The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1868-05-16

| llOnS. Cue therefore CONCt'tItt i< "' :
behind the top of a fallen tree, and ob
served their movements, which grew
more and more Suspicious. There were
two Indians in each canoe, and after they
had padded steadily TO point where
thick overhangng birch tree afforded
cnncealment for their canoes, they dis
embarked, and crept carefully and noise
lessly forward until they we've within
few feet of where the two unsuspectins
men were chopping. Suddenly with d
yell, which made the forest ring, and
which echoed and re-echoed across the
broad still lake. they sprang upon thell
victims and bore them to the earth.
Lronora trembled with excitement and
I apprehension, expecting nothing less
! than to witness the horrible butchery of
her father and lover at once.
But this did not seem to be the pur-
pose of th- Indians, for tying the arms
of the captives behind them, they took
them to the canoes, where, taking the
old man into one and the young man in
to another, t1Ieva showed boldly out into
the lake and padded rapidly down to-
ward where the house stood. Leonora
OWNED their intent instantly.
Ha!' she said 70 herself, "they de-
sign capturing me, too. They deem that
an easy job, perhaps ~ and her eyes
flashed and her face flushed with anger.
See there is third canoe, which they
no doubt suppose vii! soon contain me.
This vilainous work has been carefully y
cal~ulated; but, ha, you bad savages
you have mistaken your girl this time !!
Nora Brown has been taught more
things than to cook velison steak |!
Oh, dear, DEAR father, your Nora will
soon show you how bravely she can
succor you, and how your instructing
her in the use of the rifle has saved you
this day. And you. too, darling Harry
Watson, have won 4 longer lease Of your
precious life by presenting me with this
splendid revolving rifle. Six bullets for
six ruifians! Miss one of them ah. if |
sAou2d-there's my knife No., Nora
you must not-wWno' miss one of them"
The girl now steathily crept through
the undcrbrush up the bank to the prai-
rie above. She knew that to reach the
house, the Indians would have to pass
across broad fat field, where there was
no shelter for their persons. She did
not think they would hesitate to 90 this,
because, having taken the two men,
they would hardly expect any resistance
from a single girl. About thirty rods
to the right of the path, cattle yard
had been erected by her father, and in
one corner of the fence stood an immense
elm tree. Inside of this yard climbed
Leonora, and behind the big elm she
concealed herself.
a few minutes more proved that she.
was right in her conjecture. The In
dians, after having tied stout rawhide
thongs around the feet OF their prisoners,
laid them down in the bottom Of the
canoes, and taking their guns strobe
gaily and laughingEy along toward thu
house, without any attempt at conceal
ment or strategy.
Leonora heart grew as hard as a
stone, and her nerves-whch had flut,
tere1 a little before-now grew as firm
as steel. She had put fresh waterproof
caps upon each nipple of her rife, and
resting the barrel on rail of the fence,
she drew a sharp bead upon the fore
most one, but as her finger curved to
press the trigger she heard what actually
seemed to be voice whisper:
mot yet, Nora p
She paused, and then, as by inspira-
ton, flashed this thought into her mind {:
"Wait until they get nearer to the
house, then shoot the hindmost one first p
She obeyed the impression, and lie.
them come on a few rods nearer. Sud
denly the thought came again:
"Now's your time!''
Clapping her face to the rife breech,
she trained the th-dealing tube stead
lily upon the chest Of the rearmost In
dian for an instant and fired.
The bullet sped true to its mark and
the burly Indian me,ely threw up his
arms and fell dead, the rifle ball having
gone directly through his heart.
A clap of thunder from a clear sky
could not have so utterly astounded those
remaining Indians. Wildly they looked
in every direction to see from whence
came the fatal shot In the next instant
bang went Leonora's rife again, and
another of tn If number dropped dead.
But they saw the smoke of the last
shot, and caught glimpse of the shoot
er. At once they compsahallaaIaa their
peril. They asssla 8lds, and tAela
= ut life was in rushing to the
sc and tomahawking their presumptu-
Gus foe on the spot Instantly sounding
the war-wboop. they bounded forward,
but with the notes half uttered, another
OF thei, number leaped into the air and
fell back to rise no more. Leonora had
fred again. -ee:~
The remaining three rushed on, but
again the brave girls rife rang like the
kntll Of doom, and fourth savage pitch
ed headlong to the ground.
The terrur of the remaining two was
now pitiful to behold; they stopped short
in their onward course, and uttered the
most fearful screams, discharging their
rifles at the tree in the widest and most
unavailing manner. But again that re-
lentless rifle blazed, and another of the
remaining two sank TO the ground as
the bullet went crashing through bis
brain. ~ .e.--:.ss s.as 4....qs .s.- s.r.
Immediately the one left threw down
his gun and cried out -7r e.. ."...
!" No shoot me No shoot me Me
give up =" =. @s :. 4 ~ ...
Ieonora had drawn a bead on him,