The Daughter of the Chieftain

"Getting ready now; Brandt with Iroquois--Butler with Tory--

soon be here."

"But do you mean that we shall all go with you tonight?"

The Delaware was silent for a few seconds. His active brain was

busy, reviewing the situation.

"No," he finally said; "stay here till Omas come back; then go with

him--all go--den no one be hurt."

"Very well; we will wait till you come to us again. We will take

good care of Linna."

And without another word the Delaware turned once more, strode to

the forest, which was then in fullest leaf, and vanished among the

trees.

Mrs. Ripley walked slowly back to the door. On the threshold she

halted, and looked around again for her absent boy. It was growing

dark, and she began to feel a vague alarm for him.

A whistle fell on her ear. It was the sweetest music she had ever

heard, for it came from the lips of her boy.

He was in sight, coming along the well worn path that led in front

of the other dwellings and to her own door. When he saw her, he

waved his hand in salutation, but could not afford to break in on

the vigorous melody which kept his lips puckered.

She saw he was carrying something on his shoulder. A second glance

showed that it was one of the heavy rifles used by the pioneers a

hundred years ago. The sight--taken with what Omas had just said

--filled her heart with forebodings.

She waited until the lad came up. He kissed her affectionately,

and then in the offhand manner of a big boy, let the butt of the

gun drop on the ground, leaned the top away from him, and glancing

from it to his mother, asked--"What do you think of it?"

"It seems to be a good gun. Whose is it?"

"Mine," was the proud response. "Colonel Butler ordered that it be

given to me, and I'm to use it, too, mother."

"For what purpose?"

"The other Colonel Butler--you know he is a cousin to ours--has

got a whole lot of Tories" (who, you know, were Americans fighting

against their countrymen) "and Indians, and they're coming down to

wipe out Wyoming; but I guess they will find it a harder job than

they think."

And to show his contempt for the danger, the muscular lad lifted

his weighty weapon to a level, and pretended to sight it at a tree.

"I wish that was a Tory or one of those Six Nation Indians--

wouldn't I drop him!"