headed toward the south—west.

Savage cries, announcin the escape of the Boy
Brigade, rose upon the nig t. From all points they
were answered; but, silent as phantoms, our friends
stalked on through the darkness, led by the indomi-
table yo riﬂeman.

Seth ually bent his course so as to bring him
back to where he had left Maggie Harris; but. when
he reached the point and found her gone, he sail
nothing but pus ed on into the valley.

They soon entered what was known as the Black
Woods—a. dee , dark, and almost impenetrable
forest, where t e shadows were eternal. Stately
pines reared their heads heavenward like giant
sentineis; the mold in which their roots found nour-
ishment was heavy and sodden; the atmos here
damp and depressing. Animal life seemed b.115th
from the lace, and a depressing, foreboding silence
rel nedt ere.

ut this silence lasted only for a short' period—a
few minutcsvcre voices could be heard calling to
each other, from out the depths of the woods, in un-
natural tones. They were savages.

Suddenly a. sharp and sullen boom, not unlike that
of a cannon, burst upon the night its echoes re
bounding from hill to valley and fading away in
quavering intonations.

The Boy Bri ade stopped and discussed the matter
of the name; ut as they could form no conception
as to its meaning, they pushed on through the woods.
They had journeyed nearly a mile when, all of a sud-
de a broad expanse of dazzling light burst upon
their eyes.

They stood upon the shore of Lake Luster—the
tiny iewel that sparkled u )Oll the bosom of the grim
Blac- ' Woods, as it lay bat ed in the mellow beams
of the full, round moon.

CHAPTER XIX.
mam SHALL sun FLY?

MAGGIE mums was a brave and peerless girl.
'Whon left alone to await her {loung protector’s re-
turn, she stiﬂed the beating of or heart, and recon-
ciled her mind to her situation She could hear the

of guns back in the woods, and knew that a
desperate conﬂict was gong on. Then when the
luv ea charged the Boy 0, and their yell
rose (1 and ﬁerce upon the she was ﬁlled with
a. grave fear. But, before she had time for much

culation, a movement in the bushes arrested her
a tention.

She turned and behold an object croepl along
the earth, with great difficulty; and a secon glance
told her it was a. human form Her ﬁrst impression

» was

m,

   
l a “ A groan?" exclaimed Seth; “ did you ﬁnd Maggie

Led by Joyful ‘

Mauvago was creepy stealthin upon her,

A cry rose toher lips, but with supreme effort she
restrained it. She recognized the voice, but not the
facea The latter was haggard and covered with
bloo .
It was Abe Thorn.
ll. was Wounded, and bleeding to death.
Maggie moved toward him, (11 the kindness of her
onng heart w..keued by sympathy for the wounded

() '.

"2 You, Maggie? Are you alone?" asked the youth,
in a feeble tone.

“ Yes: but Abe, what ails you?“ asked the maiden,
shnddciing.

“()h,l\laggiel" he cried, in a feeble tone, as he
sunk upon the earth, overcome with sheer exhaus-
tion from loss of blood; “l’ve been shot, and I‘m
going to die." _

" 'ho shot you?~the Indians?"

“ No; one whom I always knew was treacherous,
. yet whom I considered my friend—Ivan Le Clereq,
who is now an Indian chief.”

“My Liend suspected as much; but, Abehlet me
bind up your Wounds and take care of you till help
comes.”

“No power on earth can save me; that I know,“
replied Abe. “Our troubles all come about on ac-
count of Sure Shot Seth. The day of the shooting-
niatch Ivan and some more of us caught Seth and
tied him up to a tree, so‘s he couldn’t win the prize.
But the Indians came. before we could release him,
and he was killed while hound helpless to the tree."
n “Are you sure he was killed, Abe?” questioned

Iag vie.

“ cs; Ivan found his form stript of flesh still
lashed to the tree. The wolves had eaten him. And
so you see Maggie, I (lie with a heavy load upon my
soul, and I’m afraid the good Lord will not forgive
me.”

“He will not punish you for the death of Sure
lShot Seth, Abe,” Maggie answered, “ for Seth still
ives.‘

Abe started as if from a dream.

“Sure Shot Seth alive!” he exclaimed. “ Maggie,
are on not mistaken?”

“ am not; he left me but a few minutes ago.”

“Then I can die in peace," he said. again sinking
to the earth: “ but, Maggie, let me warn you of dan-
ger. The fear of punishment for the sup osed
death of Seth drove Ivan Le Clercq to the In 'ans,
and, for some deed of valor, he was given the osi-
tion lately occupied by Hawk-Eyes, the BoyL 'ef.
Ivan loves you, Maggie, and he will exert every
effort to get you into his power. Because I opposed
further wickedness, he shot me down when I turned
to leave them. I know not what the other boys will
do; but I do know mother will think a deal more of
me dead, (1 ing as I do, than a living traitor. If you
ever meet er, Maggie, tell her of me and our talk.
But you had better not remain here, Maggie. There
are many Indians in the Black Woods bent upon the
destruction of all the whites the can find.“

“ I cannot leave you, Abe su ering as you are.“

“I can’t suffer long, Maggie, for I am nearly
gone.‘

Overcome with emotion, Maggie sat down by the
dying youth, and, burying her face in her hands,
wept bitterly.

A silence, broken only by the maidenb sobs, en-
sued. When Mag 6 again turned to Abe his eyes
were half closed, is lips were slightly parted, while
his face wore that calm, yet awful expression of
death. She supposed he was dead then; but he was
no .

“ Poor Abel” sobbed the maiden; but she started
at the sound of her own voice. It sounded hollow
and unnatural. She glanced wildly around her.
The distant report of ﬁre-arms, the moan _of the
woods, and the presence of death, all conspired to
ﬁll her soul with horror. She started to her feet
Eben turned and tied the spot like a. frighten
awn.

She ran on deeper and deeper into the shadows
of the Black Woods, as though there were some
irresistible power drawing her into their gloom
labyrinths. The shadows were dee as twdigh ,
though now and then a faint stray earn of light,
dim and hostly fell across her path.

An incescriba le horror lent speed to her feet,
and she glided on until her steps were arrested by
a blaze of light bursting upon her from before.
She found the forest had terminated in a. broad
sheet of glimmering water. She stood on the
shore of Lake Luster. She glanced over the little
sheet and around its margin. No sign of life
was visible. The place Seemed wrapt in profound
solitude.

Deep in the bosom of the great black forest re-

sed the little lake. The stately pines grew out to

he very shore. Their branches reached out over
the water. A narrow rim of white sand encircled
the lake. A border of shadows hung over all.
Here and there a little c0ve or inlet indented the
shore. Wild ﬂowers mingled their breath with the
odor of the green wood.
Half exhausted and half delirious by her violent
exerc 6 down under a tree. She
leaned her bbing head against the trunk, and
clasped her hands over her beating heart. She
closed her eyes and sunk into mental repose. She
inhaled the fresh air and the sweet essrnce distilled
on its breath; and, lulled by the soft cadence of the
breeze amon the tree-tops, she sunk into a gentle
slumber, that was as towel; and refreshing as am-
broslatothe lips. Even the sense of hearing was
enraptured as she slept. The soft, ﬂute-like notes of
mus c fell u n her ears in dreams. Bri ht visions
and enchan ing scenes in rapid re ew before
her like the ﬁgures of a anornmn.

Finally she awoke. as it mookeryf-all hitter
disappo u m

 
tment that had attended her
 . . . _ l x .

‘i'i'i

   
t .i x. :v , k _i-,

   
u

       
slumber? No, not at all: the sweet breath of the
woods was there, and low, soft and melodious the
weird and solemn refrain of a harp came to her
ears. She started up in initial bcwddernicnt,gaz-
ing wildly around her. S ie bent her head and list-
ened. Nothing save the ravishing strains of music,
broke the silence. The seemed to issue from a
cluster of bushes along t e shore to the left, and, as
if unable to lﬂ't‘l‘t'onlc, the weird fascination of the
sound she turned and moved toward it.

She soon came to a little bay surrounded by a
deep fringe of green i'oliaged trees, whose boughs
overhanging formed an Arcadian bower over the
still placid waters of the bay. Upon the bosom of
the latter rested a strange-looking craft, resemblin
the long, narrow roof of a house with gables.
door opened in the side of this roof-like structure,
and in front of it sat two persons, an old man and a
young girl.

The fomicr sat with his face buried in his hands,
apparently absorbed in deep reverie; While the
maiden, with snowy fin ers flashing over the strings
of a Spanish ha , ca led forth those wild, weird
strains of celestia music.

CHAPTER XX.
PALACE or 0L1) NEI’TUNE.

Enema-ran b the music and startled by the
scene, Maggie arris stood silent and motionless,
hstening to the one and studying the other. The
player was a young and beautiful girl, possibly not
over eighteen years of age. Her rare loveliness, her
sylph- e form, her queenly grace, and air of high-
born accom 'hslnnents contrasted strangely With
the surroun mg scene. Her eyes were of a soft
brown, in e and lustrous, and full of tenderness
and love. ‘he was robed in a gown of misty blue
with a white collar around the snow neck. Her

olden hair hung like silken ﬂoss down er back. A
iny, golden clasp at the throat, and a modest little
rose in her hair were the only ornaments the fair
creature wore. She sat near the old man, her very
attitude, the lpoise of the head, and the manner in
which she hed her harp, all were positions of ex-
quisite grace and ease.

The man was upward of sixty years of e, and in
t pa and dress t e personiﬁcation of 0.1 eptune.

is face, his beard, his hair, and even his trident
5 car, bore a striking) resemblance to those of the
din of the Sea. His row wore the contracted fur-
rows of care and deep thought. By his side lay
some mechanical contrivance, consisting of wheel
rods and shafts of copper; and by then» sat a kit 0
tools such as would Only be used by a master me-
chan cal hand. .

The craft upon which those two mysterious pie
were seated was as odd as it was mous. t was
about twenty feet long by ten in Width and sloped
gradually from the water to a point H e the comb
of a house-roof, though it was plainly evident that
some portion of its squaie was submerged. The
whole was plated with egalvanized sheet iron which

ave it a white, cloud color. On the top were
our small tubes resembling chimneys, though it
was not (possible that all were used as such. Maggie
regarde the strange si ht for some time th
speechless emotion. She ad often heard of Lake
Luster and the foreboding solitude that surrounded
it; but never had she heard of these people, who
had, from all appearances, dwelt there for some
time. She scarcel ' knew whether to consider them
friends or foes. here was something in the stern
looks of the old man and the desolate repose that
surrounded his habitation, that made her doubtful
of his character. But, the fair and lovely creature
at his Side—innocence, womanly love and kindness
were written upon every feature of her face; and
in the strains that ﬂoated out from the h came
the accompaniment of a sweet and holy spiri .

While the fugitive maiden stood undecided auto
the course she should pursue. the old man started
up, seized his trident and thrust it into the water.
A smile overspread his face—a. smile that drove
away all those hard lines, and relieved the fears of
Ma 'e Harris. As the old man drew back hisgpear,
our eroine saw a is. 6 fish impaled upon it, rug-
gling in the grasp of t 6 terrible barbs.

easing the ﬁsh, and securing it from may.
the old man again relapsed into silence, while 0
maiden continued at the harp. Five minutes, per-
ha 8 had . When he ain threw his spent
an drew in a second fish: Whi e he was releasing 1'3
the maiden ceased playing, and, walking to the 0
man, said:

“Oh, what a. nice ﬁsh. father! The twowill be
ample for our want for a day or two. The 1poor
thing, how it struggles. It seems a ity to kill t em
after gaVIDg enticed them here by t e enchantment
o mu 0."

“ God has placed the beasts of the ﬁeld, the birds
of the air, and the fish of the sea at our command;
and we have onlsyito take them when our need! de-
mand them. A cc of venison, oraroastcd fowl,
would be a welcome change at our table; bill the“
are perilous times, and the report of a riﬂe 111181“
guide enemies to our retreat."

“ Enemies? what enemies have we, father?” qua-
tioned the maiden.

“ There’s no telling' the sav will doubtleu re-
gard all whites who 0 not jo n their ranks 8‘ 039'
mies; and, if so, we will be in danger, for Iwillnevel
bear arms against my countrymen."

“ Why not observe a strict neutrality father?"

“This would be impossible with the red-skins.
The have no know , in their savage £3:ch
of c vilized warfare, an we could not con the“
that, as neutrals, we had any rights they were bound

“ not Like Lutertili is m

2’ quiz peace I

‘m, A. -x‘.

 
Sure Shot Seth.

 
1“;

“I could not think of it, Vishnia; especially, while
u the eve of success in my invention that must
ve me fame and wealth through all ages to come.”

“ But, father, if there is a war between the North
and South the sale of your self- )ropelling, self-act-
ing torpet 0. may give you both fame and wealth.
Now would be a good time to introduce your inven-
tion.“

“ Not very, daughter. The, war between the North
and South Will not be a naval war. It will be princi-
pally on land," the old man replied.

“At any rate, why waste more of your life over a
project that you may new-r achieve, and which has
ruined iill' life and mind of many a wise genius?“

Maggie heard all this conveisation, and was not a
little surprised. She saw that the old man had se-
cluded himself there. to work out in secret the coni-
plication of some 'reat invention. She had heard

and read of such se f-abnegatiou before, on the part '

of wise men, for the furtherance of science. But

such great sacrifice had been uncalled for, and was ;

usually attended with an overwrought imagination.
In the subdued light of the old man’s eyes, his knit
brows, and snowy temples, she could see the pres-
ence of a. )artially—clondtxi mind. His conversation
revealed t is, and Maggie had resolved not to in-
trude upon the privacy of his beloved schemes, and

was about to turn away when she heard a rustle iii ‘

the shrubbery to her right. Turning her eyes, she
beheld a clump of bushes carefully parted, and a
painted savage face appear in the opening.

A cry rose to her lips, and like a deer she darted
from her concealment and ran toward the water.
She had gone but a few paces, however, when the
53an overtook her. He gras it’d her b the arm
and a tested her ﬂight; then lie lifted er in his
naked brawny arms and turned to ﬂee. But, before
he had taken a dozen ste s, something struck him in
the back with a dull thud? A gasp escaped his ii s,
and with a convulsive quiver running hrou h is
whole form, he sunk heavily to the earth, ailing
across the unconscious form of Maggie.

A massive footstep approached from the lake, and
the tall form of the mysterious old man of Lake
Luster stood by the side of the dead warrior and the
helpiess maiden. Stooping, he seized the savage’s
form and hurled him aside, then from the body he
withdrew his barbed s ear, lifted Maggie in his
stron arms and carried er aboard his boat. Scarce-
ly he done so when a fierce, sav c vell burst
upon the air, and a score of savages rus e from the
woods to aven 6 their fallen comrade; but, before
they could reac the water’s edge, the boat was put
in motion by some invisible means.

The savages ﬂ-‘ed at the craft, but their bullets
ﬁl'suced from the metal covering of the structure

thail from a stone wall; and, in a few moments
In re, it was even beyond riﬂe-range, out upon the
6 tom of Lake Luster.

CHAPTER XXI.
'rnULy INFERNAL.
IT was on the night following the events just nar-
tcd that we left the Bo Brigade on the shores of
ake Luster, then bath in the mellow radiance of
“full moon.

An exclamation of surprise and admiration escaped
gob it as the gazed out over the little sheet and

dar green order of forest trees.

But few of the little party had ever looked upon
Lake Luster under similar circumstances. It was
t place seldom frequented b hunter or tra per.

'he deep shadows seemed to ave expelled a8 ani-
mal life from within its borders, and it was only by
tccident that one happened that we .

“ By mighty!” exclaimed old Joy¥ul Jim, “ if that
nr‘n‘t the most rumantic scene I ever cla pod m
Optics on. Why, she burns like a jewel on 9 black
goanﬁi of a. nigger gal. Lake Luster, did you say,

t 2"

“Yes; the water is almost transparent. In many
places on can see the bottom and the fish sggrtinﬁ
about; ut this is nothing more than may sat
of nearly all of Minnesota’s thousand and one lake-
lets. Indian tradition has peopled Lake Luster with
s irits of the departed, therefore it has been seldom

ted by the living."

“That 3 00d; and I hope they‘ll continue to ob-
serve this a nce from the spirit lake while we‘re

, here," said Jim. “I’ve had enuff of hornits’ jave—
" F tins and Ingins‘ bullets to last me till next harvest."
. “ Wherever our trail loads, they’ll be sure to fol-
,i low mind what I tell £113" said Sure Shot Seth.
H “ arforei“ old emauded,
“ The are led by 8- white man; or rather a white
boy, w one youth will be nothing in our favor.
IvanLe Clerc is ,lmprllc led and bad. He has
, ust enough 0 Indian bl in him to make him
# loodthirsty and revengeful: and enough of French
to make him subtle in plotting and planning. Yes-
111 Hawk-E363, the BOY Chief. we have a powerful

._.——I

 
lonemy, 170375-
“Y s; but, begob they dment buck against the
B" Brigade," Bald Teddy O'ROOD.

.1“ y“ ess do Boy Bri had all dat dey

want at do land last night, w r de angel come and
play and King on de rock! ‘

“ Lover creature!" exclaimed old J im; “ she saved
our bacons, I dare say; and it‘d do me good to “and
up before her and thank her with all in heart, for
her kindness. Wasn't she superb, tho y"

“ You don‘t think she was a. col 1 being, do
you?” asked Seth, halfvsmiling.

; “ Think itt—heavensl I know it. Nothing mor-
al that wears hair would a' dared to come onto
that rock between the muzzles of two-score of dead-

riﬂMQ'

l7
’ “Shawna an entire at r to m¢,Jim;but I
‘ know she is mortal' number-mom, I am In-
olinadtothinklhoilsmuouge known to“

 
13

 
wielding great ower over the red-skins. But, boys.
we must ﬁnd .liss Harris, if living, so let us move
‘ on, and—"
i At this juncture, Hooseah, the Indian lad, who

i had been absent from the main party, reconnoit- 1

i eriqg, came running up in great excitement, and
salt :
‘ "Bad Ingins—lots—on ahead I“
“indeed?” exclaimed Seth; “are they watching
for us?”
i “ No—Wntcliin' bi wigwam on the lake—see him
‘ ﬂoat out from the s iadows."
He pointed out over the lake, and all eyes turning
. in the direction indicated, beheld a long, triangular
structure floating out from the border of shadows
that lined the southern shore, into the moonlit
1 waters.
> “ It‘s a tent I“ exclaimed Mr. Harris.
“it looks like a tent; but it surely isn‘t one,”
, answered Seth. “It appears to glimmer like a
metal shield."

b " bogged if it isn’t a little queer," said one of the
. o s.

t ‘ it puzzles me, I assure you," remarked another.
! "it is moving quite fast, and yet I cannot see
i from whence it receives its motive power,” said
j Harris.

. The craft continued on into the open la} 9 until it
had gained the center, when it came to a stand.
1 Then our friends saw a door open on the slopin

1 side and a man appear from the interior. lie stoc

. in front of the door and gazed around him. The
Brigade could see the outlines of a person with
lon beard and hair. In his hand he held a staﬂ
wit a trident-spear on the end of it.

From the darkness along the shore a tongue of
ﬁre suddenly shot out and the report of a riﬂe
started the midnight echoes for miles.

“Och! and the bloody Ingiiis are ﬁring on the
stranger," said Teddy.

“Yes; and by that,“ answered Seth, “we are to
understand that the stranger is an enemy of the red-
skins, whatever he may be to us."

With an imperious wave of the hand the old
man on the raft turned and entered his at; but
soon he appeared again. bearing something in his
arms. Carefully be scanned the surroundin shores,
but seeing no one, he sat down and gaz cahnly
around him.

Our friends stood still on the shore watching his
movements, and puzzling their brains as to who he

was.

A boat suddenl crept out from the shadows of
the east bank an moved toward the. strange raft.
i There were ﬁve occupants in it. They were savages
and b ' htly ﬂashed their paddles as they rose and
fell int-the water.

The man now rose to his feet, and in deep, thun-
derous tones warned the red—skins back. But they
either did not understand him, or else heeded not
his warning. Seeing this the old fellow 0t down
upon his knees and place( the article tha. he had
bro ht out with him in the water. Our friends
coul see that it emitted a vc faint low not much
larger than the coruscation o a ﬁre y. No sooner
was it placed in the water than it began to move —

lide smoothly along the surface of the lake directly
goward the red-skins.

“What now, in the name of Sodom, does that
mean?” exclaimed old Joyful Jim. “ See it, b0 8?—
gollilttle speck of fire creeping along to‘rds that

t‘”

All answered in the afﬁrmative.

“ What do you opine it are i?“ he questioned.

None could tell. were equal] puzzled.

“ Shouldn’t wonder if it wer‘n‘t some of the devil‘s
own contraptions,” said Jim, knowin ly. .

All rela sed into silence and watc ed With bated
breath an ﬂxed eye the moﬁngsspeck of fire. The
Indians, too, had discovered i approach, and sat
holding their dies in motionless ands, regarding
the tiny ob ec with silent attention.

Meanwhi e, the old man on the boat stood with
folded arms gazing after the moving speck, while a
silence as deep and profound as creation’s morn
hung over all. It was a foreboding stillness.

St ht toward the red-skin's boat, which had
not de fed a foot from its course toward the un-
known raft, the ﬂoating s rk made its wa . The
Indians were deepl puzzed by it, and though
their minds were no unmixed with an rstition re-
garding Lake Luster they affected no ear of the up.
Eroachm object. t was so very small that no

arm co d‘possibly come of it; or, at least, this was
the conviction that it forced upon our friends, as
well as the red-skins.

A SH ht commotion agitated the savages as it
neared hem, and our friends saw the foremost war-
rior dip his paddle and turn the prow of the boat
I southward. But for this act the ﬂoat 1i ht

would have gassed them slightly to the rig t; at
j the prow of t e boat bein thrown across its path, it
I came in contact with t e craft, when, horrors! a
| sheet 'of ﬂame burst from the bosom of the lake im-
3 der the boat. and a roar like the sudden burst of a
j volcano shook the n ht.

 
I High ug in the air ew water and fragments of the

canoe an the riven forms of its human freight—so

1 high that when the debris came down in an arm

and torn hand fell on the shore before eir horriﬁed
gaze.

CHAPTER XXII.
“ scam!"
“MY God i" was the exclamation of at

sight of the human limb that had been torn from the
body by the terrible explosion and thrown on the

" 'i"exciaimed Joyful Jim; “Itold on it war
one o the devil‘s own oontraptions. l te ye, boys,

 
Satanic majesty is aboard that boat, or eke my
head‘s not hot.‘

“ It must have been a. torpedo that burst under the
boat,“ Sure Shot Se" remarked.

“Without a do» at," said Harris, “and the light
we saw ﬂoating )ut from that boat was, without a
doubt, attached to the deadly machine.”

“ But from whence did it derive its power of pro-
pulsion?”

“That I cannot answer; but, I dare say, it is some
ingenious mechanical contrivance of the inmate of
that boat. whoever he may be," answered Seth.

“ But who 22» the inmate of that craft?”

“ That's the question,” said Seth; “ but an idea is
creeping into my head, and I'll wa er anything that
the angel that came, and sung, ang played between
the muzzles of 'our and the savages guns last night
belongs in that ittle craft."

‘ N ho? Vishnia of the Valley?“

“Yes; she‘s probably some wild, crazy girl, and
the act that saved you on the Rock Island was but a
freak of her diseased mind. No sane girl would dare
wander alone, of her own free will, through those
woods at night, much less perform such a reckless
act as to come between the guns of two deadly foes
as a acemaker.”

“ hat’s mighty sound doctrine, Sure Pop," said
old Jim, thought ully, “ and I’ll go a cookskin that,
if she’s aboard that craft, crazy as a icon, her
father‘s thar also, crazier‘n a March hare."

