Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1857-04-09

elers had left on the previons nigh
and addressing Mr.. Gale, offered, wit
the usual courtesy of the prairies, t
assist in extricating him from his diff
f Guilty. Their protfer of services wa
; thankfully accepted, for the emi
.. grant supposed them to be honest
worthy settlers of the country. Bu
lit was found necessary to unload tn
h wagon, and as article after article wa
removed, comprising in the aggregat
a far more valuable freight than i
: usually to be met with in the tra;l
of a W stern rover,the farmer remark
ed smiles ofpeculiar meaning passing
from one to the other of the stran
gers. The sinister expression o
their countenances, too, began to ex.
cite bis alarm. Before, however, he
could decide upon any course of ac.
ton, bis arms were suddenly pinioned
from behind by the strong grasp Of
one of the three visitors, while a
hoarse voice growled, "Be quiet, OF
I'll take the pelt off yer"
Stephen, as | said before, was a
lad of fifteen years; but within his
breast beat the heart of full grown
man. His first impulse Was to raise
the ox7gcad which was in his hand.
and strike the ruffian with all
bis force, against his head, temporari-
ly stunning him, SO that he released
his hold, and staggering a few steps
backward he fell to the ground. In
the meantime the other two men
had drawn their knives from their
belts, and were advancing towards the
emigrants. Quick as thought. Gale
drew pistol from bis breast and
warned them off. Instead efretreat-
ing, they pushed forward with loud
yells, brandishing their weapons
He fired, and at that instant the
foremost one stumbled slightly, then
recovered himself, and finally fell for
ward upon the earth-a corpse. At
the same moment, Stephen was de-
prived Of consciousness by heavy
blow from the man whom he had pros
trated with the goad-stick, and who
had recovered sufficiently to take
part in the afray.
How long he lay unconscious up
on the prairie sod Stephen knew not;
but when he had recovered his senses
it vas night, and the moon was shin
ing. The. robbers had departed.-I
He stroye to rise, but his strength
vas gone; and then. for the first time, |
be discovered that he had received
other injuries than the wound upon
his head. His father lay near him
ON the grass, and with much Difficult
ty be succeeding in crawling to the
spot. He Was dead and cold. Rest |
ing his head upon the breast Of his
murdered parent, the boy passed a !
weary night. The cold dews of eve
ming was sufficient to quench the fires
Of fever which burned within his |
veins.
The party who had gone on, await
ed With impatience the arrival of
those who had been left behind, and
finally search was made for the
missing ones. Words cannot de-
scribe the frantic grief of Mrs. Gale
when the awful truth was revealed to
ber that the partner of her life, the
husband Of her bosom bad been sepa-
rated from her by the untimely stroke
Of death. The body of the man
whom Gale had shot was found lying
near the wagons, but his companions
bad parposely so mutilated bis lsa-
lures as to render them unrecogaiza-
bic. Stephen Gale was found to be
dangerously wounded. He had
twice been stabbed with knives, and
the ruffians had doubtless left him
Ccr dead. He recovered his wonted
health emily after months Of severe
illness. Of the murderers Of his
ather he could give no description
likely to lead TO ther detection and
punishment, with the exception that
be remembered to have observed up. |
,n the forehead Of the one who had
the attack on Mr.. Gale, |
! broad scar = commencing near the
middle of the forehead. and extend
ng high up into the middle Of the
hair.
These sad events changed the
,!ans of the surviving members of
he family, and instead Of purchas-
nr, farm IN Il.;no;s % had hoon