Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 189, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 August 1914 — the MAID of the FOREST [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

the MAID of the FOREST

By RANDALL PARRISH

By D.J.LAVIN

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SYNOPSIS. ■ ■ •;/ __Joseph Hayward, an ensign in the United States army, on his way to Fort Harmar, meets Simon Girty, a renegade ■whose name has been connected with all manner of atrocities, also headed for Fort Harmar, with a message from the British general, Hamilton. Hayward guides him to the fort. At General Harmar's headquarters Hayward meets Rene TXAuvray, who professes to recognise him, he has no recollection of ever ving seen her before. Hayward volunteers to carry a message for Harmar to Sandusky, where Hamilton is stationed. The northwest Indian tribes are ready for war and are only held back by the refusal of th* friendly Wyandots to Join. The latter are demanding the return .of Wa-pa-tee-tah, a religious teacher, whom they believe to be a prisoner. Hayward’s mission is to assure the Wyandots that the man is not held by the soldiers. Rene asks Hayward to let her accompany him. She tells him that she is a quarter-Mood 'Wyandot and a missionary among the Indians. She has been in search of her -father. She insists that she has seen Hayward before, but in a British uniform. Hayward refuses her request and starts for the north accompanied by a scout named Brady and a private soldier. They come on the trail of'a war party and to escape from *he Indians take shelter in a hut on an Island. Hayward finds * murdered man in the hut. It proves to he Raoul D’-Auvray. a former French officer who la called by the Wyandots “white •chief.” Rene appears and Hayward is puzzled by her insistence that they have met before. Rene recognizes the murdered man as her father, who was known among the Indians as Wa-pa-tee-tah. Brady reports seeing a band of marauding Iddlans In the vicinity and with them Blmon Girty. Brady's evidence convinces the girl that, there is a .British officer by the name of 'Hayward, who resembles the American. They find escape from the Island cut off. Reconnoitering around the cabin at night Hayward discovers a white . man in a British uniform and leaves him for dead after a desperate light. The Indians capture the cabin after a hard struggle In which Hayward is wounded. Rene saves Hayward from death at the hands of the savages and conceals mm the cellar of the cabin. CHAPTER Xlll——Continued. I got to my hands and knees, determined io discover for myself the na- - lure of the passage. Any form of action was better than merely to lig there Inert. I had to creep forward, found barely room for the passage •of my body. My Wound still hurt sufficiently to make me cautious of every movement, and consequently my advance was slow. There never was "blacker darkness; It was like a weight pressing me back, and the silence was like that of the grave. I could hear myjiwn breathing, but my hands and knees made no' sound on the earth door. Whatever of savage fury was ■occurring above, no echo found way to where 1 burrowed below. . To all appearance the tunnel ran In a direct line; at least I could discover no evidence of deviation. ■ I stopped to rest a moment, sitting -cross-legged, my head barely escaping the root Suddenly from out that Intense darkness before me, came a peculiar sound. Intensified by the long silence, and the contracted walls, I could not tell whether it was cough <or groan. Something—man or animal —was certainly there in the tunnel hiding, crouched in the darkness, unaware as yet of my presence. Then It would not be,an animal; it must be a man. : \ I got upon hands and .knees again, slowly and with utmost caution, aware that if I was to escape notice I must advance as stealthily as a wild cat, the slightest sound would carry far In that gallery. I moved forward a yard; two, three yards, extending one hand out s Into the dark and feeling about carefully, before venturing another inch. Mine were the movements of a snail. I had almost convinced myself there was nothing there, either brute or human; yet some Instinct continually told me there was. I felt an uncanny presence, and an 111-defined sense of danger I could not cast off. 1 came to « pause, actually afraid to go on, my flesh creeping with strange horror. I rested on one knee, my face thrust forward as I stared blindly Into the awful blackness. I even held my breath in suspense, listening for the slightest movement Merciful God! Someone —something—was actually there! I could hear now the faint pulsing of a breath, as though through clogged nostrils; yes, and a meaningless muttering of the lips. CHAPTER XIV. A Struggle Underground. , I remained poised, breathless, hud- ' died in the dark, hesitating. A dozen considerations flashed through my mind, as I Swiftly decided what to do. I could scarcely hope to move backward without noise; nor, If I succeeded. would I be anyy>etter off with him •till blocking the passage T There was nothing for it then but to come to hand grips. But the fellow, whoever he might be—whether white <fr Indian—was doubtless armed, while I was weaponless. To get him right was a desperate chance, yet a chance which focate? hSTeavyTrsaJhiig bJfoVunmistakable, and evidence also that the man remained unaware of my presence. I shifted one foot forward to get firmer purchase, and then grasped for him through the darkness. My £ SSSES most Inhuman In Its wildness, struggllng backward so quickly my other S’SSfiz’S There wds no room for us to do other-

