Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-11-22
LEUN0RA BROWN.


On the border of Green lake, in Min
nesota, there lived sturdy, white-haired
frontiersman named Walter Brown. He
was one of those adventurous spirits ever
to be found in the van of advancing
civilization,-alEays courtiug the free,
wild air of the prairie, and rejoicing il
the profound depths of uninhabited for
ests. But the country grew more thick
ly settled. and Walter Brown became
uneasy. His wife had borne him a
daughter. the third or fourth year Of
their residence at the head-waters of the
St Croix, whom be called Leouora.
She was q good girl, and the idol Of her
father He purchased q rife for her
when she was but twelve years of age,
and tooF the utmost pains in teaching
Ner the use of it. She was brave, and
steNdy of nerve, and very soon acquired
uons 'erful skill as shot; and the num-
her OF prairie-chickens and patridges,
Wild wat, 'r-foyls, and other small game
she manag ed to shoot each day, was
really ls-ge. Occasionally she would
shoot = deer. I'D, one eventful morning,
by lucky shot through the eye into the
brain. she killed bear.
When she came home with the news,
her father could scarcely credit her.
But, knowing her perfectly truthful
nature, be danced about the house Tor
joy, and seizing the sturdy little maid,
he mounted her upon his shoulders and
insisted upon carrying her all the way
to the spot where the dead bTulu lay.
Thicker and thicker flowed the tide OF
emigration iuto Minnesota and Hisepn-
sin-following the nayigable rivers, as
matter of course, and more uneasy and
crowded" felt walter Brown. At length
his wife died. Leonora was then SIX
teen. aud engaged to be married TO a
handsome young traPper by the nam. OF
Watson, who had joined her father II
business.
The death Of her mother made 1t
necessary to postpone the wedding, and,
in the interim, old Walter decided to
move into northwestern Minnesota.
Neighbors we're getting too near, and
hunting and trapping were bad. As the
Young man had proved up, pTe-enPted,
and improved a quarter-sectiOn OF land
near Taylor's Falls, then beginning to
grow rapidly, he did not wish either TO
abandon or sell it, just then, and per
.suading Leonora to agree TO write to him
when they got settled, ne bade her an
afe ctionate goOd-by.
Rro>-n lived in Minnesota for three or
fopr Years in peace and quiet, finding
poe5 trappiEg and hunting grounds,
Wh,.n. all at once, young Watson arrived
an, renewed the proposal OF marriage
W N Leopora. The old man had about
determined 10 move no more, and had
accordingly located and pTe-emPted sey-
eral tbousspd aces of land about him
e,d lesrDino, fror, Watson that be hac
money enough TO DO IA <e"iSe' propose
that he should 90 down to d l aul 4uC u,
buy land warrants with his n. >oney a1'
take up all the land around uAt y
could ''swing, and he might then uai
~ Leonora, and they two would 20
work, and, after building plenty Of
stabling, etc, would get on good stock
of cattle and sheep, and try and lead a
quiet, pastoral lie for the rest of their
days.
To this proposition the young man
heartily ssseuted, and, after returning
from St. Paul, he and old Walter took
their axes and went bravely at work in
the woods, telling trees for building pur-
poses. Ii was agreed, at first, that they
should build a new, hewed log house for
the united family, as Walter had only
put up small, single roomed cabin !;
and then, the wedding was to take place
and the two men would resume their
work
While thus busily engaged, the Sioux
war broke out. 1t was the habit Of
Leonora to take her rife every morning
and shoot prairie chickens for the table,
while her lover and father were hard at
work on the new house. Watson had
brought her, as present from St. Paul,
light and handsome revolving rife, of
which she became so expert that she
could shoot a duck OF prairie chicken on
the wing, with almost absolute certainty
One morning, az she was strolling
around the lake, rife in hand, she
noticed three csnoe-loads of Indians
padding carefully along the opposite
side Of the water, steadily approaching
the spot where her father and lover were
at work She did not Immediately ap-
prohend any tragedy, but, in some un-
accountable way, she felt impelled to re-
main and watch their motions. She
therefore concealed herself behind the
top Of a fallen tree, and observed their
movements, which grew more and more
suspicious. There were two Indians in
each canoe, and, after they had padded
steadily to point where a thick, over
hanging birch-tree afforded eoncealment
for their canoes, they disembarked, and
crept carefully and noiselessly forward
until they were within few feet Of
where the two unsuspecting men were
chopping. Suddenly, with yell which
made the forest ring, and which echoed
and re-echoed across the broad, still
lake, they sprang upon their victims and
bore them to the earth.
Leonora trembled with excitement
L