xt7fj678sw69 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7fj678sw69/data/mets.xml Ellis, Edward Sylvester, 1840-1916. 1910  books b92-206-30909126 English Hurst, : New York : Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Frontier angel  : a romance of Kentucky rangers' life / by Edward S. Ellis. text Frontier angel  : a romance of Kentucky rangers' life / by Edward S. Ellis. 1910 2002 true xt7fj678sw69 section xt7fj678sw69 
THE FRONTIER ANGEL
EDWARD S. ELLIS
 



































































JIM PLTLRSON QUESTIONING THE FRONTIER ANGEL.

 

              THE

FRONTIER ANGEL

            A ROMINCE OF


     KENTUCKY RANGERS' LIFE




                BY
        EDWARD S. ELLIS
AUTHOR OF " BILL BIDDON-, TRAPPER," "FAMOUS AMERICAN
    NAVAL COMMANDERS," "GOLDEN BOCK," ETC.












            NEW YORK
        HURST  COMPANY
            PUBLISHERS

 


























  COPYRrIGTr 1910,
       BY
HURST  COMPANY.


 

                  CONTENTS.



CHAPTER                                            PAGE
   I. The Night before the Departure ....................   9  
   II. The Fate of the Flat-Boat .......................... 21
 III. The Two Scouts ........................      ..... 46
 IV. The Faint Hope................                 59
 V. The Mysterious Warning ........................... 70
 VI. The Frontier Angel-The Shawnees ................. 83
 VIr. The Pursuit of Knowledge Under Difficulties ........ go
VIII. A Man in Trouble ................................. i05
IX. Peter Jenkins-A Couple of Speeches ............... 127
  X. In which there is a Future Account of the Shawnees,
       the Speakers, and Jenkins ............. ........... 139
 XI. A Prize Gained and Lost .......................... 151
 XII. A Mingling of Fear, Doubt, and Hope .............. 174
 XIII. Dark ............................................. 189
XIV. The Attack in the Wood ........................... 201
XV. " All's Well that Ends Well ........................  225

 This page in the original text is blank.


 


       LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Jim Peterson Questioning the Frontier Angel.....FRONTISPIECE
                                                     PAGE
" For God's sake come and take me off, for they are after
     me ................................................. 31
The Fronticr Angel ...................................... 37
Onward they poured, shouting like madmen ............... 43
" Whosomever is on that flat-boat ain't living, that's sartin." 49
"' 0 Lord, I'm shot,' suddenly exclaimed Jenkins."..   79
"Before he could rise the Indians were upon him."..r. log
"The Frontier Angel gazed calmly on him a moment."..... 123
"'Mr. Thomas McGable, Esq., I believe,'said Peterson with
     much gravity, without removing the aim of his rifle.".. 157
"'Quick! water; she has fainted,' exclaimed Mansfield."..... 227
"Then die-! ..............I  ............................. 241

 This page in the original text is blank.


 

    THE FRONTIER ANGEL:

                A ROMANCE OF

       KENTUCKY RANGERS' LIFE.



                CHAPTER I.

      THE NIGHT BEFORE THE DEPARTURE.

  IN the western part of Pennsylvania, near the
commencement of the Ohio river, stands a small
town, which, at the close of the last century, num-
bered about thirty dwellings. Although properly a
border settlement at the time mentioned, there were
so many others beyond, that it was hardly regarded
as being in the " Mighty West." The inhabitants
were mostly farmers, possessed of large and beauti-
ful farms, who commenced their labors in the morn-
ing, and retired to rest in the evening, without much
fear of the molestation of their savage brethren.
True, a few years previous, the latter had committed
murders and depredations even farther east than
                      9

 

THE FRONTIER ANGEL.



