The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1854-08-04
qHE MOTHER'S DEFEICE.
TALE OF THE FRONTIER WAR.

81 TALE OF THE FRONTIER WAR.
Va
y s'My husbands rifle !" she shouted springin
hi her feet, and rushing across the cabin. sh
II pre the weapon and accoutrements from III
II seaH. But on trying the piece with the ram
4 fndslt proved to be unloaded. She thrust he
d hand INTO the pouch, but it contained nothine
i Pat musket balls, which her husband had Dur.
dehased few days before to run into bullet,
tsntaole for his rife. The powder horn wa.
-tull' 4. nut 'of what use was the powder without
tsiIa paii dropping the weapon she rung her
dfahas IN despair Suddenly an idea struck her
---she selEed one Of the bullets, placed it be-
-Fween her teeth, and by as4remendous exertion
-Pil It IN two Dashiug charge of powder in
ep the barrel, she ranrped down one of the
fragments, primed and cooked the piece, and
'neintxt moment its muz2le protrudpd through
he aperture, and covered the body of the chief
5 saow advancing at the head ofthe party towards
he house. The quick eye Of the savage caught
ne gllmmer II the rife sight as the sun tell
lpon It, and lie stopped, but before he had time
/ p make a rush, Miriam's finger pressed the
figger. When the puff of smoke from the dis
ance bad cleared away, she saw him clntchinc
a the ar IN the vain effort 10 recover himself
Feiore the other Indians, who seemed paralyzed
y the unexpected catastrophe, could afford
I'm any assistance, he threw his hands above
ls head, and whirlIng quickly around fell upon
is face.
a shout OF triumph burst from the lips Of Mi |
hlh az she saw the effects of the avenging shot.
pd.ihen withdrawing from the loop-hole, she
Rinmenced re-loading the rifle
he lndlanS remained motionless for few |
lconds, transfXed with aStonishment, and then
Efed The body OF their chief, withdrew 10 re-
Eectini distance from the cabin and the in
Fates half believed their peril was over. But
ley We're deceived.
After getting out of gun-shot, the sayages
Nlsterfd together and appeared 10 be in close
Enyfrsatlon. At the expiration of the pow
pws having apparently agreed upon their plan
action, thsaNSg1ole gang took open order and
tshe:d "a atasiiiAa, u with wild yells, toward the
1 As tHRE TIT TefiVs*f came up Miriam Cont ,ybo
la now Stationed at another loef-hoi4 .,..;'.
dflarged her rife, and the unucky Wyandotii
SD through both legs, dropped in his tracks
vi an involuntary shrek of agony The
otrs kept on, and reaching the cabin, six of
TIN clambered on the roof, while the other
fl commenced firing on the doors and cutting
opngs in the logs. Those on the roof quick
yindlpd fire on the shingles, which We're
So in blaze. The destruction of the cabin .
atits inmates now seemed inevitable.
here was hogshead half full o. water in
tEhouse. Miriam, bucket in hand, mounted
tiloft, and Hope and Alice supplied her with :
wPr from below by which she contrved to
enguish the flames as fast as they broke out, !
vie she herself enveloped and almost sufioca- !.
te5y steam and smoke, was invisible TO the as
sani. At length the water was exhausted, :.
alone Of the Indians observing that the efforts :
ole bpsieged party were slackening venturrd :.
tooke his head through one of the holes that :,
hbeen burned in the roof, to see how the :
la lay. The undaunted Miriam was standing !
win few feet OF the opening, and at the in
ST she whlrled the empty bucket around his :,
hi, and whlrlng il with a swing OF her arm,
Sbk him directly in the forehead with a sharp
ct the stave. She heard the bones crash
athe victim groan, a moment after he was f.
DIN away by his companions, three of whom II
dPnded from the roof, bearing him in their q,
a. St
iram now thought she heard the two re- fl
ming savages tearing the upper logs off the
tthmney, and pres1ming they intended 10 at
ct an entrance that way, she ran down stairs ta
tcepare for them ''T'ht feather bed the lp
fer bed :" she shouted as she reached the Y,
Iu room, and this much priced article in So
fner, mans inventory OF household chattles, "
wuckly brought forth and thrown in the Ell
b fire place. By this time one OF the Indi- "
aiad fairly got into the chimney, The saw ha
anade an effort to scramble up again, but the sa
pet eifluvia OF the feathers overcame him,
a he fell heavily on the hearth stone. Tn O.
theantime Miriam had grasped the rife and LEI
hit ready for his reception. Scarcely had sa
huched the floor, when The iron-bound point IN
o breech crushed through his skull. The OF
q who had caught a Whit OF the vapor in pc
tito avoid like fate, hastily descended from ac
tbof BIZ
ur Of the thirteen Indians were now kill tn
t.ht these casualties only added new fury to Of
7 itemainder. They we'll knew that the cabin ev
occupied by women only-and nothing
I'D be more degrading in the eyes of swarthy gu
l 'riors than to be bafed by parcel Of squaws. il
l. now furiously assailed the door with tom, for
ks. To this proceeding the inmates could the
20 resistance. In striking the savage who spi
Il lien down the chimney, Miriam had bro col
: e lock of her husbands rife, the only sor
: ~ had, and now handing the weapon to tht
C er-in-law, she armed herself with the a
D foung McAndre, which stood in the cor ent
q d prepared herself for the last extremity has
! took herself to a very formidable weap- wo
s. Slaughter knife Of the establishment, and for
e ned, the three women ranged themselves haI
er side OF the door, determined to sell