“Crazy people sometimes rform miraculous—”

Harris was here cut sho by a. wild triumphant

al of laughter ringing across the 18. e from the
raft, fully substantiating, and settlin in the minds
of those who heard, the truth of old im‘s assertion
—that the man on the boat was a madman.

B ' this time nearly every vesti e of the terrible
exp osion had disappeared. The ke had become
tranquil; and not a savage was to be seen.

The mysterious boat still occupied its position on
the lake, and its occupant his gosition upon its
deck. But soon, the latter retire from view, and
silent and grim the craft lay upon the placid bosom
of the glimmeri sheet.

While Seth an his com anions stood discussing
the tragedy, the sound 0 footsteps was heard ap-
proaching. This enjoined silence upgn them; but

he footsteps turned and retreated. at they were

made by sav e feet the Brigade had not a doubt,
amid1 th?t they not been discorered was also quiw
ev en .

Scarcer five minutes had ela when the rush
of a bun feet was heard aong the shore. A
horde of savages were stea u n the Brigade.

“Whirr-rr-rr-rr-rr-r " sud en rose from tho
midst of the Brigade, like the “ w " of a pheasant
in a copse.

Instantly, almost, the whole of the little band
scattered in every direction like a ﬂock of sheep.
The savages uttered a ell, and sentavolley into
the darkness after them, ut not a bullet took effect.

The footsteps of the Brigade ﬂeeing in every di'
rection confused the red-skins, so that ursuit was
bafﬂed for some time. This gave our f ends an op
portunity to make good their escape. It was a ran
of their tactics under such circumstances. 6
“whirr” issued by Sure Shot Seth‘s lips was well
understood; it was a. signal to disperse.

Away through the arkness of the Black
Woods the Brigade ﬂed. Seth took Mr. rris with
him, while Joyful Jim and Tom Grayson, who hat‘
been admitted to the membership in the band.
sought safety as did the rest.

In ten minutes’ time a deep and profound silence
reigned over the forest and lake. The red-skim
made no attempt to follow the boys far. They
knew the danger of scatte ' in ursuit.

Out in the wood, under t e eep shadows of I
great tree, Sure Shot Seth and Maggie’s father,ca.ml
to a halt. and listened.

“We have csca ,” said the latter; “but who
knows the fate of e others?”

“ Rest assured they are safe," was Seth‘s conﬁdent

re 1 .

2 But they are all scattered like a covey of qiﬁaiia‘
I daresay we are the only two that stuck toga er.’

“ That’s the idea, exactly. We take the trail for
our example. A peculiar ‘ whirr ’ of the er‘l
wings disperses them, and, rest assured, each qua!
will remain concealed until the leader calls, when it
will come out and answer. 1' all, as applied to the
Boy Brigade, do not answer, I repeat the call; and if
some are still silent, it is to be taken for granted
that danger lurks near the ones not nnswonng.”

“ But suppose one of your band should be illedf“

“ We have made no provision for such a mishap, for
we don‘t intend to et killed.“

“ The Boy Brig e is a lendid organization,"
said Harris, “and if it can d mychild,lwillbo
under eternal obligations to it.”

“ We will leave not undone to ﬁnd her Mr,
Harris. She may have alien into the red-skins
power, or she me. have grown tired waiting my re»
turn, and ﬂed. e have only to be patient and con-
stant in our search."

The father sighed heavily.

Half an hour went by in silence.

Not one word nor sound of the others had been

card.

Presently Seth rose to his feet and said:
“Ishallnowascertninwheretherest of theboyl
are.”

He uttered a clear, startling’
that of a night-bird peculiar to the no woods.
Th:i1 sound driftod away through the night and died

e co.

Thehoot ofanowlcamebnckinresponse.

“ Ayi" exclaimed Seth' “ the Owl is late. D“
you alot hear his answer . 2"

“ as thntone of theboyst"

h

 
14

Sure Shot Seth. ’

 
“ It was; but listen.”

One after the other came the respective answers
of each of the Boy Brigade.

“Every one of them is safe," said Seth, “and, in
the course of half an hour, I w.. call them up as a
hen calleth her brood.”

They remained silent for some time, when Seth
sent forth the hoot of an owl. It was answered
from the north, and a few moments later young
Schultz, The Owl, made his appearance. Then fol-
lowed the howl of the wolf, and Le Subtile Wolf,
the Indian lad, appeared. Thus one call after an-
other was made, until the whole band was together,
though no two calls were made in the same place,
through fear that an enemy might gain the location.

Once more together. a short consultation was
held, which developed the fact that the Black Woods
Were then swarming with Indians. Justin Gray re-
ported that, winlc he was in concealment, a number
of Indians passed him carrying two canoes in the
direction of Lake Luster. As there were a number
of small lakes on the outskirts of the Black Woods
noted for their inexhaustible supply of fish and
fishing beats, it was very evident that the Indians
were not goin r to be defeated in the capture of the
stranger on ake Luster, and werecarrying boats
to the latter point for the pur )ose of attacking the
enemy, despite the recent horrible fate of their com-
panions.

Their persistent efforts to capture the raft were
as our friends well knew, led by the Boy Chief; ant
the trained mind of Sure Shot Seth quickly con-
cluded that, in this movement of the enemy, there
was something or some one aboard that raft which
they desired to ossess or slay. Might it not be
Maggie Harris? light she not have wandered from
where he had left her to the lake, and been taken
aboard the madman‘s raft?

The stunnin report of a riﬂe, coming from
316 direction 0 the lake, put an end to his cogita-

0118.

 
CHAPTER XXIII.
A GAME WELL PLAYED.

SURE Snor SETH made known his convictions, and,
at his suggestion, the party returned to the lake.

The shadows, b this time were len henin on
the western side of the little sheet; but t ey ha not
reached the raft, which still sat motionless on the
water, and to all appearance tenantless.

Hooseah, the In ran lad, was at once sent out to
reconnoiter the western shore, while Seth went him-
self to scout along the eastern side of the lake. It
was their desire to know what the Indians were
about, and their exact location, as well as their
numerical strength.

Seth ke t back about two rods from the margin
of the la 8 and moved rapidly, yet noiselessly asa
ﬁhantom. He had gained the northern end of the

kc without hearing or seeing anything of the red-
skins; but, as he rounded the shore toward the west
he heard a sound that told of the close proximity of
enemies. He paused and listened, then with every
faculty on the alert, he crept on closer and closer to
the foe, stoppin every now and then to listen. He
at length found imself at the water’s very ed e in a
clump of bushes whose drooping foliage trail itself
in the water. ﬁefore him was a narrow opening or
path, beyond which was another border of dense
ahrubbery. He was ‘ust about to step across this

th when he heard ight footsteps coming along
ward the lake. Remaini quiet, he awaited the
approach. A young chief, ressed in all the gaudy
gnoply of war brushed past him and stopped on

e margin of the lake.
alt was Hawk-Eyes, the Boy Chief, Ivan Le

ercq ’

Seth could scarcely restrain the terrible emotion
that ran in his breas on making this discovery. His
hand mechanically sought the weapon at his girdle;
but his better udgment prevailed, and he remained
as silent as if rozen to the spot, his eyes ﬁxed upon
the young chief.

The young renegade ran his eyes over the lake.
Seth was so close to him that he could see a strange
smile of delight pass over his countenance at si ht of
somethin on the water. What it was that p eased
him Seth new not, nor dare he even move his head
to ascertain.

The chief kept his eyes out upon the lake until his
attention was diverted by footsteps behind. He
turned and saw a young warrior approaching.

“What does Hawk-Eyes see?” asked the latter.

“ 'Sh!” cautioned the chief; “ look yonder."

The warrior did as directed, when a low, sinister
smile of triumph shot athwart his dusky, painted

The next moment a succession of tiny waves began

‘ chaﬁng the shore at their feet and the dip of a pad—

dle became audible. The chief and his companion
shaped back into the shadows. This movement left
80 under less restraint.

"Ah! the cunning, coward] wretchcs," thought
Seth, drawing his revolver, “ t ey are preparin to
pounce upon some unsuspecting victim. But I’ see
about it.’

The next moment a. small canoe with a si 1e oc-
wpant touched the bank where the path end ; and

- t occu t was a. iemale—a young and lovely
—the -like Vis , the maid of the Valley.
As she rose to her feet the chief advanced and con-

, ’fﬁ'onted her. She started with a. little c of alarm
t soon recovered her composure an addressed
“ Whom‘have I the plenum of meeting?”

i “Hawk-Eyes, the Boy Chief,” answered the young
6.

m he laid the Indians that surround Lake

d063,” was the answer.

   
Eyes stertedback
heard the, click of;

'wﬁ‘

 
.‘

 
“Then with him I came to negotiate terms of

eace.

She stood erect in her rubber canoe as she s oke.
The tones of her voice were soft and child—1' e in
their melody. Through the foliage that concealed
his person, Sure Shot Seth could see the symmetry
of her proiiie clcarlfi outlined against the moonlit
water. A thin shaw enveloped her slender ﬂ rure.
A light straw hat was pushed back from he‘ ead
till it rested on her back, thus revealing wo drous
features. All the power of love, innocence and
purity combined in woman radiated from the soul of
this fair being: and Seth felt its power as sensibly as
though under some mesineric inlluence. But it was
quite evident to Seth that the sweet and holy pres-
ence of tin.- girl made no impression on the better
nature of Ivan Le Cierct . Ilis heart was dead to all
the nobler emotions of t ie human heart. A look of
impudence mounted his face. Even his savage com-
panion was possessed of more of the true inwardncss
of manhood, for a look of admiration overspread his
features.

“ What does the white maiden want with the Boy
Chief?" the young renegade asked, his tone and
looks devoid of the ﬁrst principles of courtesy.

“To effect terms of peace."

“ How? By blowing my braves into eternity?”

“ No,” replied the maiden, “ we do not wish to do
violence; but our warriors would not heed the
counsel of my athcr. But a repetition of the hor-
rible deed can be prevented by a pro )er understand-
ing. My father takes no part in t is war. He is
neutral and desires to remain so; and had it been a

arty of whites instead of Indians goin to attack
him, he would have blown them out of t ie water all
the same.”

“What is your father?——what’s he doing on the
lake in that craft?" questioned Hawk-Eyes.

“ Nothing dishonorable," she answered, evasivel .

“ That’s not a very square answer,” was the ru 9
response.

“ It is all that I feel at liberty to give,” the maiden
said fear manifest in her voice.

“ ell, let me hear what propositions for peace
you have to make,” the renegade observed.

“Nothing more than the request that you with-
draw your designs against our home yonder, on the
lake, and no harm shall befall a red-man, so far as
we are concerned,” was the maiden’s response.

“We fear nothing, nor any one," was the brutal
reply of the B0 Chief. “The woods and the lakes
be ong to the re -man, and it is not for the whites to
make conditions re arding them."

“I know the Indians are not cowards, and Ido
not wish to intimidate them. I only ask what is
honorable. ”

“What is your father’s name?”

“ Neptune,” she answered; but Le Clercq’s ignor-
ance of mythology concealed the evasion in her an-
swer. -

“Neptune,” be repeated; “well, Iwill accede to
your demands on one condition.”

“”I will be pleased to hear what your wish may

h“ Well, there’s a young girl aboard your boat, isn’t
t ere?”
Vishnia started, and hesitated for a moment to re-
ply‘ but ﬁnally she said: i

“I have no desire to answer falsely: there is a

girl there—Miss Harris.”

a great bound. He was afraid
'e was safe,
ankful that

yorm

Set ‘8 heart gave
that it would betray his presence. Mag
and that was joy to him. He felt so
he could have kissed the arments of her who
brought the glad intelli enc But his feelings as-
sumed a different m when he heard the young
chief say: _

“ Deliver that maiden into my power and you and
yours shall be molested no more by the Indians. "

“But that would be against her’will," said Vish.

a.
11:1 dare say it would; but no difference about
t t.” .

“Iwould not consent to do a. wrong, for if you
would hold her a captive a must her will, it would
be cruel and barbarous," sea the maiden.

“The Indians are classed as barbarians,” Le
Clercq replied; “so it wouldn’t make any material
difference.”

“ Father will never consent to give her up to her
enemies.”

“But I will make him give her up.”

“ Do not overestimate your p‘ower, young chief.”

“I’ll see to that. I‘ll just Id you in hostage an
that r! is given up.”

Vis nia started, and her face grew pale with fear.
This was somethi she had not expected, and she
saw little chance 0 escape from her situation.

“ I have always heard that the Indians Were pos-
sessed of gallantry, and under such circumstances
would treat a woman kindly,” said Vishnia; “ but
had I known otherwise, I would never have placed
mysIelf at your Foggy." mt b th x18

' am sorry 0 1811130 you, at ee one
of this case demands that I hold you a prisoner 
Maggie Harris is given up. Black Dog "—turning
to t e Indian—“you will take the pale-face girl to
our cam ."

Half reluctantly, the Indian advanced toward the
maiden, who, seating herself, attempted to ﬂee.
But the Indian was too quick for her. He caught
her canoe and drag ed it half upon the shore; but,
before he had time contaminate her by his touch,
Sure Shot Seth saw the bushes on the opposite side
of the path move, and the next instnn a toma-
hawk, wielded some unseen erson there, fell
upon the head 0 the savage. e a. log, he went
down lifeless, falling partly in the water Hawk-

hast with fear and horror. He
revolver on his left, and the

  
:X.‘

   
a.

next moment the weapon itself was thrust through
the foliage into his very face. But not a word was
spoken—not a face was visible to the half-terriﬁed
young chief. He ﬁxed his glaring eyes upon the
wea 1011, and ran them along the arm thrust from
the ashes; but he could not tell by whom he was
confronted. That it was an eneinv with a cool head
and steady nerve, however, he laid not a doubt.
Had be known that he stood at the muzzle of Sure
Shot Seth‘s revolver, his terror would have been
still greater; but Seth did not want him to know it.
and so kept still and hidden in the bushes. '

For fully a minute the young chief stood wincing
before the weapon thrust at him like the linger if
death; but, seeing the unknown enemy hesitated"
to tire, he gathered courage, struck up the manic
ot the weapon, then turned and darted into the
darkness.

Then Seth parted the bushes and stepped out inth
the moonlight 011 one side of the path, and Hooseah,
the Indian ad, a peared from the other.

“ Me kill Sioux rave; why Sure Shot no kill Hawk—
Eyes?” asked the young friendly, a look oL sore re‘
gret on his face.

“I would not fire through fear of bringing dan-
‘er upon her," replied Seth, pointing toward the
ittle canoe lea ing across the water under the vigor-
ous strokes of be fair Vishnia’s paddle.

CHAPTER XXIV.
7 cross QL'ARTERS INDEED.

Visrmu waited _not to learn whom her rescuers
were. but Wild With fear, she pushed off from the
beach and s (1 toward the stronghold of her father
upon the la ’e. But, after she had had a few mo
ments for thought, and her mind had become some.
what corn oset , she felt a pan of re ret for having
acted so rastily 1n leavi er un nown friends
Without a word of thanks, ltiger they had saved her.
To remedy this, however, was now too late; ind she
was to remain in ignorance, for the time being, as to
the persons who had befriended her.

Seth and Hooseah felt in no we. aggrieved by the
course she had pursued. In fac , it was just what
they wanted, for no sooner was Haws-Eyes free
than he gave the alarm that broreight a. horde of the
savages yelling to the water’s hge But, all they
foun was a comrade lying dead, 3 head cloven by
a tomahawk. ,

The two scouts at once beat a. hasty retreat along-
the shore back toward their friends, whom tln- ‘
found in a fever of excitement and anxiety. Set 1:
lost no time in communicatin to Harris the discov~
er he had made respectin aggie.

‘Good Lord bless ouz oyl ’ the hap 3y father
exclaimed, wrin ing eth 5 hand. “It re ieves my
heart of an awf load to know that my child lives:
but now, another fear rises in my mind—the fear
{hat the madman on that craft may do her \‘i0*
ence. ’

“ Rest easy on that point, Mr. Harris," said Seth,
“ for I assure you no harm can befall her there: for
she has for a companion as fair and lovely :1 girl as
the sun ever shone upon. I heard her refuse to give
Mag ie to the savages to insure her own and her fa~
thers safety. No; Maggie is safe; but the mystery
sutrrSmndmg that raft has deeply enlisted my intern
es

“Then you don’t think the folks on that consarm
are craz , do you, now?” asked Joyful Jim.

“Far rom it; for if the rest are to be judged by
that maiden whom Hooseah tells me is Vishnia. the
Maid of the Valley—she who rescued you at ock.
Island, then the are superior beings. By keeping
in the vicinity o the lake we may be enabled to un-
ravel this mystery. It is true our assistance may be
needed at the Agency; but if I) remaining here we:
can hold a score or two of Ind ans awayfrom there,
we will be rendering them a. great semce; so sup-
pose we now seek some safe quarters and rest easy
till morning?” ,

“ ’Nuff said " exclaimed old Jim, “for I‘m bout
bumfusticated.”

All readily acquiesced in Seth's suggestion, when.
the party at once moved a nnle southward and
bivouacked on the margin of the Black Woods. Her...
they passed the night, and with the first streaks ( i“
daWn the were astir. Hooseah brained a deer wit it.
his to awk, shortlfv after daylight which fur-
nished a hearty break ast and an ample supply of?
food for the needs of the day.

Regaled by their brief sleep, and their meal of savn
ory venison, the Boy Brigade felt vigorous, and anx-
ious for the day’s excitement to begin.

on young Tricks being deployed : s.
scouts, the paxgy started back toward the lid n.
They had proce ed but a short distance when ﬂrh c:
was heard in advance, and the peculiar war-cry if
Le Subtile Wolf warned the Brigade that danger \l as.
very near. .

Inamoment eve man and boy sought shelter.
and the dozen red-s us in ursuit of Hooseah found
themselves in an amb e of deadly enemies ( to
they were aware. A short, but desperate ccnﬁlx t
ensued. The red-skins were routed and but for t) c
dense shadows of the Black Woods, not a man or
them would have esca .

Fierce and terrible t e war-crypt the Boy Brigade
was hurled after the foe, and Wild and demoniacai.
came the rgsponse from the enemy.

The Brig e pressed on toward the lake, and at:
le h came in sight of it. The first thing that met
the rview was the ﬂoating cabin ofiold Ne tune.
Smoke was curling from one of the little ch ey~
like boxes on the roof. The door 0 ned, and all
saw alittle female ﬁgure, with a venue in her hand
trip out upon the porch or latform in front, an
dip some water from the. 6, then re-enwr the

 
u

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Sure Shot Seth.

15

 
“30 ' up the housework," added Joyful Jim,
with a strange smile.

“And yonder,” said Mr. Harris, “you can see a
horde of Indians preparing to embark in canoes
(mm the east shore; and, I dare say, the have de-
signs upon the palace of old Neptune. ys, can’t
we drive them away?”

“Neptune will efend himself, I‘ll guarantee,”
said Justin Gray. “I‘ll venture the assertion that
he’s surrounded with torpedoes.”

Gaining a point where they could command a full
view of the savages, the boys watched their open -
[ions with no little interest. And it was soon dis-
covered that, in addition to the four canoes which
they had brought to Lake Luster during the night,
ahuge raft of logs was in course of construction.
No less than a dozen logs were in the water already,
I 'ing at right-angles with the shore, and about three
geet apart. Across the ends of these,a long pine
stick of timber was placed and iirmlv lashed to each
cross—)iece. Another log, but sma ler in size, was
lashe across the other ends of the under logs, and
then the raft seemed to have been completed. Be.-
tween every two logs, two savages took their posi-
tio their bodies submerged in the water and their
he s and shoulders concealed behind the large log
lashed across the ends of the others.

It was rather a rude, yet effectual raft for the
purpOse intended, and our friends watched the

re rations for the attack upon Neptune with no
iittlgafear and doubt.

“If theysucceed in getting within easy gunshot
of Neptune's raft, I am afraid they will be success-
ful in their attempts,” said Sure Shot. “How-
ever we will walk around that way and perhais
we’ll get an opportunity to take the red rascals in
the rear.” .

“And perhaps Nlptoon,” said old Jim, “ will bring
another of them double-geared, volcano contrapshins
to mince the varlets into fish-bait. ”

“1 ho so,” said Harris, “but it seems as
33?}; he devils were bound to have my poor

G“Ah, there goes the raft!” exclaimed young
ray.

True enough, the savages remaining on shore had
Rushed the raft away from the bank, and slowly and

eavin the cumbersome affair drifted out, propelled
by the feet of those in the water.

“Now, boys,” said Seth, “let us hurry around
there and do our best for our friends on the lake.”

Away they glided like so many shadows and soon
came within range of the Indians watching upon
the bank. Without a moment‘s delay they opened
a deadly ﬁre upon them. The savages at once
sought shelter; but in such a position as to cover
the operations of their friends on the lake.

Harris ke t by the side of the fearless youn
borderman,gure Shot Seth. and it was with a fee -
ing of the deepest ony that he learned of their
inability to prevent he advance of the raft upon
the structure that sheltered his child.

The Bo Bri ade was now in its element a sin.
Conceal be d trees, logs and bushes, the ear-
less youths watched with eager burning eyes for
a. glimpse of an enemy. The;’ ought the Indians
as ndians fight; and as the re -skins were labo
under the excitement of a surprise, they ap
restless and impatient, and ke t dodging hither
and thither like rats, exposmg t emselves to view;
and whenever the clear report of a rifle, ﬁred by
one of the boys, stung through the morning air,
a death- ell was sure to follow.

hot and Harris were where they could
command a view of both the Indians’ raft and the
ﬂoating cabin of old Neptune. They saw the latter
come out on the porch or platform of his domicile,
stoop over and p ace something in the water, as on
the revious night.

“ ow look out!” exclaimed Seth; “it’s my 0 in-
ion you’ll hear something ‘drop.j That man
lent another of his infernal machines to intercept
them savages.”

Asavage around the lake ﬁred at the old man
but his bullet struck the water several rods short of
its mark, 3 ed along the surface and sunk
near the tics cabin. A derisive laugh rung
from the 113): of t e intended victim.

Aboutt timea canoe containin a number of
warriors put out from the northern s ore; but they
agoproached the raft in a. rather cautious manner,
t eir eyes searching every foot of the crystal depths
before them.

Seth and Harris watched the raft closely for
some minutes. Slowly and heavily it crept on
thro h the water.

At t mes it seemed to stand still, and the patience
of the watchers became sorely pressed; but at
length the saw the 10 that protected the savages
shoot sud only into t e air, ollowed bya perfect
mountain of water. Then athwart the morning
burst an awful, pent-u roar that fairly shook the
earth. Aperfect maels rom appleared to ingqu raft
and sav es. The waterstof ke Luster endeav-
ored to cap from their ned, but fell back with a
thunderous surge. Wave after wave rolled with a.
sullen crash against the shore, and recoiled with a
rushin seething roar. Both savages and raft were
lost inghe rush of waters” but when the water began
to calm down, several 0 the dusky wretches were
seen buffeting the waves in desperatr. attempts to
reach the shore. Those that had started out in

canoe with the ostensible purpose of co-oper-
ﬁlling with the raft, tacked about and beat a hasty

retreat.

Old Neptune stood in front of his ﬂoating cabin
and regasded the wiggle with rehm‘ﬁable pindiffer-
ence‘ on assoonas esavagles disa peered
mfenaleﬂgurec issued from thecsbinandstood

. the lake; and I think he will see the situation at

 
pester, but when a double report
I_ A, r: : y I , 

1

An exclamation of joy burst from the lips of Mr. 
Harris, for he saw that one of them was his own i
lost child, Maggie. Seth's heart, too, gave a great
bound, but he kept back the words of joy and love
that rose to his lips.

For a moment the father and lover watched the 1
figures on the cabin porch, but suddenly the crash
0 riﬂes drew their attention aside, and when they
looked out upon the lake again, the three forms had 3
disappeared inside their defense.

