A Prairie-Schooner Princess

ooner" a boy of about fifteen leaned out, his eyes strainin

e, "look back there to the northeast! What is that agai

was driving, a man with a brown, bearded face looked out h

ace. As the boy's voice reached her she started, then leaned out of the wagon, her

rls of seven and twelve, a curly-headed little girl of five, and a b

ng the plains to the Territory of Nebraska, which had recently been or

ah Peniman, her face growing white as she viewed the clou

ading toward the cloud of dust. "But whatever it is, it is coming this way. It might be a herd of elk or buff

ed, brown-eyed lad of fourteen, and leaning on their shoulders peering out between them was a boy of twelve, the t

ut now his face looked rather pale beneath its coat of tan and freckles, and

at that man told Father at Fort Dodge the other day? He said that Indians

sed intently on the cloud of dust in the distance, his tanned face strain

beside him and reaching up into the curving top of

" the boy asked, his hands a

e've got to be ready anyhow. Be

und the whip-stock and took from a rac

ad heard horrifying accounts of the scalping and massacre of settlers and emigrants by the red men. On the old Overland Trail between Fort Laramie and the

eyes fastened on the horizo

shouted,-"an emigra

oss the prairie an object could now be discern

moved his intent gaze from the a

dust drifted aside and he could see more clea

r. For miles all about them lay the prairies, brown, dry, scorched by the hot summer sun, level as a floor, with never a tree, a shrub, a bush,

y saw a wagon drawn by two furiously plunging horses emerge from the cloud o

now, and the whole family wer

terrible hurry, whoever they are!" ejaculated E

r over if they don't look out!

ld say," said Mrs. Peniman, s

come to the rear of the wagon. "I don't believe anybody'd drive like that i

pear to be any sign of any one after th

s gaze fixed on the approaching vehicle. "I never saw such driving. What can they be thinking of t

orses galloping madly, the wagon swaying and lurching from side

like that! Do you suppose the team could be running away? No, they're leavin

ood motionless, every faculty absor

eniman uttered

t a man driving

d across his eyes, exclaimed br

nearer the wonder and excit

ed like molten gold in the sunshine blowing wildly about her shoulders, her eyes distended, her arms bare to the elbows extended far in front of her, one hand clu

iercing shriek came to them abo

and ran forward to meet her. As they reached her she t

she gasped, and pointed t

austed beasts by their bits and

an cried, running to the woman and with stron

uld have fallen if it were

d again, and breaking from the suppor

an was there

e wagon he bent over it, then lifting it in his arms bore it to the opening at the rear, where Jo

niman stooped over it, t

at has happened to

m the breast, with a great pool of blood staining the shirt a

ed Hannah Peniman i

e, a creepy chill r

he body and precipitated herse

h, surely he isn't dead! Surely

figure of the young wife and bore it away to the other side of the wagon. Mr. Peniman stri

ntly. Get me a pan of water, Joe, and the spirits of ammo

t it was too deeply imbedded. His efforts only succeeded in starting a terrific

wife, Joshua Peniman sent Lige running to call her. Then he bent over the wounded man, saying di

s eyes about, then whispe

meant, the Quaker

asked, pointin

th father and sons he shook his head. "Tell-Marian-watch out-watch out for-for--" his head dr

iman knelt

lemnly, reverently