The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1853-09-29
The old lady was asleep in her chair.

| l.
Now whispered Philip, let's take two
of fathers rifles up to our bed We may
want 'em. We are as good as men with
the rifle
Daniel sprang to obey, and quickly as
possible the boys slipped two rifles from
their pockets behind the great stove CHIN
ney, and carried them up to their sleeping
place, then they fastened back and en-
tied the printing from the strangers re-
turned they had resumed their seats.
The hunters cabin was divided into
two apartments on the ground floor, one
of them, in the end of the building, being
the old mans sleeping room, while the
other was the large living room, in which
the company at present sat. Overhead
there was sort of scafolding, reaching
only half way over the large room below
it, and in the opposite end of the building
from the little sleepy apartment of the
hunter. "A rough ladder led up to the
scattold, and on it, close up to the gable
end, was the boys bed. There was nc
partition at the edge Of this scaffolding,
but it was all open to the room below.
Spare bedding was spread upon the
floor of the kitchen for the three travel
lers, and after everything had been ar
ranged for their comfort, the boys went
up their bed, and the old man retired
10 his little ROOM
The two boys thought not of sleep, or
if they did it was only to avoid it. Halt
an hour passed away, and they could hear
their father snore. Then they heard a
movement from those below. Philip
crawled silently to were he could peep
down through crack, and he saw one of
the men opening his pack, from which he
took several pieces of raw meat. The
man examined the meat by the rays of
the moon, and moving toward the end
window he showed the sash back and
threw the pieces of flesh out to the dogs.
Then he went back to his bed and laid
down.
At first the boy thought that this might
be thrown to the dogs only to attract their
attention, but when the man laid down,
the idea of poison flashed through Phil
ip's mind He whispered his thoughts
to his brother. The first impulse of little
Daniel as he heard thathis poor dogs were
to be poisoned was to cry out, but sud-
den pressure from the hand of this brother
kept him silent.
At the end of the boys bed there was
a dark window small square door
and it was directly over the dog house.
Philip resolved to go down and save the
dogs. The undertaking was dangerous
one; for the least noise would arouse the
villians-the boys felt assured they were
villains-and then the consequence might
be fatal. But Philip Slaterfound himself
strong in heart, and he determined upon
:, the trial His fathers life might be in his
hands! This thought was tower Of
strength in itself.
Philip opened the window without mo-
wing from his bed, and it swung upon its
leathern hings without noise. Then he
drew off the sheet, and tied one corner Of
it to the staple by which the window was
hooked. The sheet was then lowered on
the outside, and carefully the brave boy
let himself out upon it. He enjoined bis
brother not to move, and then he slid
noisely down. The hounds had just foun6
the meat, but they drew back at thei
young masters beck, and Philip gathered
the flash all up. He easily quieted th'
) faithful brutes, and then he quickly tiet
the meat up in the sheet There was
ladder standing near the dog house, ant
J setting this up against the building, Phil
ip made his way back to his little loft anC
when once safely there, he pulled th
e sheet in after him.
a The strangers had not been aroused
j and with beating heart the boy thanke,
S God. He had performed an act, ssimpl
{. as it might appear, at which many stou
n hearts would have quailed. The dog
t growled as they went back to their kenne
r and if the strangers heard them the
thought the poor animals were growlin
o over the repast they had found.
n At length the hounds ceased their nois
e and all was quiet. An hour passed away
/, and SO did another. 1t must have bee
S nearly midnight when the men move
again, and then Philip saw the rays of
# candle flash up through the cracks of tn
is floor on which stood his bed. He woul
e have moved to the crack where he coul
peep down butat that moment he heard
d man upon the ladder He uttered a quic
whisper to his brother and then lay pc
al fectly still. The man came to the top
W tne ladder and held his light up SO /
could look upon the boys. The fello
seemed to be satisfied that they were a
er leep, for he soon returned to the grour
is floor, and then Philip crept to his crac
He saw the men taking knives from the
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