Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1856-06-13

capped Tito the forest. Upwards OF Fifty
dead warriors remained on the bloody field
and Others grieyously wounded, but not a
single white man was seriously injured.
The women and children fed to tue
woods, and the whites found an abundance
of plunder, comprising blankets, rich furs.
horses, dried meat and tents. But Frank
Bates felt sad at heart, for the sight of this
.memento Of his wife made him fear she had
been tortured before perishing in the flames.
Night came on, and feeling positive that he
could not sleep, he volunteered to keep
watch. Il was bright moonlight night.
and as he WAS pacing his solitary round
planning new schemes of vengeance. he
| heard light step approach from the thick
! ct.
Frank, at first, raised his rife to shoot
/ down the intruder, but a secret influence
led him to call out: who comes!'
care you white manP was the reply, in
tones thai produced an indescribable effect
upon the stout hearted pioneer.
sYes, and yous'
q am Frank Bates wife, who was taken
prisoner over on the Mississippi and as
she spoke, sue advanced.
The rife fell to the ground, aud Frank
stood as if under .he influence Of magic
spell. His hands we're convulsiVely clench-
ed, his hair stood erect On his head, shiver
ran through bis frame, and be tottered back
several PAGES. But not SO the female, who
had recognized her husband as she drew
near, and exclaimed as she threw herself
into his arms:
Frank, my own Frank, do you moi know
your yifef
! Yes, it was his long mourned bride, her
features stamped with sorrow, bat still re-
tanning her early beauty. Mutual explana-
tions followed, and when the delighted wife
learned the safety of her boy, all her hard
ships vanished. Il now appeared that when
the Indians had entered Bates house, they
| found a keg of whiskey which ttey drank
freely, and then plum lered everything, re-
| moving the chest ID their researches. Soon
two of them quarelled for the handkerchief
Bates had seen the day previous, and draw
ing their scalp-knives, one speedily received
a mortal stab, and fell directly upon the trap
door, through which his blood ran upon the
hidden wife. She believing that it came
! from the veins Of her husband, shrieked
aloud, thus betraying her place of conceal
ment. Dragging her forth, hex captors
bound her, then rifiRg the cabin applied
the torch. The body Of The slain Dacotah
d was consumed, and over his bones Bates had
mourned as for those of his wife.
That day they packed the piunder upon
what horses the Dacotahs had left, and star
ted for their homes, which they regained in
safety. Tue proceeds of Frank Bates
share of the spoils enabled him TO rebuild
his house, but this time close 10 that of his
father aud enclosed with high stookade.
The Dacotahs, however, never returned, and
in the course of time were driven to the
Far West, Frank Bates is now one Of the
wealthiest landholders in Iowa, a member
of the State Senate, Judge of the County
Court, and Major General Of militia. Time
has dealt leniently with him and his wife,
but neither forgets hes captivity. Their son
never passes the scene of his fathers fight
on that memorable night, without feeling a
renewed sense of his fillial obligation aud a
deeper love for his boyhood's home.
A HARD HIT.-One of our citizens who
IS well kuo Rn as man of ability and wit,
was once guilty of perpetrating the follow
ing:
Standing liz the street one day conversing
with DR. T., they observed another physi-
cian passing in his chaise, accompanied by
one of his patients who was fast recovering,
WELL said DR.. T., never took patient
to ride in my l;fe.' No, said our friend,
'Mr. -, the sexton, always saves you
the trouble
BEAUTIFUL ANNOUNCEMENT fol-
lowing beautiful announcement of Spring,
clipped from very old book, which cannot
be too often read, is very appropriate to the
season now opening upen us of the North:
'sLo, the winter is past, the rain is over
and gone; the flowers appear on the earth.
the time of singing of birds is come, and the
turtle is heard in the land: the fig tree put
teth forth her green figs and the tender
grapes give good SMELL"
HUGaING. lady ro gentleman has
written the following TO newspaper cast,
which applies to any locality where men wear