Ned in the Block-House

ng slowly and distinctly each word, while the young Indian

then will he read those w

ll be th

shall s

He deftly drew an arrow from his quiver and began tying the letter to the missile, doin

ock-house," said Ned Preston; "it i

, his question being intended to remind his friend of the superiority of the

reston, "and I mistrust that your bow w

e him. He used a shred of deer-sinew and fastened the letter directly behind the iron barb.

is had no glass, nor screen, but as it was no more than eight inches wide, although three times as high, and as the shaft was we

o opportunity of standing out on the open ground, where his limbs would be unimpeded

nobstructed path was open for his arrow. The missile was pointed at an elevation of fully forty-five degrees; and, with

nd motionless as if moulded in iron, while his eye rested on the narr

ho at that moment formed a picture worthy of the

d out like lightning, and the arrowy messenger starte

on the straight opening, but with scarcely a hope that Deerfoo

to distinguish its course through the air, though it could have been se

n, immediately lowered it, and then peere

w something like the flutter of a shadow-so to speak-directly in the opening it

e was th

ere in a very few seconds, but had the head buried itself in the ground between the river and the block-house, the ea

block-house," said Ned, turning

told the truth: the arrow had gone directly through the window, and the curious

ation; "if I could use the bow as you do, I never would touch a gun. But, Deerf

clearing, they saw it perhaps;

roof, or the ground, or the logs at the side of the opening, it wo

ndots would be ce

on know where

ould have

claimed Ned; "you

e was no way

the success of the shot of the Shawanoe: in fact, had he known all, h

len short, or flown too high, the Wyandots would have swooped down

ther expression to his admiration. Deerfoot himself was somewhat uneasy, and, for several minutes, glanced right and left, and through the unde

m which he expected to see the hand of his uncle, Colonel Preston, waving

over the open space, each side of the stockade, the woods beyond, and es

nearest him were several Wyandots, who had probably spent the night there. He saw their heads and shoulders,

of the project will be understood. Deerfoot was hopeful before this that the houses were cle

to note the running youths until the block-house was nearly reached, they would be too late to head

re i

exclamation in such excitement th

scrutinizing the window through which

everal times. It swayed back and forth, and up and down, with much deliberation, as th

f the one who signalled them, though the distance w

he motion was repeated. Colonel Preston evidently meant t

lossom Brown and explained what had

ore," said his master, "and when you have

back for?" was the wonder

, and it may be that it is; but after the Wyand

cross the clearing at the nearest cabin: "there are red men the

od, was to remain where he was and to make no attempt for the present to enter the block-house. It was expected that, after Bloss

o cease running for an instant, unless stopped beyond all power to overcome, but, fi

t, unless forced to do so: if Colonel Preston should delay admitting the

awanoe. The perilous point, in the eye of the latter, was the cabin where he knew the Wyandots to be, and he

G

ion of the block-house: it was a straight run of a hundred yards over a level piece of

build made him less fleet than Preston, who could have drawn away from the beginning; but he could not desert his co

interest. He grasped his strong bow with his right hand, while one of his arrows was held in the l

ould not do so as long as it was safe to refrain; but it would have required only a single glance at h

ards on their swift run, when the Wyandots in the cabin disco

lowed. The Wyandots had fired, but their aim was so hurried that, as it seemed to Deerfoot,

les. The two that had used their pieces, sprang from the front windows of the cabin and dashed quarteri

he weapon until it should become imperatively necessary to use it, for it will be seen that, if he took part in the singular co

use, and it was not to be supposed that either would allow h

ptied their guns in the futile effort to bring down the boys, and, throwing the weapons aside, they now sprang forward with the resolution to make them prisoners, despite the risk to themselves, for they must

cross the path of the boys, who found themselves confronted by the br

d climb ober de fence and hide," said Bloss

" commanded Preston: "t

collision with the Wyandots was inevitable: they were between th

ormer ran until close to the Wyandots, when he turned to the left. The warriors im

, raising his rifle and aiming at the nearest Indian, who w

ents. At the moment Ned drew his gun to position, he caught the flash of the imp

g enough to catch the gleam of the warrior's eyes, o

e rifle, sending out a streak of flame, and, with a tremendous rebound or ricochet, shot by the shoulder of the lad, touching the ground fifty feet away, and rolling over an

discharged at the second the two weapons collided. The violent shock to the gun turned it aside

nife from the belt at his waist, he bounded toward the youth, who, nothing daunted,

g that the dark-faced fugitive was his own, watched the extraordinary confli

re could have been but one result; but Deerfoot, who was holding his breath, with his eyes

re difficult than that of sending the letter through the narrow window; for, unfortunately, Ned Preston and the Wyandot were sta

: they might do so indeed after the launching of the arrow, which would not only

reater care and caution, slowly drawing back the shaft, and with nerves

swiftness that it would have been hard for a spectator to follow each phase, few as they were; but it need not be said that every man within the blo

draw it inward the instant the boys reached the proper point; while Jo Stinger, Jim Turner

ators within the block-house did not comprehend the extreme peril of young

inion of the undersigned that this is

on from below, as he peeped throu

r, whose rifle was already thrust through a loopho

discovered he stood in such exact line with young Preston that it was impossible to

by way of explaining his inaction,

the youth directly in front, he would have continued to do so; but it was almo

h one foot thrown forward, and with the stock of his gun flung back in the position, and with

ghtly, like a panther gathering for a leap, and glared in the face

re and paint. It was probably the truth that the Wyandot was testing the power of his eye, as the rattle-

t foot slightly forward and a brief distance to one side. Then he gradually shifted the weig

g the barrel with more certainty; but, not unnaturally perhaps, the two marksmen, from opposite standpoints, understood the peculiar maneuvering which the Wyandot

ectators had but a short while to wai

with the toe resting on the ground. All the time his black eyes were fixed with burning intensity on t

and he instantly turned, so as to face him, who had

daintily touching, as though he meant to draw a line upon the earth with it. Then his weight gracefully

f of smoke curled upward from one of the loopholes of the block-house, and those who were looking at the Wyandot, saw him suddenly throw his h

gaze on the two, paying no heed to the African, who, he must have b

d, the servant was quick to see that a

s' now," was the belief of the lad, "which show

e of him, although Deerfoot and the onlookers in the block-house observed the prudent action of the

like that of a runner who awaited the report as a signal. At the very instant it broke the stillness, he made a burst of speed and ran with might and ma

hat must have been heard a half mile awa

and the door was drawn inward, while he was twenty

e entrance and went clean across the lower floor and against the op

laimed the Colonel, alluding to the flight of the l

o have knocked my brains out a

n I am that you have suffered; but you are safe now,

ving Wyandot aroused the admiration of the gar

d main for the sheltering block-house: he was thus quick to adopt the only course that offered safety, for the other wa

fairly under way, when the other made for him with the speed of a deer. Ned was fl

block-house before him. The red man held his formidable tomahawk in his right hand, and was running straight toward the building from which the shot was fired, and from which he

ue puff, floating aside from the loophole, accompanied the report of a rifle. Jim Turner h

s a Narr

l, hurriedly bringing his gun to bear and discharging

ed that the daring red man should not escape him, wh

omahawk with such prodigious force at the vanishing fugitive that the blade was buried half way to its head