THE WHITE RENEGADE.
In his assumed character of Moon Eyes, the medicine man, Captain Kit
Carey had managed to have several interviews with Jennie Woodbridge,
and it had been arranged that she was to have a disguise as an Indian
boy, and hold herself in readiness to go with the officer whenever he
deemed it safe to lead her from the retreat of the hostiles.
He had made another night visit to the ravine, where his two Indian
soldiers were in hiding, for the courier sent to General Miles had
returned in safety, and it was with a glad heart the young soldier read
the words of praise, and learned that he had been given the two bars of
a captain upon his epaulettes.
He had dispatched the other Indian soldier as courier, with all other
information that he had gleaned, and the statement that he could lead
the soldiers by a secret pass to the retreat of the hostiles, while the
other passes could be so guarded as to prevent the escape of a single
warrior when the fight was over.
He also made known that he believed he was able to rescue Red Hatchet's
captive without any outside aid.
The second night after the coming of Herbert Bernard to the retreat of
the hostiles, another stranger appeared in the camps.
He came not in disguise, nor with painted face, but as a white man
only.
It was Vance Bernard, and his coming was soon known, and the chiefs
assembled at the council lodge to greet one who was their friend.
If there was any one there that was not looked upon as a friend of the
Indians, his presence was not noted.
And yet there was such a person present in the presence of Moon Eyes,
the medicine man.
He had slunk away in as secluded a position as he could find seeking to
attract no observation to himself.
His eyes were bent down, his long, black hair over his face, and his
form crouching, and as still as a statue of bronze.
But his ears were open to every word said.
He saw the welcome given by the chiefs to the settler, Vance Bernard,
and heard their words to him.
He also heard the words of the settler in return, and when the name was
spoken aloud, the name that was given the white man by the Indians, he
gave a slight start as of surprise or delight.
"The Eagle-that-Kills is welcome in the council lodge of the red
men. He has been their friend ever since the days when he was their
pale-face chief. The Sioux have followed him many moons ago upon the
trail of the pale-faces, and they listen to his voice in silence, they
know that he speaks wisdom."
Such was the welcome of the leading Indian chief to the
Eagle-that-Kills, and as the words reached the ears of the disguised
officer his thoughts went back into the past, when he had known of a
white renegade who became chief of the Sioux, and was a cruel foe to
his own race.
Then he had heard how this same white renegade, known as
Eagle-that-Kills, had taken a few braves and haunted the stage-trails,
where he was said to have gotten a great deal of booty.
Then he had heard of this same renegade going to the mines of the Black
Hills, where it was said that he had been killed in a revolver duel
with a brother miner, while others alleged that he had mysteriously
disappeared, and had departed this life at the end of a rope.
After the welcome of the chiefs the Eagle-that-Kills arose to speak.
He spoke the Sioux tongue perfectly, and in a deep, melodious voice
that was very impressive.
He told the chiefs that he had come to their camps for his child, his
daughter, who had been taken from him by a chief, and if, when the
hatchet was again buried between them and the pale-faces, the young
girl wished to return to the tribe as the wife of the Red Hatchet, she
should do so with his full consent; but that she was a mere child then
and must go back with him to his home.
Then he told the chiefs that the pale-faces were too strong for them,
that winter was upon them, with no grass for their ponies, and only the
food of the cattle they had driven to the Bad Lands to subsist upon.
"Wait until the spring comes, and brings green grass for your ponies,
when the mountains and valleys are not filled with ice and snow, and
the forests are full of game, and then strike at your white foes, if
you wish; but not now."
Many heard his words with a feeling that he advised them wisely, but
others, the younger warriors, would hear of no argument that would
prevent a test of their strength with the soldiers.
"The Eagle-that-Kills has spoken, and he still loves his red children.
If they perish under the big guns of the pale-faces they will remember
that he warned them. He has no more to say."
With this the renegade white man, as he is now known to be, withdrew
with bowed head and in silence from the council tepee.
The head chief followed him, and went with him to the medicine lodge.
There Sun Gazer was aroused from his slumbers, and bade to bring forth
the girl captive from the sacred lodge.
He obeyed, and Jennie Woodbridge found herself face to face with the
man who had so cruelly deceived her.
"You here?" she exclaimed, with a look of dread.
"Yes, Herbert came for you two nights ago, but they would not give you
up. I have more influence here, for you go with me."
"I can offer no resistance," was the sad reply.
And then the renegade left the camp of the hostiles with the captive of
Red Hatchet, wending his way along the trails as though he knew every
foot of the land well.
He had horses awaiting down in the valley, his own and one for poor
Jennie, and mounting they moved on, neither noticing that a dark form
was dogging their trail.
And had the one who was dogging the settler's trail looked back closely
he might have seen in the moonlight a dark form following upon his
track.