this, and the settlers never allowed themselves fully
to give way to an undue sense of security. But,
unless a most unexpected triumph should crown the
struggles of the Indians, there was little occasion for
apprehension upon the part of the whites.
  The time on which we visit this village, is an even-
ing in the spring, toward the close of the last
century. The night is dark and cloudy, and the
houses are invisible in the deep gloom; but there are
numerous twinkling lights in the different dwellings,
which give it the appearance of a constellation set
in the vast sky of darkness around. Broad fields of
cleared land stretch for a long distance into the back-
ground, while there are numerous other dwellings
further eastward, toward Pittsburg, and many cabins
further westward in Ohio and Virginia; so that they
are not without neighbors, and may properly be said
still to be in the land of civilization.
  Near the western end of the village, stood a large
frame house, in t' e loAwer story of which a bright
light was burning. Within, and seated around a
large, crackling fire, were four individuals engaged
in conversation. The first was a pleasant, middle-
aged man, rather portly and good-natured; the
second was his wife, a few years younger, with an
equally pleasant face, and a cheerful, musical voice.
Upon the opposite side of the fire sat a young man,



IO

 

THE FRONTIER ANGEL.



of a hardy, muscular frame, and a rather handsome
appearance. Beside him was a maiden of eighteen
or twenty years, who, without the least exaggeration
on our part, might be pronounced beautiful.
  The first couple, as said, were man and wife. The
second two intended to be at some future time-that
is, they were lovers.
  The name of the parents was Abbot, and the
maiden was Marian Abbot, their daughter. They
were farmers, who, not having succeeded as well as
they anticipated, had come to the determination to
emigrate further west-in fact, into the very heart of
Kentucky. A flat-boat wvas to start the next morn-
ing down the river, in which a number of their
neighbors were going, and in which they intended to
send Marian; but, the parents themselves were com-
pelled to wait several months in order to bring their
affairs to a settlement. Their resolution had been
taken rather suddenly, but, as said, they were com-
pelled to wait before fulfilling it.
  The flat-boat which was to start on the morrow,
carried with it more men than Abbot expected would
accompany him, and hence he deemed it much safer
for Marian that she should go with it, and, in their
western home, wait for his coming.
  The young man to whom we have referred, was
Russel Mansfield, the only son of his parents, as was



I I

 

THE FRONTIER ANGEL.



Marian the only daughter of hers. An attachment
had existed between them for a year or two, and it
was generally expected by the parents of both, that,
as soon as they were in a proper condition, they
would be united for life. The parents of Mansfield
united with Abbot in their resolution, and it was their
intention to depart at the same time with him. The
same causes that led to his detention, produced
theirs; and, as it was their wish that Russel should
remain with and accompany them, he had consented.
The young man disliked very much the idea of a
separation, even for so short a period as a few
months, from his beloved; but reflection and sober
sense told him it was best that it should be so.
Nearly a dozen well-armed and courageous men
would protect her, while should her going be de-
ferred until his, there would hardly be half that num-
ber. Thus it was that the present turn of affairs
came about.
  " If we have a storm at the commencement of our
journey, it will be a bad omen, will it not, father"
asked Marian with a smile.
  " Tut, tut, dear, don't speak of such foolish things.
I would that your mother had such a body-guard
when she follows you."
  "Oh, well, I meant nothing. I am sure I have
no apprehension."



12

 

THE FRONTIER ANGEL.



13



  " There is danger it is true," remarked Mansfield,
"but it only threatens weakness and inexperience.
Your party are strong, and they surely have had
enough experience, to avoid all stratagems and
decoys of their enemy."
  " Yes, darling, don't let such thoughts trouble
you. There is One who is able to protect the weak-
est in the hour of the greatest peril. Dangers will
beset you on every hand, but there will be strong and
friendly hearts around you, and a strong and
friendly Heart overhead," added the mother.
  " There is but one thing that seriously troubles
me," remarked Abbot, gravely, " and that is the
thought of that McGable. He has now been absent
a year, and you remember, Marian, that he threatened
vengeance against you when he left."
  " Why, father, how can he injure me" asked
Marian in surprise; " who knows where he has
gone"
  "I have been told that he was in the West,"
answered Abbot, quietly.
  " Well, and what of that I am sure there is
nothing in that, that need frighten us."
  " I have heard a darker story of him," added the
father in a lower tone, and glancing around as if he
feared other ears might hear him.
  " What was it " asked Marian breathlessly.

 

THE FRONTIER ANGEL.



