Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-09-03

knew That all the males OF the house hold had
fallen, and that it was utterly impossible for the
women ard children to escape. AS to any at
tempt at DEFENCE they did not dream of that.
The three females, who with their arms out
stretched towards the bleeding bodies of their fall
en- protectors and eyes dilated with horror, stood
huddled together on the threshold, felt rather
than saw that their only chance of avoiding i'm
mediate massacre was in availing themselves of
the brief respite which the bloodthirsty maligni-
ty of the savage allowed them Rushing from
the cabin, Miriam Cook grasped the corpse of her
brother-ln-law in her powerful arms, while al
the same instant Hope and Alice seized an arm
ofthe unfortunate youth McAndre, and in the
next instant they had DATED hack again with
their burdens, and closed and barred the door,
The cabin was solid structure, built of immense
logs OF chestnut and oak completely impervi-
Gus to musket rifle shot; except at three or four
points, where narrow loop-ho,es had been left
for the convenience of accommodating or firing
upon an enemy These holes were about three
feet from the ground, and barely large enough
to admit the play Of q rifle barrel so as to com
mand the whole front of the building. The
door was formed of two thicknesses Of heavy
white oak plank, equally impenetrable by bullets.
and, when secured by the solid bar inside, was
almost as inpregnable as the walls of the cabin
itself
Having deposited their dead upon the cabin floor,
Miriam, Hope. and lice began to prepare for a
vigorous defence.-Their faces no longer wore an
expression of terror. The brows of the two ma
irons were knit with fierce determination, and
their eyes sparkled with the instinct Of revenge.
Alice was no longer the timid and gentle maiden
OF yesterday. Her lover (for she had given her
whole heart. and was soon to have given her hand
to McAndre) and her beloved father lay dead be-
fore her. side by side the red demons were in
The very act of scalping and mulating the budy
OF the uncle outside and something Of the tigress
flashed even in her eyes, half blinded by tears
The two children alone exhibited signs of fear
but it was only percep,ble in their bIanched faces
and trembling inbs. They neither shrieked nor
wept, but sat in the corner Of the cabin with their
arms locked together, watching the movements of
the females, as they piled chests and benches and
hTewood against the door, in order to strengthen
the weakest point of the defence.
Miriam Cook was the first to speak. After as
sistlng to secure the door, she had stopped down
at one of the loop holes to reconnoitre At the
very instant she applied her eye to the aperture.
the group IF savages, who had been engaged in
stripping the body of her husband and hacking it
with Their knives and tomahawks, opened OH the
right and left, brawny fellow in the war trap
pings Of chief advanced two or three steps and
shook the bloody scalp Of the victim derisively
above his head, while the whole party joined in an
internal yell Of scorn and exnl,aten.
"My husbands rifle !" she shouted sprinring
to her feet and rushing across the cabin she tore
the weapon and accoutrements from the wall
But on trying the piece with the -amrod, it proved
to be unloaded. She thrust her hand into the
pouch, but it contained nothing but musket bull
le's' which her husband had purchased at Frank
tort few days before intending to run them into
balls suitable for his rife. The powder horn was
tull but Of what:nse was powder without ball
Dropping the weapon, she wrung her hands in
despair. Suddenly a thought struck her she
seized one of the bullets, placed it between her
teeth, and by tremendous exertion, bit it clean
in two! Dashing charge Of powder into the
barrel, she rammed down one Of the fragments.
primed and cooked the piece, and the next moment
Its muzzle, prutruding through the aperture, COW
cred the body Of the chief now advancing at the
head OF his party towards the house. The quick
eye of the savage caught the gllmmering Of the
rifle sight as 'hr sunshineiell upon it, and he STOP
ped; but before he had time to make a rush for
cover Nlriam's finger pressed the trigger When
the puff OF smoke from the discharge cleared away
she saw him reeling backward, and clutching the
air IN vain effort to recover HIMSELF Before the
other indians, who seemed paralyzed by the unex-
pected catastrophe could afford him any assistance.
he threw his hands wildly above his head and
whirling round tel upon his face A shout of tri.
umph burst from the lips of Miriam as she saw
the effect ofthe avenging shot, and then with
drawing from the loophole commenced re- chatging
the rife.
The savages remained motioness for few mo
ments transfiXed with establishment, and then lift
ing the body Of the chief, withdrew hastily to a
more respectful distance from The cabin, and its
inmates half believed that their peril was over
Thew were soon undeceiyed
After getting out Of gun-shot the savages cus-
tered together, and appeared for several minutes
to be IN close conversation. At the expiration of
their pow-wow, having apparently agreed upon
their plan OF action the whole gang took open or
der and dashed with wild yes, at full speed, to-
wards the dwelling. As the foremost came up
Miriam Cook, VINO was now stationed at another
loop hnle. again discharged her rifle, and the un.
lucky Wyandot, shot through both legs, dropped
in his tracks with an Involuntary shrek Of agony.
The other eleven kept on, and on seaclsing the
cabin SIX OF them clambered on the roof, while the
other five commenced firing at the doors and OMEN
inss in the logs. Those on the roof quickly kin
died fire on the shingles. which were soon in
bright blaze. The destruction Of the cabin and
lis inmates now seemed inevitable. But the brave
garrison did not despair. There YVES hnpshead
half filled with water in the house, and Miriam.
bucket in hand mounted to the loft. Hone and
Alice supplied her with water from below, and as
long as II lasted she contrived to extinynish III.
flames as fast as they broke ont, while she her.
self, enveloped and almost snffacated by steam ana
smoke. was invisible to the assa lants. At length
the water was exhausted, and one of the Indians.
observing that the effDrts of the besegers were
slackening. ventured to poke his head through one
of tho holes that had burned in the roof to see how
the land lay. The nndaunted Miriam was stand
ing at the moment within few feet of the opeu
ing. and the instant she saw the face If tho Indian
she whnled the empty bucket round her head
and hurling it with full swing Of her powerful
arm. struck him directly in the forehead with the
sharp edge Of the stayes. She heard the bones
crash and The victim groan. A moment afterwards
he was drawn away by his companions, three Of
whom then assembled from the. roof bearing him in
their arms.
Miriam then thought she heard the two who re-
manned tearing down the upper logs Of the chin
ney. and presumiug that they intended to attempt
an entrance that way, she ran down stairs to pre-
pare fol them.