Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-09-27


out for the purpose of bringing in the bo-
dy of the wounded man. He seized him
by the shoulders and was in the act of
dragging him towards the threshold.
when an old Indian, who had reserved
his discharge when the volley was fired,
took deliberate aim at the young man,
and shot him through the brain. He fell
dead across the dead body of Jesse
Cook.
Had the savages rushed upon the cab
in at that moment they would have en-
countered no resistance. The door was
open and the woman completely unnerv
ed by the horror Of the scene. But the
savages stopped when they reached the
body Of Hosea Cook to scalp him
They knew that all the males of the
household had fallen and that it was
nearly impossible for the woman and
children 10 escape. AS to any attempt
at defence they had no dream Of it.
The three females, who with arms out
stretched towards the bleeding bodies of
their protectors, and eyes diated with
horror, stood huddled together on the
threshold felt rather than saw their only
chance of avoiding immediate massacre,
was Of availing themselves Of the respite
which the blood thirsty malgnity of the
savages had allowed them. Rushing
! from the cabin, she caught her brother-in-
! law in her powerful arms, while at the
same instant, Hope and Alice seized each
an arm Of the youth McAndrc, and in the
next instant they had darted back with
their burdens, and closed and barred the
door. The cabin was Of solid structure,
built of immense logs Of chestnut and
oak, completely imperviOus to rife or
muSkct except at the point where narrow
! loop holes had been left for the convent
ence Of reconnoitering or firing upon the
fendish enemy. These were about three
feet from the ground and barely large
enough to admit the play Of rifle barrel
so as to command the whole front of the
building. The door was formed of two
thickncsses of heavy white oak plank,
equally imPeuetrable as the walls Of the
cabin itself
Having deposited their dead upon the
floor, Miriam. Hope and Alice, began to
prepare for vigorous defence, their ia
ces were no longer an expression of ter
ror The brows of two matrous were
knitted with determination, and their
eyes sparkled with the instinct of revenge.
Alice was no longer the timid maid 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 side by side;
the demons were in the act Of seal ping and
mutiaLing the body of the uncle outside
and something Of the tigress flashed in
her eyes. half kindled as they with tears.
| The two children alone exhibited signs of
fear, but it was only preceptible in their
! bleachcd faces, and quiveriny limbs
They never whlncd nor wcpt, but sat in
the corner of the cabin, with arms locked
| together. intcntly watching the varied
movements Of the females as they piled
chests and bench es and FIRE wood against
the door, in order to make stronger the
| points Of defence.
Miriam Cook was the first to speak,
After assisting to secure the door, she
had knc!t down At one Of the loop holes
TO rcconnoiter. At the very instant when
she applied her eyes to the group Of sa-
wages who had been engaged in stripping
the body Of her husband and hacking il
with their knives and tomahawks, opened
on the right and left. and one brawny fell
low IN the war trapplngs OF IL chief advan-
ccd two or three steps and shook the bloc
dy sc"l p of the vc'im dersively above his
head, while the whole party joined in an
internal yell of scorn and exultation.
My husbands rifle. 'She shouted. spring
ing to her feet, and rushing across the cab
in she tore the weapon and accoutremcnt
from the wall. By on trying the piece
with the ramrod, it proved TO be unloa,IeL.
H. L,,, :,
contained nothing but musbet bullets.
which her husband had purchased few
days before to run into bullets suitable
for his rifle. The powder horn was full
but OF what use was the powder without
the ball? Dropping the gun she wrung
her hands in despair Suddenly an idea
struck her she seized one of the bullets,
| placed it between her teeth, and BY trc-
mendous exertion bit it two DaShing a
charge Of powder into the barrel, she
rammed down one Of the fragments, pri-
med and cooked the piece, and the next
moment its muzzle protruded through the
aperture and covered the body Of the
chief now advancing at the head of the
party towards the house. The qick eye
OF the savage caught the glimmer Of the
rifle sight as the sun fell upon it, and he
stopped before he could make a rush
Miriam's finger pressed the trigger. When
the puff of smoke from the discharge had
cleared away she saw him clutching in the
air TO recover himself before the other In
dians. who seemed paralyzed by the un-
expected catastrophe, could afford him
any assistance, he threw his hands above
his head and whirling quickly around fell
upon his face. a shout Of triumph burst
from the lips of Miriam as she saw the ef-
feet of the avenging shot. and then with