  "I have been told by those whose word could not
be doubted, that he has turned renegade, and that his
atrocities are equal to those of Girty, McGee,
Proctor, and the other similar fiends."
  " Where does he generally commit his outrages
asked Mansfield.
  "I do not wish to alarm vou, 'Marian, and I think
there is no reason for vour being alarmed; but, as all
the others who will accompany you, know the same
thing, there can be no harm in warning you. At
first, when he joined the British and Indians, he
united with the parties who attacked the defenseless
settlements and travelers; but he is cowardly, and
there was too much danger in that. He is now a
decoy along the Ohio river, and uses all the means
in his power to entice the passing flat-boats to shore.
The devil himself seems to aid his invention, for he
has contrived such ingenious schemes that it is said
he has outwitted some of the old backwoodsmen and
hunters themselves."
  " What does he do with his prisoners"
  " He has never been known to give quarter to
any one. All are consigned to the tomahawk or the
stake, and the women perhaps to a still more dread-
ful fate."
  "WShat induced him to turn traitor"
  " His own devilish disposition, I suppose. He has



14

 

             THE FRONTIER ANGEL.               I  

more than once given out that you will suffer,
daughter, for your rejection of him; and next to you
his especial enmity seems to be against Mansfield
here."
  " I only ask Heaven that we two may meet on
equal ground. He would never shame the race to
which he belongs, again," exclaimed our hero,
indignantly.
  "Perhaps you may, Russel-perhaps you may.
Ah! is that thunder"
  All listened for a moment, and heard the distant
booming of thunder, and the soughing of the wind
through the trees that stood near the house. A
storm was, indeed, gathering. Dark, tumultuous
clouds were wheeling through the sky, and, as M\rs.
Abbot looked out, she could discern by the aid of the
fire blazing on the broad hearth, the tops of the trees
swaying, and hear the night wind howling through
a!nd around the village.
  " There is a storm gathering, but I am in hopes
that it will pass off before morning," she remarked,
as she resumed her knitting and seat in the family
rocking-chair.
  " I guess it will not last long," added Mansfield.
  Silence now reigned for a time in the house.
Abbot sat in the corner slowly smoking his pipe, and
gazing meditatively in the fire, watching the glowing

 

THE FRONTIER ANGEL.



embers as they fell apart, and conjuring up pictures
and images in the coals. The mother continued
knitting, her chair gently rocking, and giving out
the same pleasant squeak that it had for years.
Now and then she raised her eyes for a moment to
glance at her husband or daughter, and then let them
fall again to the work before her. A kitten was tum-
bling over the floor, playing antics with her ball of
yarn, or whirling around in a circle in an attempt
to grasp the end of its tail. Failing in this, it stood
a moment, as if in meditation, and then with a plunge,
lit upon the back of a big maltese, quietly slumber-
ing at the feet of Marian, and fixed its claws in his
head, eyes, or any place that offered. The fellow
bore it unflinchingly for a moment, until becoming
unendurable, he grasped the mischievous creature
by the head and holding it thus a moment, gave it
several digging kicks that sent it into the middle
of the floor, and then quietly resumed his half-sitting
posture and shut his eyes again.
  Upon the other side of the fire was stretched Hero,
the house-dog. He was of the hound species, and a
noble fellow. As he lay, his long nose was dropped
upon the hearth, between his two paws, and turned
toward the fire. Probably he suspected mischief, for
now and then he slowly raised the corner of one eye-
lid, and glanced at the kitten, and then with a



i6

 

THE FRONTIER ANGEL.



twitch and start, slightly shifted his position. Once
or twice he flapped his long ears as if to give warn-
ing that he was not yet asleep, and it would be
dangerous to trifle with him.
  But the demon of mischief seemed to possess the
young kitten. It walked straight up to him, laid its
paw on his cold nose, and then scratched terribly.
The dog in turn, raised one of his huge paws, and
gave it a cuff that rolled it to the middle of the floor
again. The kitten rose demurely and had recourse
to the ball of yarn once more. Hero seeing this,
dropped his head with a threatening look, and again
slept.
  The old clock ticked loudly upon the mantel, and
the wind roared down the chimney, and moaned
around the house. Soon several drops of rain rattled
against the window, a terrific crash of thunder burst
overhead, and the storm came in all its fury.
  It lasted but a short time when a lull occurred.
Just at this moment, the clock struck the hour of
nine. Abbot knocked the ashes from his pipe, took
down the old, wooden-covered Bible, and commenced
reading a chapter. The mother laid aside her knit-
ting, folded her hands upon her lap, and Mansfield
and Marian paid a respectful attention.
  The chapter finished, all sank devoutly upon their
knees, and the earnest monotone of Abbot ascended