wise than claw at each other. After that first cry neither of us uttered a sound, but J closed in on him, getting a stronger grip. He was a man, a white man, for he wore a rough coat, and his face was covered with a growth of straggly, coarse whiskers. Enemy or friend I could not be sure, nor did I find opportunity to discover. We both fought like beasts, resorting to teeth and nails. His one object was to wrench himself loose, but" my fortunate grip oh his hair foiled this effort. Yet both his hands were free, the one clutching my throat; but, in those first breathless seconds, I could not locate the other. He was lying on his side, with right arm underneath. Fearful of a weapon, I let the fellow gouge at my throat with long ’ ape-like fingers, while I struggled fiercely to expose the hidden hand. If it proved empty I knew I could handle the man; that I possessed the strength to draw him to me, to crush him Into subjection within the vise of my arms. Straining every muscle I could bring into play, I succeeded in forcing him over onto his face. But he was' a cat, wiry, full of tricko. In some manner he "twirled his arm outof my grip. There was a flash of reddish yellow flame searing across my eyes, an awful report, like an explosion in my stunned ears. Where the bullet went I will never know, but I saw the man’s face leap out at me from the darkness—just an instant of reflection, as though thrown against a screen by some flash of light —the unmistakable face of a negro. Yet startled as} wap by this apparition, his view of me had no less an effect Even In that single instant of revealment, the hate in his eyes changed to fear, to uncontrollable panic; his lips gave vent to a wild cry, an exclamation in mongrel French, and. before I could stiffen in resistance, or recover from my own shock, the fellow flung his pistol at me, and jerked free. The .flying weapon tore a gash In my scalp, but his-haste and fear proved his own undoing. Half stunned as I was by the blow, I heard him spring to hie feet the dull crash, of his head as he struck the hardwood slab of the low roof, and then the thud of a body on the tunnel floor. In his haste, his, desperation, his strange fright, he had forgotten where he was, and attempted to spring erect. My head reeled, the blood from this new cut trickling down my cheek. The negro lay motionless In the darkness; I could not even distinguish his breathing, although I hestiated, listening intently, half fearing some trick. What had frightened the fellow so? What had brought that look of insane terror into his eyes? It was as if he stared at a ghost, the very sight of which had crazed him. I mastered my own neftres, and crept forward along the passage, feeling blindly in advance with one outstretched hand, until it came in contact with the man's figure. With clinched teeth, I touched the coarse hair with my fingers; then the forehead. The flesh retained some warmth; yet the feeling was not natural —it seemed lifeless. For the instant this appeared impossible. Why, he did it himself; he crashed his own skull against the slab. Yet I cbuld not make the affair seem real, or probable. And anegro! I had seen few of the race, but had always been told they were of thick skull; but if this man was actually dead, his head must have been smashed like an egg-shell. And it was—l found the gash a moment later, the jagged edge of bone. The fellow was. dead, stone dead; there was no heat to his heart, no throb to his pulse. Still dazed by the discovery, I ran my fingers along the roof overhead, hoping to find something there which would account for the mystery. No flat surface could ever havejabbed that wound. Ah! I felt it—the sharp point of a stake protruding between the logs. The poor fellow had struck that with sufficient force to penetrate the brain. •- ' I conquered my abhorrence, and searched him, finding tobacco, a knife —an ugly weapon—flint and. steel, a few coins, and some powder and rifle balls. There were no pistol bullets, and the thought occurred to me that the smaller weapon probably did not belong to him; he had appropriated it elsewhere. I erppt about, and across the body, searching for it in vain, but I found the rifle, and took time to test its flint, and load it" 1 was still engaged at this task, blindly feeling about in the dark for everything needed, and always conscious of that dead body beside me, when I suddenly detected smoke—not the puff of powder which still clung to the passage, but the acrid, pungent odor of burning wood. Even as I began to breathe the fumes they increased in intensity; the narrow tunnel fining rapidly with the smoke waves, and setting me to coughing. 1 realized at once what had happened. Mademoiselle's word of warning coming back to mind—they were burning the cabin, and through some orifice* the smoke was being swept down into this underground passage. If there were no outlet, no way by which it 'could escape again to the open -air. I Tv ? ,e T re ff ,n ? ,ac ? jtchoked ana suffocated. I might lie

