Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1854-10-25

Whefe they should procure bread fer tie
next meal. But that kind Providence
which watches over all his creatures. and
provideth food in due season. even for
the ravens of the wilderness. sent their
old friend Isaac Williams with barrel
OF flour for their relief He had come
/ down IN a canoe from Wheeling to see
about putting up cabin for himself and
knowing that Mr.. Tominson was away
from home, detained by the late breaking
up OF the ice, he thought their food must
be nearly expended and so brought his
seasonable supply.
Late in March family Of six persons
came down the river and settled near
them-old Mr. Stout. bis wife. and two
sons, with Isaac Pendleton, bis son-in-law.
and wife This made the situation less
lonesome, bat did not relieve their bur
dens
Soon after the arrival of Mr. Williams.
who remained to make preparation for oc
cupytng his vacant farm a short distance
below, the following incident took place
and is Intended to show that kind feelings
may exist IN the heart Of savage as we'll
as being the most interesting portion of
this narrative.
On the first day of April, early in the
morning, Mr. Williams was out with his
rifle to hunt deer in the adjacent woods
Ills route led him through the little orch
ard. grown up thick with briers aud bush
es, attordlng tiue lurking places for any
wandering savages who chose to watch the
house. Two Indians now lay concealed
near the path. undiscovered by Isaac. as
was afterwards ascertained By him and the
Stouts, who found the lair or bed where
they lay, it was thou ght since the day be-
fore from the barking of the dog They
! however. did not mulcst him Soon after
he left the cabin, Elizabeth went out in
another direction to search for the cows.
which she was in the practice of milking
in the woods, wherever she could iEd them.
Her mother went out at tue same time to
gathe: some dry wood for the morning Gre
while IN the act of picking it up, few
rods from the house, two Indians stepped
up unperceived, close to her side-one of
them tall fine looking fellow. very low
/ lngiy put his arm around the old lady's
waist and said III broken English, me
very hungry" Without hesitation or be-
: ing the least alarmed, she answered in her
/ Irish broguc, COON to the hoose" and
setting her face lii that direction led the
way to the cabin Molly. who was at tie
door. and saw them approach in friendly
way, thought they must be white men, but
was soon undeceived AS they entered.
the lady said to Molly 'these men are hun
/ CRY, get them some breakfast" They
shook hands with Molly and all the child
ren, Sac FASTENED to comply with the
order, and stepping to the little cupboard,
took down a half loaf of bread, aud a
large gourd shell bottle full of molasses
taking deep pewter platter, she poured
1t half full CT the syrup and set it with
the bread on the table
They seemed in too great haste to eat
much, bat one of them took up the dish Of
molasses and drank it off Then spread
lag Que of their dirty blankets on the floor
they put upon it the bread, gourd of mo-
lasses, aud two or three loaves Of maple
sugar they espied on a shelf Looking
around for more food. they discovered the
barrel of -four standing ia one corner. and
drawing the dirty blanket along the floor,
the tall Indian commenced dipping out
the -four with his hands, and piling 1T up
on the blanket When he had taken
about forty or fifty pounds the old lady
stepped up to the barrel and outing her
arms into 1t, told him he had got enough,
and shonld IA Ia MOO moore The small
! er Indian instantly sprang at her, and
seIzing her arms, hurled her violently a.
cross the floor; as soon as she could re-
cover her feet, she exclaimed in a great
rage, 'moorder, moorder john cali the
men 7 speaking to the little boy The tall
Indian SAID. no, no. they will Kill us -
After taking as much -four as they could
carry and tying up the blanket by the
corners, they took down a striped liusey
riding skirt that hung upon the wall. aud
laid 1t on the floor The old lady not at
all daunted by their rough usage stepped
up and siezed it, saying dale a halt of
that shall ye ha, for that is Betty ;"
meaning her daughter Tomlinson. who was
yet IN the woods Tie Indian smiled at
her yolubfilty. aud suffered her to keep it
They then stepped up to the ittle cup
board. and took out two tin cups. two
spoons. aud some goose eggs that lay on
the shelf, and put them into brass kettle
After collecting these articles they espied
pot full Of muSh made for the calf whose
mothers milk was needed for the children
This they scoaped out with their tin cups,
and ate with great relish. As they were
about TO depart, Molly addressed the large
Indian. aud begged u him not to take the
/ brass kettle. as she could not keep house
without It, He very kindly took out the
( eggs, spoons, &c, and handed it back to
her. Before leaving the house they made
signs with their fingers, that they belong
| ed to a party of thirty Indians, who were
encamped across the Ohio river. The two
Indians had but one gun, which might
] have been one reason for not firing at Isaac
/ Williams, lest if it had missed him, he
certainly would kill one Of them AS
they left the cabin with their loads of
plnnder they passed down the slope By
the spring the old lady followed them to
this spot. and screamed at the top OF her
voice all the ugly names she could think
Iof; calling them dirty Indian thieves, red
/ skin devils, rascais. sc. They paid no
attention to her abuse. but as they passed
/ by the spring. very coolly killed two geese
out of the small stock tuey found there,