 

THE FRONTIER ANGEL.



to the Protector of all. The desolate moaning of the
tempest, added solemnity to the scene, and gave a
beautiful appropriateness to the petition that was
offered.
  As the parents arose, they bade Russel good night
and retired. Our hero left alone with Marian, glided
to her side, took her hand within his own and pulled
her head over upon his bosom.
  " What are you thinking of, Marian"
  " I was wondering at what father said."
  " What about McGable "
  " Yes."
  " Are you alarmed"
  " I feel some apprehension, I confess. You know
what a wicked man he is, and what terrible passions
he has. I know more of him than you do, Russel."
  " I suppose you do," he replied in a tone of slight
reproof.
  "What do you mean by that " she asked, looking
up in his face with a reproachful expression in her
mild blue eyes.
  "Oh, nothing! " he laughed, kissing her glowing
cheek.
  " T mean I know more of him, Russel, because he
has plagued me more with his presence than he has
you. T dreaded him as I did a serpent, and when I,
at last, told him I never wished to see him again, he



18

 

             THE FRONTIER ANGEL.               19

left me with a curse. 0 Russel! it was not me alone
that he cursed, but you! He swore that he would
kill you, for he knew you were the cause of it, and
he said I should suffer, too."
  " You are not alarmed for me, Marian"
  "Yes, for I shall fear his power as long as he
lives. I almost wish that father would remain here,
but there is no persuading him, and I shall not
falter at the last moment."
  " I cannot share your apprehension. You are
going to a settlement which is well-guarded, and
whose inhabitants are experienced in Indian war-
fare. I can see no reason for fear."
  " I trust there is not, but if I ever get there I shall
look anxiously for my parents and your arrival."
  The two conversed longer upon the departure to-
morrow, and discussed their plans for the future,
until, when the storm had ceased, our hero took his
departure.
  As perhaps the reader has surmised, the person
referred to by the parents and the lovers, had once
sought the hand of Marian. He had made his ap-
pearance in the village a year or two previous, and
gave his name as Tom McGable. Further than this,
nothing was known. He professed to belong to the
Eastern states, and had no relations or acquaintances
in the village. He was a thin, nervous, sharp-

 

20          THE FRONTIER ANGEL.

featured man, with long Indian hair, dark, restless
eyes, and a forbidding cast of countenance. He was
a person of awful passions, and was dreaded by all
who knew him. Marian turned from his advances
with loathing, but he pertinaciously persisted until
he was driven from her house. He left, vowing
revenge; and rumor shortly after reached the
village that he had gone further west and united
with the Indians against the whites. There was
good reason for this report, as all knew that he was
a man who would stop at nothing that might gratify
his vindictive feelings.


 

THE FRONTIER ANGEL.



                 CHAPTER II.

           THE FATE OF THE FLAT-BOAT.

  As was predicted, the storm soon cleared away,
and the morning dawned bright and beautiful.
Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb,
the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by
the time it was fairly light, the whole village was
astir.
  Down in the water, but safely moored to shore,
rested a flat-boat, waiting for its living freight,
before being loosened from its fastenings. As the
commotion in the village increased, numbers com-
menced wending their way toward the river, and in
a short time nearly all stood upon the shore. The
majority carried furniture and utensils with them,
which, by passing over several planks, were deposited
upon the boat.
  The farewells were now given. There were ten
men, seven of whom had wives, besides Marian, so
that the entire number was eighteen. With the ex-
ception of the latter, these had embarked all of their



21

 

THE FRONTIER ADGEL.



