the spirit of the border-第42章

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paleface　lover　to　escape。　Wingenund　called　his　daughter　before　him；　and

questioned　her。　She　confessed　all　to　her　father。



〃Why　is　the　daughter　of　Wingenund　a　traitor　to　her　race？〃　demanded　the　chief。



〃Whispering　Winds　is　a　Christian。〃



Wingenund　received　this　intelligence　as　a　blow。　He　dismissed　Girty　and　sent

his　braves　from　his　lodge；　facing　his　daughter　alone。　　Gloomy　and　stern；　he

paced　before　her。



〃Wingenund's　blood　might　change；　but　would　never　betray。　Wingenund　is　the

Delaware　chief；〃　he　said。　〃Go。　Darken　no　more　the　door　of　Wingenund's　wigwam。

Let　the　flower　of　the　Delawares　fade　in　alien　pastures。　Go。　　Whispering　Winds

is　free！〃



Tears　shone　brightly　in　the　Indian　girl's　eyes　while　she　told　Joe　her　story。

She　loved　her　father；　and　she　would　see　him　no　more。



〃Winds　is　free；〃　she　whispered。　〃When　strength　returns　to　her　master　she　can

follow　him　to　the　white　villages。　Winds　will　live　her　life　for　him。〃



〃Then　we　have　no　one　to　fear？〃　asked　Joe。



〃No　redman；　now　that　the　Shawnee　chief　is　dead。〃



〃Will　Girty　follow　us？　He　is　a　coward；　he　will　fear　to　come　alone。〃



〃The　white　savage　is　a　snake　in　the　grass。〃



Two　long　days　followed；　during　which　the　lovers　lay　quietly　in　hiding。　　On　the

morning　of　the　third　day　Joe　felt　that　he　might　risk　the　start　for　the　Village

of　Peace。　Whispering　Winds　led　the　horse　below　a　stone　upon　which　the　invalid

stood；　thus　enabling　him　to　mount。　Then　she　got　on　behind　him。



The　sun　was　just　gilding　the　horizon　when　they　rode　out　of　the　woods　into　a

wide　plain。　No　living　thing　could　be　seen。　Along　the　edge　of　the　forest　the

ground　was　level；　and　the　horse　traveled　easily。　　Several　times　during　the

morning　Joe　dismounted　beside　a　pile　of　stones　or　a　fallen　tree。　The　miles

were　traversed　without　serious　inconvenience　to　the　invalid；　except　that　he

grew　tired。　Toward　the　middle　of　the　afternoon；　when　they　had　ridden　perhaps

twenty…five　miles；　they　crossed　a　swift；　narrow　brook。　The　water　was　a

beautiful　clear　brown。　　Joe　made　note　of　this；　as　it　was　an　unusual

circumstance。　Nearly　all　the　streams；　when　not　flooded；　were　green　in　color。

He　remembered　that　during　his　wanderings　with　Wetzel　they　had　found　one　stream

of　this　brown；　copper…colored　water。　The　lad　knew　he　must　take　a　roundabout

way　to　the　village　so　that　he　might　avoid　Indian　runners　or　scouts；　and　he

hoped　this　stream　would　prove　to　be　the　one　he　had　once　camped　upon。



As　they　were　riding　toward　a　gentle　swell　or　knoll　covered　with　trees　and

shrubbery；　Whispering　Winds　felt　something　warm　on　her　hand；　and；　looking；　was

horrified　to　find　it　covered　with　blood。　Joe's　wound　had　opened。　She　told　him

they　must　dismount　here；　and　remain　until　he　was　stronger。　The　invalid　himself

thought　this　conclusion　was　wise。　They　would　be　practically　safe　now；　since

they　must　be　out　of　the　Indian　path；　and　many　miles　from　the　encampment。

Accordingly　he　got　off　the　horse；　and　sat　down　on　a　log；　while　Whispering

Winds　searched　for　a　suitable　place　in　which　to　erect　a　temporary　shelter。



Joe's　wandering　gaze　was　arrested　by　a　tree　with　a　huge　knotty　formation　near

the　ground。　It　was　like　many　trees；　but　this　peculiarity　was　not　what　struck

Joe。　He　had　seen　it　before。　He　never　forgot　anything　in　the　woods　that　once

attracted　his　attention。　He　looked　around　on　all　sides。　　Just　behind　him　was

an　opening　in　the　clump　of　trees。　Within　this　was　a　perpendicular　stone

covered　with　moss　and　lichens；　above　it　a　beech　tree　spread　long；　graceful

branches。　He　thrilled　with　the　remembrance　these　familiar　marks　brought。　This

was　Beautiful　Spring；　the　place　where　Wetzel　rescued　Nell；　where　he　had　killed

the　Indians　in　that　night　attack　he　would　never　forget。







Chapter　XIX。



One　evening　a　week　or　more　after　the　disappearance　of　Jim　and　the　girls；

George　Young　and　David　Edwards；　the　missionaries；　sat　on　the　cabin　steps；