Rendered furious by their defeat upon the lake,
the savages massed t leir forces and turned against
their persistent foe, the Boy Brigade. A sharp and
vigorous firing was opened, though with what result
neither partly was enabled to determine, for the
shadows of t 1e Black Woods were dee ), almost, as a
subdued twilight. It soon became evi( out, however.
that the Indians were gradually working in behind
the Brigade, with the intention of surrounding it,
and Sure Shot Seth seeing their danger, at once
gave the sound for t c Brigade to scatter and seek
safety in flight.

Instantly, almost, he saw his friends gliding away: I
and taking the lead, he and Mr. Harris lied also. ‘
They started south, but had proceeded only a short 5
distance when, to thcir surprise and horror, the r be- '
held a dozen savages coming directly toward them.
To their left the woods were now swarming with the
foe, apparently intent upon the capture of Sure Shot
Seth. Bchind, the latter knew, the way was cut off.
while the lake on the right completed the circle of
danger menacing them.

They stopped and glanced around them.

“What Will we do?-where shall we go?” asked !
Harris.

Seth glanced out n )on the lake. A few yards
from the shore he belie d a la e log—one of the tim-
bers of the savages’ raft—«ﬂoating on the water. Its
presence seemed to suggest an idea to the youth
who, re ucstmg his companion to follow, starte
towardt e lake.

“ Secure your riﬂe and swim for that log, Harris,”
the young riﬂeman cried, as they approached the

shore.

lnstantl their weapons were secured, and plung-
ing into t 16 water they swam like beavers for the
log in question. The savages, with frightful yells,
came rushing toward the shore, and several of them
succeeded in getting a shot at the fugitives; but they
acted with such haste and excitement that no injury
was sustained by the whites.

Ina few minutes more the latter had 0t in be-
hind the log, enough of which was above he water
to afford ample rotection to their heads from In‘ ‘
dian bullets. Sti 1, they were in no way beyond dan-
ger. The savages could easil swim out to them, as

hey were not over a hundr yards from shore, and
moving quite slow.

“ We must widen the distance between us and the
shore, Mr. Harris,” Seth said; “lay your hands upon
the log, kick against the water, and et us swim and
pull the. log after us. It’s our on! salvation."

“But we are between two res,” said Harris.
“Sup ose the man on the raft sends one of his in-
fern machines down upon us?”

“I apprehend no danger from that source. He
was standing on his cabin porch when we entered

once, and, knowing we are enemies to the savages,
will renderus assistance. At any rate, I believe we
had better attempt to reach the ﬂoatin cabin.”

“Just as you say, Seth,” answered arris.
Them once set the log in motion by swimming
along kward and pulling it after them‘ and when
fully under headway it required but little effort to
keep moving.

Seth thrust his head up over the 10 and saw that
not less than threescore of Indians assembled
on the beach; he saw that great excitement prevailed
among them' and, at length, he saw a number,
stripped to the waist, plunge into the water and
swim toward them.

“Now. Harris, we must work,” said Seth; “a
number of the red demons are swimminﬁhrlapidly
toward us. If we only dare et from be d this
log, we could swim as ast as t ey; but-”

I he clear, stinging report of a riﬂe run out be-
hind them, cutting short the youth’s wor s. Glan-
cing back over their shoulders they beheld old
Neptune standin in front of his cabin with a riﬂe in
his hand. Mr. arris turned pale, while a look of
uneasiness clouded the face of our hero. A shiver
ran over the forms of each as they saw the myste-
rious old man raise his weapon and aim it directly
toward them. A puff of smoke was seen, then the
regort stun through the air.

ur frien both “ducked ” their heads, for they
heard the bullet whistle close to their ears; but the
horrible shriek of agony that went up from the red-
skin’s lips told who the object \I the old man’s
vengeance had been.

Seth again ventured to peer over the log toward
the shore, He saw one of the warriors who had
started after them, struggling in his death throes in
the water.

The savages on shore saw the young riﬂeman raise
his head, and almost instantly a shower of bullets
converged in a focus about where his face disap-

behind the log. Some of them spattered
against the log, some chipped the bark and others
w istled over within two inches of his head. Sure
Shot, however,_had been enabled to see that the
savages swimming r them were not over fifty
yards away. .

The f tives redoubled their efforts to escape
now that ey felt encouraged by the attempt of old
Neptune to come to their assistance. The reports of
his riﬂe now followed each other in such rapid suc-
cession that they were convinced he

 
a“

are-
peeled out, 1

Seth turned and glanced toward the cabinto see
who this second defender was. To his surprise he-
beheld the form of the lovely Vishnia, standin by
her father’s side calmly reloading a rifle W ose»
barrel glinted in the sunshine like polished silver.
“Ah, friend Harris!” exclaimed Seth. “we have

_‘ anoi her friend in the old hermit's daughter.”

“We need all the friends we. can get now, Sure
Shot!” said Harris, “for I am int-lined to think we
are in a narrow strait, or will be if thc enemy over-
take us in this water.“

“ Yes, we are, by heavens!” cried the young bor-

derman, glancing over. their dcfenso, “for here '
1 comes two logs, one behind the other, and both par- T-

allel with our own; and, I dare say, a dozen savages
are behind each. If we are overtaken, it will be all
day with us.”

“ Work, men, work for your lives!” came a deep-
toned voice from the cabin on the lake-the voice of
old Neptune.

“ Would to heaven he could get one of his infer-
nal machines down against them logs,” said Harris.

" Our log would intercept it,” said Seth, "and the
red demons know it well enough.”

“ Yoop! yoop! stiffen yer sinners, boys! Brace up,
for here comes ole Joyful Jim to the rescue! Scat,
ye redsulphurians, or another volcano will bu’st in

‘ yer midst l”

The fugitives bent their eyes to the left and saw
the old trader, Jovful Jim, coming rapidly toward
them in a canoe. The Indians had opened lire upon
him, with the ho e of frightening hnn back, but all
to 111:) purpose, or their bullets fell wide of the
mar '. .

At the same instant, however, a deafening yell
came from the northern shore of the lake. Six In-
dians had embarked in a canoe from that point, and
each being provided with a paddle, they bid fair to
get between the cabin and our two friends in the
water.

Old Jim saw the danger and pulled with all his
might for his friends finallyoreaching them. He
succeeded in getting them a ard then turned to-
ward the cabin of old Neptune. lint, to their sur;
prise and horror, the saw that the Indian canoe
was standing directly tween.

"Gosh annihilate the lopin‘ devils! they‘ve squared!
their festerin’ karkasses atwixt us and that cabin»
and so we‘ll have to skin out for other quarters."

He turned and ulled toward the south shore.
Seth took up old Jim’s gun and opened fire on the'
savages in the canoe. Firing from the cabin had:
ceasvd, and both the old man and his daughter had.
sought the cover of their domicile.

For some reason or other, the savages in the canoe
made no attempt to follow; and as soon as the latter
discovered this, they came to a halt to watch the
movements of the enemy.

The red-skins behind t 1e logs soon came up to that'
canoe. A short conference was held, when all headw
ed for the cabin of old Neptune.

“Now, by the great horned frogs!” exclaimed
Jim, " I s’pose you see what’s in their mullet heads.
I reckon as what you perceive what ’eni rare ﬂower:
of Satan‘s propagation are gorin’ to do, don’t yet-
Great walls of .he temples! how I do wish a torpedo
’d bu’st under that canoe and spatter them red skins
all over the northern sky. Hoot! by jings! they’re
gorin’ to have toﬂght for the cabin; the old man’s
opened his batter on the sweet-scented larkspurs.”

True enough, 0 d Neptune had 0 ned a vi orous
ﬁring upon the red’skins from cop-holes in the
side of his cabin. Two or three of those in the canoe
tumbled lifeless in the lake, while the remainder
so ht safety behind the advancing logs.

“ ys,” said Seth, “we must not desert our un-
known friends in the cabin.” '

“No; to be sure we must not,” said Jim, turning
the canoe.

Seth and Harris’s riﬂes had been rendered useless-
by their long submersion, but the former took old.
Jim’s riﬂe and o ned a slow, but destructive ﬁre
upon the heads bind the moving 10 s. But the
red-skins seemed determined in their e orts to cap-
ture the cabin of the old hermit of the lake. They

ushed on—they soon came alongside the cabin.

hen they swarmed up out of the water 11 n the

latform in front of the door and upon t ie roof.

he blows of tomahawks, the crash of riﬂes, the
yells of vengeance and groans of agony mingled in.
a horrible din.

Old Jim ressed as close as he dare— so close that
he was ena led to use his revolvers. 'l‘he sav es,
strip of every garment save their loin—clgghs.
clim and wriggled up the steep, smooth inclin~
ation of the cabin, like huge mag ots, then slipp
and tumbling back—some dea , some wound
some unhurt— lunged into the water.

Puffs of smo e burst from the side of the cabin,
followed by stunning resorts. Streaks of blood ran
down the side of the bu ding and stained the crys-
tal waters of the lake. But like so man ravenous»
wolves upon a helpless, wounded deer t e savages
to ht for admittance and the blood of the old man-

wrt D.
But, suddenly, a wild cry of horror burst from

every lip, and the savages sprung away from the _

cabin as if stun by scorpions.

Our three f ends saw the cabin of old Neptune‘

reel upon the water like a drunken thing, then to

their amazement and horror saw it sink beneath the :
waves of Lake Luster with its helpless, imprisoned 1

\ __._.
.

 
CHAPTER XXV.

m not: mm m WATERS. ~-
Aoaomburstfromth ii ofSureShotSethM
oinggwhﬂeawsiloftiiegost 
em theﬂuottho,Mr.nr.nm 

     
16

 
Sure Shot Seth.

 
.—_.._c, ..._h 7AA r

they saw the cabin that contained their friends go
down in the lake.

“Oh, my poor child! my poor child!” cried the
bereaved father, starting up as if to leap in the
water.

“ May Heaven smite their destroyers with its most
terrible vengeancel" moaned Seth, sick at heart.

“Can‘t we help them?" cried Harris; “can we
not—”

"No, Harris,” said old Jim, “we can do ’em no
good. See, the red demons are “bout to turn to‘rds
us. We must ﬂee from, instead of going closer to,
the ﬁends."

True enough; the savages, satisfied of having
destro 'ed the cabin of old Neptune and its inmates
turuet toward our three friends in the boat flushed
with their recent victory. A number of them had
entered their canoe while the rest, gettinghold of
the logs that had afforded them a bulwark in com-
ing over, pushed out for Sure Shot Seth and his
friends.

Old Jim dipped the addle and set the canoe in
motinn. Seth continuet to load and ﬁre upon the
red-skins; while Harris, with alook of the deepest
agony upon his face, watched the spot where the
cabin had gone down, and from whence the waves
were still circling outward, and hundreds of bubbles
were boiling and surging up.

Every vestige of the cabin had disappeared he-
neath the lake save the four chimne tops; and of
these, but a. few inches were visi 1e above the
waves. There was no possible hope for the inmates
of the cabin; and sick and sorrowing at heart, Har-
ris turned his back u on the grave of his child.

Old Jim sat silen y lyin the paddle, astrange
smile—half-bitterness, alf-ﬁy-rcsting upon his
face. The moved toward t e southern shore, pur-
sued 81:? t e savages. The latter, however, relin-
quish their chase as soon as they came in gun-shot
of the beach, for the rest of the Boy Brigade was
Eherelin sight, readyto cover the landing of their
new s.

The red-skins withdrew to the eastern shore, and
in a few minutes Lake Luster was deserted of every
semblance of life. Even its shores seemed resigned
to solitude.

Under cover of a clump of trees the Boy Brigade
held a council, their hearts overshadowed by the dis-
aster on the lake.

“Why sta here now," said Justin Gray, “since
we can be 0 no avail to the inmates of the ﬂoating
cabin?”

“ We owe the dead as well as the livin‘ a duty,"
said old Jim, thoughtfully, yet with a strange smile
upon his face.

“Yes, it is a duty—a Christian duty we owe the
dead to give them a Christian burial,” declared Sure
Shot Set .

Mr. Harris bowed his head and wept, too full of
grief for utterance.

And so it was decided that the remain by the lake
until the bodies could be rescu from their contine-
ment and interred.

Seth and Harris hastened to put their guns in con-
dition for use, for an attack from the red-skins was
momentarily expected. Fortunately, however, they
were disappointed. Not a red-skin was seen dur-
ing the day; but that they were about, and busily
engaged in concocting some traap to catch their ene-
mies, the Brigade had not a ngle doubt; and so
never permitted their vigilance to relax for a. mo-
ment.

To remain inactive, however, was a persecution
in itself to the little band of bordermen; and as the
hours were heavily on propositions for some move-
ment were presented y various persons. All were
decided in the negative until Seth announced an
adventure that would admit of no discussion; he
proposed to go himself upon the lake and examine

he situation of the sunken cabin, leaving his friends
ashore to cover his movements, should the savages
make any demonstration against him.

No one could see any material danger in this,
and so the 'oung riﬂeman at once embarked in the
canoe, stil in their pomession, for the scene of
death. He used the paddle with remarkable skill,
and sent the craft ﬂying over the water. He was
guided toward the righ spot by the four square
chimney-tops protrud ng above the water. The
surface of the lake was smooth and tranquil, and
shone like polished silver under the oblique rays of
the declining sun.

As the youth neared the spot where the craft went
down his heart almost ceased to heat, while a sense
of indescribable horror stole over him. He realized
more fully the bitterness of his heart‘s crushed hapes
——the sad awakening of love‘s young dream. Nerv-
ing up, however, he addied softly on toward the
four chimneys—now he monument to his sweet-
heart's watery grave.

He soon came within five feet of the chimneys,
when he ceased paddling and permitted his boat to
come to a rest. 16 azed over the side of his craft
into the water. Its quid depths were clear as crys-
tal. He could see the bottom of the lake, and the
lower edge of the sunken cabin. He turned and
looked over the other side of his boat. He started
back with a cry of horror. Beneath him lay the
cabin. There was a small lass window or sky ht
in the roof, and at this win ow, her hands clutc ed
hold of the lower sill, her white, ghastly face uplifted
with all the expremion of terror that death could
stamp thereon he beheld Maggie Harris, standing
erect, rigid and motionless.

 
CHAPTER XXVI.
ecu snorr owon'r AT LAST.
" 03, Heaven!" burst from the youth’s ii as ho
behold the face of his dead darling at the ndow of
the sunken cabin. He turned his eyes away, unable

 
to look upon the ghastly scene. But, he could not
drive from his mind the ghastly face, the eyes that
were staring wide open; the ﬂowing locks of hair;
and the look of despair that he had seen at the
Window.

For a moment or two he sat motionless, para-

lyzed. A shrill, uavering whistle rung upon his
car. He started— re recognized it as the warning of
danger that belonged to the Boy Brigades code of
signals. IIe glanced around him, and, to his sur-
prise and fear, beheld three canoes, loaded with
savages put out from different points around the
lake ant mOVe rapidly toward him. Taking up his
paddle he headed toward his friends, while two of
he canocsbent their course to cut him off from
shore. This, Seth knew, they would almost accom-
plish considering their advantages, were it not for
us friends, who would leave nothin undone to
cover his retreat. But, scareer had reconsidered
this self-assurin fact, ere the report of firearms,
mingled with ycl s and shouts, came from the direc-
tion in which he was going, telling him that the
chem had attacked the Brigade and that he could
look or no succor from that quarter.

What had promised a quiet, uninterrupted visit to
the grave of his sweetheart, now threatened to be a
dangerous adventure. W'ith no one to keep the In-
dians back, he could not reach a landing-place be-
fore they came in rifle range. He knew by the
rapid ﬂrin , and the fierce, savage yells in the
woods, tha his friends were being sorely pressed;
and, as he had to depend wholly upon his own exer-
tions for safety, he turned his boat and attempted
to escape between the canoe to the south and that
to the east of him. He worked as he never \VOl‘kt d
before. The perspiration poured from his face; the
blood leaped in hot currents through his veins; and
his nerves seemed strung to nerves of steel. The
elastic blade in his hands bent like a how; the canoe
fairly leaped under each powerful stroke, and a
white, froth streak across the lake deﬁned the
wake of the at.

For awhile, stronglhope of escape encouraged the
young riﬂeman in is almost superhuman efforts;

ut, in an instant, all was dashed to the earth, the
paddle fell from his hands, and he sunk half lifeless
n the canoe, a stream of hot blood spurting from
his nostrils. Nature had been overdone. An artery
had been ruptured, and what of life the hemorrhage
left, was now in ossession of his implacable foe,
Hawk-Eyes the oy Chief.

Weak an still bleeding, Sure Shot Seth was taken
by the savages and conveyed ashore and out into the
woods into the midst of a. large band of young war-

I'lOl‘S.

A yell of triumph hailed the captors’ arrival, and

a aneral rush to see the captive followed.

th was permitted to sit down, and holding his
extended arms above his head succeeded in stopping
the flow of blood from his nose. He was literally
Covered with his own crimson life-tide.

The savages res cted his misfortune so far as an
Indian can respec awounded enem . No indignities
were visited u on him; but many, ores and vindic-
tive, were the r threats.

Seth an his eyes over the faces of his captors for
that o the Boy Chief ' but it was nowhere to be seen.
Presently, however, that youn renegade made his
a pearance with a number 0 others from around
t e lake. As be pressed through the crowd of sav-
ages Surrounding Seth, a cry of abject fear burst
from his ii 8 when he caught sight of the prisoner.
He start back, at first as if from the resence of
one he feared, but quickly recovering: an concealing
all trepidation from his braves, he a vanced to where
our hero sat.

“ Sure Shot Beth,” he said, half to himself.

Seth raised his eyes, while a cry of surprise burst
from the red-skin’s lip.

“ Who are you that knows the 9” demanded Seth,
“ and En lish so well?’

“ We met [as on the morning of the shooting-
match at the A ency," was the chief’s response.

Seth knew it, ut pretended ignorance.

“ I have no recollection of you,” he answered.

“ Well, you will know me when you see me again,
I assure ou.“

“Ah, t at‘s a threat," Seth replied, with disdain.
“None but a coward would nrock and threaten a

risoner."

“You are my prisoner—you, the leader of a band
under whose riﬂes scores of my braves have fallen,”
returned the chief.

“ It has been a fair, free fight. You have the odds,
and if you get whipped, you have no reason to oom-

lain ’ returned the fearless boy riﬂeman.

“T en if you get scalped and roasted, I suppose

u‘ll have no reason to complain r”

“ Of nothing more than that it was done at the in-
stance of a cowardly knave—a white red-skin, whose
name is Ivan Le Clerc ." said Seth, contemptuously,
“ and who, with Ben ct Arnold and Judas Iscariot
grillth down to posterity in history base bound and

ra r. ‘

“ But the historian will never know the fate of
Sure Shot Seth, he who played it well the day of the
shooting-match; but I wasn‘t asleep.“

“Coward! tiaou behaved me dead till you met me
here, a minu ago; and fearing the ve cance of
the lamdyou ﬂed—deserted your own poop e and en-
deavo to coax your four white friends awa with
you; and for all I know succeeded. after ving
sneakineg murdered Abe Theme. You,are a vile
wretch—too vile even for an Indian.”

The Boy Chief started as if thunderstruck at these
words; but he saw that his manifestations of fear
bror ht looks of derision and disgust to the faces of
his to owers, and so he rallied his spirit of bravado,
and replied:

“ ure Shot Seth. you know too much to live."

    
“ And you too little to die."

“And, therefore," the chief continued, “I shall
see; that you do not escape this time. Nor your band
eit iel‘."

He turned aside and held a short, inaudible con-
sultation with his braves. When the pow—wow had
ended. Hawk-Eyes took the majority of his warriors
and left, going toward the lake. Seth felt sure, that
the Boy Brigade was the objective point of this
movement.

Those left in charge of the prisoner finally took
him and moved away toward the lake also. ()n
reaching the water the ' embarked in a canoe for the
interior of the lake. ' “'0 other savages in a canoe,
that was sunk to its gunwales under a load of stones,
followed behind. A third canoe with three occu-
pants, towing behind a huge log by means of a rope
made of fibrous bark, followed the second.

When about one hundred yards from the sunken
cabin of Neptune, the canoe of the prisoner stopped.
The second ran alongside of it, though leavin ' a few
feet of space between into which the thir party
towed the logs.

Something of the truth now entered Seth‘s min;1
and sent a shudder through his veins. He believ
he was to be lashed to the log and left to die, where
his friends, as well as his enemies, could witness his
agonies, and yet render him no assistance. Nor was
he left in a moment‘s doubt. The red—skins lifted
him from the canoe and laid him back down upon
the log. He was then bound with strips of tough
ﬁbrous bark as securely as though he was a part of
the 10 itself. Hrs hands were doubled under the
log an bound so that he could not move a muscle.

A long rope of bark was next attached to the log
and the canoe loaded with rock. Then the bottom
of the canoe was cut through in several places; the
craft filled with water and sunk to the bottom oi
the lake, securely anchoring the log in the center of
the little sheet.

Having com leted their ﬁendish work the sava-
ges retired to e woods to await the result.

Seth at once saw through the whole of this devilish
work; they had set a trap for the rest of the Bri-
gade. Ex sed as he was, the red-skins knew full
well that is friends would discover his situation
and endeavor to relieve him, when they—the save,
gee—would pounce down u on them from their
coverts along the shore like awks upon a brood.

Seth’s hands and feet were in the water and as a
strong breeze now disturbed the surface 0 the lake
tiny waves dashed against the log and spri’l‘xl
their s ray over him. Rende weak with the loss
of bloc and the terror of his situation, this exposure
affected him greatly. He could not turn his head;
he could not move a muscle; nor could be breathe
with half his usual freedom. He could see no
but the sky, from which the li ht of day was f
fading, for by this time the sun ad gone down. He
saw ong “ mare tail “ clouds stretched across the
sky, whi ' were a forewarning of a night of wind.

As the twili ht shadows deepened around him he
summoned his strength and sent forth the Bri-
gade’s signal of distress. It was answered from the
northern shore: but the answer was immediately
followed by the report of a riﬂe—evidence that tho
savages were in close proximit to the Brigade.

Darkness at length fell. he sky was overcast
with swift-moving clouds. The wind swe t across
the Black Woods and tossed the surface 0 the lake
into tin billows. Seth was soon drenched to the
skin an chilled to the marrow. An inevitable death
stared him in the face. Wave after wave broke
over him. He rose and fell and tossed like an egg
shell on the crest of the billows. The rush and roar
of the elements drowned all other sounds. Deep,
black and boundless an eternity grew the darkness
around him. A thousand vague and awful horrors
crowded upon his soul. Stran visions rose up be-
fore him and hovered like sp ts around. Stra.
icy' arms were clasped around him like hoops of
steel. Then followed an awful and the sen-
sation of being swept away into t e inimitable
depths of eternity. Down. down. dee r and doe i
into the unknown void he felt himse sinking—£3
buzzing roar gradually dissolving into the notes of
far-off music, sweet and laintive, and ﬁnally fading
into that oblivion which nows no pain, no suffering
—the hand—maid of Death.

CHAPTER XXVII.
rm: SILENT saunas or m nun.

Wrrn anxious, er hearts the Boy 0
watched their young cadet (:2th upon his 10:»
ing expedition. They watch him ashe lid out
over the g waters of the lake tow the spot
where the ﬂoating-‘cabin of Neptune went down,
never dreaming t t lynx-eyed danger lurked in
ambush for him until they saw the three canoes
loaded with savages put out from different points
around the shore.

At that time Seth was in the vicinity of the sunken
craft; and cent to his usual precaution, a,
peered not to see is peril; whereupon 00535
gave the signal of danger. In a moment th began

retreat, and the Brigade prepared to cover it; but,
altl the most origian promote: a. score of saw
cargedu ntem rom e woodacorn
them to see; shelter in the doc r shadowribeac
from the lake. This they lost no e in dot and
had the cod fortune to stumble into a. “ win an n
-—a num r of 1 trees uprooted and piled in such
away as to affo a temporary defense. The say.
ages endeavored to dislodge them from their retreat,
but were met with such vigorous resistance that the
were compelled to relinquish their ob ect and see;
shelter from the unerring riﬂes of the e.