wealth and possessions upon this perilous under-
taking.
  Marian embraced her parents, received their last
advice, and, as she passed over the plank, encoun-
tered Mansfield.
  "Good-by," she said, gayly; " I shall soon expect
you.
  He took her hand, and, holding it a moment,
said:
  " I trust we shall be separated but a short time,
dear Marian. I have lain awake all night thinking
of this, and I believe there is danger-danger not
only upon the river, but after you have reached your
destination. You know to whom I refer-and oh!
let me beseech you to be careful of exposing your-
self. God bless you! Good-by, and may we soon
meet again."
  He wrung her hand, as she passed over the boat;
the plank was drawn on board, the fastenings un-
loosened, and the flat-boat commenced slowly mov-
ing with the current.
  "Good luck to you!" called out Abbot. "Look
out for danger; have your eyes open for decoys, and
don't, under any pretense, be induced to leave the
center of the stream. If you are betrayed, you will
have no one to blame but yourselves, for you are now
warned."



22

 

            THE FRONTIER ANGEL.              23

  The flat-boat slowly swept out into the stream,
and, after a time, gaining the center of the current,
moved forward with greater rapidity. Numbers yet
stood upon the shore, waving their farewells; but
the boat soon rounded a bend, and they all disap-
peared from view.
  Those on board now withdrew their eyes from the
shore, and made preparations for the perilous journey
before them. The flat-boat was a large, unwieldy
affair, built like all similar ones, so as to float with
the current alone. The sides were bullet-proof, and
the shape of the thing was similar to a box. About
three-fourths of the length werc taken up as the
cabin, which communicated with the other part by
means of a small door. A long, sweeping oar was
hung at each end, and balanced so as to dip into the
water. There was a small space at either end of the
boat which could be reached by passing through the
cabin. The latter was divided into two compart-
ments, and as regarded comfort and convenience,
probably the flat-boat could have been little
improved.
  The occasion and season of the year were such
that none could help feeling buoyant and hopeful.
The sun was now up in the heavens, shedding its
warm and cheering rays upon forest and river. The
rain-drops hung like pendent jewels, and the river

 

THE FRONTIER ANGEL.



glistened like molten gold. A thin mist was rising
along the shore, as the sun's warmth grew greater.
Now and then a woodsman's cabin was passed, and
it could be seen nestling in the small clearing, and
apparently as comfortable as though no enemy had
ever threatened it. Perhaps the settler himself came
forth with his wife to wonder and view the passing
boat, and exchange salutations with the first white
persons they had seen for months. Toward noon
they detected a solitary form standing below them,
upon a bend in the river. A nearer approach,
showed him to be a hunter. He waved his coon-
skin cap over his head as they came abreast, gave
a cheering hurrah, and called out:
  " Keep a powerful look-out for reds, you, fur
they're thick as flies in August down toward the Big
Sandy and Sciota. Wal they is, strangers; and if
you gits through without gittin' a taste of thar com-
pliments, why, here's as will stand treat all round."
  After giving this warning, the hunter watched
them a few minutes longer, and then turned and
disappeared in the forest.
  Some miles farther down they passed a small
settlement which had been commenced but a few
months before. A block-house, however, was
erected and stood at one end, as if to ward off all
approach. It was a clumsy, awkward building, but



24

 

THE FRONTIER ANGEL.



abundantly able to answer every purpose for which
it was intended. It was two stories in height, the
upper one so much smaller than the lower one, that
it had the appearance of standing upon a platform.
The outer edge of this projection was protected by
palisades, inclosing it, except at one point where the
gaping mouth of a swivel gave warning of the re-
sistance it was capable of giving. The instrument
was of brass, and so brightly burnished that it could
be seen gleaming in the sunlight by those upon the
flat-boat. A sentinel was pacing slowly around the
block-house, a long rifle resting upon his shoulder,
and his keen eye sweeping the horizon at a glance.
As he caught sight of the flat-boat, he raised his
cap and saluted it; and shortly after several others
appeared beside him and did the same. Our friends
returned the salutation, and continued watching the
tiny settlement until the intervening forest hid it
from view.
  This block-house was constructed somewhat dif-
ferently from those generally upon the frontiers, al-
though now and then a similar one is found even at
this day.
  The settlements and solitary cabins were still
passed at long intervals, and the night proved so
dark and cheerless, that they put into shore near a
small cluster of houses and spent the night. As



