Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-07-23

severa, officers and men, fearful crisis had ar
rived. The fort was reduced TO eleven men and
boys. The houses of the village were occupied
oy the savage foe. who for the moment had ceas-
ed hostiiihes, and had withdrawn to the base of
the NIL which rose abruptly and precipitously
from the narrow valley. The ammunition ofthe
fort was nearly exhausted; and the stock must
De repienished or all would fall---men, women and
chiidren--a prey to the merciless savage
About sixty yards distant, at the house of Ebe.
enezer Zane, there was skeg of powder. If that
could be procured, they would be enabled sue
cessfuily to defend the fort, and keep the In.
dams at bay. Not man or boy. Cor they were
almost equally good marksmen, could be spared;
and yet some one must hazard his life in the
undertaking. 1t was the forlorn hope Of that
little band, and on it their fate was TO turn.
The commander, Col Shepard, called for a
volunteer in this perious undertaking. Several
promptly offered their services, both men and
boys but they were the bravest of the band and
could least be spared. The difficulty seemed to
be not so much in finding the heart stout enough
for the fearful undertaking, but in making tie
selection. Just then, up stepped slender DEF
icate girl With the spirit of her father she
said to the commander 81 will bring the pow
der. If die in the attempt, my loss win not
be feft." In vain they strove to dissuade her.
she would most certainly be shot; besides she
could not run with the heetness of man. All
entreaties were in vain, and she heroically ex-
claimed, "Open the gates and let me 90" With
fearful eyes the gates were opened, and the in
trepid girl bounded toward the house. The mo-
ment she emerged from the fort she was seen by
the Indians, who, instead Of firing at her, seem
ed to be taken by surprise and astonishment
that for moment suspended their murderous
purpose. She reached the house, entered it,
secured the desired keg, and started back to the
fort. The soul of the heroic girl was in the Of
fort, and bravely it sustained her. As she sped
across the space with her burden, dozen rifles
were raised and their sharp, simultaneous crack,
seemed to announce her doom; but she neither
fell nor faltered. On with accelerated speed
she urged her way; and passing the gates, she
entered the fort in safety. The deed of that
brave girl saved the fort; and an advantage was
gained over the savages from which they did
not recover SO rs to renew their depredations in
future on that frontier outpost. Pioneer lifa in
the West abounds with incidents of female her.
oism; and the simple story of their deeds posses
ses a more thrilling interest than can be infused
by the most fervent and fruitful Imagination.
into any scene of fiction. ioneer Of tie West
---s So
ANoBLE LAD-A trae o.--Narcisse Lamon-
tagne, a boy only thirteen years of age, saved
eight children from drowning at the burning of
the Montreal some of them, nearly as large as
himself. He is said to he the chief support of
widowed mother at Sorel. He is about Is
years old, and though tall for his age, is of a
delicate form; and u is really wonderful that
he should have had the presence of mind and
courage to grapple with the children in the water
IL was by seizing the door of stateroom, placing
the children upon it, and pushing it before him
while he swan, that, at different trips succeeded
in landing on dry rocks or on beach eight OF tho
survivors who would have, otherwise, met,
with hundreds of others, watery grave.