gro; lie there until our bones rotted, and we also became earth. The. horror of the thought brought me to my knees. Already the air was stifling, my lungs laboring heavily, for breath as the smoke clouds filled the passage. Only as I- bent my nostrils close against the earthern floor could I find life-giving air. Even In my terror I clung to the negro’s rifle desperately. The entrance leading forth into the cave-cellar must be*closed, or the smoke cloud would never be eb dense and suffocating. To open it- might require strength, the blows es the gun ttock. If I retained power to burst my way through I must hurry. Already I felt my head reel dizzily, my open lips gulping for air. I crept forward recklessly in the dark, bruising my body against the sides of the tunnel, actually feeling the-thick-ening smoke swirl about me in dense clouds. I gasped for breath, and drew a bit of cloth about nose and mouth in slight protection. I was panic-strick-en, overcome by sudden horror, yet some nature within compelled me to struggle on. Suddenly I came to a body lying lengthwise of the passage, the head to the south. This hew discovery was a shock, yet seemed to affect me little. I crawlefi over him, as though he was no more than a stone in the path, yet as one hand came down inthb dark on the upturned face, 1 experienced a sudden thrill —the flesh was warm, the man lived. Barely had my numbed mind grasped this helplessly, when'my rifle, barrel, thrust before me, struck the end of the passage, the faint sound of contact signifying wood. Not three feet extended between the man’s’ head and this barrier which blocked us from "the outside air. Desperate, half crazed indeed, not only by my own situation, but aleo by the memory of those bodies behind in the dark tunnel, F'found scant knee-room in the small space, and fumbled madly about for some latch. The surface was of wood, roughly faced, but smooth, eave for what might be a handle in the middle, a mere strip, bevelled to give, fin-ger-bold. I pulled at this in vain; then pushed with my shoulder against the oak, but the wood held firm. 'Weak as I was, and in so crumpled a position, I could bring to bear but small strength. To batter the door down was the only hope left; no matter noise resulted, or the possibility of capture by the savages, I could not lie there and choke to death in that place of horror. Better any danger than such a fate. I drew back and struc£, the power of fear giving strength to my arms. Again and again I drove the rifle stock jagainst the hard oak. I left the center and attacked the sides, feeling the wood give slightly. Encouraged by this I redoubled my efforts, centralizing my blows on one epot, until certain the tightly jammed door was being driven from the groove. It was het and stifling; the perspiration streamed from me; the smoke was suffocating, deadly. I gasped and choked, my«head swam with dizziness. I felt my strength, ebbing away; despair clutched me. Yet I struck—no longer with clear Intent, but automatically, driving the heavy -gun butt against the slowly yielding wood, with every pound of strength I had left It seemed as if I had struck my last blow —I believe now I had; I believe my body fell with it—l cannot remember clearly—only I