25

 

THE FRONTIER ANGEL.



they were hardly yet in dangerous territory, they



committed no indiscretion
  At sunrise the boat was
were once more floating
nearer their destination.
occurred through this day.
more rare, and the faces
Iate in the afternoon the)
Muskingum, and at night
in from the Virginia side.



in doing this.
loosened, and our friends
forward, a day's journey
Nothing worth noting
 The settlements became
of their kindred scarcer.
y passed the mouth of the
a small river which put
There was a slight moon



this night. A vigilant watch, of course, was main-
tained, but nothing to excite alarm took place.
  In the morning they were opposite the point where
the Great Kanawha debouches into the Ohio. The
settlement here was termed Point Pleasant, by which
name it is known at the present day. It was at this
point that they were joined by a man who stated
that he wvas a ranger going to Massie's Station down
the Ohio. VWithout the least mistrust or suspicion,
our friends took him on board, and continued float-
ing hopefully down the beautiful river.
  This day, when at the mouth of the Big Sandy,
and just at the elbow of the great bend in the Ohio,
an attempt was made to decoy them ashore. The
stranger whom they had taken on board, instantly
warned them of their danger, and told them that
they must pay no attention to the entreaties from the



26

 

THE FRONTIER ANGEL.



white men. The emigrants, as the case stood, would
not have deviated from their course, but the earnest-
ness of their new-found friend made them esteem
him highly and congratulate themselves upon hav-
ing secured such a valuable ally.
  All, we say, thought thus; but there were two
exceptions-Marian and a tall, bony, unmarried man
by the name of Peterson. This fellow looked upon
their new acquaintance with distrust the minute he
stepped upon the boat.
  " I'll be darned, Marian," he said, in an undertone
to her, after they had passed the decoy, " ef I don't
s'picion that chap. He's mighty clever, and the
trouble is he is a leetle too clever."
  "Do you really fear him" asked Marian, fright-
ened at finding that another shared her suspicions.
  " Fear him I'd like to see the man I'm afeared
of. All I'd ask would be to just git them are paws
on old Simon Girty or that McGable that people
allow is out in these parts, or that man thar, if he
ain't what he orter be, which I allow is the case."
  " At any rate, watch him, Jim, for it won't do to
have a traitor within when there were so many with-
out."
  "I'll watch him, I reckon, Marian; and by the
Eternal, the first real genuine sign of treachery I
see, I'll shoot him! You may bet on that."



27

 

THE FRONTIER ANGEL.



  As these words wele uttered by the indignant Jim
Peterson to Mtarian, he stood looking upon the object
of his remarks with flashing eyes, and gesticulating
earnestly with his long, bony, muscular arms as
though he ached to get him once fairly within his
grasp. In fact, Jim Peterson would have been a
dangerous customer for any man. He was now
about thirty years of age, and eight years of his life
had been spent as scout and ranger. He had served
under St. Clair and Gen. Harmar, and when the
former suffered such a disastrous defeat, he became
so disgusted with the generalship of his leaders, that
he left the country and settled down in the village
mentioned at the commencement of this work.
Here he had remained until the present time; but the
daring, wandering, reckless spirit was so strong
within him that he could resist no longer, and he
joined the present party with the full determination
of taking to the woods again as soon as they arrived
at their destination.
  He was over six feet in height, of a thin,
attenuated frame, capable of panther-like strength
and activity, with a keen, rest'-ss gray eye, and a
sharp-featured visage.
  Marian, after the conversation with him, de-
scended to the cabin; but her mind was in such a
tumult of fear and apprehension that she could not



28

 

