The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1859-06-15
A Night of Terror.

A Night of Terror
Night came slowly down over the rude hut ol
James Moreland, the settler. The wild noun
famous region round about, and the gathering
gloom Of the near darkness, combined to chill
the heart of the lonely woman in the wilder
ness cot, with a strange dread fear
Two years before had the sun of June
morning shone upon Ellen Harpers marriage
with the man of her choice; and the lamps in
festive hall in the fine old city of Portsmouth
had cleaned upon the evenings revelry.
Young Moreland was possessed of wild
adventure, and life in that calm quiet city
i'll fitted his adventurous nature and so it
came about that before the moons of the first
year had waxed and waned upon the bridal
sky, the happy couple found themselves es-
tablished in a log hut, far up among the White
Mountains
4 Ellen was very peaceful and contented there,
for she possessed the individual love of her
| husband; and by-and-by little bue-eyed
babe came to cheer the forest home But on
this night vague underlined sense of evil
seemed to be about her, and she arose fire.
quently to gaze out into the thickening gloom.
James was abroad upon the mountains in
search of venson, and she had not heard the
/ F6DOTI VI HIS ItuG tOT ulduH al HOuT-lI WAS
singular that he should remain from her until
after nightfalI.
Her child, the four months old little Rachel,
slept peacefully in her rough cradle-not a
ripple of doubt or apprehension disturbing the
calm pulsation of her heart, Or troubling the
smiling dimples about her rosy mouth.
'God bless the darling !" CALCULATED Ellen
Moreland, pressing light kiss upon the fore
head of her child and then taking up her
knitting she sat down in the light of the pitch
torch in the wide stone fire place, and tried to
work 1t was in vain. She could not employ
her hands while her mind was in such state
Of perturbation, and rising impatiently she
again opened the door and looked forth
What if her husband had wandered far in pur-
suit of game, and night had overtaken him al
so great distance from home that the narrow
track thitherward had become invisible and
unknown? Whatif he was destined TO return
to her never more
) A nervous tremor now shook her frame and
went back pale and trembling to the side Of
her infant.
Afar off she heard the terrible war-cry oi
Indians, and she needed no other proof that
her husband was the victim of their savage
cruelty.
She offered one wild prayer for aid, and
then turning to the room she had left, she took
he infant, still in quiet sleep and wrapping il
: warmly in blanket, carried it out into the
dense thicket in the rear of the hut.
Commenting her child to God she left il
5 there, and went back toward the cabin, hoping
she could not understand why-that she
6 might be able TO do something for her hus
0 band.
Q She concealed herself in a bunch of whortle
3 berry bushes, and had hardly done so, wber
q she heard the tread Of mocasined feet upoI
0 the thick leaves, and almost felt the painting
0 of savage breathes on the air. In the fain
. light which shown from the open door of he
> home, she saw her husband stricken down b,
blow from skiIfully aimed .omahawk, ant
+ heard the deep groan which burst from his lip
y as he fell.
z : The leader Of the gang raised his scalpin!
> knife over the unconscious victim, but anothe
Indian detained the blow. Mrs. MoreIant
e plainly heard his words
stop brother let us kill the squaw, ant
the young paposse, and then have the light c
the wigwam to seal him by -
d This speech met with favor, and with on
simultaneous rush they made for the house
r leaving one Of their number to guard the cap
II tive
Instantly with the speed of lightning. Elel
/ Moreland flew from her covert. and springn
!. to the entrance'of the hut she closed nolseless
! " the heavy oaken slab which served as
e door, and thrust stout club of wood throug
n the great iron staple which held it firm. Th
. sayages were as safe as though the walls of
bastile shut them in, for the hut was built c
d ponderous unhewn logs pinned together b
i strong bolts, the only break in the walls bein
: the door; for in these days in that savag
/ region windows were species Of comfort un
IS known.
o But the Indian that had been left without
guard the captive, saw the deed, and with
} fierce cry of rage he hurled his tomahawk a
$ the brave hearted woman. Fortunately ly
e. missed its aim, and sank intothe door just owe
h her shoulder. With an effort of great strengt
ID she wrestled it from the slaw, and stood wit
itin her hand awaiting the onslaught.
e With his hunting knife brandisbed aloft h
7 sprang upon her, and buried the knife in he
y side ! She closed her arms about bim-on
at desperate struggle, and the tomahawk entere
!. his own brain One terrible yell, and b
sank backward upon the turf corpse
In the meantime, the efforts of the imprIS
oned savages 10 break their bonds were neve
IS ceased for moment. Frantic blows fell ta'
N and furious upon the door, and Ellen kne
, that in time, it would yield to their assault
d and set them at liberty. There was but on
2 way to avert this-it was a terrible alterns
I tive, and for moment her woman's heaI
;e shrank from its contemplation.
1t But the thought of her sleeping child an
IN her murdered husband decided her and sf
s. had strength for the work. She drew froI
Of her pocket the tinder box which every settle
is kept about the person in case of accident, an
ID struck a light to the dried leaves round abou
a. and ignited pine torch and threw it upon th
e crisped roof Of the house. 1t was but an ii
e stant the flames leaped up and danced me-
rt rily over the inhamable material, then con
of municatng to the hay stored in the loft, the
d streamed up until far and wide the grim o
i mountains glowed like watch fires in the glar
I'd 1t was terrible. The cries of the lndlal
to when they realized the snare into which the
It had fallen, were enough to appal the stoute
m heart. Groans, shneks, mad execratlons an
pc curses upon the damnable pale face who ha
of given them such fate But all was valn.-
In Ell M