Part 5 (1/2)
”Same old story; all kinds o' folks to an was his narave in the road so's to hide it fros at the head o' the coluht on the face o' the earth, an' such e an' skill at war are an an' I were tea supplies to Fort Chiswell i' the suot an he oop-ended the officer's person wi' a smart crack o' his feest That was fat i' the fire you o i' the aran to his cart wheel an' laid five hundred lashes on his bare back 'Twas a wicked sight, the flesh o' hi i' strips, an' he as cool as a cowcumber an' countin' every stroke He always declared they an”
”I should have thought it would have killed him”
”Keel him! Lad, ye don't know the stuff o' which such one into the service he was aes an' was shot i' the neck, the bullet comin' oot thewi' it”
”What became of him?”
”He settled doon i' Winchester, which was then weel nigh the jumpin'
off place, licked every ht, an' then married a fine woht, tho', he would go to the dogs I'm o' the opeenion that ill be the makin' o' hi at the h sundown an' I reckon they hope to shoot so in a rollicking voice the following, which may be presuan's an's heirs; All tin twins o' thian, An all o' thim born i' pairs
”Pat an' Terry, Tohn an' Fin, Wid Kathleen an' Dan,”
”Never uson, come ashore an' help with the work”
”Help wi' the work, is it, Joseph, me boy? Joseph wore a coat o' many colours, ye know, but he was the same old Joe all the time You'll niver improve, I'm thinkin'”
Rodney was left to build a fire and told to keep his eye ”peeled,” for a prowling savage ood blaze started, he sat down to wait After a few o up the creek a short distance in the hope of seeing gaone need not be alar tree and with the point of his knife wrote on the inside: ”Up creek, back soon”
The boy had not gone far when he ca to and from the creek He noticed no fresh tracks but concluded this as good a place as any where one ame
He selected the trunk of a fallen tree which commanded a view of the path and where he would be screened fro
It was near sunset and the rosy light shone through thin places in the foliage overhead Not a sound could be heard save the murmur of the water in the creek Rodney had paddled all day and was tired He began to feel drowsy That would not do and he shook his head vigorously, resolving to keep awake He was fond of hunting and thought it would be very gratifying if heto show for his efforts
Back in the woods a fine buck ca the narrow path When fully six rods fro his delicate ly The next instant his tail was lifted, showing the white of the under side, the ”white flag,” as the hunters term it, and with a bound he was off in the forest
A few , careful not to break a twig beneath his moccasined feet He was naked except for a breech-clout The tuft of feathers fastened to his ”top-knot” and the paint on his face indicated that he was on the warpath
Turning, the Indian followed the narrow trail in the direction of the creek for a short distance and then, leaving the path, made a detour on the side where Rodney had taken his station
The boy slept! The sun had gone down and only twilight ree bear appeared on the path, its sha He tried to raise his rifle but his arms were powerless, see before hied hiled to scream but could not utter a sound He opened his eyes A brawny hand was over his mouth, a powerful arm about his arms pinioned them to his side The hand was red, and on the wrist was a copper bracelet!
A guttural voice spoke low but harshly in his ear: ”U bound with leather thongs and he looked into the face of the savage, saw the hideous paint on it, the bright, beady eyes, the whites of which looked yellow; noted the high cheekbones, the nose like an eagle's beak, the cruel mouth like a thin slit in the face, and fear was upon him, such, as he never had known
”Halloo”
Surely that was Ferguson's voice, andhim