             THE FRONTIER ANGEL.               29

restrain her agitation. She now firmly believed that
the stranger above was an enemy, and that, even with
the shrewdness of Jim Peterson to protect them, they
were all still in the utmost peril. But she knew of
no course to pursue, except to invoke Divine protec-
tion. Should she impart her suspicions to the
females around her, they would either ridicule her or
become so terrified themselves, that the case would
be infinitely worse. She concluded, at last, that
there was nothing she could do, and, under Heaven,
the case must be left to Peterson.
  In a short time night commenced settling over the
woods and river. The emigrants had now made
such progress upon their way, that they were about
half way between the Big Sandy and Sciota. The
dense forests of Kentucky and Ohio shut down upon
either hand, and not a sign of civilization met the
eye.
  Before it was fairly dark, the flat-boat was sud-
denly hailed from the shore. A white man, limping
and apparently in great distress, besought them to
run in and take him on board before the Indians
reached him.
  " He's a decoy," remarked the stranger, who had
intently watched him from the first.
  " How do you know he is, colonel " asked Peter-

 

THE FRONTIER ANGEL.



son, who had intently watched the stranger all the
time.
  " How do I know he is '" repeated the latter.
"I reckon as how any fool as has one eye could tell
the same mighty quick."
  " You're sure of it then, eh "
  " In course I am, ain't you "
  " Yas, sir."
  With this the ranger turned on his heel, satisfied
that they had a traitor on board. This may seem
strange to the reader, but it would not be to a
backwoodsman who understood the case.     The
eagerness and quickness this man had evinced to
point out danger, ever since he joined our friends,
was good reason in itself for suspicion. Had he
been a genuine ranger, he would have hesitated
before giving his opinion, and not defeat his own
ends by showing too much knowledge of what was
unknown to the rest.
  Peterson walked away from him, and commu-
nicated his suspicions to several of his friends. Just
as he expected, they laughed at him, and accused
him almost of meanness. Stung by this rebuke, the
ranger became silent and sullen and left them.
  In the meantime, the man upon shore was
bellowing louder than ever. Not content with being
once refused, he was limping along shore, and be-



30


 




Iv



"For God's sake come and take me off, for they are after me."



TN

        I
  1
     k)
i

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THE FRONTIER ANGEL.



33



seeching them in more piteous tones than ever.
Still the whites resolutely turned their ears against
him, and would not have noticed him at all, had
not the stranger spoken.
  " I declare, it looks queer anyhow.  I never
knowed one of them decoys to hang on like that."
  "You have no notion that he is anything else
but one, or that he has any object except our own
destruction  "
  " I didn't think different at first, but it begins to
look doubtful. Just let me say a few words to
him."
  With this, he stepped to one side of the boat, and
called out, " What's your name"
  " John Haggart."
  " How come you to git in such an ugly fix"
  " I was out scouting it, and was cotched by the
Shawnees, and have just got away from them. For
God's sake, come and take me off, for they're after
me."
  "Jump into the river and swim out to us."
  " My hurt is too bad; I've got a bullet clean
through my thigh, and can just drag the leg after
the other. Yonder is the smoke of their wigwams
up on the hill and they ain't fur off. My God! don't
leave a white man thus! Heaven would curse you
if you did."

 

34           TTHE FRONTIER ANGEL.

  Our friends looked in the direction he indicated,
and could faintly discern in the gathering gloom a
thin wreath of smoke rising from the trees. The
suffering man, as if aware of their thoughts, called
out:
  " That is whar' they are, and their runners are out
after me. May God forever curse you, if you leave
me here."
  " What do yer think " asked the stranger, turn-
ing round with an air of perplexity to the others.
" I believe that man ain't a decoy, not at all; and ef
he isn't, we orter not leave him there to be cooked
by the red devils. Still, I shouldn't say nothing, but
leave it with you."
  " It will never do to run the boat ashore," said
several of the men, firmly.
  "Oh, I didn't mean that. In course, it would
be all-fired foolish to do that ar' thing. But I've
been thinking "-and the man dropped his eyes, as
if in great perplexity-" that we orter help that man
off. To do sich a thing we ain't compelled by any
duty to expose ourselves to any danger. What is
your views, friends "
  " Why, if the thing can be done without imperil-
ing ourselves, it is our Christian duty to do it; but
we are at a loss at present to understand how we
could manage it thus."

 

THE FRONTIER ANGEL.



35



  "Oh, easily enough; just run the boat in about
half way where the water is so shallow that the
fellow can wade out to us. Keep your eyes open,
and if there is the least sign of treachery, we can
fall into the current again and float off."
  " A good plan, and I see no reason for not carry-
ing it out."