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Show INDIAN DEPREDATIONS 241 about to mount a horse to ride over to Beaver, about a mile distant. Seeing the boy all bloody and wild, he paused to make inquiry ; and the boy panted out, l ' The Indians fighting Hawthorne Dell. ' J " Poor boy," said Mr. Anderson, " Sit down here and rest and I'll stir up Beaver in a hurry." He mounted and galloped away, and the boy sat down on some timbers and felt like he never could move again. He had lost hat and shoes, scratched his flesh and torn his clothing to rags; but he had accomplished his errand in a marvelously short time. So did Mr. Anderson; for the boy was still sitting in the same place when a band of mounted men whom he had " scared up," passed on their way to Hawthorne Dell. They shouted " Hello Bub," but never drew rein. Near Birch Creek, about half the distance to the ranch, they met Janey Hall, who, to their surprise, did not seem frightened nor excited, but was walking leisurely along the road, and chewing gum that she had picked by the way. They greeted her and passed on, and she fin-ished her long walk alone but safely. When the horsemen reached the ranch, sometime before noon, they found no Indians, but scouted about and found plenty of signs. Patches of frothy blood on the top of the ridge whence came the shot that brought down young Lilywhite before he had a chance to fire once ; other blood on the ground east of the house, and indoors, too. The dropped rifle was found and utterly ruined, and with its magazine quite empty. Harness, saddles, tools and many other things were destroyed, all the horse and cattle in- |
