The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1854-05-16
THE MOTHER,s DEFENCE.
A TALE OF THE FRONTIER WAR.

| TALE oF WAX.
"My husbands rifiel' she shouted. spring
ing to her feet and rushing across tho cabin,
she tore the weapon and accuuraments from
the wall. But on trying the piece with the
ramrod. it proved to be unloaded. She thrust
her hand into the pouch. but it contained roth
ing but musket balls, which her husband had
purchased few days before. TO run into bull
lets suitable for his ri1o. The powder horn
was full, but Of what use was tho powder with
out the ball? Dropping tho weapon she rung
her hands in dispar. Suddenly an idea struck
her-she seized ono Of the bullets, placed it
between her toetb, and by tremendous OK.
| erion bit il in two. Dashing a charge Of
powder into the barrel she ram ned down ono
of the fragments. primed and cooked the piece
and the next moment The muzzle proiruded
through the aperture, and covered the body
OF The chief now advancing ut the head Of tho
party towards the house. The quick eye of
the savage caught tho glinmer of tho rife
sight as tho sun fell upon il, and he stopped,
but before he had lime TO make rush Miri
ans lnger pressed the trigger. Whom tho puff
of smoke from the distance had cleared away,
sho saw him clutching to tho air in the vain
effort to recover himself Before tho other
indiins. who seemed parnlyzod bv tho uuex
pecied catastrophe could afford him any assis-
lance, he threw his hands above his hoad. and
wh;lcd quickly around. fell upon his face
shout of triumph burst from the lips Of Miri-
am. as she saw tho effects of the avenging shot,
and then Withdrawing from the loop hole, she
commenced reloadihg the rife.
The Indians remained mo,ionoss form few
seconds. transfxed with asionishmeni, and then
lifting the body Of their chief, withdrew to
respectable distance from the cabin, and tho
imates half believed their peril was over. But
they wero deceived.
After getting out of gun shot. the savages
clustered together and appeared for several
minutes to be in close conversation. At tho
expiration of their pow-wow, having apparent
|, agreed upon their plan of action, the whole
GA took open order and dashed at full run. |
with wild yels. toward the dwelling.
AS the foremost came up Miriam Cook, who
was now stationed at another loop hole, again |
discharged her rifle, and tho un'ucky Wyendott |
shot through 10th legs, dropped in his tracks
with an involenary shrek of agony. The 9TH !
ers kept on. and reaching tho cabin six Of them
clambered on tho roof and the other five com
mcnced firing on the doors and cutting open
ings in the logs. Those on the roof quickly |
kindlcd n fire on tho shingles, which were
soon in n blaze Tho destruction Of tho cabin
and its inmates now seemed inevitable
There was hogshead half full Of water in
the house Miriam bucket i'm hand. mounted 10
the loft. and Hope and Alico supplied her
with wafer from below, by which she c1ntrved
to cxiinguish the Aamos rs fast MS they broke
out. while sho herself cnvcoped and almost
sntfocaicd by steam and smoke, was invisible
to tho assailant. At length tho water was ex-
hausted and one of tho Indians observing that
tho efforts Of tho bosciged party we're slacken-
ing, ventured to stick his bead through one of
the holes that had been burned in tho roof to
see how the land lay. The undaunted Miri.
ann was standing within few feet of tho oren-
ing. and tho instant sho whrlcd The empty
bucket around her head and whrling il with
q swing of her arm, struck him directly in the
Fore brad with tho sharp edge of the s,aves-
She heard the bones crash aud tho victim
groan. a moment after whicl he was drawn
away 10y his companions. three of whom de-
'eended from tho roof, bearing him in their
arms.
Miriam now thought she heard The two re-
naming savages tearing tho upper logs Of the
chimney, and presumed they intended to at ;
cmpt an entrance that wav. she ran down , :
tars to prepare for them. "The feather bedi
he feather bcdl' she shouted. as she reached I, !,
he lower room. and this much priced article !,
n a fronticrman's inventory Of household chat.
le was quickly brpuqht forth and thrown into :.
he huge fireplace BY this limo ono of the |,
indians had fairly got in the chimney. and the 4
thor about to follow. "Thrust tho lphtest Z
'rands into il quick" said Alico. and in a mo- .
nent clouds of sitting smoke from the burning =
enthcrs were ascending the chimney. The
avagc made an effort to scramble up again,
ut the pungent afiluvia Of Tho feathers over
ONE him, and he fell heavily on tho hearth.
tone. In the meantime, Miriam had grasped /,
he rifle and hold IL ready for his reception n
scarcely had he tonchcd the 6oor. when the .
ron-bonnd point ofihe breach crashed through
is skull. The other, who had caught Whit
IF the vapor in time to avoid like fate, hasti- a
y descended from the roof d
-Four of tho thirteen Indians were now killed. I,
ut these casualties only added now fury to d
he remainder. They we'll know tho crbin
'as occupied by women only--and nothing
ould bc more degrading in tho Dyes of those a
wartby werriors than to be bafliel by parcel Fl