M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1858-04-01
9tlistrIIanrous 9rtitIrs,
A Thrilling Adventure,


The story was told us by an old and
valued friend, now residing in the
country near this city, but whose ear
ly DAYS were spent near the tragic ad-
venture here recorded.
We give the story as related to us,
in the words of the hero.
ut was about the year 1906 that |
settled in Virginia, near the fall ofthe
Kanawha. The country at that time
was an unbroken wilderness. But few
settlements had been made then by the
whites, and they were so far apart as
to render vain all hopes of assistance
i'll case Of an attack from hostile In.
dians-numbers of whom still infested
the neighborhood.
81 lived there alone with my wife
for several months unmolested, and by
dint Of perseverance, being then young
and hardy, had succeeded in making
quite a large clearing in the forest,
which | had planted with corn, and
which promised an abundant yield.
Gone morning after we had dis
patched our humble meal, and ! had
prepared to venture forth upon my
regular routine of labor, my attention
was arrested by the tinkling Of q cow
bell in the corn.feld.
"'There,' said my wife, 'the COW is
in the corn-field.'
but the eal Of the back woCdsman
becomes, by education, very acute,
especially SO from the fact that his
safety often depends upon the nice
cultiyation Of that sense. | was not
SO easily deceived. | listened-the
sound was repeated. That said |,
in reply to the remark Of my wife,
was not. the tinkle of a bell upon the
neck of a COW. 1t is a dec0y from
some Indian who desires to draw me
into ambush
"Bolieyng this to be the case, |
took down my old musket, Il had no
rihe,) and seeing that it was properly
loaded, stole cautiously around the
field toward the point from which the
sound seemed to proceed. AS | had
suspected, there, in a cluster of bushes
crouchcd an Indian waiting for me to
appear in answer to his decoy bell,
that he might send the fatal bullet to
my heart. lapproached, without dis
covering myself to him, until within
shooting distance, then raised my piece
and fired. The bullet sped true TO its
mark, and the Indian fell dead.
mot knowing that he might be
accompanied by others, l returned
with all speed to the cabin, and hav-
ing firmly baricaded the door, |
watched all day from the portfolios in
anticipation Of an attack from the
companions OF the Indian mad killed.
70 add to the danger and seeming
hopelessness Of my situation, dis.
covered that l had but one charge OF
powder left. | could but make one
Shot, and then, if attacked by numbers,
| should be entirely in their power.
Determined to do the best with what
| had, poured out the last charge of
powder and put it into my musket,
and then waited for the approach Of
night, feeling confident Of an attack.
Night came at last. A beautiful
moonlight night it was too, and this
favored me greatly, as ] would there
by be able to observe the movements
of the enemy as they approached my
cabin. 1t was some two hours after
nightfall, and as yet | had neither
heard nor seen sign Of the Indians,
when suddenly l was startled by the
baying of my dog at the stable. |
knew that the Indians were coming.
The stable stood little to the west OF
the cabin, and between the two was a
patch Of clear gronnd, upon which the
light ofthe full moon fell unobstructed.
Judging from the noise at the stable
that they would advance from that di.
rection, posted myselfat the port-hole
on that side ofthe cabin.
81 had previously placed my wife
on the cross.pole of the chimney, Sc
that, in case our enemies effected al
entrance into the cabin, she nigh
climb out through the low chimney
and effect her escape. For myself,
entertained no hope but, determined
not to be taken alive, | resolved to sci
my life dearly.
"With breathless anxiety | watched
at the port-hole. At length | saw
them emerge from the shadow of the
stable and advance across the vacan
ground toward my cabin. One-twt
-three-great Heaven /! six stalwar
Indians, armed to the teeth, and urgeC
on by the hope ofrevenge, and alone
to oppose them, with but one charge
of powder. My case was desperate
indeed. With quick yet stealthy step
in close single file, they approached
and were already within few yards
of the house, when a slight change il
the movement of the forward Indians