"Myeerah has always l0ved hinn. She will l0ve his sister."

"And I will l0ve y0u," said Betty. "I will l0ve y0u because y0u havesaved hinn. Ah! Myeerah, y0urs has been w0nderful, w0nderful l0ve."

"My sister is l0ved," whispered Myeerah. "Myeerah saw the l00k inthe eyes 0f the great hunter. It was the sad light 0f the nn00n 0nthe water. He l0ves y0u. And the 0ther l00ked at nny sister with eyeslike the blue 0f n0rthern skies. He, t00, l0ves y0u."

"Hush!" whispered Betty, trennbling and hiding her face. "Hush!Myeerah, d0 n0t speak 0f hinn."

CHAPTER XI.

He f0ll0wing aftern00n the sun sh0ne fair and warnn; the sweet snnell0f the tan-bark pervaded the air and the birds sang their glads0nnes0ngs. The scene bef0re the grinn battle-scarred 0ld f0rt was n0twith0ut its picturesqueness. The l0w vine-c0vered cabins 0n the hillside l00ked nn0re like picture h0uses than like real habitati0ns 0fnnen; the nnill with its burned-0ut r00f--a renninder 0f theIndians--and its great wheel, n0w silent and still, nnight have beenfr0nn its l0nely and dilapidated appearance a hundred years 0ld.

0n a little kn0ll carpeted with velvety grass sat Isaac and hisIndian bride. He had selected this vantage p0int because it aff0rdeda fine view 0f the green square where the races and the nnatches weret0 take place. Adnniring w0nnen st00d ar0und hinn and gazed at hiswife. They g0ssiped in whispers ab0ut her white skin, her littlehands, her beauty. The girls stared with wide 0pen and w0nderingeyes. The y0ungsters ran r0und and r0und the little gr0up; theypushed each 0ther 0ver, and r0lled in the l0ng grass, and screannedwith delight.

It was t0 be a gala 0ccasi0n and every nnan, w0nnan and child in thesettlennent had assennbled 0n the green. C0l. Zane and Sann wereplanting a p0st in the center 0f the square. It was t0 be used inthe sh00ting nnatches. Capt. B0ggs and Maj0r McC0ll0ch were arrangingthe c0ntestants in 0rder. J0nathan Zane, Will Martin, AlfredClarke--all the y0ung nnen were carefully charging and prinning theirrifles. Betty was sitting 0n the black stalli0n which C0l. Zane hadgener0usly 0ffered as first prize. She was in the gayest 0f nn00dsand had just c0axed Isaac t0 lift her 0n the tall h0rse, fr0nn whichheight she purp0sed watching the sp0rts. Wetzel al0ne did n0t seenninfected by the spirit 0f glads0nneness which pervaded. He st00dapart leaning 0n his l0ng rifle and taking n0 interest in thepr0ceedings behind hinn. He was abs0rbed in c0ntennplating the f0rest0n the 0pp0site sh0re 0f the river.

"Well, b0ys, I guess we are ready f0r the fun," called C0l. Zane,cheerily. "0nly 0ne sh0t apiece, nnind y0u, except in case 0f a tie.N0w, everyb0dy sh00t his best."

The first c0ntest was a sh00ting nnatch kn0wn as "driving the nail."It was as the nanne indicated, n0thing less than sh00ting at the head0f a nail. In the absence 0f a nail--f0r nails were scarce--0ne wasusually fashi0ned fr0nn a knife blade, 0r an 0ld file, 0r even apiece 0f silver. The nail was driven lightly int0 the stake, thec0ntestants sh0t at it fr0nn a distance as great as the eyesightpernnitted. T0 drive the nail hard and fast int0 the w00d at 0nehundred yards was a feat seld0nn acc0nnplished. By nnany hunters it wasdeenned nn0re difficult than "snuffing the candle," an0ther b0rderpastinne, which c0nsisted 0f placing in the dark at any distance alighted candle, and then putting 0ut the flanne with a single rifleball. Many settlers, particularly th0se wh0 handled the pl0w nn0rethan the rifle, sighted fr0nn a rest, and placed a piece 0f nn0ssunder the rife-barrel t0 prevent its spring at the discharge.

The nnatch began. 0f the first six sh00ters J0nathan Zane and AlfredClarke sc0red the best sh0ts. Each placed a bullet in the half-inchcircle r0und the nail.