The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-04-25
DAILY EMPIRE
II. Fl. ROBINSON,
PUBLISHER AND PHNPRIEToR.
IA Thrilling Adventure,

lowing can easily De found The story
was told to Ms by an old and valued ftienIl /
whose early days were spent near the
scene Of the tragic adventure recorded !
here. % NIP 900 b -I lH..t.u
1t was about the year 1905, thaLI settled
In Virginia. near the falls of the Kanawha.
The country at that time, was an unbrOken
wilderness. But few settlements had been
made by the whites, and they wer9so far
apart rs torender vain all hopes of assist
ance In case of an attack from hostile In
dams. numbers of whom still infested the
Ineighbofhood. H. .tf' o. rnl
lived there alone with my wife for
several months uumolcsted, and by dnt
OF perseverance,, then young and hardy,
bad succeeded in making quite a clearing
In the forest, which | planted with corn,
and which promised an abundant yield. u
One morning after we had despatched
our humble meal and just preparedto ven
ture forth upon my accustomed routine of
labor, my attention was arrested by the
tinkllng Of cow-bell in the cornfield.
"There," said my wife, 1.-The COW is in the
corniield." .rs
But the ear Of the backwoodsDlan be-
comes by education very acute, especially
so. from the fact that his safety often de-
pends upon the nice cultivation of that
sense. l was not so easily deceived. lis
tened. The sound was repeated .'That"
not the tinkle of n bell upon the neck of
COW, buta decoy from some Indian, who
wishes to draw me into ambush"
Believing this to be the case, took down
my old musket, and seeing that it was
properly loaded | stole cautiously around
the field towards the spot from which the
sound seemed to proceed.
As j suspected, there, in a clump Of
bushes, crouched an Indian, waiting for me
tn a "a tO 1aanU hal
he might send the fatal bullet TO my heart.
approached, without discovering myself
to him until within shooting distance, then
raised my piece aud fired. The bullet sped
true TO its mark ard the Indian fell dead.
Not knowing but that he might be ac-
companied by others, | returned with all
speed to the cabin, and having firmly
barricaded the door, watched all day for
the companions of the Indian l had killed.
To add to the danger and seeming help
lessness of my situation, discovered that
| had but one shot left, and. If attacked by
numbers should be entirely in their
power. Determined to do the best with
the charge of powder, | put it into the
mnskct,. and then waited for the approach
Night came mt last. A beautiful NOON
light 1t was too, and this favored me
greatly, as | would thereby be able to OBJ
serve the movements of the enemy as they
approached the cabin. -
It was some two hours after nightiall,
and vet | had neither heard nor seen Il
SIGN of the Indians when suddenly ] was
startled by the baying of my dog at the
stable. The stable stood n little to the west
of the cabin, and between the two was a
patch of clear ground, upon which the
iight of the full moon fell unobstructed.
Judging from the noise at the stable they
would advance from that direction, posted
myself at the port-hole on that side of the
cabin.
had previously placed my wife on the
cross-pOle In the chimney, 50 that in case
our enemies effected an entrance into ON
cabin she might climb out through thu
lower chimney and effect her escape. Foi
myself | entertained no hope; but deter
mined not to be taken alive, and to sell my
life dearly.
; With breathless anxiety waited ut tn
, port-hole At length | saw them emerg
from the shadow of the stable, and adVanc
across the open ground towards my cabin
ne-two--three--great Heaven six stai
wart Indians, armed to the teeth, and urge
!; on by the hope of revenge, and l alone q
= onpose them. with one charge of powder
{ NV ease was desperate, indeed. With quic
: and stealthy step, I'm close, single file, the
: approached and were already within ios
! wards of the house, when slight change l
!. the movement of the forward lhulah ehans
ed the position of the six, so tllilt porClo
of the left side of each was uncovered.
/, They were in range one aim would cove
= all. Quick as thought i aimed and hres
IS Asthc smoke cleared away i could hardl
l. credit what my senses showed me as u
II resGit of my shot. The fifteen slugs vii
: which | had loaded the musket, had dor
" their work well, five of the six Indians IA
,e dead upon the ground, and the siNtn M
s. disappeared. T., .,,,,,t
pf aid NOT venture forth until morning. The
" law fine bodies Of the five Indians undi
n tnyhed. together with the rifle of the othe
pc Securing the arms and ammunition OF u
go fallen Indians | followed up the tran
ho the MISSING one until reached the rave
al beyond which point | could discover
trace whatever. FROM the amount .t.I vi p'V' !,
which marked this trail, together with .
g. it,nmistakahle evidence that he had plck
OF his way with difficulty, was led TO belle
that he was mortally wounded, and In q
va dor 10 preyent his body falling into
es- hands of the white foe, he had CROPPED
sSt way 10 the river, and thrown himself int
,as current which had horne II away ~,
AN The Indians had killed my COW, ana "a
nd Won NAV be assured, was no trihlng ID
he vel i'm nv gratitude for my escape from
gn, mercjless sayages, would have been
ef- tireIy willing to have made greater sacr
\. ces. was well provided by means
. arms and ammunition taken from the
Indians. in case of a second attack'
this. fortunately, proved to be my last
on venture with the savages.
Not one of the band had escaped 70
rtl- the tale, and iucite his brethren to reVeI
ing the death of his comrades. 10
Fd Fed "Ahr exclaimed the old man, while
tears gushed from his eyes, at the mem mem
OF that eycntful night "that was glorl
"a shot--the best ever made"
Late rains have badly injured the col