The latter now had a moment‘s res te enumer-
ate their casualties. To the fear an regrets of all,
one of the band, Teddy O‘Roon. the Irish lad-m

    
Sure Shot Seth.

 
‘3

missing: and there was not a doubt left in the mind
of an one but that he had been killed. Two others
had a s' htly wounded; and the Worst of all,
their belov young leader was, ere this, in the
power of his cruel enemy. Nothing but the inter‘
We 'on of Providence could save him.

e yells that finally rese along the lake told that
their Worst fears had been realized—Seth was a cap-
tive. Disasters were falling thick and fast upon the
Boy Brigade. .

‘ What do you suppose the fate of Sure Shot will
be?” asked Harris. _

“ No doubt a horrible death,” replied Justin Gray.

A look of sadness overs read eacn countenance
and a solemn grief tremblet upon each lip. Still the
courage of the little band did not  Taught by

experience and similar tryi circumstances,

0 resolved to ut forth every e ort in behalf of
their young frien and leader—to risk life and limb
In an attempt to save him.

As nothing had been seen of their enemies since
entering the “windfall,” Hooseah was sent outto
reconnoiter. He soon returned and announced the
we clear to the lake. The savages had doubtless
withdrawn to join their friends in their fiendish tri<
umph over the capture 0'. Sure Shot Seth. The
Bri ade left their retreat and. stole back to the shore
of t e lake. They found the little sheet deserted;
not a sign of Seth, his canoe, or the savages could be
seen.

Scouts were at once sent in opposite directions
around the lake, but, before they returned the Bri-
gade saw the savages emerge from the forest on the
op osite side of the lake, enter a canoe with Seth,
and) row out upon the water. Half an hour later
they saw the object of this movement. Seth had
been left almost in the middle of the lake, bound to
a log anchored there, by some means or other.

The object of the red-skins was evident; it was
the capture Of an one who might attempt Seth‘s
rescue. And, as t e Brigade was now without a boat
of an kind, and the water was growing rough. it
won] be next to impossible to reach their friend by
swunmmg.

To and fro beneath the forest shadows, the little
band paced uneasily, suffering all the excruciating
misery that the predicament of their young captain
could force upon them. I said all' this, iowever,
was not the case, exactly. Old Joyful Jim sat down
and with that grim, queer smile that had been no-
ticed before, on different occasions, upon his face,
he watched the helpless young rifleman.

“My God, boys! Justin Gray finally exclaimed,
his face marked by desperation ‘ I can stand this no
longer; Seth must be saved! will swim out there
and release him, if I die for it.“

“ Wuss than useless to undertake to swim out thar
now," said old Jim. “ Jist wait; it‘ll soon be dark;
then mcbby some of us can make it.”

“But, he may be dead by that time, " persisted

Gm .

" Bon‘t fool yerself; Seth‘s not goin’ to give up so
easy as that. never see'd a boy t rat was as chuck,
jam full of life as that Seth. No, them 'tarnal brim-
stonites don’t want him dead till they git us; there-
fore, we want to save calorie, and 11 bet Sure
ghet’ll live to impale more‘n one red-skin on a sun-

eam.”

“ I wish I knew that you spoke prophetically, J im,"
said Gray, puzzled by the indifferen view the old ex-
trader took of the matter, and the coolness he had
manifested all along.

“ Wait and you‘ll see was the 0. er."

They did wait until darkness se ; but time had
seemed to lag so wearily that all hope of Seth’s es-
cape had about died out. It seemed impossible for
him to have lived so long. Night shut every object
from view upon the lake; and only the roar of the
wind and the moan of the woods broke upon the
eager ears of the little band. _

ld Jim left the Brigade With the avowed purpose
of reconnoitering the northern shore of the lake;
while Hooseah and Justin Gray prepared to swnn out
to Seth‘s rescue, be the result what it might.

These two boys had no su riors in watercraft;
and upon sewral occasions ad displayed almost
superhuman strength and endurance, as well as
wonderful feats, in the water. They were well aware
of the dangers and difﬁculties they would have to
combat; but there was no )erll, no hardship they
would not undertake in beh f of their beloved you
leader. So, they divested themselves of most 0
their clothing, and having securely fa tened their
hunting knives to the ends of long, slender rods.
the “ put to sea." They swam side by side, lyin
u ntheir backs, their hands and arms submergef
tlfgir hastily improvised lances slightly elevated and
,the oints touching like the antenna of insects.

e darknew was intense. and as the lake was rib
bed and furrOWOd by waves, Le Bubtile Wolf and the
Beaver e rienoed considerable unpleasantness as
they cut t eir way through the water. side by side.
They could just distinguish each other’s presence
along the surface of the water. The guided them.
Ielves by the wind and waves The ind gone no”.
ly a hundred yards when a sound all upon the ears
of the Beaver that caused him to start. It was the
dip of a paddle. Le Subtile Wolf answered in n
It manner, when both at once became silent
and motionless on the water.

Without a doubt a canoe was approaching. They
could hear the di of the die. and the prow on

the waves. 1: came oser and closer.

ey can now see the dark outlines of the hull,
along the surface of the water, and the shadowy out-
lines of no ﬁgures above it. They know what
it means. It is a savage canoe patrolling the lake for
enanieo. They prepare to act, for their situation is

Mmudemdaﬂuinthocanoo

,

 
‘17

 
and the ' were coming almOst directly toward the.
boys, w )0 touched their latices twice. then drew
them back, and when the canoe came up. thrust the
weapons forward into two of the upright figures
within it. A yell of agony burst from the warriors
lips. and a momentary confusion followed. The un-
suspecting warriors knew not from whence those
death blows had come, so silently had they been
dealt, so dark was the surroundii . The paddlers
dropped their blades, and assisted t eir com )anious
wit the two struggling in the agonies 0 death.
This left the canoe within reach of the Beaver and
Le Subtile Wolf, who, following up the advantage

ained, launched their terrible wea ons through the
(arkness again. Two more of t 1e six had been
stricken down by the deadly sting of death; and be-
fore the others could recover from their fear
and consternation, the ﬁnal blow had been struck
and the two desperate boys had won a signal vic-

tor .

llz’yhen assured that the had nothing more to fear
of those in the canoe, t ey swam alongside of the
boat and threw themselves into it. To eonsi n the
bodies to the troubled waves was but the wor of a
moment then each laying his lance by his side, took
uga pa dle.

t required some moments now for them to get
their course, for in the silent and deadly encounter
they had lost their bearings. When assured they
were right the dipped their blades and crept away
through the goom. They were now compelled to
use more precaution than ever, for the water, when
lying with their ears upon it. was a better conductor
of sound than the air. Moreover, their elevation
rendered it more difficult to discern objects around
theta. But they felt themselves equal to the occa-
sion, beii greatly encouraged by their recent vic-
tory. It rad been a part of their programmeto
maneuver for the ca ture of a canoe in which to con-
vey their friend as ore, should they succeed in re-
leasing him. It was this that they had in view when
the. constructed the deadly weapons they carried
wit them.

There was such a harmony of instincts in these
two boys, trained as they had been to ether, that
they had not spoken a dozen words since caving the
shore. The touch of their lances had kept them to-
gether, and any sudden movement of the wea n by
one seemed to convey his thoughts to the 0 her as
naturally as one conveys words upon the electric
telegraph. \Vith their minds centered upon the one
great o ject of mercy, it was natural enough that
the details followed in intuitive harmony. One
made no movement that did not “dove-tail," as it
were, with the other‘s, and with this silent and per-
fect sameness of action, which was, in a manner,
characteristic of the whole Brigade, had they been
enabled to accomplish so much ill the gloom.

They moved on, and were finally nearing the spot
where they had last seen Seth tossing on the waves,
when the sound of voices fell upon their ears.
The at once ceased paddling, and holding the
blat es so that their boats mi ht not drift back, the
listened. They could hear t e audible dip of a 
die, mingled with a voice speaking English. The
boat of the unknown was crossing the path of our
two adverturesome friends, and when nearly oppo-
site atlhie prow of their boat, they heard the person

. n say:

“I te ye, boss I've jist all I can do to keep that
Boy Brigade off the scent. I've been afraid, 't time
011‘ two, that they’d find out the little game I’m
p ay ns.’

A shudder thrilled through the forms of the two
boys and they clutched their lances as if to strike.
As .' e boat rew nearer and passed on by them,
they recognized the voice of the speaker.

It was t at of Joyful Jirnl

Was he a traitor to the Boy Brigade? Alas! that
else could he have been?

 
CHAPTER XXVTII.
JOYFUL Jams UNDER A CLOUD.

Tim Beaver and Le Subtile Wolf continued on
until they su sed they were in the vicinity of the
log to which th was bound; but to their surprise
and gain they could find nothing of their young
frien . They searched the water over and over,
but without reward; and were ﬁnally compelled to

give up the search.

Sad and heavy-hearted, they returned to shore
with the int ence of Seths disappearance no
doubt beneath waves of the win tossed l’ittle
sea.

The little bans: was pluﬁed into the doc st
gloom. Their hearts sunk thin them, and air
courage seemed to falter. To add still more to the
intens ty of their feelings. the words that Justin Gray
and hooseah had overheard upon the lake had been
construed into the words of a traitor.

“I have often remarked the indifference with
which old Jim ed some thin s of a serious
nature to us."sai Gray; “espec things con-
nected with this lake.”

“ Yes,“ replied Mr; Harris, “ I have noticed that on

us"

“But,” said Tom Gra n, inclined to give old
Jim the benefit of a don t, ‘ hasn’t he done things
since he has been with us that would be a little un-
accountable if he was a traitor to us?"

“ Yes; but thathas been partof his tactics to mix~
lead us,” said Gra . “Hobos pretended toner-vs
us while he has a—

‘Hooht" exclaimed Le Snbtile Wolf, suddenly;
“ light on lake~see "

e enougl? a dim light had become visible near

the lake. It shot a. long, subdued

beam across the water to whereourfriends stood.
Itwnsnoh olightushinesfromawindowona

 
dark night. and seemed to be elevated a few feet
above the surface of the lake. _.

One of the boys decided that it must be awill-o’-
the-wisp; but this idea was exploded by the light disv
appearing ever and anon as though forms were pass-
ing‘ to am fro between.

be boys puzzled themselves over this light for
more than an hour, but they could obtain no deﬁnite
information regarding it and were at length compel
led to give it up and retire to some safer pomt in which
to pass the wea ', drea hours of night. They
sought the “ wind all,” which had afforded them a
safe retreat during the da ; and having posted two
uards that were to be re ieved at intervals of two
ours, the rest lay down to sleep and give their tired
minds re se.

Little s eep, however, closed the eyes of the ril-
environed band that night; and when one (If fal)
into a doze, the vagaries of an excited brain conjured
up a thousand horrors and dangers.

Slowly and wearily the n' t dragged away, and
with its darkness went many f the terrors born of
it. Bright and early the boys were astir, but not
until the rising sun had dispe 0d every shadow did
thﬁy venture out of their retreat.

aving ﬁrst partaken of their morning rr'past.
they started toward the lake. They had prom-ml w.)
but ashort distance when a “chirp " liketl .: ot‘a
bird overhead caused their. all to look 11 ); when, to
their astonishment, they saw old Joy 111 Jim re-
clining in a sort of hammock attached to a limb,
looking as smiling and innocent as a clown in a cir-
cus.

Mechanically the Bri ade drew back the hammers
of their uns, while a 00k of sudden surprise and
unutterab e scorn mounted their faces.

" Careful! careful!" exclaimed the old fellow,
throwing up his hand; “it‘s me, Joyful James.
Don‘t shoot—he—avens!”

The last exclamation was occasioned by a sav
yell not far away, and quick as a ﬂash the Briga
turned and started back to the windfall; while old
Jim ho pod out of his bed and began to scramble
down t e tree in a hurry. As soon as he had reach-
ed the ground, he followed the Brigade, and was
nearing the windfall, in which the boys were already
ensconced, when a savage with an uplifted tOInﬂr
hawk sprung from behind a tree and confronted
him. As the murderous weapon of the savage de-
scended, it was dextrously warded off by the gun
barrel of the white man. But the sudden deviation
of the tomahawk, and the force with which it fell
11 the gun-barrel, carried both from the hands of
t eir owners, leaving them face to face and empty-
handed.

Old Jim expecte shot from the Boy Brigade to
help him out of his i’ficulty; but as it was not forth-
coming, while a dozen Indians behind him were, he
saw that he must act with dispatch. He thrust for-
ward his bony hands, and seizing the savage by the
throat and waist, raised him aloft as thou h he were
a child, and as J u iter hurls his thunderbo ts against
the mountain, so e hurled the red-skin to the earth,
crushing the life out of him. Then he grabbed 8:11p
his riﬂe and attempted to escape inside the windf ;
but before he could do so, three Indians were upon
him, and turning, he fought them with the ﬁerce.
near and des ration of a tiger driven at bay. With
clubbed riﬂe e swept the foe down before him. The
breech of the wea n snapping of! left him the iron
barrel, a formida le wea n that crushed and
crunched its way through e air around the pews!
that wielded it.

The Boy Brigade watched the conflict with aston~
ishment. They saw the old man in combat with
those whom they had decided were his friends. But
the thought that they might be mistaken ﬂashed
across their minds the instant the caught sight of
his face. It seemed transformed that of a mad-
man. The cords in his neck and face had swelled
out almost to bursting. His eyes glowed with the
ferocity of a Fury. He seemed endowed with
superhuman power as he fought for his life. The
iron wea on in his hand had become bespattered
with the lood of his victims. It fairly driplped with
glore. The Brigade saw it. It was enoug —it told
t em that old Jim was no friend to the ed-skins,
and in another moment they were out of their covert
to the rescue of the brave and heroic old man.

The red-skins were at once driven away; and with
Jim, the Brigade sou ht their shelter ain. Here
the old (ex-trader sun down, weak and elpless, al-
most as if stricken with paralysis. His nervous sys-
tem had been strung to such a tension by excitement
that the sudden relapse completely pros-trailed him.
The he s supposed he had been wounded, and ran to
his ass nce, all anxious to serve him.

“ Where are you hurt Jim?" Justin Gray in

quired.
“ Nowhar in partickler " he answered; “m h
alip mt

cal stamina‘s oin‘ bac on me that’s
didn‘t I make e claret ﬂy, thorigh. enter them red-
sln'ns? Shades of the Tent lei never got into sich

a muss in all my life; and thought you tellers war
never comin’ to help me. Reckon you didn’t want

w “edgy gm signiﬂ t Inn b t
e c can g cos, u re-

mained qt’iiset?‘ Old ﬁnally recovered his st
and rose to his feet, with the announcement that
was him: elf again.

As the lndians did
stration upon the wind the
leaveitandgodowtgietoﬂzehkean

I

    
.18

Sure Shot Seth.

 
o——-— -

ﬂoating cabin of old Neptune, or one exact] like it,
resting calmly upon the placid bosom of t e little
sheet. From one of its chimneys a thin wreath of
smoke was curling, and through the open door, look-
ing south, the lithe form of a female was passing to
and fro.

What did it mean? This was the uestion that
passed from lip to lip; but no one con answer. It
was a mystery within a mystery.

CHAPTER XXIX.
LIFE IN A NEW wian.

WE left Sure Shot Seth unconscious u on a in
in the middle of the lake, overcome by t ie loss 0
blood, cold, and the horrors of his situation. But
he was not left alone here to die. Under tiie canopy
of night a canoe crept across the water with two
cloaked occu iants who released the youth from
the log, took iis almost helpless form aboard, and
then disappeared in the direction they had come.

How long he had remained unconscious Sure Shot
Seth had no means of telling; but when reason be-
gan to assert its power, it was with a vague uncer-
tainty that he regarded his state of existence. He
found that he was not in the water nor upon the
log, of which he maintained an indistinct recollec-
tion; but upon a soft pallet surrounded by walls,
and shadowy forms that were iassing around him.
The murmur of voices in the ( istance also assured
him of the vague, dreamy existence in some sphere
or other: but his mind was so heavy and depressed
that he could not collect his thoughts. Little by
little, however, objects around him began to as-
sume more tangible and material shape. Out of the
shadows of unconsciousness those moving ﬂ ures
. adually unfolded themselves until he fouiu that

e was surrounded by men and women. At length
he had so far recovered as to reco nize a face bend-
ing over him. It was that of Vis min, the Maid of
the Valle . At one side sat her father, old Nep-
tune. V ith their presence was connected some
vague horror. He closed his eyes and tried to recall
the past. One by one the events of the last few
days came trooping back; and when at length a
remembrance of the sinki of old Neptune‘s cabin,
with all on board, enteret his mind. a cry burst
from his lips. They lived as he did himself; but
was it not in another sphere? They had surely been
drowned in Lake Luster and passed into another
existence. He had met with a similar fate on the
log where the savages had left him. This expla-
nation seemed coglent enough to him; but as an-
other thought flas ed into his mind, he started up,
cryin out:

' \ he's is she? Maggie?"

“Here,” responded a soft voice, and Maggie Har-
ris appeared before him, her face radiant with love
and o .

“ hin we are all here,“ he said, sinking back upon
his couch, a great load seeming to have been re-
moved from his brain.

“ Yes, Seth, we are all safe in the cabin of Ne -
tune," answered Maggie, speaking in a low, gent e
‘oice.

“ But have we all not undergone a change? we are
not on earth, are we?" the half-delirious youth
asked; “you were all drowned when the cabin sunk,
were you not?”

“No, Seth,” answered Ma 'e, “we were not
drowned. This is a wonderfu structure. Neptune
~sunk it at his pleasure to save us from the sav es.
Every opening can be hermetically sealed, so t at
no water can enter the rooms. It was Neptune that
rescued you and brought you here. You have long
been unconscious."

Her words swept away the cloud that hovered over
the youth’s mind; and in a moment he was in full

ession of his senses. He opened his eyes and
, azed around him. He saw that the room was nice-

furnished. The walls, which gradually sloped
gem the ﬂoor to the apex overhead, were heavily
painted and varnished. A small sheet-iron stove oc-
rcupied one end of the long room. In one corner
were cooking utensils and dishes. Further down
the room was a table covered with books. In the
other end was a sort of a stand or work-bench, upon
which lay an almost countless number of tools. A
‘machine—apparently unfinished—of some. kind or
other, and composed of innumerable cogs, wheels
and ulle s, stood upon the table. On the ﬂoor near
the he were the other parts of complicated
machinery, which were evidence themselves of the

 
occupation of old Neptune. Under the table were ‘

two rubber canoes, one large, one small.

Near the center of the room was something that
puzzled our hero. It wasa h 6 box with a crank
on one side and a fly-wheel on he other. But what
could it be used for? At first he concluded that it
was some ap aratus for propelling the ﬂoating cabin,
:if such the omicile might be termed; but, further
investigation revealed a lo rubber hose lying

iled at the foot of the mach no, and which led to

' esupFosition that it was used for manipulating
the or t.

In addition to these things, some wearin apparel,
'two or three riﬂes, a guitar, some beautif pictures,
a couple of pallets and some other articles and orna-
ments composed the furniture of the strange place.

Three windows, of but a single large pane each,
lighted the room, while overhead were four 0 n-
lngs, one of which served as a chimney, the ot ers
gs ventilators. '

Altogether it was astrange structure; but in per-
fect keeping with the wild mysterious air that sur-
rounded its owner, old Neptune, and his fair and
holy daughter, Vishnia.

. r There was nothin to fear in the old man’s looks-
nnthecontra tere wasama styinhistall
(omhis into ectual face and pa hal board,
that commanded Inspect and admiration. His dark

 
gray eyes, massive brows and e ressive mouth.
carried the expression of a deep t ' ker and pro-
found student of nature with them. .

He came and sat down by Seth, administered
stimulants to him, and at the same time kept up an
easy pleasant conversation. The former strengthened
his )ody, the latter his mind' and in the course of a.
few hours the 'onth was on his feet. Neptune con-
ducted him to he door and out upon the porch, from
whence he had a fair view of Lake Luster and the
surrounding shores. He searched the latter for some
signs of his friends; but saw nothing, The beach
seemed entirel ' deserted.

“I wonder i my friends are alive?" he said to the
old man.

“They were at ten o‘clock last night." replied
Neptune. “and I think the ' had a conﬂict with the
savages this morning, for I heard a sharp firing over
on the West shore."

“ The savages seem determined on the destruction
of the Boy Brigade," said Seth. seriously.

“ Yes: and the ﬂoating-palace of old Neptune.”

“ But 1you can outwit them when we cannot.“

The 0 (1 man burst into a pea] of laughter.

Seth continued:

“ Your residence here is a wonderful structure.
Its mechanism sui asses my comprehension."

“ No doubt of i , my boy; but if you will come
with me inside, I will explain the whole thing to you
in a satisfactory manner.“

As they turned to go in, Seth caught sight of a
savage standing on the eastern shore; and b his
dress, recognized him as Hawk-Eyes, the Boy L 'ef.

 
CHAPTER XXX.
PRINCIPLE or 'rm: FLOATING CABIN.

WHEN Seth and Neptune entered the cabin, Vish-
nia was playing upon the harp from which she had
called forth such ravishi strains a few nights re-
vious on Rock Island. T e old man motioned Shth
to a seat then sat down himself, and buryi his
face in his hands remained silent until his dau ter
had ceased playing. Then, raising his hea and
nervously runni his ﬁngers through his gra
locks, he took a 00k from the shelf near at him ,
and turning to Seth, read, in a clear voice, as follows:

“PRINCIPLES or FLO’I‘ATION.—When a body is
plunged into a ii uid, it is u ed downward by its
proper weight, an n ward by t e buoyant effort of

he liquid. If the ensity of the immersed boxllly is
the same as that of the. liquid, its weight wi be
equal to the buoyant effort of the liquid, and it will
remain in equilibrium wherever it may be placed.
If the density of the body is greater than that of the
li uid, its weight will be greater than the buo 'ant
e ort and the body will sink to the bottom. I the
density of the body is less than that of the liquid, its
weight will be less than the buoyi‘iint effort, and the
body will rise to the surface. e body will con—
tinue to rise until the wei ht of the displaced liquid
equals that of the body, w en it will come to a rest.“

“Now,” said the old man, closing the book, “ these
are the philosophical principles upon which my craft
here is constructed. I have always been a firm be-
lieVer in the ability of talent and genius to construct
a submarine house and boat in which peo 1e mav
live and travel under water as well as on he sur-
face of the earth and water. The former I have de-
monstrated to my satisfaction. In the ﬁrst place, I
had a reservoir constructed thirty feet long, twelve
feet wide, and twelve inches dee . .Its capacity,
therefore, is three hundred and six y cubic feet. t
was made air-tight, and provided with sto cock
and faucets, and loaded vnth stone until its ensity
was almost equal to that of the water. Then on to
of this reservoir this cabin was erected, and the -
ditional weight caused the reservoir to sink still
deeper so that a part of the cabin is submerged.
You can see that the threshold of the door is two
feet above the ﬂoor, which brings the line of ﬂota-
tion nearl the same hight above the ﬂoor, so that a
portion 0 the cabin is always under water. The
cabin, as you saw, was covered with galvanized
sheet-iron, all soldered together, and the door and
windows made to close hermetically. As the amount
of water displaced by the air chamber, below, is

 
ual to the weight of the unsubmerged part of the .

ea in, all I have to do, w sink the w

ole concern is i

to open a faucet and let the reservoir fill with water, ‘

when down we go. The shape of the roof aids the
downward ressure. While thus submerged, we
receive fres air through those pipes overhead that
pro'ect above the surface of the water."
“ ut suppose you should sink beyond your math,
then those pipes would ﬂood the interior, ' said th.
“That is an obstacle that I propose to overcome

soon," continued the old man, thoughtfully. “I 1

pgopose to invent an apparatus by which a supply 3
o

resh air can be had at gleasure, even when
fathoms below the aurface. ut, when I wish to
rise to the surface, I force the water from the
reservoir below by means of this force-pump;

and the buoyant effort carries me to the surface. .

