A Little Girl in Old St. Louis

en the strip of woods failed them for shelter it was growing dusk, and, with the rise of the wind, they could hardly have

of the river, or we may go astray. Though we have made a gain by cutting off

see us on

We must make for that dark line ahead of us, a

though evidently there had not been as much here. Valbonais found a dead, dry branch of pine, which he lighted, and began to explore. A short distance in was a pile of st

oing to do?" as

ave. Oh, you will

help," she c

you take my knife and cut some

d and piled a few others around it. Re

w place like a great chair. This he partly filled

ld. You will have to sleep sitting up; bu

g her hands. "A golden baby moon down

the northwest. One was almost at the point of th

ght it will be in her arm

"Oh, is it not wonderful? What is that?" a

ds are not thick enough to harbor wild animals, thank

She sank gracefully into the seat and leaned b

lendid!" in a

ran

g and some corn cakes and toasted both. They were hungry enough to eat

e molested. The small band will be busy with their chief and repairing damages. Th

would have been looked upon as a useless burden. They dropped off poor Mère

at home with no fierce Indians about; only if Uncle Gaspard were he

w and on our way," Valbonais sa

o meanwhile?" in

ll only keep enough to see about in case I ha

ort distance, where he had command of the river. Nothing was going either way. How sweet and tranquil it all was, after the terrors of last night!

his side, his knife in his belt. He should have had a hatchet, too; that useful article no one scarcely travelled without, bu

tranquil, silent, with no enemy in sight. Then he glanced down the long and arid space, where even grass gr

sen and smoothed

pleasure. "And, oh, to be free from horrid fear

sound. "I was not a very good watcher, perhaps, bu

have done without you?" raisin

variety for breakfast," with a gleam of

fire again, collectin

to the rive

swered. "The shore is shal

she held out her

cing over the sand, bright, fresh and glowing, and they partook of their simple breakfast and started on their journey. The sun was not shining brightly, yet there was no indicatio

r it is to St. Louis?" t

s of miles!"

raits it was with the fleet, and I hardly took note;" flushing as she recalled the delig

ndian settlement where we met, little thinking then that we should be

who have adopted many habits from the whites, are more intelligent than most other tribes. That

es. Still there will be small g

r and trading fleets, if the lines of flat boats and canoes could be called that, carried abundant provisions. Roving bands of

bend came a canoe filled with Indians. Then another and one of stores, and one figure was sus

ding up, looking this way! O Mother of God, come to the assistance of thy

ore arms and ammunition, and hoped now to overtake Black Feather. His glance around was not indicative of the slightest certainty. He coul

until the last canoe was bu

nais said. "Of course, they co

earch of a landing place. Oh, i

do not mean to be taken a prisoner again; and surely, it will go hard wi

river," declared Wawataysee. "Now

nd some traders

e are two people in the world, perhaps three, hungering for revenge on me, I am so

anced at her

me join the tangled threads, and you wi

nd it will delight me to listen to anything

d and plighted her troth to him that she was informed of her brother's intentions toward her, and she prayed to him for the liberty of choosing her own husband-admitted, indeed, that she had chosen him and could be the wife of no one else. Then he had sent a messenger to

d this chief has two wives. He told my brother that I should be fir

eyes, the bloom of courage and constancy

--" in a low ton

But I am his in death as well as life," with

t from her the holy bond she had giv

rn of stones to be transformed into a sleeping ch

these dried, hard cakes and the

nd shoot some game. There is no corn matured yet, so if we came to growing fields

over them with. Then he kindled a fire at some distance, for he had heard the cry of an animal. Farther off, then nearer, a stealthy creeping along. H

Wawataysee spran

a torch and went nearer, touched the creature with his

for our breakfast;" yet

ad it was no

ouble. The good God

as glad to be near a lights

. When she woke again the sun was shining. Valbonais had kindled a fir

asked, "or did you rea

fox's coat. It may be useful for mo

!" she said

with cheerful hearts, keeping the river in sight, but meeting nothing more alarming than a herd of roaming deer. It was useless to fire at them; birds would be more to the purpose. Toward night th

cabin, evidently, and no one has been here for some time. There is a

hat which had worked such havoc with Black Feather and his party. The soft patter on the leaves was de

e came to molest them. Valbonais caught such an excellent supply of fish t

when we left St. Lou

June. What day

s coun

nd then recalled incidents that had marked days,

en very good and courageous, but it is hard for her. A

I have nothing to fasten them on with, but can tie

ers were in th

dships better," and

topped raining, and now they were full of plans for to-morrow.

ll have some benefit of it the rest

enée impatiently. "Do you suppose the

en captive by scores or murdered. And up north it seems to have been a regular battlefield, wit

monsieur," declared René

too," added

ine in the eyes of Valbonais, and was

al feasts of berries; they saw some green plums and green wild grapes, but neither were tempting. Now,

o southward."

ay. They had found nothing. They were t

Here ran a clear creek, at wh

e at least. It must go to the

w larger as they went on. They

am? Could either of us swim with the child? I think it wo

rywhere the most serene quiet. Songs of birds, the call of some animal, the rustle of a deer and the brown, startled eyes gazing at one. The green of the foliage with

arrower. The man's eyes caught

dragged the tree to the edge, stood it up, letting it

Why did I not capture a hatc

eep," said Wawataysee; "t

hild. Still I will see if th

united strength to raise it, but it went stra

d at the Indian girl with a

he looked steadily at it a moment, started like

e clapped her hands, and her face wa

his gun to his back, convoying them over safely and depositi

is such a step," W

afraid, little one? You can run swiftl

surface, confused her and she hesitated, lost her balance and went down with a cry. Valbonais sprang into the creek, but missed his first

had not taken a bath. And

d began, "and then I couldn't kee

ry it is so near dark and we can

now I think we came up a creek to the Peorias' lodge. What if t

oice was freighted with joy, for

ave gone out of the way," he

ey a little by it. And if we could find the lodge

er with a blanket. Valbonais pressed the water

you must keep the blanket

warm. I am m

r presently," in

ungry!" she sa

en nothing s

can find those kindly Indian

s right." Val

diance, setting the little stream with gems and showering the trees with her ef

stopped short. The reaction had come and she shiver

aid Valbonais. "We sh

edge of the creek. They waded through the other stream. Renée's head drooped on the man's sho

e. And if you could sleep an ho

. What with fatigue and hunger, nature was overpowered and they all slept. When Wawataysee awok

cheerfully. "I, too, caught a nap. It must be

ild? How strong and

e roused. "Oh, where are w

We are going to the Indian lodge, where w

ill we soon be there? And, o

ker and darker it seemed. She gave her other hand

set the heavens aflame. The stars hung low in the northwest, and one by one dropped out of sigh

ous with her twenty-four hours' fast. And the walk s

er air of morning. In the distance hooded wigwams, a palisade to the north for shelter, blue-gray curling wr

d an Indian came forward to learn the cause of the alarm. Wawataysee sank down on a