gazing　disconsolately　upon　the　forest　scenery。　Hard　as　had　been　the　ten　years

of　their　labor　among　the　Indians；　nothing　had　shaken　them　as　the　loss　of　their

young　friends。



〃Dave；　I　tell　you　your　theory　about　seeing　them　again　is　absurd；〃　asserted

George。　〃I'll　never　forget　that　wretch；　Girty；　as　he　spoke　to　Nell。　Why；　she

just　wilted　like　a　flower　blasted　by　fire。　I　can't　understand　why　he　let　me

go；　and　kept　Jim；　unless　the　Shawnee　had　something　to　do　with　it。　I　never

wished　until　now　that　I　was　a　hunter。　I'd　go　after　Girty。　　You've　heard　as

well　as　I　of　his　many　atrocities。　I'd　rather　have　seen　Kate　and　Nell　dead　than

have　them　fall　into　his　power。　I'd　rather　have　killed　them　myself！〃



Young　had　aged　perceptibly　in　these　last　few　days。　The　blue　veins　showed　at

his　temples；　his　face　had　become　thinner　and　paler；　his　eyes　had　a　look　of

pain。　The　former　expression　of　patience；　which　had　sat　so　well　on　him；　was

gone。



〃George；　I　can't　account　for　my　fancies　or　feelings；　else；　perhaps；　I'd　be

easier　in　mind；〃　answered　Dave。　His　face；　too；　showed　the　ravages　of　grief。

〃I've　had　queer　thoughts　lately；　and　dreams　such　as　I　never　had　before。

Perhaps　it's　this　trouble　which　has　made　me　so　nervous。　I　don't　seem　able　to

pull　myself　together。　I　can　neither　preach　nor　work。〃



〃Neither　can　I！　This　trouble　has　hit　you　as　hard　as　it　has　me。　But；　Dave；

we've　still　our　duty。　To　endure；　to　endurethat　is　our　life。　Because　a　beam

of　sunshine　brightened；　for　a　brief　time；　the　gray　of　our　lives；　and　then

faded　away；　we　must　not　shirk　nor　grow　sour　and　discontented。〃



〃But　how　cruel　is　this　border　life！〃



〃Nature　itself　is　brutal。〃



〃Yes；　I　know；　and　we　have　elected　to　spend　our　lives　here　in　the　midst　of　this

ceaseless　strife；　to　fare　poorly；　to　have　no　pleasure；　never　to　feel　the

comfort　of　a　woman's　smiles；　nor　the　joy　of　a　child's　caress；　all　because　out

in　the　woods　are　ten　or　twenty　or　a　hundred　savages　we　may　convert。〃



〃That　is　why；　and　it　is　enough。　It　is　hard　to　give　up　the　women　you　love　to　a

black…souled　renegade；　but　that　is　not　for　my　thought。　What　kills　me　is　the

horror　for　herfor　her。〃



〃I；　too；　suffer　with　that　thought；　more　than　that；　I　am　morbid　and　depressed。

I　feel　as　if　some　calamity　awaited　us　here。　I　have　never　been　superstitious；

nor　have　I　had　presentiments；　but　of　late　there　are　strange　fears　in　my　mind。〃



At　this　juncture　Mr。　Wells　and　Heckewelder　came　out　of　the　adjoining　cabin。



〃I　had　word　from　a　trustworthy　runner　to…day。　Girty　and　his　captives　have　not

been　seen　in　the　Delaware　towns；〃　aid　Heckewelder。



〃It　is　most　unlikely　that　he　will　take　them　to　the　towns；〃　replied　Edwards。　

〃What　do　you　make　of　his　capturing　Jim？〃



〃For　Pipe；　perhaps。　The　Delaware　Wolf　is　snapping　his　teeth。　Pipe　is

particularly　opposed　to　Christianity；　andwhat's　that？〃



A　low　whistle　from　the　bushes　near　the　creek　bank　attracted　the　attention　of

all。　The　younger　men　got　up　to　investigate；　but　Heckewelder　detained　them。



〃Wait；〃　he　added。　〃There　is　no　telling　what　that　signal　may　mean。〃



They　waited　with　breathless　interest。　Presently　the　whistle　was　repeated；　and

an　instant　later　the　tall　figure　of　a　man　stepped　from　behind　a　thicket。　He

was　a　white　man；　but　not　recognizable　at　that　distance；　even　if　a　friend。　The

stranger　waved　his　hand　as　if　asking　them　to　be　cautious；　and　come　to　him。



They　went　toward　the　thicket；　and　when　within　a　few　paces　of　the　man　Mr。　Wells

exclaimed：



〃It's　the　man　who　guided　my　party　to　the　village。　It　is　Wetzel！〃



The　other　missionaries　had　never　seen　the　hunter　though；　of　course；　they　were

familiar　with　his　name；　and　looked　at　him　with　great　curiosity。　The　hunter's

buckskin　garments　were　wet；　torn；　and　covered　with　burrs。　Dark　spots；

evidently　blood　stains；　showed　on　his　hunting…shirt。



〃Wetzel？〃　interrogated　Heckewelder。



The　hunter　nodded；　and　took　a　step　behind　the　bush。　Bending　over　he　lifted

something　from　the　ground。　It　was　a　girl。　It　was　Nell！　She　was　very　whitebut

alive。　A　faint；　glad　smi