This much have I demonstrated in living under the
water.
believer in its accomplishment: and have already
invented a little machine that travels, by means of a
screw worked by a series of clock-works just under-
neath the surface of the wateih As soon as I had ac-
complished this, the idea of a self-moving torpedo
was suggested to m mind; and as rumors of a war
were a road in the and, I thought it a good time to
invent something of the kind, and sol went to work;
and how well I succeeded, (you have doubtless seen
illustrated within the past ew days."

“I have seen a sav e canoe and raft blown out
of the water within t 6 past day or two if thatis

red Sethuvho

what you have reference to." answe

 
had become deeply interested in the man's explana-
(ions.

"It is: and if I had possessed more than the two
torpedoes, no savage canoe would ever have reach-
ed my cabin. Since the last attack, however, I have
completed another, ready for seine desperate emer-
gency, for which I am hourly lookin h".

“But I don‘t see how you can sent your torpedoes
so direct us to intercept the craft of the enemy
every time," said Seth.

“ Well, it I‘c( uires care. The instrument bein
she )(‘(I somew at like a fish, has, what I ca
‘sig its,’ on each end, b ' means of which I get it set
on a line directly with t e object I wish it to strike.
The princmal machinery is submerged, and to pre-
vent it sinking, a buoy is attached to it which ﬂoats
on the water’s surface. If the water is smooth and
there is no cross waves, or other objects to interfere,
the machine will glide away in a line straight as a
bullet could travel. When the canoe is reached, an
upright w1re that protrudes just abore the water,
strikes theboat, and having connection with the in-
sule machinery, ﬁres a pistol which in turn fires the
magazine, and the explosion follows. So far, I have
tested it only on a small scale: but repose to apply
the same motorto a magazine 8 cient to blow a
ship-of-war out of existence.“

‘ I daresay on will succeed; but I am surprised at
your coming ere, into this wild, savage country lo
pursue your experiments," said Seth.

“ Tis the secluSIon, the seclusion my son, that I
sought out here," the old man said, glancing vaguely
out across the lake.

“ Ne tune, then, is not your name i" observed Seth.

“ No at all," was the laconic reply of the old man.

Seth relapsed into silence; he saw that the old.
man had communicated all that he seemed desirous
of doing, and, finally, he rose and going to where
Maggie and Vishma were seated said:

“ aggie, your father and friends mourned you as
dead yesterday when they saw this craft sink be-
neaih the waves.“ (1 M

‘ ’oor papa " sai ag 'e, sad] “I know he
must have suffered," and t e tearsywelled up into
her gyes.

“ es; and had you been lost I would have consid-
ered myself, in a measure, the cause; for I should
not have left you the other day when I did."

“You did only what you supposed to be for the
best Seth,” she said, gently.

“ I know it; but then I cannot be. too thou htful of
one who saved In life at great expense to erself."

“It was not on y a duty, but a pleasure," Maggie
answered, her eyes 5 arkling with all the true in-
wardness of a woman 3 love: “if the future has no
perils, I’ll never regret the past."

“ Well, I hope our dangers are past; but I fear we
have much trouble yet to encounter A few moments
ago I saw our enemy, Ivan Le Clereq. Yesterday I
stood faceto face with him. It is his deem: to get
you into his power, and me out of existence. He is
a desperate character, and I shall always believe
that he'knew of the intended attack on the Agency,
if he (hd not help plan it. Without some previous
merit he could not have attained the power of a war
chief in a single day. I daresay he has been the
enemy 5 agent among us.”

“ Friend March," called out old Neptune, who was
standing at the open door, “ will you come this way
a moment? "I want your opinion on a little matter. ’

Yes Sll‘, answered Seth, and he walked down
to the o (1 man.

“ What do you think of the prospect fora battle?”
the latter as ed, (pointing out upon the lake where
three canoes, ﬁlle with savages, were a proaching.

.“Too promising," answered Seth; ‘ but if you
Will rov de me. With a riﬂe I assure you they‘ll not
reac here ahve, if I know myself "

“That'you can have, Seth," replied old Neptune
and turning aside he took a riﬂe from the wall and
handed it to the youth; “ I have heard that you are
called Sure Shot on account of our marksmanship;
so now I want to see your skill emonstrated."

They went out upon the. platform. Seth looked
the riﬂe carefully over, balanced it u n his hand,
tried the trigger and pod throu the sights.
Then with a satisﬁed air he drew the ammer back,
raised the piece, an taking deliberate aim at the
nearest savage, ﬁre . A yell followed the report:
and the next moment not a savage was to be seen.
They had elevated, over the. prow of each canoe, a
sort of a breast- work made of slabs thick enough to
resist bullets. Three or four of these had been made
fast to cross- ieces, and being about ﬁve feet ion
and four wi e completely covered the inmates 0
each boat. ,

No sooner did Neptune discover this than his face
assumed a look 0 serious gravity. He shook his
heﬁi in adoubtful manner, and then turning to Seth
88( :

f “I am afraid we will be unable to repel that
orce."

“They are well covered from bullets, friend Ne
tune,“ answe Seth, “ and seem determined on t a
capture of your craft. However, we can prepare to

. give them a reception."

As to traveling under the water, I am a ﬁrm ,

“ Let them come," said the old man; “ if they get
the boat they'll have to dive for it."

“ Then you propose to sink?"

“ Come in; I want you to realize the marvels of
Nature under the waves,“ answered the 01d artisan

Seth turned and followed him into the cabin,

The door was closed and barred, and nels were
placed over each window, shutting out “I: light,

“ The Indians are coming again, children, ‘ the old
gum said to the two girls, “and we have got togo
own.’
Vishnia was unmoved b the news; but W
w a shade pale, and er e es having song
tarlIv drew more: to

on of Seth, she involun

 
v‘

  
L
F

mthrough fear and the yearnings of her heart.

eptune walked to one end of the room and
ing a post that protruded through the ﬂoor pulled it
upward a few inches.

Instantly, almost, Seth felt a tremor pass through
the cabin followed by the rush and roar of water
under them. There was a downward motion of the
building; a cloud seemed to pass over the windows
and the cabin came to rest on the lake’s bottom.

With a, feeling akin to awe, Sure Shot Seth glanc-
ed around as if expectin to see the sides of the
structure give way under t e pressure upon it. But
in a moment all became settled, and stepping under
one of the holes in the roof he glanced through it.
He saw the blue sky, and heard the surge of' the
waves above him.

“ What do you think of my submarine hut, Seth?"
the old man asked, his face beaming satisfaction.

“ So far it is a success,” answered our hero; “ but
if the enemy finds out the use of those pipes it
would be an easy matter to ﬂood us in here.”

“But I don’t want them to ﬂrd it out,” replied
Neptune. .

" lut how are you 0mg to revent it?"

“I cannot Prevent it; ut shoul one of them dare
to look down one of the chim'leys he will be shot
while in the act.”

“ Yes, on can do that,” replied Seth; for all, the
youth fc t that their situation would be a dangerous
one should the enemy make a. close investi ation of
'the sunken craft. And this they were like y to do,
for the cabin having risen from a. previous submer-
sion would doubtless lead to a solution of the mys-
‘Iery connected with it.

Several minutes elapsed. The water had become
still. A clear twilight pervaded the submarine hut.
Seth went to where Maggie stood, and together the
two wa kcd to one of the kindows and gazed out.
The water around them was clear and transparent
,almost as the atmos her a. Ahundred little min-
nows darted and ﬂas ed across their vision like
birds in the air. Some if them ew bolder and
bolder, and ap reached within a ew feet of the
window—pane. ’resently a whole shoal of large fish
came troopinv along and be an to hover around the
window. A lhuge fellow nally approached the

lass slowly, cautiouslr. He came so close that

th and Maggie could tee his bright eyes, the mOVe-
ment of his fins, and the very quiver 0 his nose.

The scene wasa beautiful one, rendered all the
more grand b the sun's rays, which, fallirgﬁ ob~
li uely upon t 6 water, encircled the fish in the
prismatic colors of the rainbow.

“Isn’t that delightlulr” exclaimed Maggie, forget-
tin their danger in her admiration for the scene,
.ant Ijoy at being at 'Scth's side.

“ t IS very beautiful," answered Seth. '

“ch, it is beautiful, my young friends," said
Neptune; “but suppose we were in the middle of
the sea? What grand sights would be presented to
our gaze! Fish of all kinds, the monsters of the
rice ; beautiful submarine forests; mountains and
v eys and the_wondrous formations of the coral-
.line poiypl. I shall yet complete a boat Similar to
this, by whichI will descend to the bottom of old
ocean, and there gaze upon the wonders, and drag
to light the mysteries of the deep. I tell you this is
no dream—it‘s stern ‘t ."

“I ho )e ‘you may be successful, Neptune," re-
,plicd Set for the dangers and privations you are
undergoing 'n the interest of science deserve great
reward.”

At this juncture a shadow appeared over the win-
dow whom the young folks stood. .

A little cry urst from Magﬂg‘s hps and she
shrank closer to Seth, graspin arm as to re-
vent falling. The color faded rom her cheeks; er
lips grew white with fear; and her eyes became ﬁxed
asthe gazed u ward through the window.

“ W at is it, it aggic?" asked Seth.

“Look!” she answered.

Seth did undirected, and, to his surprise and hor-
ror, beheld acanoe resti upon the surface of the

, nearly over them; nghile in the craft he could
distinctly seefour sav es, all of whom were gaz-

111; down through the c ear water at the little win-

w—mto his very facet
CHAPTER XXXI.
NEPTUNI NEPTUNI N0 uoui

Sum started back in alarm, calling the attention
of N eptuno to the proximity of the enemy.

The old man evinced some uneasiness, and advanc.
lng to the pane, looked out. The foe were still there,
the canoe appearing to rest in the air above, so clear
and transparent was the water. The were still az.
ing down at the little window their b ack ferret- 11:8
(2 'cs seeming to dart rays of diabolical terror into
t 6 very sou s of our friends

nuptune stood and watched them for a moment,
then turned away. Seth noticed that a wok of un-
easiness was ugon his face; and when he saw the
old man take a race of revolvers.me a box on his
work-bench and examine their pruning he felt mug.
ﬂed that the cabin was in danger.

“The scavengers of the forest 3in 'J
h'ouble, my young frien “ he said. “ hey have
doubtless discovered the na ure of our boat, may
tamper with those air-pimthree of which are
open. But in order the curiosity, should It

them to look through one of the 0 may
fully satisfied, I want each tube rded, and the
moment a red-skin’s face a. pearl vo it, a bullet
mgr“: hpooom “thugs b d  to chop off those
an an e

belllti’vtvnwatoggéark withogrit them-

w ‘ we 0 ' action
“Inmhaouowo havotorioototbsuurfm

‘Id hit it out," replied NW

 
Sure Shot Seth.

    
19

 
“ Father," cried Vishnia, who was watching at the
window, “ the canoe is moving over the cabin.”

“Seth, here is a revolver; watch that tube, will
you?" asked Neptune.

Seth took the wea )0n, and scarcely had he taken.
his position under t e pipe ere a dark object a -
pcared at the upper end, and in a mornth all lig t
was excluded therefrom. Believing it to be a red-
skin‘s face, he raised his revolver and fired. A
groan of agony, followed by the dripping of some-
thing warm upon his hands, and the appearance of
daylight at the top of the tube, told the youth that
his aim had been fatal.

The dip of paddles, the sound of excited voices, and
the plus 1 of the water above, told of the excitement
that prevailed among the red-skins. And this in-
creased the fears of old Neptune, for he n0w saw that
his submarine but was not invulncrable to the at
tack of enemies. To prevent aceident, he caused the
panels to be clcSed over the windows thus excluding
all light except that which struggled down throug
the pipes above.

For some time the little band was kept in dire sus-
ggnse by the foe. What their next movement would

, they could not conjecture. They entertained
hopes of the red-skins withdrawing; but as the
moments passed, and their presence continued
above, these hopes were dispelled by the sound of a
blow like that of an ax, which sent a tremor through
the whole building and a chill to the hearts of its in-
mates.

The meaning was obvious enough—the enemy had
attacked the pipes with their hatchets.

A c of terror burst from Vishnia‘s lips, while,
with a 00k of awful resolve on her father’s face, he
s rung to the pump in the center of the room. With

the ower of a Hercules, he applied himself to
the wor of saving himself and friends.

The pump worked almost noiselessly, and as the
water, which overcame the hue 'ant effort of the
structure was gradually forced romthe reservoir
beneath l) the double-action machine, the sub-
marine ca in began to rise toward the surface.
Nothing was more evident of this fact than the cries
of dismay and baﬂicd triumph that rose from the
lips of the red-skins. Their blows upon the tubes
ceased, but were resumed upon the sides of the
plated structure with the fury of demons.

The cabin continued to rise rapidly, and in ten
minutes’ time had reached its line of ﬂotation.
Then the faucet and sto ~cock Were closed, and
Ne tune’s labor was done ¥or the time bein .

ey had now escaped drowning no don tto en-
counter another death more horrible at the hands
of the red barbarians thunderin at the door. But
Seth and the old man resolv to sell their lives
dearly, and with revolvers in hand stood ready for
the worst.

l’ushin aside one of the panels that rotected a
window, eptune thrust his revolver t n‘o h the
glass and opened a deadly fire upon the foe, riving
them beyond ran e around the angle of the building.
This he repeate , with the assistance of Seth, upon
the other sides, and to their happy su miss the
enemy was compelled to beat a retreat s oreward
with serious loss. They had, however, gained 9. ar-
‘aial victory. They had unraveled the mystery 0 the
submarine but, and inﬂicted such damage upon it as
would prevent its being sunk with impunity a sin.
The windows were shattered, and in several if aces
the wall had been battered and backed unt day-
light was visible through it. In fact, the ﬂoating
cabin of Neptune was almost a wreck.

Neptune sighed with the deepest r t as he
looked u n the ruthless spoilation of is craft—
glistend 0 his vague, but cherished hopes of immor-

r y.

The men went out upon the porch and gazed
around them. A shout of triumph greeted them
from the western shore, and the resence of the Boy
Bri ade evoked an answer from e lips of Neptune
an Seth. Old Joyful Jim came close to the water’s
edge and shouted aloud to those it n the craft; but
Satan himself seemed to have sen his imps broad-
cast throughout the Black Wood. and before answer
could be given back, a horde o red-skins put the
Brigade to ﬂight.

“ t seems as thou h we are all doomed tocer-
tain destruction,“ sai the old man, gravely, serious-

y.

“ Yes: those red-skins will give us no genes as long
aswe are u on this craft," answered th; “there-
fore I woul suggest that we leave it under cover of
the coming mgr; ."

“But, my y,” re lied Neptune, “ you will not
have strength to en ure a long laborious ﬂight.
You are thin and pale as a sheet.”

“ I know I have suffered the loss of strength and
blood; but I think I could stand a forced march to
the Agency " '

“ Perhaps, ' replied Neptune, azing away like one
plan in deep deliberation; 'therefore we must
avar ourselves of the shadows of the coming night,
as _ou su, est, Seth, and get any."

lth ths understandin , the little party made
preparations for ﬂight. gloom settled upon the
row of Neptune over the thought of desertin
his quiet retreat. But Vishnia seemed pleased
with the idea that was to release her from the se-
clusion of a wildwood prison and her dangerous
thralldom.

Soon after darkness had fully set in, Neptune and
his party began their retreat. By means of a long
gole, the raft was set in motion by the old man.

hey moved slowly toward the western shore, the
nearest plant to land. It was their intention to a -

roacht e shore as near as possible, then take
he two rubber boats.

Suddenly two canoes shot alongside of them and
a dozen dusky ﬁgures in the boats became @le

 
the eyes of old Neptune who was on the look-out
for danger.

Turning. he sprung int(. the cabin and closed the
door after him. A yell rose in the night, fiendish
and jarring. Blows fell upon the cabin thick and
furious. Another attack had begun.

“My God, we are attacked again!" shouted 01d
Ne )tune. growin furious.

cry of despair escaped the maidens' lips.

The light inside was at once put out; the windows
opened, and a random ﬁring o )ened upon the foe'
but with but. little success. ’lx'he darkness favors
the enemy.

In the midst of the tumult of the attack a shrill
cry resembling that of a beaver was heard to come
from out upon the lake.

Seth, who stood near the window, recognized it an
the cry of Justin Gray, the Beaver, and at once gave
an answering signal.

Then from other directions rose the sharp bark if);
fox, the howl of a wolf, the scream of a panther,
the boot of an owl.

There was a lull in the attack as these sounds is
sued through the hi ht. By bitter experience the
sava es had learn their import.

“ lory l” exclaimed Seth, beside himself, “ the
Boly Brigade is near."

he savages resumed the attack on the cabin all
the more furious. They cut and backed away until
suddenly a yell of agony from one of them caused
the whole party to suspend operations.

Scarcely a minute had elapsed when another war-
rior tumbled into the water with a frightful scream
of agony; and as no shot had been fired from the in-
terior of the cabin, the savages knew that a new
and silent enemy had appeared upon the scene of
action. Silence was imposed upon the party, and all
listened with bated breath. A savage advanced to
the edge of the latforrn in front of the cabin, and
leaning forwa , peered down at the water. He
caught the outlines of a black, spherical object
lying upon the surface of the lake not ten feet from
him; but before he could make his discovery known
the )bject raised slightly and thrust forward 8. Ion
slender rod with a sharp lance-point which ente
his throat, completely severin the windpipe. A
halt-moan, half-cry mingled wit ahorrible gur ling,
gasping sound, followed, and the doomed skin
went overboard into a watery grave.

Something of the truth now began to enter the
wild brains of the over-triumphant warriors and
it at once became necessary for them to act upon
the defensive. The beat a hasty retreat from the
vicinity of Neptune s cabin.

No sooner was their ﬂight an assured fact, ere a
shout of triumph went u from the water around
the cabin; and a moment ater five of the boy Brig-
ade climbed upon the cabin platform where they
were greeted by Sure Shot Set and old Neptune.

"Boys," said Seth, “you have saved us. But we
must get awa ' from here; the enemy is too strong
for us. The rigade can‘t work when confined to
one lace."

“ es; and the sooner you leave the better," said
Gray “ for they are rowing stronger all the time.”

“ fy son." replied 'eptune, “we are all ready to
depart—in fact were making ashore for that pure
pose, when the red barbarians attacked us I will
proceed to launch m ' canoe at once.”

In a few moments eptune had launched his rub-
ber boats alongside the platform and placed a few
simple articles of food and clothing in them. Then
the old man and his daughter, and Seth and M e
bid farewell to the submarine but and entered a
boats. As the small boat would carry but one person.
and the lar one here] three, the old man took the
former, an Seth and e two maidensthe latter.

Justin Gray and his four companions led the way;
Seth and his fair friends came next, while Neptune
brought up the rear.

It was with no little difﬁcult that the leadin boat
was followed, owing to the dar ess and the e eme
silence observed by the members of the Brigade in
handling their paddles. Seth, however being once
more in his element,with the responsibith of the
two maidens‘ lives resting upon him exerted every
faculty to keep close beh nd is friends, and toguard
against danger. It was this extra precaution
measure that enabled him to detect. w en a few r
from shore, a black object creeping stealthilyl,’ at
El. les toward them- and having assured rm-

th it was a canoe lied with enemies, he at
once gave the signal of alarm. But it came too late.
The enemy were upon them.

CHAPTER XXXIL
002m!

“ PULL for your lives! pull boys! The demons are
u nus!" erred Sure Shot Seth.

eptune turned his canoe and started in pursuit
of his friends. But all acted With such precrpitous
haste that in the darkness and confusion the three
canoes became separated.

The red—skins pursued; and as the fates would
have it, Seth and the maidens, the weakest y
became the victims .of the chase. When about
twenty rods from the shore they were overtaken and
made. prisoners despite Seth's heroic efforts.

No sooner had he discovered the inevitable cg).
ture of himself and the maidens, than he gave 0
Brigade‘s well-known cry of distress. From differ
ent quarters the answer came, and rid doubt assist-
ance; but before he could re t the cry, a bar.
was p over his mouth; t on allthree were taken
into a large canoe and hurried off across the lake.
Ten minutes’ to id paddling brought them to the
eastern shore. w ere all landed; and without a
moment‘s hesoiotggi'o r, they hurried away through the

deep, dark w

rhythm tiedathisback.whilehewaaled

v ...—r’

 
20

on by a cord round his neck like 'a haltered beast.
Twice had he tripped and not having the use of
his hands to revent falling, he went down, 'erk-
Lush cord, t t held him in the ranks, out o the
’3 hand. Before he could rise, however, the
warrior pounced u n him like a hawk and secured 1
I16 rope. By watc iingjhis chances and taking the ‘
Warrior off his ruard, he thought, by making a sud-
:en leap, he mlght be enabled to jerk away from i
he foe, and then, with a bound, gain the freedom of ‘,
ihe woods under cover of the darkness.
Several miles, howeVer, had been traversed ere i
his 0 portunity was afforded. Both the maidens, g
weR as himself, were nearly exhausted with their

 
Breed march. The surrounding circumstances 4
re not favorable, but he resolved to make the at-
bmpt, SO, summoning all his stren th, he made the
Do. , springing abruptly to one Sit e. The ro * was
'er ed from the red-skin’s hand, and Set was
ree. One bound carried him beyond reach of the
enemy’s grasp; but at the next, the earth seemed
toopen before him, and the Boy Riﬂeman felt him-
falling downward into unknown depths.

 
CHAPTER XXXIII.
A DROP SCENE.

A FEW milm east of Lake Luster was a valley
ring 11 the Minnesota river. known there-
I. uts as Deer-Drive Valley. ’.‘ no name belong-
ed to the nomenclature of the West, and possessed
an aptness in its aplplication. At the river the val-
Icy was nearly a m‘ e wide, with low bluffs; but as
It receded into the woods it rew narrower, and the
bluffs more precipitous—{inn l terminating in a lift
or narrow gorge, with perpem icular walls of rocks.
in ears past, the Indians had used this valley for
. ng deer by driving them in at the river and then
"orcing them into the head or rather the neck of ‘the
valley from whence there was no escape alive.
Hence the name, Deer-Drive Valle . Of late years, ‘
however, it had never been visitc for this pu . se;
for, since the establishing of the Yellow Ic icine
Agency, most of the game had been driven out of ‘
the woods by the Indians and white hunters to-

ether; and as there was nothing in the rugged 9011- I
ﬁlde of the valley to command chn passing interest,
It was seldom visited.

It was an admirable hiding-place, as lon _as one
was not hunted there, and, conscious of t is fact,
three persons who haVe figured in our story herettr
(om, took advantage of it.

These three )ersons were Rube Johnson, Gus Stew-
art, and Ches agan, lately the followers of the noto- i
rious Ivan Le Clercq. . j

It will be remembered that we left these boys in i
the council with the Boy Chief on the margin of the
Black Woods, which terminated in the death of Abe
Thorne. Since that time the had been wanderers,
as it were, upon the face of t e earth. Their minds
had become so terrified and excited that they started
like guilty, conscience-stricken things at every
sound. The stealthy steps of the administers of jus-
tice could be heard, in imagination, at any moment.

At length g'xmn tired and foot-sore from long
wandering, they crept into the head of the Deer-
Drlve, an there hid themselves.

It is true, their leader in sin, Ivan Le Clercq, had
offered them immunity in the Indian encam meat
but this cold-blooded and cowardly assassina ion 0
Abe Theme ﬁlled them with abject fear of him; and
they fled from him and his followers as from all
others. Everybody and everything they now re-

d as enemies and miserable, dejected, and
ard-looking be ngs that the were, hidii and .
from the vengeance 0 man, only en-
counter that of God.