I Fell Forward Into Light Air. know the wood' give way. and I fell forward into light an<j air, my face without, my body still in the tunnel. Merciful mother! How I gulped in those first refreshing breathe; how the clogged lungs rejoiced. I glanced back into the. tunnel, suddenly remembering the man who still lived. It he‘were out, the door might be forced back into place again, that volume of smoke suppressed.*'’ I refastened the cloth across my face, and crept back Into the tunnel until I was able to grip the fellow’s arms. He was a large man, clothed as a white; I eveg thought I felt braid on his sleeves; and, as I drew him toward ma by a mighty effort the light streaming in revealed a red jacket

I Meet My Double. The probability that the man was a British officer, whose life depended on my exertions, nerved me anew. No matter who he might prove to be. •whether friend or foe, he was of my race and blood, and evidently the victim of treacherous attack. First of all I must get him out of that stifling hole into pure air, and discover the nature of his injuries. - It was no easy task dragging the heavy body through the narrow entrance, and across the dislodged door. It had to be accomplished by sheer strength of arm, for I worked on my knees, choked by the foul atmosphere, almost blinded by the smoke, and unable to find purchase. Yet foot by foot I won, until, exhausted by the.effort, I hauled the limp form free of the barrier, and against the side wall of the cellar. , I leaned against the wall as the waves of smoke thinned, .and drifted out through the open door. At last there was but a thin vapor showing against the blue expanse of sky. It occurred to me the blue was shading ■into gray, as if twilight I retained no sense of time; so much had occurred I felt I had been confined for hours in that tunnel;' when I first emerged and perceived light I could scarcely realize that it was yet day; that all had occurred —the fight in the cabin, my rescue, the horrors of the tunnel—within so short a space. There suddenly swept over me the fresh .memory’of it all; I saw the faces, heard the voices. And they were dead, those men I had companioned with; they had gone the long journey, some quickly, mercifully, and Brady in the agony of torture. How it nauseated me! The swift reaction leaving me sobbing like a child, my hands pressed over my eyes. All at once I experienced the full horror, and broke down as weak as a babe. I remember now how my knees shook, so that I sank down to the earth floor; -ay! and how I prayed, my voice a mere senseless murmur, yet,.no doubt, clear enough to .God’s ears. I felt tempted to get outside, and discover where the raiders had gone; their trail might reveal much, if it could only be found before night came. I had straightened up, determined to try the venture when a movement below, and the muffled sound of a voice speaking English, reminded me of the soldier. Descending from out the sunlight I could perceive little in the darker cave-cellar. The red jacket was, however, sufficiently conspicuous to convince me that the man was sitting up, his back against the wait T don’t know who you are, friend,” he called out heartily, "only you look to be white. By any luck do you speak English?"

- "Not much of anything else,” I answered, endeavoring to discover his features. "I’m of the bipod.” “Ay! With a colonial twang to it, unless my ears lie. Is that the story ? So! Then what in God’s name are you doing here?” ; « . I could ,not take the measure of the fellow, his face remaining indistinct In the shadows, but there was a reckless ring of good-fellowship in his voice which inspired me to frankness. “I came this-way with a message so the Wyandots. I belong to the garrison of Fort Harmar.” ’ “An officer?” .- - ■ - “Yes.” “Holy smoke, man, but you certainly stumbled into a hornet’s nest. Didn’t you know all the northwest tribes have declared war? That it has actually begun?” “No; it was in the hope, of preventing such a catastrophe that I was sent Word was brought us that the Wyandots would not join the confederation.” "Who brought such word?” . / “Simon Girty. He bore a letter from Hamilton, and sought information regarding the disappearance of a Wyandot chief.” • “Wa-pa-tee-tah T’ "That was the name.” The man laughed, but the sound was not altogether pleasant "There is a touch of humor to your tale, my friend,” he said slowly, “although I doubt if you will be able to perceive it. Girty and Hamilton may have had reasons of their own for a bit of byplay; egad! They failed to consult me. But as for this Wa-pa-tee-tah, that chanced to be my business; Although juet now, and in the presence of the enemy, we will let the discussion go. Diplomacy never reveals its cards, and I have become more diplomat than soldier.' What am I then—s prisoner?" : i-.. /■••'• -■ ■ ' (TO BE CONTINUED.) .. <l —l—w—■——

CHAPTER XV.