Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-10-15
A BACKwooDs HEROINE

the Indians attacked small white settlement,
at midnight nnassacred the men and most of
the women and children, aud took five women
captive into the wilderness. The names Oh
these unfortunate creatures were Mrs jerks
Mrs. Jacobs, Miss Martin and Miss Rose
Mrs jerks was large woman of great
strength and with courage of lion Miss
Rose was only seventeen, fragile, and in poor
/ health. The other three captives were of or
dinary make, make both in body and mind
When the party struck into the woods, by
the light of the blazing cabins, the captive
women were heavily laden with the spoils of
their own homes, which they were obliged to
bear away for the benefit OF their captors.-
All but Miss Rose managed to keep pace with
the savages, but that poor girls strength ut
terly failed her after the first haif-hour, and
with weary moan she sank upon the ground
A ferocious savage at once approached her
with uplifted tomahawk. Perceiving her peril,
she made a frantic effort to regain her feet,
which despite her burden, she succeeded in do
| ing. But it was the last struggle of exhaust
ed nature After staggering few rods. she
fell, helplessly, to the ground Again the
savage sprang forward and raised his toma-
hawk in the air Uttering wild cry, the
poor girl tried to shield her head with her
thin hands. But the cleaning tomahawk cut
through them as though they had been paper,
and sunk deep into the brain. The other wo-
men, frantic with terror, pressed hurriedIy on !;
and their fear was still more increased when
few moments after, the inhuman savage rush
ed past them, waving in triumph the reeking
scalp of their murdered sister. .-
| 1t wOnld be too sickening tale were we to
| oil ba rti of tba nd
death of these poor women who, one after an
other, sinking under their burdens, were toma-
hawked and scalped by the same brutal saw
the eighth day, Mrs jerks was the only sur
Vivor of them all the savages, admiring her
strength and courage, complimented her, in
coarse way, upon her superiority to the other
pale faced squaws," and treated her with
less severity. She was permitted to eat good
supper, and a couple of bear skins were given
her for a couch. She awoke in the morning
much refreshed, and after eating hearty
breakfast, was about to resume her heavy pack,
when the leader of the party told her she need
not carry it farther. She exhibited no sign of
pleasure at this unexpected good fortune, as
she knew that savages greatly admire stoical
Indifference alike to good and i'll and she
! for she had determination to seize the first
opportunity to avenge the murder of her COM
panIons.
On the morning of the tenth day, the party
of savages separated four going on with her,
and the rest with large and ferocious dog
| belonging to the chief striking off in another
F., direction. Her spirits rose. At last the hour
was coming That night, after making fire
| and cooking their supper in which Mrs. jerks
assisted them with apparent cheerfulness, the
savages lay down to rest without setting "a
sentinel but not without taking the precaution
! to bind their captive's hands and feet with a
stout cord. AS soon as all was still, the he
roic woman began to work her hands, in hopes
that she could release them. Joy joy the
cord relaxes One hand, though with intense
pain, is torn from the fastening, and she is
! free
Cautiously peering round she discovers the
| four Indians lying asleep, with their heads
| to the fire, and all Dear together. Stealthily
| as a leopardess, she crawls toward them. She
crouches by the side Of one nearest her, and
gently draws his tomahawk from his belt 1t
is the same savage which had killed, Miss Ross,
and four of her poor helpless sisters and
| from his girdle now hangs their scalps. Pois-
ing the keen edged tohahawk with her muscu
| lar arm, she measures the position of the saw
ages with her eye, takes station which brings
them all within her reach and then dealt three
rapid blows, and three of her foes are beyond
the power of harming her more. But ere she
can strike the fourth he awakes and springs
upon his feet. She deals him staggering
blow, however, before he can draw his weapon,
and follows up her advantage so rapidly, that
he, too, soon lies dead at her feet.
AS soon as she felt that she was victorious,
the heroic woman's strength forsook her, and
she sank poweress to the ground. But she
! soon rallied, and taking the scalps of her dead
companions from their nurderer's girdle, and
securing a tomahawk and knife, and as much
provision as she could carry without burdening
herself, she set out on her return to the borders
of civilization. Nothing occurred to retard
her progress or to incommode her, until the af.
| ternoon of the seventh day. She was just
about entering small brook to wade across it,
when she was startled by fierce growl, and
on looking about, she saw at little distance
on the opposite side Of the brook the ferocious
dog Of the chief who commanded the party
| that had taken her and her now murdered
neighbors prisoners. At sight of this we'll
known brute, our brave heroines heart sunk
within her She knew that the chief, and
perhaps his party, must be near at hand, and
that she should in all probability be retaken.
and her killing of the four Indians discovered.
And she knew enough of the Indian character
to be aware that the slaughter of their CON-
rades would be terribly avenged npon herself.
She she stood in the water of the brook as
these thoughts flashed through her rmind, watch
ing the behavior of the dog, by which she ex-
pected soon to be attacked In a few mo-
ments he uttered fierce growl, and rushed to-
wards her She raised the tomahawk and
stood on the defensive; but deverer she little