They had made a good selection of the. many hid-
Ing-places offered them in the vicinity. They had en- ,
camped in the narrow neck of the Deer-Drive, where i
the walls were fully a hundred feet high and not 
Over twenty feet apart. Over this rift nature had ‘
thrown a coverin as wonderful and intricate as the i
gossamer web 0 the s ider. From the facade of
each p‘e ndicular blu , a multitude of parasitical
vines grown out and from the very bottom had
the rift grown full of these slender cree rs. Years
had lent their growth to those vines w ich had be-
come interlaced and matted into a perfect net-work,
into which no human eye could penetrate ten feet.

The young fugitives made their way through these
Vines to the very end of the chamber, or rift. There
they found themselves in darkness; but a pine torch
was readil procured, when with their knives, they
let to wor clearing a large space—crowding the

branches and twigs back into the spon y

mass. They cut the vines as high as they con (1
and when their task was com leted t ey felt
Iomewhat elated over the result. the dim glow
of the torch the surrounding walls all seemed of a
solid mass, so evenl had the vines been cut. The
and beneath the feet was hard, gravelly and

17 though a little stream found a source in a cool,
Iimpid spring within five feet of their retreat.

Dying in a supply of venison and some pine fag-
ots or ﬁre, the t o felt that the would be safe for
a tow da 3, at least, in the r- rive. They -
ed their 0 inlamenting the course they pur-
Cued. and in pondering over the fate of their friends

at the Agency.
It was ht, and a dim feeble light from a sput-
to pervaded their novel retreat. The day

won: wearily by and they found themselves

 
‘ seemed speechless.

‘ resumed again. Down, down crashing

. through the roof above them.

 
Sure Shot Seth.

“ Yes; poor Abe Thorne is out of all this trouble,"
added Gus Stewart.

“Probably if we‘d all not been cowards, and done
as Abe resolved to do, we‘d be hap y to-night with
our folks,“ said Rube; “but like t ie fools that we

were, we didn‘t dare to oppose Ivan, and so here we i

are, suiferin‘ worse than if we‘d gone boldly up and
acknowledged our sin and received our pumsluncnt.
A silence now came over the unhappy trio.
Not a sound was heard save the me anchon chir-

‘ ruping of a cricket, and the Soft bubblingofthc little

spring near could be heard; and even these had
become so monotonous to the fugitives that they
seemed incorporated into the solemn stillness of the
p ace.

Suddenly Rube Johnson sprung to his feet, a look
of wild terror upon his face.

His companions followed his example.

The three exchan ed startled glances — they
ut their looks spoke plain
enough.

A strange sound had burst suddenly upon their
ears. It was the sound as of a heavy body crashing
down through the tangled vines overhead.

“ Boys!“ cried Rube, “ we have been discovered.”

“ And our enemies are tryin to crush us b ' rollin’
something down upon us. 5h, my God: w en will
this end?‘ cried 'oung Stewart.

“ I fear never ’ added Cues Pagan.

The sound of
arrested bythe great web of vines; but it was soon
and tearing
it came, nearer and nearer. It secme to be bring-
ing the whole mass of parasites with it. The bo s
saw the top of their retreat (uiver and sway. T 1e
falling mass was near them; ut so terrified were
the that they stOod as if rooted to the spot gazing
wit distended eyes upward. And at length a pair
of human feet incascd in moccasins, a ipeared

They were 11o lowed
by a pair of legs clad in buckskin leggings. Slowl
downward, as if twisting and struggling throug 1
the brushy mass, the body continued to descend
until the feet touched the ground. Then the para-
sites, which clung to the head and shoulders of the
intruder like leeches, let go and sprung back to their
former position, trembling and rustling.

With speechless horror the fugitives gazed u on
the strmiger who stood with back toward them. is
hands were tied at his back and his clothing torn and
tattered. For a moment he stood as if bewildered
by the dazzling torchlight, then he turned and faced
the trio of terrified boys.

CHAPTER XXXIV.
RENEGADES T0 was RESCUE!

“ MY Lordl” burst from Gus Stewart‘s lips.

“A ghost!" added Ches Pagan, shivering.

“The ghost of Sure Shot Seth," gasped Rube
Johnson.

The trio shrunk back amazed and horrified.

A smile mounted the f ace of the ghost' its lips
movo-d, and these words were plainly articu ated:

“ Boys how‘s this?"

“ It's h m in the flesh and spirit," said Rube.

“It is for a fact, b0 3; but I thought I‘d tumbled
over into the fathon ess pit,“ continued Sure Shot
Seth his mind relieved of a terrible load.

Ru , Gus and Ches drew a long breath of relief,
strai htened up and assumed a ook more human
and ree of terror. They felt like new beings.

“ We thought (you were dead ” said Rube.

“ I know vou d, b0 3; but I’m not. If you’ll just
free in hands back ere, I‘ll tell you how I ha

ened ere," replied Seth, doubtful of their attitu e

oward him.
milube took his knife and set the Boy Riﬂeman at
' ert .

Set ‘s face and hands were terribl scratched and
lacerated by the vines; but he pal
these wounds and having gazed around
sort of a doubt, he asked:

“ Where thaedp e are we, anyhow i”

“ In the he of eer-Drive," answered Rube.
R“b Were you thrown over the precipice?” asked

11 e.

“ Why do you ask that question i” asked Seth.

“ Your hands were bound."

“Yes; but the red-skins bound them, and in order
to get away from them I jumped over the embank-
ment; but I didn't know where I was goin‘ to tillI
was on m wa . Fortunately, the vines broke the
force of t e fal , and let me down easy by jerks."

“ Then there are red-skins about?"

“I left a party of six at the top of this rift. But
you have nothing to fear of them, have you?”

“And wh not?" questioned Rube.

“ Your f end, Ivan Le Clercq, is their leader.”

“ We know it; but we have renounced him as a. bad
character; and believing you had been murdered,
after tying you to that tree the other day, we have
been h ding awa through fear of punishment.”

“ Well, I wan
that mean caper; for Maggie Harris and Emma Mil-

but

no attention to 1

you to suffer in conscience for ;
i banks of drifting clouds and stately pines.

 
“God on] ' knows what we have suffered, Seth.
3

, Hell couldn't inwnt more excruciating tortures than

‘ we have undergone," Rube uftirnml

stout ly.

Gus and (‘hcs both advanced and asked the for

: gIVPIIOSS of the young borderman' and when it had

een granted. the souls of these three boys seemed
metamorphosed into dittercnt beings. Instead of
that furtivc, haggard look, the joyful radiance of a
cleansed soul beamed upon every lineamcnt of the
face; and the hollow, depresle sound of llieii
voices chan'ed into the clear, happy and metallic
ring of yout 1. Sure Shot Seth hat been a bencfac
tor to them—a being of divine mercy.

“I hope Seth," Johnson at length remarked,
“that you‘l press us into your service, so we can
make up for our meanness toward you on the day
of the shooting-match. 1 know you‘d ‘a‘ won the
riﬂe if you’d ’a‘ got a shot against them fellers.“

“ I did win it,‘ said Seth.

“ Not that day: a stranger—lad callin" himself the
Eaglet won it."

Seth indul red in a low

“I was tie Young
Peak."

“ You 1“ exclaimed the trio ll'l amazement.

“Yes; Maggie Harris and Emma Milbank had
overheard you plotting a ainst me the day before

pleasant laugh then said:
‘aglet from Sky-Punchex‘

, the match; and so they tad it all arranged as to

3 how you were to be beaten.
the falling body had ceased, as if

But poor Maggie! she
isin the power of the savages again. They cap-
tured her, another maiden and myself last night,
and We were marched 011‘ this way—”
“ Then the girls and their captors are near here?"
“When I left them, they were at the top of thil
' t

"Then the red-skins ’ll be apt to be lookin‘ after
you. ‘
“ Yes; and I presume the sooner I get out of here,

‘ the better it'll be for me."

 
i

“ Then come along,“ said Rube, taking up his riﬂe
and entering the dense canopy of foliage.

The four made their way out of the thicket and
passing down the valley, climbed the bank and set
off in search of the savages.

The three boys were well armed with riﬂes and re
volvers, and furnished Seth with an outiit. They
crept back to the head of the valley where he had
escaped from the red-skins, expecting to find the lat-
ter somewhere about. But in this they were disap
pointed. N o trace of them was to be found.

As the savages would be compelled to cross the
Minnesota in order to reach their stronghold, Seth
su posed, from the course taken utter leaving th?
Ia e, that they were aiming for what was known at
Fagan‘s Ferry, where a number of boats were usual'
1y to be found. Acting upon this supposition, he and
his new-made friends set off for that point. The
traveled rapidly, to make up time lost and to get 1
ahead of the savages at the river. But in this they
were disappointet . The red-skins had receded
them to the ford by several minutes: and ind just
embarked with the captives, in a ﬂat—boat belonging
to the ferry, for the opposite shore as they came

up.

“Too latei” exclaimed Seth, his voice full of bit)
ter disa pointment as he looked u n the expanse d
water t separated them from t e enemy.

 
CHAPTER XXXV.
THE TOUCH or A CLAMMY HAND.

Sm, though greatly disa pointed at being thus
preceded to the ford, di not despair.

No sooner had he discovered the em barkation of

the enemy than he forthwith devised a. new course of
action; and was about to begin its execution when
he discovered a scoond canoe, containing two war-
riors coming down the river.
This again interrupted his movements, and he and
his three companions would be compelled to remain
in concealment until the boat had passed. U nluck-
i the two warriors intercepted those with the cap-
t ves near the middle of the river, when both parties
came to a halt and entered into a conversation,
which, at times, was inaudible, then loud and bois-
terous. Finally, to the bitter surprise and regret of
the boys, they saw the two warriors mount 1 10 ﬂat-
boat and haul their canoe on board after them;
while the craft turned slowly down the. river.

“ What can that movement mean?" asked Rube
Johnson, puzzled by the red«skins‘ chan e of course.

“I don t know exactly," replied Set , “tho hI
assure you it is nothing good. They may inten to
land at the bend below, in order to conceal their
trail. Let us follow along the bank and watch I
don‘t intend they shall escape by such a dodge."

So saying, the quartette cre t stealthily along the
wooded shore, keeping in sig t of the drifting ﬂab
boat, but taking ood care not to e themselves.

A sharp wind b owing down the ver served as an
extra motor to the craft, and compelled the boys to
move briskly. And, to make the ursuit still more
difficult, the moon was hidden hal the time behing

8

bank told me who you were, if you did wear masks. I bend, where they expected the chem to land, Will

The
the ndians came that way, and but for the girls I
would now be dead."

“But that skeleton--"

“I tied a dead Indian up to the tree and the
wolves hel me out with the deception," ex-
plained Set a smile mounting his face.

An exclamation of surprise and 10 burst from the

after two days confinement, suﬂering the lips of the trio. Rube Johnson nuanced toward
of inactivit as well u of fear and terror. with outstretched hand and said:

“ " said he ohnso “this In ' ’round “Seth, myou forgive?"qu ou forgive me?"
ht.th let: in ttln' tobe intolean tome. I've "With all my heart, Reuben, forgive you," said
either got to ontofhere,elaeyou’ havendead Sethtakingthe roﬂeredhand; “forI feel certain

" that you have oral h con-sienna for your con-

7 tab .
.‘uiovf'ldyglnbe betteroglled.”laﬁm“dlv. , ﬂuctuation

 
pront‘oylt"

rls set me at liberty, and a few minutes after , at le

l

I
|

ngth reached; but to still add to heir surpr
the boat continued on down the stream. me.
“That‘s queer," said Rube, “ that they should
travel toward the Agenfé.
“ Tohme it is terribly po ntous,” remarked Seth.
so

“lamafraid t e ency has been captured; not
thing else woul ta. e the savages down the
river. The two in the canoe acquainted those with
the captives of the fact; whereilrpon alltumedin
the direction of the Agency. 0 Little Crow and
his followers have been to the Yellow Medicine
what Hawk-Eyes has been to Lake Luster. But a:
several mileII separate us from the post yet, and ad-
mitting that such in the case. we must act accord-

  
Sure Shot Seth.

 
Mp—__

ingiy; and never let those girls get into deeper
ﬂan 'ei. We must rescue them."

“ ‘uggest your plans,“ said Rube, “ and we will do

in our pOWer to help you."

They moved on down the stream, keepin the ﬂat-
boat just in sight and themselves well untﬁer cover.
As much as two miles had been thus traversed and
the were fast nearing the Yellow Medicine, where,
ift 8 Agency had fallen, all hopes would be lost.

Further delay was dangerous.

“ We must do something, boys," Seth declared;
“we'll have to meet an opportunity half-way this
time. I already have. an idea in my head. Do you
see. an object floating on the water a few rods in ad-
vance of the flat-boat yonder?”

“Yes; Inoficod that some time. ago; what is it
asked Rube Johnson. gazing at the object.

“A canoe, or a skiff, floatin bottom lip—nothing
more. It is doubtless one o those that belong to
the ferry, and has been turned loose by red-skins
and sent adrift. Iain roing to utilize it. I believe
that I can swim out and get under that canoe; then
if you fellows can follow me, one at a. time, we will
ﬂoat alongside the raft and board it."

“ \Vc can follow you, Seth; but we can’t take any
firearms,“ said Rube.

“ No, our knives will be all we can take; but if we
surprise the savages we will have no trouble in get-
ting possession of the raft.

“ Lead out and we will follow," said Gus, eagerly.

They hurried on down the river, when a bend in
the course of the stream threw its entire width
under the shadows of the stately pines that guarded
the shore. Here was the point selected to initiate
Seth's plans; and divesting himself of his superﬂous
clothing. he entered the water. Throwing himself
upon his back. he swam with scarcely an effort, out
in the river ere he found that the inverted canoe
had floated into the shadows of the bend, while close
behind came the fiat-boat.

Putting himself into such a position as to counter-
act the force of the current, he waited until the
canoe came up. Then, “ducking” his head under
the water, he came up under the craft. An in-
spection of his covert showed that the sides of the
canoe, or rather the gunwale, were surrounded by a
narrow box-rim which had been intended as a seat.
and which now greatly facilitated the buoyancy of
the floati craft. There was plenty room under it
for half a ozen rsons. The ventilation was good;
and both fore an aft was a little hole through which
he could see a faint rift of light. He had taken his

sition near the forward end, and by placing his
mud upon the side, was enabled to float along with
the boat quite easily.

The wind was still blowing, and at intervals 3.

‘ wave would dash Over or against the craft, causing
ittotoss and rock. It was itchy dark under the
boat and the swimmer had e un to cogitate over
the urther execution of his p ans when somethi
touched his le 8 under the water. His ﬁrst though
was that one 0 the boys had followed him and was
then outside; but this was soon dispelled when a
cold, drip i hand came in contact with his face.

Mechanicaly he threw up his disen aged hand.
It came in contact with a sti and rigid uman arm.

“ My God!" burst in horror from his lips; “death
3 here with me! a lifeless human creature is my
mmpanioni"

9H

CHAPTER XXXVI.
wnA'r WERE 'rnzv nomo THERE?

Sum: 8301‘ Sm felt a. chill of repulsive horror pass
through his form when he realized that he was shut
up under the canoe with a dead person. His ﬁrst
Impulse was to leave the dread, dark place; but be-
fore he could do so he heard a voice say:

“ Divil take the spalpeen!"

The words were audible enough, yet spoken so
low that Seth could not reco ize t e tone nor accent.
But he was assured of one t ng; if there was a dead
man under the canoe, a living one was also there;
and thinking that it might be one of his friends who
had come there unknown to him, he said:

“ Who are you?”

“ And it‘s none ave your bisness." was the prompt
repl spoken with the unmistakable Celtic bro w.

‘Iy'vil make it my business,“ replied Seth, “ you
don‘t answer me. Now, sir, who are you?

“And be the Howly Moses! and yer v ce sounds
familiar,” responded the unknown, speakmg louder
and in an easier tone.

“ By heavens! It‘s Teddy O‘Roop!"

“ And sure is it, Misther Seth," responded the

Irishman.

“ Why, boy, the Brigade has mourned you as
dead!" answered Seth, completely astonished.

“ And it’s meself that mourned my death, too, but,
b the lave of the Virgin, mees come out all roight
sKio up. The red spalpeens knocked the sinses outen
me head, and then toted mees off away up here a

lcaptive. But mees couldn‘t sthand it, and so mees

ups and knooks a couple ave the bucks sthiff. and
away mees run. and run till mees reached the river.
Then it was dark, and foinding this boat mees tipped
her over, got in and set sail down the sthream.”

“Do you know a dozen Indians are close behind
you?" uestioned Seth.

“ Di the bit does moes know it."

“Well there is; and the have M ie Harris and
Vishnu, the Maid of the alley in t eir power.”

“Holy Mother!" exclaimed the youn Celt; “and
wb fore are the varmint goi down-st ream .9"

‘ am afraid giehAgency las tgallon into Little

CrowshandAan t e aregong ere."

“Och! and would that an ave-Mary would extor-
minate old Little Crow and his crew, and moon
Would put forth all me soul in the proyer.“

" The Lord has been with us through all our
tumbles andtrialsofthenast week.- and. rest as-

 
21

 
sured, He will not desert us in the end," replied I
Seth, feeling that the mercy of a Higher Power I
watched over them. ‘
“ And what brought yees here, Sith me b‘ i“ 1
b “I came here in hopes of getting aboard t at ﬂat- 3
oat." i
“ And gitting scalped? What could yees do alone, '
wV"

“ Three others will be here to join me soon."

“ Three of the b‘ys?"

“ Yes: but of Ivan Le (‘lercq’s band. They found
out that 1 was alive and forthwith enlisted under our
banner. I left them a few minutes ago."

“ I)o say, now!" exclaimed Teddy; “ wirrah! and ‘
what next have you to tell me, Sith?”

“ A great deal; but I have not the time now.
Isn‘t that a light shining on the water, back of you,
Teddy?"

Tet dy glanced out at the hole he had cut in the
end of the boat, and, sure enough, saw a faint light
streaming across the water. It shone from the deck
of the ﬂat-boat. The savages had lit a pine torch
gndtiixcd it to an upright post in the center of the .

oa .

“That may interfere, somewhat, with my plans "
said Seth, uneasily; “ if those boys, however, woui
come now we might strike whenever the. raft ﬂoats
alongside of us. It seems to me they have had time
to reach here.”

“ Sith, and do you think them b'ys ’11 do to tie to?" ‘
questioned Teddy, manifesting some doubt.

“I believe they will not betray me, nor deceive ,
me in their pretended friendshi . They freely ad- ‘
mitted their wrong-doings, and Beggcd my forgive-
ness for what they had done to me. ’

“They may be all might, but, seeing as they war
onc‘t mean,it makes me juberous of thiin, " exclaimed
Ted, glancing out through the aperture at the ﬂat-
boat, which was nearl ' alongside of them; “ just _
Chan 6 position and loo on board of that boat."

Set changed position with Teddy, and looking
out, he was started with surprise and bitter disap-

intment to see, within the glare of the light on

ard the ﬂat-boat, the forms of Rube Johnson, Gus
Stewart and Ches Pagan among those of the sav-
ages. They were enjoying the freedom of the boat,
and engaged in conversation with the foe as uncon- .
cerned as you please. Maggie and Vishnia stood at
one side of the boat, locked in each other’s arms,
downcast and sad.

“ Oh, curse the folly that ever led me to trust those
boys!” cried Seth, in the bitterest tones of regret.

‘ Och! and the 'rc the divil's own brats."

“We‘d better gettin out of here," said Seth,
“for if they are traitors, t my will not let me escape
— ocd heavensi—some one overboard!"

‘ Holy Mother! it‘s one av the girls!“

These exclamations were occasioned by a wild
scream and plush in the river.

Glancing out, Seth beheld Vishnia stru ling in
the waves; and simultaneous] with this discovery,
the crash of ﬁrearms on board he boat burst through
the night—wild, startling and terrible.

CHAPTER XXXVII.
THE RIVER oAsrurr.

Tm: fiat-boat was alongside the ﬂoating canoe.

Vishnia was struggling in the waves close toit'
and without a moment‘s hesitation, or a thought of
his own dan er, Seth forced the canoe toward her.
He soon felt er clin ing and struggling at the side
of the craft, and reac i out under the edge of the
boat, be grasped her by t 6 arm and drew her under
the water into the canoe.

Half strangled she now lay upon the youth’s arm,
making it di cult for him to kee himself and bur-
den above the water. But Te dy coming to his
assistance, the maiden soon recovered from her
submersion, and although still in the water to her
arm-pits, became pacified by the assuring words of
her rescuer whose voice she recognized.

By this time the re rt of firearms had ceased
aboard the fiat~boat, and in loud and anxious tones
a. voice was shouting:

“Seth; ho, Seth!”

It was the voice of Rube Johnson.

Something of the truth ﬂashed through the young
riﬂeman’s brain, and he felt ashamed of himself.

“Teddy,” he exclaimed, “help me remove this
canoe from over us. Those boys have captured the
ﬂat-boat.”

In an instant the canoe had been turned over and
the heads of Seth, Teddy and Vishnia uncovered.
They clung to the sides of the boat until the raft
came up and they were taken aboard.

A shout of trium h pealed from the lips of Rube,
Gus and Chen, an was answered, though feebly
by Seth and Teddy. Maggie rushed forward, and
with tears of joy in her eyes, received Seth and
Vishnia aboard the raft- and for a moment the wild-
est excitement prevailed.

Three or four dead savages lying at the further
extremity of the boat told what the wrongfully-mis-
trusted boys had been about.

“Boys,” said Seth, “ ow is this? Why did you
reverse my plans?"

“Couldn‘t help it, Seth," answered Rube. “We
found a canoe soon after you left us; and having
remembered that Ivan Le Clercq had offered us
our choice of joining the Indians or becoming out-
cast we resolved to avail ourselves of what he told
us silo gave us our own time to think the matter
over, and in case we concluded to join the red-
skins, he gave us certain secret signs which would
admit us as friends into the Indian ranks. Well, we
jumped into the canoe paddled over to this boat,
gave our signs when discovered, and were taken
aboard. We pron nded friendship, and, by and by,
succeeded in making them believe that a small poi y
of enemies were on the east side, and got half of J

 
, of m

i
the
3 boys, 1 'ing ﬂat upon the deck, kept a Close watch

them out in search of the foe. When they were out
of reach, we seized our riﬂes and attacked the others
with the result already seen.“

“ Vishnia,“ said Maggie, “ why did you jump over-
board ‘9"

“ I saw them seize their weapons and thought
they were going to murder us all," replied Vishn

‘ shivering} in her wet clothing. “ I am really asham
. p ‘

se but I couldn‘t be it. ’

“ ell, we are right so far' but there. is no telling
how long we will remain so ‘ said Seth; “those r . -
skins that went ashore will he apt to look after us'
and Iam sorry to so we are not entirely beyond
rifle range of either s iorc.”

“Very true, Seth," responded Rube. “ But I see

“No; I found my friend, Teddy O‘Roop, tucked
away under there, snug as a musk rat in his den."

Without further delay, the boys proceeded to put

, you were not alone under that canoe.”

‘ the boat in a more secure condition for its crew.

This was effected by rem0ving several deck- lanks
and opening a way into the hold, which, alt ough
not over three feet deep, furnished a shelter from
sav e bullets. Maggie and Vishnia, and three of
oys, took refuge therein, while the other two

upon a 1 Sides.

The boat following the main current of the
stream, kept in the middle of the channel without
any effort from the occupants. It moved slowly,
though harassed by the wind and waves.

One thing of im iortance had Rube and his friends
learned of the r -skins while on the boat: Yellow
Medicine Agency had been evacuated and the sol-

1 (hers and settlers had retreated in the direction of

Fort Ridgely, situated on the river several miles be-
low. The fort and all the houses and appurtenances
thereto had been destroyed; while the whole of the
Sioux tribe, with their families, had been concen-
trated u n, and in the vicinity of the ruins.

