Page:The Prairie Flower; Or, Adventures In the Far West.djvu/67

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humpum belt passed around her waist, in orhicii glittered a silver-mounted Spanish dirk. From the frock downward, leggins and moccasins beautifully wrought into various figures with beads, enclosed the legs and feet. A tiara of many colored feathers, to which were attached little bells that tinkled as she walked, surmounted the head; and a bracelet of pearl on either well rounded arm, with a necklace of the same material, completed her costume and ornaments.

With a proud carriage, and an unabash ed look from her dark, eloquent eye, she advanced a few paces, glanced loftily around upon the surprised and admiring- spectators, and then struck the palms of her hands together in rapid succession. In a moment her Indian pony came pranc ing to her side. With a single bound she vaulted into the saddle, and gracefully wa ving us a silent adieu, instantly vanished through the open gateway.

Rushing out of the fort, the excited crowd barely caught one more glimpse of her beautiful form, ere it became completely lost in the neighboring forest.

"Who is she? who can she be?" cried a dozen persons at once.

"PERRAEIE FLOWER, or I'm a nigger," shouted a well known voice in reply.

I turned and beheld Black George al ready working himself up to a great pitch of excitement.

CHAPTER XIII.

PRAIRIE FLOWER AND HER ALARMING INTEL-

LICEXCE SUPEUSr TIOX SPECULATION

THE DILEMMA KFT KARSON's SUGGES TION THE DECISION TEACHING TEDDV

THE MARCH THE SCOUTS THE HALT AND

PREPARATIONS FOR FIGHT.

THE news brought by Prairie Flower we learned in the course of the evenino- was of the utmost importance being to the effe-jt that a large band of warriors, composed chiefly of Oglallahs and Chey- ennes, had taken up their position in the vicinity of Bitter Cottonwood a place some twenty-five miles distant and had vowed to cut off all the whites that came tiifti way, either going to or comino- from

Oregon. The result of this information was to cause no little alarm in the station, particularly among the emigrants, who

1 .,

being for the greater part composed of women and children, were consequently in no fit condition to brave the assaults of a blood-thirsty body of savages.

But who was Prairie Flower the mys terious messenger that belonged to the Indians, and yet came like a guardian angel to warn the whites of their danger? Who was she indeed! None could answer. To all save the commander of the garrison and Black George, (who now had to re hearse his remarkable story a dozen times, to gratify the curiosity of the excited in quirers, and who became a personage of no little importance in consequence,) she was an utter stranger; and for all auy one knew to the contrary, might have dropped from the skies, a winged being of a fairei realm. The commander of the garrison, whom I shall term Captain Balcolm, had seen her once before, when she came to warn him of the Sioux, who were meditat ing a descent upon the fort, a surprise and general massacre of its inmates, and whose design by this timely notice was thwarted; but regarding who she was, how she gained

her information, to what tribe she belonged, or why she was permitted to do these good acts and escape he could give no satis factory reply. On both occasions she had required a private audience with him; and on the former one had sent a request to him by an Indian half-breed, to meet her in a little grove some hundred yards dis tant from the walls of the fortress.

At first he had refused to go unattended, for fear of some stratagem to take his life or make him prisoner. The messenger had gone back evidently dissatisfied, but in a few minutes had returned with a skin parchment, on which the same request, aa orally delivered, was written with a charred stick, with the additional statement that the writer was a female, and that the newa she had to convey was of great moment.

Ashamed to show further cowardice, he had armed himself to the teeth, and call ing his garrison around him, had notified them to be in readiness to protect the furl if besieged, and avenge him on the half- breed, whom he left with them as hostage, in case he returned not within two h