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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1889)
THE WEST SHORE. 2.13 the latter, as a pretext for bo doing, complaining of indisposition. They had already planned their mode of escape, which they knew to be fraught with great danger. Nitia was to leave the lodge first and alone, gave for Bruno, knowing that if she should unfortun ately be detected while trying to escape, the savages would not be likely to suspect her of anything wrong; whereas, if Dees should be with her, they would im mediately divine their purpose. She was to have the horses in readiness, the swiftest in the band, and in twenty minutes from the time she left the tent, Dess was to follow her, and repair to a certain place near the creek, a place with which they were both familiar. This was the plan of action agreed upon, and, when the Indians had been asleep some time, the squaw stealthily crept from the wigwam, with Bruno by her side. Dess found it somewhat difficult to make the dog understand that he was to accompany the Indian woman, he preferring to remain with his mistress. It was a perilous undertaking, but, in her eagerness to escape, she never hesitated for a moment The wily savage himself could not have crept away more stealthily than she; and though the moon had not yet shown her smiling visage above the treetops, the found no difficulty in reaching the rendezvous agreed upon. She found the squaw awaiting her, agreeably to promise, and in less than half a minute they were ready for the tedious journey that lay before them. " Let Naoma follow," said Nitia, at the same time plunging her horse into the midat of the rapid stream. They rode along as swiftly as possible, though it was slavish work for the animals to forco their way against the rapid current. Old Bruno did not seem to enjoy the excursion very much, being obliged to pick his way along the rugged shore, but, neverthe less, he did not lose sight of his mistress for a mo ment The moon had risen high in the sky ere Bess and her guide emerged from the bed of the stream. " Naoma must go alone now," said the iquaw, reining in her pony. " Go that way," pointing to tho south, "and when the sun goeB down to-morrow, turn to the Betting sun, and before the sun comes up again he will be near her homo." " But you; will you go with me? " " No, pale-face home not good for Indian woman." " What! Will you go back to Wntumni?" " No, Watumni kill. Nitia go to reservation. Kh has brothers and sisters there, and they will "W'P her. Maybe she never see Naoma again," and a tre mor was noticeable in her voice, thouyb lit w. : impaflaive. j " This is cruel, Nitia. I thought you would g homo to live with me." " No, Nitia go to her own people. Lot the whit, , girl be brave, aud she find her people. She- has a good heart and a bright eye, and Nitia lovo her much." With this, Dess and her companion clasped hands and parted, each punuing an opposite direction, and urging their ponies to their utmost ijhhhI It was a rough, perilous journey, but tho bravo girl never for got for an instant that hor future destiny depo tided upon this night's work, and sho gallantly urged her noble little nag ahead, unmindful of tho wild, rugged character of tho country through which sho must pass. At the dawn of day, next morning, iho pained on tho slope of a rugged mountain, in order to rent her wea ried pony. She looked alout her in every direction, uncertain as to tho course, she. was pursuing. Hho could form no adequate, idea as to whero she was, nor how far distant sho might Im from tho Indian lodges. Sho know only that sho must push on for her life, lost tho wily savages pursue and recapture her, Kro long, tho sun showed his pleasant faco above tho high mountains, and tho girl was over-joyed to find that she was pursuing tho proper direction. Her ouly fear now was that her horso would not prove equal to tho heavy jauut that lay Mors him. By the time it was midday, sho had reached tho sum mit of tbo high mountain, tho ascent of which had greatly wearied both horse and rider. Nevertheless, sho was delighted to know that sho was thus far re moved from her much dreaded captors, though tho vast wilderness that lay before, her was by no weans an inviting scene. Hho never halted till darkness had gathered around her; and then, seeing that her horso was about to weaken from fatiguo and hunger, sho dismounted and prepared to rest for tho night I far ing tethered her wny, but leaving him saddled and bridled, that sho might remount at a moment's warn ing, sho threw herself on tho ami, green grass Ix-sldo her canino friend, and cautioned him to l on tho alert for any f that might approach thnn, however warily. Bruno, though greatly fatigued, tu faithful to the command; but their peaen was undisturbed, save for tho piercing howl of cayotes and tho hooting of a great owl which sat in tho tp of a Ull pins just above their heads. At the dawn of day, tho girl was oneo mora in tho saddle, and was birg carried away at tho atmt i i i . i.. ...... wMrli owlnff to his n I u hl's rest mid the luiuriant grass u-n which ho had fed, greatly rcruit" (r coursrt was now wrsterly, and r,. 1,1.111, as li" pu"l ,,n of ft Liuh, roll- jnjM.,-ati..H of Utid.sho perceive,!, away IOeUl ner MJj t), t! westward, a river, which, owing to tho ,r,'.at d.!ai.r apj-.f"! ! U7 fl,,wln t r.. a l. pietuMM0 littlo valley. JIr heart ut, ,.V with d-liglt " tho thought dawned upon ,r V v .he was gaiing Mtl valley of Oak