This (iscovery of the situation increased SQh’s
alarm. They were then within a mile or two of the
Agency, and to run the gantlet of the enemy there
would be im ible. He knew the news of their
coming woul precede them to the mouth of the
Yellow Medicine and that the enemy would leave
nothing undone to entrap them. To leave the boat
before reachin that point would be attended with
great danger aso; and what course to pursueto
avert a deadly ril became a question of reat mo-
ment. It was nally agreed however, wit Maggie
and Vishnia concurring, to keep the boat and rim
the gantlet at the Agenﬁy.

With this in view, a prepared for the terrible
ordeal. Seth was not inclined to trust entirely to
chance, and at once set about making some arran e—
ments for esca , should theybe attacked. WI“:
an Indian tom wk he cut a hole, about two feét
square, in the side of the boat between the deck and
water-line; and within reach of this he had one of
the Indian canoes placed. Then all the lanksbut
one were replaced Over the hole, and h arrange-
ments were completed.

Lights on the river-bank among the ruins of the
Yellow Medicine Agency soon appeared in sight;
and the wild, fearful sounds of a war—dance rung
hideously throu h the hi ht.

The sounds 9 this mi rht orgie gave Sure Shot
Seth some relief, although there was a horrible
meaning in the demoniac reve He knewb it
that the sav eswere so occupied in celebra ng
some bloody Victory that they would be likely to
overlook al measures of precaution, and thereby
enable them to slip by unnoticed.

Silently the boat continued to drift onward. Not
a word above a whisper was s oken by the inmates.

Finally, to the great fear 0 all, Seth discovered a
dusky sentinel seated upon the shore, looking out
over the river. He was plainly outlined against the
sky, now lit up with the glow of the Indians‘ camp-
fire, several rods back from the river.

“By heavens!" cried our hero, “ I am afraid we
will never get past without that sentinel seeing us.”

“ Sgy the word, and he's a dead Inging," respond-
ed'l‘ dy,s rin gtohisfeet.

“I am a mi it would be rather hazardous to at-
tem t to remove him," Seth answered.

“ '11 try him anyhow," answered the fearless
young Celt, and he began preparing for action.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.
A)! IRISH 30v”: nxrnorrs.

DNISTING himself of his coat, hat, and shoes,
Teddy crept out of the hole in the side of the craft
and dropped noiselessly into the water. The ne
moment 8 was gliding away, with nothin but his
face exposed, swunming rapidly, and as s lent as a
ﬂoatin object, toward the west shore. He moved
oblique across the stream and ﬁnally reached the
shore, a at ﬂft yards above the sentinel. He
crept out under t e shelving bank and glan -k
over the water. He was startled by the distin ness
with which he could see the fiat-boat in the lure of
the Indian ﬁres. It was already opposite h m, and
discovery seemed inevitable; however, be resolved
to lose no op rtunity in behalf of his friends, and
began cree {hog along under the bank toward the
sentinel. e soon came to a. passage lea
down to a sort of landing, where t rec or four co-
noes were tied up. To weaken the enemy’s little
ﬂeet, he cut the painter of each boat and rmitted
it to ﬂoat awn. . Then he ascended the ﬁnk and
peered carefu y around lim. He saw the sentinel

‘ still at his post, gazing out over the stream with a

stoical silence, while two other warriors were up-
proaching from the direction of the camp.
Fierce and deafening rose the ells of the red re-
velers dancing around the ﬁre a ew rods away.
Teddy again glanced over the river. The ﬂat~boat
was almost opposite the sentinel. The latter had

 
Sure Shot Seth.

I

Q

 
22

only to bend his eyes slightly to See it. The Irish
lad took in the situation at a glance. He believed
that even the death of the sentinel would not save
the boat from detection. The youth resolved upon
a desperate stroke. He rose. to his feet, and utter-
ing a sharp war-whoop, well-known to the red-skins,
darted away toward t to scene of Indian revelry.

The sentinel sprung to his feet and discharged his
rifle at the daring enemy.

The two warriors approaching utter. (l a war-cry
and started in pursuit of him.

The alarm was at once sounded through the camp, 5
and, like a stream of water bursting from its banks,
the dancing horde dissolved and went streaming 
away in pursuit of the daring enemy. t

Teddy bent his c mrsc to the north when he saw I
he had drawn the attention of the whole camp; and
with the agility of a cat and cndurance of the wind,
he sped away across the clearing. He found it. no
difﬁculty to keep beyond reach of his enemies.

The red-skins are naturally swift runners, but Ted-
dy O‘Roop was without apccr in thc North-west ; and
it was this assurance of supci'ioi‘ spccd that led to
such a fearless expedient to save his friends. It was
not his desire to throw his enem ' off his trail until
assured that the boat had passet all danger.

The whole of the clearing was lit 11 i with the glow
of the tires, and while the river guart ed the eastern
extremity of the camp grounds, and prevented the
fugitive‘s escape in that direction. the sun'ounding
forest offered him a safe reheat. Aware of this fact,
the Indians endeavored to cut him off from the,
woods, and Teddy permitted them to indulge in
strong hopes of his capture. He manifested signs of
failing strength, and ran on in a zig-zag course—the
long stream of pursuers stretching out. behind like
the tail of a COIllPlPlK‘Iltlillg and winding over the
ridges and depressions, and along his reeling course,
like the form of a night serpent.

Teddy liked this wild s ort. There was a sort of
fascination about it that 1e enjoyed; and he regret-
ted that none of his comﬁanions were present to
witness the grand chase. e felt a sense of deli ht
at the excitement of which he was the author—t tat
he, a mere boy, was the sole object which swayed
the wild horde behind him—that turned and directed
their course.

He ran on until he had reached the woods into
which he plunged, with the red-skins close behind.
Here the darkness was (lee rendered all the more,
intense by coming so sud enly out of the glare of
the lights. But the Indians, spreadin ' out, hoped
to cover the trail of the fugitive and dr ve him into
the river a short way ahead, where the stream made
an abru t bend. But, Teddy was not to be caught
thus. e knew that the river swept around in front
of him, and no sooner did he get well in under the
shadows ere he stopped short and pressed himself
close up against a huge tree trunk.

This coup de main worked admirably. The savages
neither saw him dod e behind the tree nor missed
his footfalls before t mm; but ran on past him. It:
was fully five minutes before the rear of the pursu-
lng column had one by' and even then he could
hear some stragg ers eras in on with heavy foot-
lte 8 through the brush. 0 the latter, hovvevei,
he had no fear, and stepginﬁ from his concealment
he started back towa t e Indian encampment.
Before he had gone far he heard a savage approach-
lng, and dropping ﬂat upon the groun , he waited.
The red-skin came on, stumbled over the prostrate
boy, and fell. Before he could rise, Teddy was upon

and with one or two well-directed blows with
knife, silenced the Indian‘s ll 8 forever.

Teddy took the blanket from be dead warrior‘s
shoulders, threw it around his own and sauntered
on until he had reached the margin of the woods.
Here he stopped and glanced out into the o ning.
He saw a few warriors scattered over the c caring,
all slowly retracing their footsteps to camp. The
spirit of adventure again took possession of him,
and drawing the blanket closer about him be en.
tered the opening and started leisurely down toward
the Indian encampment, keeping a careful watch
around him, and imitating the walk of a red-skin.
He drew the blanket close about his head and face,
and kept aloof from the returning stragglers.

Straight toward the encampment e made his
way. As he apgroached it, he saw that a number of
Warriors were t ere yet; still he was not disconcert-
ed by the discovery and moved on. He soon found
himself inside the camp, and the full glare of the
fire, where it became neces ary to use great precau-
tion. He a proached within a few rods of the main
party, and aving assured himself that no prisoners
were there, turned and moved leisurely away to-
ward the south. But this movement did not escape
the notice of the Indians, and a couple of warriors
advanced toward him their curiosity aroused.

Disguise being no onger of ava 1, Teddy threw
aside his blanket, uttered ashout of deﬁance and
darted away like a. deer.

The savages were comple\ely astounded by this
'mpudence of the young pale-face; and while a few
Eve chase others 8817813) a bowl of alarm to draw

6 others back that it gone north.

The second chase was brief as it was exciting. The
woods being nearer, Teddy soon gained its cover and
eluded his orsuers. The lad felt certain that those
on board all; boat had had sufﬁcient time. to pass all
danger: and so he at once set out to reach them.

In a few minutes he struck the river about a mile
blow the Agency; but now the question arose in his

d—were his friends above or below him? His

bilit: to satisfy himself on this oint left him in a
mm o t anxiety. He sat own to rest. He
knew the t could notbe far away if above him,
and to make sure that he did not miss his friends, he
concluded to wait.

Anhourpassedunduoboatcame. Thisconvinoed

 
J J

 
him that it inc :asseo .lei'ne ne came, and rising

i shout of derision from the lips of the quartetto which

he moved rapidly away, down-stream. He hat 1 was now beyond immediate danger.

traveled about two miles when, to his delight, he i

came in sight of the ﬂat-boat. It was floating leisure-
ly along, though no sign of life was visible upon it.
This, however, gave him no uneasiness, for he sup-
posed all were concealed in the hold, and getting lll
ahead of the craft, he plunged into the river and
swum out to intercc it it.

\Vhen alongside tlic boat he hailed, but received
no aiiswcr. lle climbed in at the hole cut in the
side. All was silent as the. tomb. lie cullcd upon

. Seth: but no answcr. The boat was deserted! ‘
Teddy now climbed out upon the deck. and as

he did so, his foot slippcd in something “'01, onthe

plank. 11c bcnt his eyes downward and saw that ,
I‘ it, was a pool of coagulate-d blood. A cry burst from ,
the lads lips. and a scnse of fear crept ovcr him

when he bchcld the signs of a bloody conﬂict on the
deck. It told him that, despite his efforts in their
behalf. his friends had been attacked, and all, no
doubt, killed or captured.

What couise he should now pursue was beyond his
power to determine, and while he stood nicditatin
over the matter a slight: sound behind him arreste
his attention. Turning, he was startled with horror
to see two savages leap out of the hold and start to-
ward him.

W‘ith a bound he reached the end of the boat, then
Plungcd off into the river and disappeared from the
ynx eyes of the astounded red-skins, beneath the
waves.

 
CHAPTER XXXIX.
A DOUBLE DODGE.

WE will now look after Sure Shot Seth and his
party. After Teddy left them above the 'ruined
Agency they waited, with burning anxict ', the re-
sult of his adventure; and when the yells o the sav-

ages convuised the night, and the ' saw the sentinel 2

leave his post, they knew that Tet dy had been dis-

covered and that the whole tribe was in pursuit of ‘

him. Their fears of his capture were great, but they
could render him no assistance.

They had floated East the point of danger and were
once more under t e cover of darkneSs. They con-
gratulated themselves upon their escape, but, in the
midst of their rejoicing, Sure Shot suddenly dis-
covered a batteau filled with warriors, glide out from
the shore toward the boat, and rejoicing was changed
to terror.

“Girls,” said Seth, “get out into the canoe, and
perhaps you can steal away unseen in the darkness.”

“ But you, Seth, what—"

“ Never mind us, Maggie; we will remain here and
engage the foe and take our chances."

he crack of a riﬂe rung suddenly through the
night. Rube Johnson raising his head and shoul-
ders through the openin on deck, had fired u )0“
the advancing foe. And t en Gus Stewart and . es
1’ an followed his example with fatal result to two
re -skins. But it made their companions all the
more furious and determined; and pushing on they
soon reached the side of the boat and boarded it.

Meanwhile Mag’ic and Vishnia had, with Seth‘s
assistance, clinibe out through the hole in the side
of the craft, made for just such an emer ,ency, into
the canoe. They were concealed from t e eyes of
the enemy by thgprOJecting ends of the deck—plank“
and as Seth lac , a nddle in each one‘s hands and
unloosened e boat, e said:

“ Now work with all your might, girls; and keep
down the river. If we escape, we will follow you;
but if we never—"

“May Heaven aid you, Seth," Maggie broke in,
her voice half—choked with emotion.

The next moment the canoe glided away. Both
of the maidens were skilled in the use of the paddle,
and summoning all their strength they plied the
slender blades with energy

The red-skins were too ecply engaged at this mo—
ment to notice them. At the o .lllllﬂ on the deck a
deadly strife was going on. he savages, ten in
number, were endeavoring to force an entrance to
the hold, while the three boys, Seth‘s comgalnions,
held them at bay with rifles and pistols s 'lifully
handled. The latter possessed a eat advantage
over the foe. Being in darkness t e enemy were
unable to direct their aim with any degree of ac-
curacy.

Thus the conflict Continued until half the savages
were slain, when they, considering discretion he
better part of valor, withdrew to the lower end of
the boat where the boys could not get at them.
Here they waited in hopes the pale-faces would come
out of their defense; but an hour‘s patient watching
convinced them that their enemies would hazard no
chances in an open air ﬁght, and so they resolved to
ado it other means to dislodge them.

ith their tomahawks they pried a wide plank up
at the end of the boat, then through the opening
thus made, dropped themselves into the hold.

Fora moment a dee ,unnatural silence reigned
within the black, disma place; but it was broken by
the savages creeping along on all fours toward the

b0 5.

It was not the latter's desire to engage the foe in a.
hand-to-hand encounter: and to avert such a conﬂict
they must act with decision. So, at a given signal
from Sure Shot, the four youths sprung out upon
the deck; then running to the side of the boat, t ey
leaped dOWn into the savages’ batteau, cut the rope
that fastened it to the raft, seized the ours and
pulled away across the n'ver.

So swift and uninterrupted was this movement
made that the brave lads succeeded in getting three
rods from the raft before the savages could conceive
what was umd get out upon the deck.

A yell of ed triumph burst from the lungs of
the outwitted red-skins. and was answered y a.

“ By Jove l“ exclaimed Rube Johnson, “ that was a
lbiicktyfxchange of boats and positions for us, Sure
’ lll .

“Ver ' " rejoined their leader; “and it will enable
us to follow the girls on the river, and, consequent-
ly, run no risks of passing them, as we might other-
wise do. If Teddy O‘Roop was only safe with us, I
Would feel that we had won glory enough for one:
campaign. But, I shall not worry about him until i
know] have cause. Teddy is a brave fellow; and
while he is the luckiest mortal I ever saw, in can I ut

,

easy as he can sight it iitle.‘

Dismissing all fears from their minds, the Your
lads turned their attention to the "ournvy before
thcm. The batteau being provide with sc\ eral
pairs of oars, each and all were enabled to take a

land at rowing. This gave them great spied, and
as mile after male was traverSed, it finally occurred
to them that they ought to have overtaken Maggie
and Vislmia in that distance. The ' thought it im-
ossiblc for them to have journeye so far and rap-
, lle', weak and exhausted as the ' must have been.

s it was almost daylight, owever, they con-
cludcd to keep on down t e river, and if they did
. not. come up with the girls, or gain some cch as to
their whereabouts by earlydawn, they would turn
back up the stream in search of them.

The red beams of dawn that had so long quivered
in livid bars along the eastern skv, finally burst into
flame; and the light of another do was upon them.
Going ashore, they succeeded in 'illing some large
fat fox squirrels, which were dressed, roasted and
served for breakfast. This meager repast, served to
invigorate their worn bodies and revive their spirits.

After an hour’s rest the again took to the batteau
and start cd back up the inncsota.

They had joumeyed against the current but a
short distance when the sight of an cmptycanoe-
ﬂoatin on the liver arrested their attention and
ﬁlled tieir breasts with the gravest fears. They
recognised it at a lance as the identical canoe in
which Maggie and ‘ishnia had left the tint-boat.
They intercepted and examined it to male certain.
that they were right. They identified it beyond a
question; but there were no signs of violence about;
it. The paddles were both gone, and how and under
what circumstances it had been deserted by the
maidens was a question beyond their comprehen-
SlOl’l.

“ Oh, if this canoe could only speakl" cried Seth,
in the anguish of despair.

“ If it could perhaps it would tell a tale that to us
would be better untold."

fates are ainst those two innocent, feeble girls.‘
But then I s all never stop short of the very heart:

are."

“Count on us following wherever you dare lead.
Seth,” answered young Stewart. ‘

With heavy hearts they pushed cautiously on up the
river while the happy, twittering birds seemed to
mock their misery with their ﬂ) ous songs and.
merry-making among the green-r0 ed trees.

In the mids of the many sounds that rose on the
breath of the bright rosy morning there suddenly
arose a low, rolonged whistle, such as might issue
from human ips.

lt emanated from the western shore, and filming
their eyes in that direction the boys beheld a bare:
| head and white face peering from a clump of bushes

on the bank.

“ Who can it be?" questioned Seth, unable to-
recognize the queer-looking visage.

As if in answer to his question, the unknown
stepped from the clump of shrubbery, and, with a
wave of the hand, shouted aloud:

“ Good-maming, me hearties l”

“Teddy O’Roopl“ burst from Sue Shot’s lips, as
he headed the batteau toward the shore.

It was the Irish boy, true enou h; and he was not;
alone. As soon as he hailed the mat a young man,
in the uniform of a captain of United States troops,
appeared on the bank at his side.

CHAPTER XL.
wanna warn: ma [AIDENSY

811m in using the paddle, favored by a strong
current and light canoe, Maggie and Vishnia 'lidetl
rapidly away from the side 0 the ﬂat-boat an soon
found themselves some distance down the liVH'.
But they were not beyond the dreadful sounds oi“
battle behind, and their ve. souls trembled with
fear. Mentall they prayed or the successcf tlv-r
friends; eager y they listened for some sound inui~
cative of their triumph.

Not until all sounds of the conﬂict had ccnsvl
could they find coura e to s ak. Then Maggie w.- .
the first to break e aw ul silence that “('léllt t'
like the resence of death 11 n thcm.

“ The attle has ended," s e said, solemnly.

“ Yes: but it leaves us in a. terrible suspeme. \i'a
know not who have won,” ansWered the fair Vi: n--

 
nia.

“Let us hope and {in for the best,” Map; i.-
bravely onded. “ th 1: the boys had FOIllC ad-
vantage 0 their foes in tion. and rest assured
they have made good use 0 it, even though the odds
were against them.”

“ My dear friend Maggie,” sighed \‘ishnia, “ l have
lived and pro. ed for the best so long that mv
strength and opes have all nearly deserted me-
One peril after another follows in such rapid suc-
cession, even when success seems the most promin-
£18,]:I3'llt I am growing despondent and sick at

a

“ Don‘t give up yet, M” attracted the bravo

 
wit a red-skin, or white-skin, too, for that matter, as ,

“Very true. Rube: but it does seem as though tl eh

of the Indian stronghold until I know where they A

 
23

 
Ilittle Maggie: “this may be 'our last peril; 3 l2an
we will find friends ere lo "

“A week ago, Maggie, knew no fear; but that
was before the Indian outbreak, and when all one
had to fear was the wild beast of the woods. The
Indians were our best friends and daily com anions;
and no one could ever have convinced me 1 at they
would be the treacherous enemies they are.

eeived and entertained as distinguished guests.
‘They gave us " many valuable presents and seemed
to vie with each other in doing us honor. They
offered us a home in their village, and, in case we,
accepted, to confer upon me the ro 'al dignity of
queen. For hours have they sat and istened to me
plav upon the guitar, their very souls, apparently
charmed by the music. So kind and devoted did
they seem to us that I never dreamed of their
turning against us. Even since the outbreak have
they obeyed a request of urine, thou h it is 8 won-
der they did not kill me instead. t was on the
night the Boy Brigade, was attacked on Rock Island.
We heard the din of battle away over at Lake Lus-
ter; and when we learned from a messenger, who
was on his way to the tribe for reinforcements,
thata conﬂict was going on between the Indians
and whites, father and I set out for that int. We
didn‘t know at the time that a war had cgun, and
supposed it was merelya personal aﬂ'air between
the two parties. However, I took my guitar; and,
in order to reach the island, father took a small
rubber canoe. Our object in going was that of

ce. W'e felt in hopes we could bring about an
adjustment of their troubles; and when I tell on,
Maggie, that I paddled over to that island and ook
.a position between the combatants. at the very
:nuzzles of their guns, and there played my instru-
ment, you may know my courage is fast failing.
But then I accomplishes m object, and induced
the red-skins to withdraw rom the island, and
thus the conﬂict terminated. But the war has not,
and all the inﬂuence I possessed over the savages
vanished in a day; and father and I became
hunted as enemies as we had once been honored as
friends."

“ You were brave, Vishnia, to risk your life on the
Bland.”

“I would not do so again, knowing what I do of
Indian treachery and vengeance.”

“Iliave often wondered to myself, since I ﬁrst
met you, why it was that you and your father ever
took up our abode in such a lonely and obscure
place as ako Luster. I know you have been ac-
customed to good societ ', and have had the advan-
tagcs of intellectual c ture as well as of the com-
forts of Wealth." r

“That is it exactly, Maggie: my father is a
Wealthy man and a great student of nature and
science. After mother‘s death, three years ago, be
shut himself up with his books and sorrow, and
studied and brooded over them until his mind was
well-hi hoverwrou ht. It became evident that he
was kiﬁing himself degrees—that his once power-
ful intellect was yie ding to the pressure upon it.
Our physician recommended trave and a change of
'climate for recreation. Acting upon this advice, he
traveled in the north-west one summer durin which
time he found Lake Luster. But, while 6 was
'ben ‘fited by his travels, he was far from being re-
stored to health; and having conceived an admira-
tion for the life of a frontiersman, he concluded to
spend a year or two in Minnesota. 80 he made up a

arty consisting of himself, myself and three gen-

lemen friends. The latter are, at present, gone to
'St. Paul for an plies. The wereto ave been back
in two weeks rom time o leaving.

“Father havi some ueer no ions about subma-
rine navigation t 035m t a good time to rfect an
invention that be h conjured u in hism nd, ears
.ago, and being an ingenious mec anic, he, wit the
assistance of his companions, erected the ﬂoating
cabin in which we have lived ever since. To it he
.applied some of his ideas of a submarine vessel, and
had he not been disturbed by the red-skins, he would
.soon have completed his ith-ntiou. His theory of
’Bropulsion he was demonstratin on a small scale

y a series of clock-works appliet to the torpedoes
'which you saw placed In the water.

“We managed to keep our resence on Lake
Luster a secret from all but the ndiaus, better than
we had anticrpatod; and had it not been for this
Indian war, thereis no telling how long we could
have remained. there unknown at the Agency.
Father has guru) regained his usual health and
strength, an we liked our romantic home so well
that we had concluded to spend another season
there; and next summer a oun lady friend of mine
was to have jotned us with er ather. I have been
living in hopes of a leasant time with her on Lake
Luster; but alas' all now gone. and for all I know,
.my poor old father maybe dead—a victim of the
treacherous Indians."

Here Vishnia choked with emotion.

“ Don‘t borrow trouble, Vtshnla," Mag e said, en.
couraglngly; “I r ht say, and truthf ytoo,t,1mt
for all I know, my rlends are all massacred; but I
don‘t want to think so, for trouble is sure to come to
us without our going to meet it, and I want to hus-
band my 0 image for it when it does come.”

“ Maggie, you are a dear, brave girl, and I actually
feel safer in your presence," answe Vishni

“1am glad of it, Vishnia: and if weare
Oﬁh‘lﬁ Ringer, I think we’ll be out of danger.

ta
would be he to and friends. Maggie?"

“ Fort Ri lily, I think, is the nearest int of
safety; but feel in strong h0pes of meet ng with
friends before we reach there," Maggie answered.

“Yes, I should think the boys would soon come it
with us if they escaped the Indians. At any rate, t

a.
patient

 
Father 
and I often visited their village, whe e we Wire re-

oint will we strike below here where we .

 
Sure Shot Seth.

is growm

we come lessing to me; for the shadows seem full
of lurking danger. 0h, Maggie! just think what a
night we have passed i"

‘It has been an awful one," replied Maggie; and
here a silence fell upon the maidens and continued
for some length of time.

Both plied their paddles with their utmost energy.

