The Border Watch

than a hundred and fifty skin tepees and log cabins. But it was intended to be of a permanent nature, else a part of its houses would not have been of wood. T

the army across the cleared ground. Everybody in the village, it seemed, was coming forward to mee

ich was taken up by those who followed him. Then the people in the village joined in the wail, and it came over and over again from the multitude. It was inexpressibly mou

d Tom Ross. "I reckon that after Wyomin' an' Chemung, Timm

lp the Iroquois, won't that fact be likely to

s head, but Henry

oreover, as Timmendiquas has seen how the allied Six Nations themselves could not hold

, an' try to do fur Timmendiquas what he tried to do fur them. The savages used to fight ag'in' one another

We had a purty hard march to-day. Besides walkin' we had to be watchin' always to se

with you," said Paul, so bri

aid Henry, "and as the forest is so thick I

hem, and, as Henry had predicted, they quickly found it-a small depression well grown with bushes and weeds, but with an open space in the center where some great animal,

west was still dusky. He looked for a moment or two at his four friends, lying as still as if they were dead. Then he stretched his muscles, and beat his arm

s Sol. "Jim, light the fire an' cook breakfast an'

nuff. I've got a little pot an' a tin cup inside an' three pounds o' ground coffee i

be pow'ful warmin'. None o' us hez tasted anything but cold

still in his blood and he yielde

er dead wood and we'll be a

Shif'less Sol set fire to them with flint and steel. In a few minutes somethi

Sol sniffe

I wuz when I woke up. I wish to return thanks right now to the old

Sol, but according to the story he

ively at the steaming coffee pot. "I guess it wuz about the mos

y felt fresh strength pouring into every vein. When the pot was empty Jim put it on the ground to cool, and as he scatter

" asked Shif'less Sol, who kn

before I put my ear to the ground that it was not imagination. Now I know

ked up our trail," said Shif'less Sol, "

it is time for us to move from

e cup back into his pack, and they went towards the South at

t. But I'll tell you, boys, I don't like to run away from dogs. It humi

t he had read, dogs played a great r?le, nearly always as the enemy of man. There were Cerberus and the others, and flitting visions of them passed through his mind now. He wa

e, but the baying behind them never ceased. It also grew louder, and Henry

Wyandots must love dogs of uncomm

"We're good runners, all five o' us. We've

so we must shoot the trailers-that is-the dogs. Listen to th

and then entered the woods again. But at a signal

your rifles. We must stop these dogs.

four, I

e, Tom, you and Paul and Jim shoot at those o

killed instantly, but the fourth sprang aside into the bushes, where he remained. The five at once reloaded their rifles as they ran. No

ot kill," said Paul, "an

rriors sometimes get into dogs an' other animals, an' it ain't fur me to say that it ain't

his dead comrades. Now and then he still bayed as he kept the trail, but the fleeing five sought in vain to make him a target for their bullets. Seemingly, he had profited by the

dog would keep under cover that way. I reckon we couldn

d intended to pursue, not to be pursued. Now they were fleeing for their lives, and there would be no escape, unless they could shake off the most terrible of all that followed-the dog. And at least one of their number, Sile

Indians, would run along the bank and pick up the trail again in a few seconds. Yet hope rose once. For a long time they heard neither bark nor war cry, and they paused under the branches of a great oak. They were not really tired, as they had run at an easy gait, but they were too wise to let pass a chance for rest. Henry was hopeful that in some manner they had shaken

anny and terrifying. The face of Tom Ross turned absolutely pale thr

uld stay and fight, of course, but it's lik

"Did you pay 'tention to his voice then, Henry? Did you n

light. But he and Shif'less Sol, the best tw

og," whispered Henry. "Very l

ar it bayin'. It sounds to me jest ez ef it wuz sayin': 'I've got you! I've

eplied Henry. "Tom's been picking

n, and Henry, despite himself, felt the cold chill at his heart once more. Involuntarily h

und, cur, or whatever he may be!

e of the body that caused them to move. Nor could Henry. Twice more they heard the war cry of the savages, coming apparently from at least a score of throats, and not more than three or four

he said to Shif'less Sol;

juns kin," returned the shiftless one, "an' while we

ht. They stopped now and then for rest, but, when the voice of the hound came near again, they would resume their easy run toward the South. At every stop Tom Ross would turn his back to

the great forest protected them. Often, when the shade was not so dense they ran over smooth, springy turf, and they were

n the character of the country began to change slightly. The hills were a little higher and there was more underbrush. Just as they reached a crest Henry looked back. In the far bushes, he saw a long dark form and a pointed gray head wi

d him, Henry?" asked Sh

know; I

seemed more ferocious and uncanny than ever. Shif'less Sol shuddered. Tom Ro

l, "I never knowed you to

again and each asked a

s, Sol," said Henry. H

the belief of Tom Ross, "but I'd like pow'ful well to put a bullet through

the massive pointed head and the glittering eyes. He fired as quickly as Henry had done. Then ca

id Shif'less Sol. But the hands that

ction. "I've seen you and Henry fire afore at harder target

we kill the brute

ll him. Your bullets went right

orced a

aid. "Don't talk s

olider sense in m

every kind of danger they had met nothing so sinister as this, nothing so likely to turn the courage of a brave man

h shaken, but Tom Ross as usual in these intervals turned his back upon the others, and began to work with his hunting knife. Henry, as he drew deep breaths of fre

was coming," he said.

solemnly sh

s," he said, "but not the dog.

note, sinister to the last deg

race I ever run. Sometimes I like to run, but I like to run only when I like it, and when I don't like it

ss, convinced that something was a fact, was preparing to meet it. He would soon be ready. Meanwhile the darkness increased and the wind roared, but ther

and the uncanny dog had been so great a weapon against them. He began to feel now that t

n favor of dropping down behind these roc

approached them, and they were glad now that they had decided to put the issue to the test of battle. They lay close together, watching in front and also for a flank movement,

also occupied himself busily for a minute or so in drawing the bullet fro

om," he exclaimed, "are you unlo

eteran scout's eyes

who knows what ought to be did. I'm not unloadin' my rifle, Henry. I'm j

disc that gleamed

een cuttin' it out uv a silver sixpence, an' now it exactly fits my rifle. You an' Sol-an' I ain't sayin' anything ag'in'

olishness, Tom

urled himself up behind one rock, and in front of another. Then he watched with the full intensity that the danger and his

on. Once he saw a red feather move, but he knew that it was stuck in the hair of an Indian and he was looking for different game. He beca

human eye could see among those bushes, trees and rocks. He saw an eagle feather again, but it did not interest him. Then he heard the baying of a hound, and he quivered from head to foot,

on the spot. So eager was he that he seemed fairly to double his power of sight. He saw a third bush move, and then a patch of something dark appear where nothing had been before. Tom's heart beat fast. He thought of the comrades so dear to him, and he thought of the silver bulle

pointed head and glittering eyes, and his rifle muzzle shifted until he looked down the barrel upon a spot directly between those cruel eyes. He prayed to the God o

air, and fell back among the bushes. But even as he fell Tom saw t

bullet got him! He'll ne

despite his clear and powerful mind, "and since he's dead