Girty's got a place near the Delaware camp somewheres. I've
tried to find it a good many times. He's took more'n one white lass
there, an' nobody ever seen her agin."
"Fiend! To think of a white woman, maybe a girl like Nell Wells, at
the mercy of those red devils!"
"Young fellar, don't go wrong. I'll allow Injuns is bad enough; but
I never hearn tell of one abusin' a white woman, as mayhap you mean.
Injuns marry white women sometimes; kill an' scalp 'em often, but
that's all. It's men of our own color, renegades like this Girty, as
do worse'n murder."
Here was the amazing circumstance of Lewis Wetzel, the acknowledged
unsatiable foe of all redmen, speaking a good word for his enemies.
Joe was so astonished he did not attempt to answer.
"Here's where they got in the canoe. One more look, an' then we're
off," said Wetzel. He strode up and down the sandy beach; examined
the willows, and scrutinized the sand. Suddenly he bent over and
picked up an object from the water. His sharp eyes had caught the
glint of something white, which, upon being examined, proved to be a
small ivory or bone buckle with a piece broken out. He showed it to
Joe.
"By heavens! Wetzel, that's a buckle off Nell Well's shoe. I've seen
it too many times to mistake it."
"I was afeared Girty hed your friends, the sisters, an' mebbe your
brother, too.
Pages:
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206