At length day dawned, and the sun rose bright and

warm above the tree-tops, infusing new life and vigor ‘

into the delicate forms of the maidens. The birds
\varbled their morning carols, and the great trees
shook the pearl' dew-drops from their emerald
robes. The \\'«)0( s were ‘wakened by the soft, weird

melody of nature‘s diurnal song, while the river and .
its wood-bound shores, overhung by white ethereal .

mist, seemed like the picturesque vision of a vague
dream.

As their spirits revived under the magical inﬂuence
of day, all the. buoyant-y of their young hearts re
turned. Their eyes assumed their old sparkle, and
their cheeks their wonted hue. They forgot the dan-
gers of the past in the joy of the present, and the

lips which through the long, dismal night were mute .

with terror, were now wreathed in smiles.
The loud (lip of a paddle suddenly broke the spell
that the rosy morn had thrown around them.

glanced around them.

Light in the cast; and daylight will be a  man. I was scouting up tct:ar;‘ Lax; paste: with a.

part of ten mounted infantry when my horse was
sud enly killed under me by arnbuscadcd India '
and it was by mere accident that I escaped on f

to find my way to the river where I fell in with your
friend, 0 Roop."

“Indeed, captain, these are times that try men’s
souls. For one week 1 have been into one troubl.
after another continually,” replied Seth.

“You seem to be all right now,“ remarked Say-
ton.

“Not exactly in spirit, captain." Seth answered,
“ for last night we were compelled to se iarate from
a couple of young girls whom we have een unable
to find since. ’

“And be the Lord! yees jist passed them,” put in
Teddy O‘Roop.

“ ten you know where they are?"

“Sure and I do, Sure Shot‘ and it’s in the hands
of three av the divil‘s own children that they are,
this minute."

“I assure you Teddy is right " affirmed Captain
Sayton; “ we were concealed above here when we
saw a canoe with three Indians and two white girls
coming up the river. Just before they reached that

} abrupt bend above they heard you coming and at
; once concealed themselves along the east shore
Both started with a. little cry of terror as they '

Out from under cover of a bunch of reeds—into i
the river toward them they saw a canoe with three ‘

savage occupants glide.

Vishnia’s paddle dropped from a nerveless hand,
while Maggie sat motionless with a new-born terror
in ossesston of her very son].

he savages paddled alongside of them, and with-
out the least resistance or scarcely a word expres-
sive of terror from the girls, took them captives and
transferred them to their own canoe.

When the had recovered somewhat from their
sudden shoc of terror, and had fully comprehended
their situation, M gie cried out:

“Oh, Vishnial w ata delusion—what a mockery
has the beauties of this morning been to us!"

Vishnia could answer her only in h sterical sobs.

The savages were delighted with heir captives,
whose passive demeanor seemed to im ly indiffer.
ence to their fate; but they knew not t at their si-
{flrirco came of the despondency that loss of all hope

ngs.

Having seated themselves

3

l

i
i
1|
t

. Teddy and Stewart remaining in the boat.

the red-skins turned ‘

their boat rip-stream, and with measured strokes be- ‘

gan stemming the current.

There was an abru t bend in the stream just
above them, and, as
clamation burst from one of the warriors‘ lips.
other two ceased paddling and with disten ed
searched the waters before them.

The captives saw that they were alarmed, and

The

a number of waves chasing each other from around

the bond they took courage; for the conviction that ‘

friends were approaching was intuitively forced
upon them.

One of the warriors ﬁnally addressed his com n-
ions in a quick, hurried tone, and in his own di ect,

the expression of his face and the violence of his
‘estures were plainly indicative of excitement. As
urther evidence of this fact, they at once headed
toward the eastern shore and ran in behind a little
clum of reeds where no human eye upon the river
coul penetrate, yet from whence a fair view of the
stream could be had.

Something of the truth now passed through the
minds of the captives, and they exchanged expres-
sive lances.

“ it is friends,” thought Maggie, her hopes re-

among the reeds. You passed on, and we would
have warned you then, but we dare not. When we
were free to act we watched for the boat to appear
again. We resolved to attempt their rescue by some
means or other. But as they have not left their cor:
cealrnent, and an hour or more has assedsince
they put into the reeds. I presume t ey are still
there or else have gone ashore and hurried away."

“Then let us lose no time in getting after them,"
said Sure Shot, enterin the battcau and inviting the
captain to a seat with t em.

be young officer accepting, they put out from
shore into the river.

“Now we have got to work this matter ﬁne”
Seth said, “ or our game may dodge us. The main
force had better land and keep along the shore,
while the other creeps along under cover of the bank
with the boat, and ave it near should it be neces
sary for us all to take to the river.”

The crossed the river, and Sure Shot Seth, Ca
tain bayton, young Pagan and Johnson llalpde
' 6 ad-
vance was at once begun, and with all the caution

ossible. Seth led the wa , and in a few minutes
he 7 came within sight 0 the reeds where the foe
hat hidden; and there, true enough, lay the boat

; with the three red-skins and their two white cap-

hey approached this, an ex- ‘

eyes ‘

tives. The heads of the former were erect, like
those of some wild animals. They instinctive] de~'
tected danger in the air; but seemed in doubt rom
whence it came. The maidens sat entwined in each

, other's arms, apparently in great and terrible 'ef.
when they, also, looked up the river and discovered ‘ g”

As the whites surveyed the situation, (mm
ted

I Sayton seized Seth by the arm, and with

 
viving, “ I can call to them, and will if I die the next :

moment.”

But, alas, vain hope! As if he had anticipated
her very thoughts, a savage tore a couple of stri
from his blan et and bound them over the moutli:
of both the girls so tight they could scarcely
breathe.

They struggled desperately to remove the band-
ages, but their hands were held at their back in such
a painful position that they could scarcel move a
muscle; and so they were compelled to yie d to the
brute force of their inhuman captors. They were
not de rived of their sight, however, and turning
their aces toward the river, they beheld a long
boat, containing four white persons, cree slowly

around the bend above. They recognized t e occu- 3'

pants at a glance; they were Sure Shot Seth and
is three young companions, Johnson, Pagan and
Stewart.

Again Maggie made one last despairing effort to
free her mouth, but in vain; and all hope and cour-
age faded from her young heart as she watched the

. , her,“ answered Seth
which the captives were unable to understand. But ‘

eyes and excited voice asked:

“Sure Shot, who is that captive looking this
\va ?"

‘ Her name is Vishnia; that is all I know about
“Thank God, it is she:” burst involuntarily from
the captain’s lips.

“W o, captain?"

“Pardon my excitement, boys' I am quite beside
myself. But, that girl is Miss Ida .Heath, of—of—
well, no matter where.”

“ Well now, captain, that embarrassment tells me
that Vishnia is more than amere acquaintance to
you."

The dip of Teddy‘s paddle coming around the
bend, put a stop to their whispered conversatio
and warned them that the time for action h
come.

There were but three riﬂes in the party,but Cap-
tain Sayton was pr0vided with a brace of revolve
and at a given signal the four charged with 3 ye
down toward the water's edge.

The savages fairly bounced in their seats, 80 sud-
den was their surprise. First they seized their riﬂes,
but seeing the odds were against them and that
ﬂight by water was an advantage that the enemy
could not overcome, the dropped their and
took up the paddles; at, at this juncture, the
“ naval fore-e," consisting of Tedd and Gus, put in
an appearance for cooperation with the “ land for-
ces.‘ A ell announced their appearance on the
op osite s do of the reeds.

or a moment the savages seemed bewildered, but
quickly recovering they took in the situation at a

1 glance. They fixed their eyes upon the. captives,

‘boat with her friends pass down the river and recede 1

from view.

 
CHAPTER XLI.
m'rrno UP THE QUARRY.

As Sure Shot Seth and his companions approached
the shore where Teddy O‘Roop and the young ofﬁcer
stood Seth cried out:

“ Oh, Teddy, we cannot say how glad we are to
see on alive!"

see me at all, at all,” retumed O'Roop; “ but his
gintlemon." he continued, pointing to the officer,
‘ is Captain Sayton what the red devils are after."
“Captain Sa n ” said Seth, lea ing ashore and
sping the o cor 3 hand. “ I am (1 to meet on,
hough your presence tells the t rat you are ere
inst your own wishes."
“ Quite right, Sure Shot, as I believe my Irish guide
told me you were that distinguished young border-

; face
joy burst from her lips, and she rush

anti grasped their tomahawks wrth murderous in-
tent. But, before the could execute their bloody
thoughts, eve ' one 0 them fell dead.

Teddy and us then pushed throu h the reeds,
and, running alongside the Indian’s at, ted
the maidens with words of cheer and triumpﬁ, while
a shout of joy rose from the shore.

Teddy towed the boat to the bank and the maidens
landed, though scarcely able to stand.

The handsome uniform of Captain Sayton caught
the I es of the maidens, and as 'ishnia scanned the
neath the brim of the soldier’s ,]a cry“?!
nto e

. ca tain‘s arms.
“ chi and it was by the skin av a hair that on ‘

‘ 0h, Charlie!" she cried, forgetting all else in that
morﬂfnt of hi  h
" a, my ar ." murmured t e onng ofﬁcer
in rinting a kiss upon her brow. y .
(1 thus Vishnia and her lover met.

CHAPTER XLII.

A wormrmm snorr
Slim: and his friends saw that

were suffering with hunger and ex

 
'ea'ndVishnh
Wanda

 
"24

Sure Shot Seth.

 
once took measures for their relief. Teddy and
Rube were sent out in search of ame for food,
while the others selected a favora 1e spot for a
camp, and lighted a fire.

The maidens being comfortably seated, Seth and
Captain Sayton entertained them in a manner calcu-
lated to revive their spirits and strengthen their
courage. The on )tain proved a very interesting
companion, and after a general epitome of events,
he and Vishnia became engaged in a private conver-
sation; and while they were talking over the past
few months that had seiarated them, Seth and
Maggie were also engage in sweet communion.
What passed between them we will not attempt to
record; but that the result was one of inﬁnite pleas-
ure and delight was evident from the radiance and
10 that beamed upon their young faces.

Teddy soon came in with a large, fat wild turkey,
which was at once dressed and roasted in true hunter
style. The savory smell of the meat had shunned
the appetite of the maidens, and when it was placed
before them they ate with a keen relish. Never did
food taste so luscious to the maidens. It seemed
rich enough to tempt the palate of a king, or invoke
the envy of an epicurean.

After their meal preparations for departure were
at once made; but up to this time Rube Johnson
had not returned from his hunt, and rave fears for
his safety were entertained. It won d never do to
go away without him, so they could do nothing but
sit down and wait.

Suddenly the rapid ﬂrlngof riﬂ"s stung throngh
the woods, and the war-whoop ot‘ indians followed.
This told our friends that dan ct' was approaching,
and they were at once compe ed to ﬂee; for they
were afraid that Rube was being pursued, and in his
excitement would return to cam instead of leading
the foe in some other direction 1 order to save the
maidens.

Trey embarked in the batteau for the opposite
shore, havi first destroyed the Indians‘ boat.

Crossing t e river they landed, and entering the
woods pursued their way westward, Seth taking the
lead. l‘hey were now in a vicinity, every foot of
which was familiar to the members of the Boy
Brigade Not over a mile from there was the valley
in which their cabin stood, and in hopes of finding it
still standing, Seth headed in that direction.

When but a. short distance from the place the

oung riilcman suddenly discovered a number of

dlans ona little knoll about two hundred yards
in advance of them. The eminence was covered
with a spare growth of tall, slender saplings, while
underneath was a heavy growth of brush just tall
enough to conceal a man. The Indians percepti~
bio, owever, were climbing into a tall, straight
sapling, trimming of! all the branches as they as-
con 9 .

“ W838: the mystery does that mean?" asked Cap-

on.

“Devdmcnt, I assure on," answered Seth.

A halt was ordered w 6 they watched the move-
ments of the foe.

There were four Indians climbing the sapling, and
when the foremost one was within a few feet of
the top, he stop K1 and looked down at his com-

anious. The endcr bush, already swaying under

3 load, inclined down the hill, and the moment the
warrior looked down, it seemed a signal for the red-
skins all to throw themselves on one side, which
they did, when the sapling] bent gracefully over un-
ll its top touched the cart .

The red-skins all disappeared in the undergrowth,
and only the graceful arch of the sapling was visi-

e.

“ Heavens, but wees lost a good chance for a
shot “ lamented Teddy O’Roop.

" 0 ma have a chance ye Ted," returned Seth,

’for I‘m 0 the opinion that that movement means
mischief of some kind."

“ I am inclined to think there are a number of In-
dians in that thicket," Sayton said, “judging from
the movement of the bushes.“

V “ My God! look there!“ suddenly burst from Sure
hot’s li ; “it is as I had expected."

l‘hcy i saw the sa ling spri back almost to
as former position, p up wit it, between hea-
ven and earth, a human form that had been attach-
ed toit bweans of a slender cord or rope. The
rope had n tied to the victim‘s feet an then to
theti end of the sa ii which, bending slightly,
held him be 0nd reac of imb or shrub.

From the r position our friends could see the un-
fortunate man's arms beating the air and struggling
in all the activity of life.

The maidens turned their faces to avert the horri-
ble sight.
ofli‘rcmlila;Wia.y off in the woods came the long bowl

9. wo .

Sure Shot started for there was something famil-

iar in the intonations that droned through the

woods.

The bark of a fox answered the wolf.

Ag‘ain Seth and Teddy, too, started and exchanged
qulc , inquiring glances.

“ By the blessed Vargini and I behave the B‘y
B ade is near!" Teddy exclaimed.

“ know it is, Ted, and that man hanging yonder
is none other than our friend, Joyful Jim."

A lTiny of distress burst from Vishnia's lips at these
wo s.

“ Is there no hope for him?" she cried.

“ But little Vishnia " answered Seth, “but I shall
parts an effort. Teddy, lead these folks south to-
ward the old agring and there wait; Gus, give me
your ride, for I nd t is a trusty iece."

Teddy led the ca tain and dens away toward
the spring, while th, Ches and Gus remained
where they were.

heuvagesontheknollhad nowbeoome boiste-

 
rous in their inhuman treatment of the old border
man, and were hurling stones, clubs and even toma-
hawks through the air at the dangling form.

“ New, boys," said Seth, “ I shall try my skill as
a riﬁeman in behalf of old Jim."

P“ You don’t mean to slay him, do you?" asked

a an.

Seth made no answer, but raising the rifle—a trus—
ty Sharp‘s—he leveled it toward the knoll, ran his
eye along the barrel, and pressed the trigger.

Simultaneous with the report, old Joyful Jim was
seen to drop to the earth like a stone; while the sap~
ling whipped the air, as relieved of its load, it
sprnn back to its perpendicular.

" I id it. as I live!-4:ut the rope that suspended
him!“ exclaimed Seth, highly elated at his wonder-
ful exploit in marksmanship.

Before any report could be had from the knoll, the
discharge of ﬁrearms to the north, and down the
western side of the eminence, startled the woods
with a thousand reverberations.

“ Thank God, the Bri ade is near!" exclaimed
Seth, as down alon the crest halls sounded those

eculiar cries of his different followers, while over

rom the knoll came groans of agony and yells of
savage dismay.

CHAPTER IHIIII.
A GRAND REUNION m GOOD-BY.

DUSKY forms were seen darti ra idly along the
ridge, evidently ﬂeeing from the ca y aim of heir
invmcible foe.

Seth and his two companions hurried across to
the knoll to look after old Jim, havin first an-
nounced his Bresence by a signal to his friends scat-
tered throng the surrounding woods.

The trio soon reached the scene of tragedy, where
a sad, ghastly and laughable sight combined, was
presented to t eir view.

A couple of savages lay dead before them; three
others were writhing in all the horrible agonies of
death. and in their midst sat 01d Joyful Jim, 'ith a
serio—comical expression upon his face tha would
have provoked a smile from the soberest judge on
earth. He was looking around him like oue'bcwil—
dered, while he held on with a terrible gripe to some
tufts of rass, and braced himself upon the earth as
1tllliollligh €16 were about to be hurled from a giddy

' t. ’

a Hullo, there, Jim, what‘s the matter with you?"
Seth exclaimed, as he ap reached the old man.

Jim started and gaze wildly about him; then
Seth discovered that he had been artiall stunned
by his fall, and that he was out of ‘s min .

Suddenly one of the Boy B ade came bounding
into the thicket and seized Seth y the hand.

“Thank the Lord, old friend, we are permitted
to meet again, sound and well!" he exclaimed, joy-

full .
“It‘s by the skin of a hair, as Teddy says, that
I am here, my dear friend, Justin,” returned Sure

Shot.

“ Teddy?" exclaimed Justin Gray; “is Teddy
alive too?"

“ Yes, and with Maggie and Vishnia near this
int."

“Seth, can all this be true?"

“ It is a solemn fact.”

Justin uttered a shout of jog

And now, one b one, the rigade came up, hail-
ing the presence 0 their young leader with deafening
shouts of joy.

The presence of Gus Stewart and Ches Pagan, the
known com anions of Ivan Le Cle , caused the
Br' ade no ttle surprise; but Seth brie yex lained
the attitude toward them, and received t e best
wishes and congratulations of the boys for the
change the had made in their conduct.

Meanwh e, old Jim sat muttering incoherentiy to
himself, but finally he started up with an exclama-
tion and an odd oath, and rubbing his eyes and gaz-
ing around him asked:

“ Boys, how’s this, now 7"

An explanation was not necessary, for in a mo-
ment more Jim’s mind was clear; and rising to his
feet he gitve the Indian lying before him a startled
glance, t on advanced and greeted Seth with a
shake of the hand and a hearty, good-natured laugh.

“Strikes me you were in a. predicament, Jim,"
said Sure Shot, smiling.

“Wal, I reckon as what I had a tater in the
clouds, and if the strln hadn't ’a' broke, I reckon
them an rbumfustica vampires ‘d ’a‘ seen the
last of oyful James. But, great Jeh0viah, boys!
When 1 drapped from up thar I fell plump on a red-
skin, and butted—drovo—jammed him cl‘ar down to
the antytods; and it came dimmed nigh splatterin‘
me all over this woods. It war only the adhesive-
ness of the bony structures of my cerebellum that
kept me from squashin'. But Seth—Shure Shot—
friend March, I am monsterously dee-iighted to see

on among us once more. I was afraid that young

hint of a Hawk-Eyes had ot the dead wood on
you this time; but seein’ he dn’t, I will be safe in
sayin’ he‘ll never—no, never, bother us again."
‘Wvl'iy not?" asked Seth.

“0 ng to the attraction of gravitation, invented
by that great, ood and {ﬁlly old philossofer, Sir
Isaker Newton, e came to 8 death, and—"
“Belgian do you mean to say Hawk-Eyes has been

“ Ya—as; as Iwar goin' to observe ” said Jim with
a gesture, “ by means of that invention of old Ike‘s,
I war forced downward to'rds the yearth when that
strin broke with me, and as luck would have it, I
gra tated onto the chief's head and broke his on-
$2wa neck, tharb cheatin‘ the gallows. Turn

t karkiss over t or and you'll see that whatI

have said is as true as the solar system is perfect."
The bondidalMandwhenthe body.

 
which had lain face downward was turned, all
looked upon the face of Ivan Le Clerc .

Young Stewart and Pagan Were deeply affected by
sight of the dead face of him who had once been
their com Janion and leader. They shuddered as
they thoug it of their own narrow escape from the
sin which had ended the life of Ivan; and they
thanked Heaven for the moral courage that enabled
them to overcome their fears and turn into the
path of right and honor. And, too, the face of no.”
Abe Thorne rose before them, and tears of grie and
sorrow ﬁlled their eyes when they thought of his
poor, childless mother, who would watch in vain for
iis coming. But they knew not that, at that very
moment, Abe‘s mother lay silent in death—a victim
to sav e. vengeance.

Old eptune and Mr. Harris soon joined the pawl
and when the presence of Seth was discovered a
scene of great excitement ensued. E er to receive
some tidings of their dau liters, they p ied him with
a dozen questions before e could answer one. But
when he broke to them the glad news, that both
were safe, they we t with joy.

Sure Shot ﬁnally ed the partyto where Teddy and
Captain Sayton, with the maiden were in waiting.
Then ensued another scene of joy ul reunion.

“Gosh almighty!“ exclaimed old Jim lookirf on
with delight, ‘ it‘s better‘n a camp-meetin‘; an dog
my cats if I don‘t wish I had a darter or a—a sweet-
heart to embrace. If I had,I think my idear of
paradise would be com lete. I had a smatterln‘
taste of love onct; but t e dratted critter I sweet-
ened on ot mad at me and we parted forever. She
got mat ’bout nothin’ too—jist because I told her
she hadn‘t ort to make a com-patch of her feet by
crowdin‘ them into number-eight boots and then un-
dertake to kick a fractious cow into submission.
But it war all for the best. She married another fel-
ler, and new dishes up corn-pone to a cross hus-
band and fifteen children. What parental responsi-
bilities I escaped! Humphi killin b‘ars, bu‘stin‘ In~
gins and gravitation are nowhar."

“I see." said Gus Stewart, “ that you are still igno-
rant of the fact that Sure Shot Seth cut the re
that suspended on in mid-air, with a bullet at t a
distance of near two hundred yards.”

“ You don’t tel me!"

“ I do; and for a fact."

“I've no more to say ’bout vitaion and the
superbumfustic force with whic I drapped onto the
celebellum of that Hawk-Eyes im i”

The distant re rt of a gun sud only reminded our
friends that pe surrounded them and that delay

was da erous.

From ‘aptain Sa n they learned that the set
tiers of the Yellow edicine Agency or those thal
had escaped the Indian tomahawk, had fled south
and taken refuge at Fort Ridgely; and as this was
the nearest point of safety, our friends at once set
out for that place.

Shortly after their departure the part were over
taken b Rube Johnson, who had been 11 considers
ble tron le with the Indians. His coming left no on
peliliind, and so the party all moved on more cheer»
u y. a
0n the way old Neptune revealed his right name
and the place of his home; and while his sojourn in
the wilds of the North-west had, in the end,been
full of great peril and suite he did not regret
that he had come, for he n restored tohil
wonted heath and strength.

With the cloud that had once seemed gathering
over his powerful brain went all his eocentricno-
tions of submanne navigation; though to have fol»
lowed up what he had accomplished at Lake Luster
m' ht have led toa success and fame equal to that
of ﬁeorge Ste henson and Robert Fulton.

U in one of er point the Boy B e was en htc
ene ; and that was the ueer an even an i one
manner in which Joyful d rfod himse while
around Lake Luster. The fad old Jim was in the
employ of Neptune as a scout, and secrecy being en-
joined upon him of course he kept it toh mself. So
it was his voice hat Justin Gray and H ' , the
Indian, heard on the water the night they swam out
to Sure Shot‘s relief; for it was Jim and Neptune
thztbhelmhdfreahim 1""? Mt in ages

. on ty a e sav , our
friends gm. {crunched Fort Rldgely, which they
found closely leagueredb the enemy;but,assailed
by the indomitable Boy B e, the savages were
com to raise the siege, withdrawing in the
direction of New Ulm.

Old NepItune and his daughter soon returned to
their old ome, where, a few years later—when the
war had ended—Ca tain Sayton claimed the hand of
the fair Vishuia in t e bi nds of wedlock.

Mr. Harris took his daughter south, beyond an
dan ers of Indian invasion, where, in com with
her riend, Emma Milbank, and the other women (I
the Yellow Medicine ncy, she t the summer,
while he went back to in: under he banner of her
lover, Sure Shot Seth.

The Boy B ade rendered inestimable service
during the terri le Minnesota war, and although it
was in many hard-f0 ht battles, and loat some of
its members, its at young leader. Sure Shot
Seth passed through the attest of all unscathed;
to fall meekly into the ranks of married men, an
become one of the most devoted of husbands to one
of the most devoted and charming of whet—Maggie

 
1066 CowDoy Chris the Desert Centaur.
By Wm. Welt Wilder.

1067 You Be: Bob’s Jungle. By Anson