Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1858-08-27

N@---''1-5 - E5SN'Nf PCAAA AAh%f = :
satisfied her, if she had not before been
aware ofthe deceit.
Come up, my son, put your ear to the
latch hole; I want to tell you something
before open the door,
The Indian applied his ear to the latch !
hole-the crack of the rife followed, and
the Indian fell dead.
As soon as she had fired she stepped
on one side of the door, and Immediately
two rife balls passed through it, either
of which would have instantly killed
her.
Thank God? said the mother in a
whisper to her daughter, there are but
two. They are the three that went to
hunt with your father, and one of them
is dead. If We can only kill or cripple
another we shall be safe. Take courage,
my child; God will not forsake us in
this trying hour. We must both be still
after they fire again. Supposing they
have killed US, they will break down the
door. I may be able to shoot one,-for
in the meantime she had reloaded the
rife-'but if miss, you must use the axe
with all your might
The daughter equally courageous with
her mother, assured her that she would
do her best.
The conversation had hardly ceased
when two more rife balls came crashing
through the window. A death like still
ness ensued for the space of several
minutes when two more balls in quick
succession came through the door, fol-
lowed by tremendous strokes against it
with heavy stake. At length the door
gave way, and an Indian with fendish
yell, was in the act Of springing into the
house but ball from the boys rifle,
in the mothers hands, pierced his heart,
and he fell across the threshold. The
surviving Indian dared not venture-and
it was we'll for him he did not-fred at
random and ran away.
Now said the mother to the daugh-
er, we must leave;' and taking the rife
and the axe, they fastened to the river,
jumped into canoe, and without a
mUrsel Of provision, except wild duck
and two blackbirds which the mother
shot on the voyage, and which they ate
raw, they padded their canoe down the
river until they reached the residence Of
French settler at St. Louis.
Sometime after, party of hunters
started over into Illinois, and secured
country in every direction; but they re-
turned without finding either the squat
ter or his boys. Nor have they ever
been heard of to this day. Should the
traveller pass by the beautiful city oi
Peoria, in his westward wanderings, the
old settlers in that neighborhood can
point out the spot where stood the cabin
of the squatter, so heroicalIy defended
by his wife and daughter, and who so no
bly, avenged the death of the father and
sons.
The pioneer woman of the west, like
the men, were made of sterner stuff than
enters into the composition of most Of
modern ladies and gentlemen. They
were brave in entering the wilderness
and they showed themselves equally Sc
in graphing with its difficulties, and en-
countering its perils. Who has hot heard
of the heroic Miss Elizabeth Zane, a
Fort Henry, 1777, where the city o
Wheeling now stands When a large
army of savages had been collected un
! der the infamous Girty, and had attack
ed the fort, having killed in an outsid,
skirmish several officers and men, a fear
ful crisis had arrived. The fort was re
: duced to eleven men and boys. Th,
i houses of the village were occupied b.
the savage foe, who for the moment ha,
) ceased hostilities, and had Withdrawn t,
the base Of the hill which rose abrupt,
T and precipitously from the narrow val
ley The ammunition of the fort wa
d nearly exhausted, and the stock must b
!, replenished or all would fall-men, wo
d men and children-a prey to the merci
+ less savages. About sixty yards distant
: at the house of Ebenezer Zane, ther
?, was keg of powder. If that could b
o procured they would be enabled success
IS fully to defend the fort, and keep the In
e dians at bay. Not man or boy, 70
o they were almost equally good mark:
IS men, could be spared; and yet some on
Il must hazard his life in the attempt.
o was the forlorn hope of that little banC
and on it their fate was to turn.
J. The commander, Col. Shepard, ealle
t for a voluteer in this perilous underIak
y ING. Several promptly offered their SCI