The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1869-09-22

lover and father were hard at
work on the new house. Watson
had brought her, as a present from
St. Paul, a light and handsome re-
volving rifle, OF which she was i'm
mensely fond, and with which she
became so expert that she could
shoot a duck or prairie chicken
on the wing with almost absolute
certainty.
! One morning as she was stroll
ing about the lake, rife in hand,
she noticed three canoe loads of
Indians padding along the oppo-
site side of the water. steadily and
stealthily approaching the spot
where her father and lover were
at work. She did not immediate
ly apprehend any tragedy, but
some unaccountable way, she felt
| impelled to remain and watch
their motions. She-therefore con-
cealed 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 a
point where a thick, over-hanging
birch tree afforded concealment
for their canoes, they dlsembarked,
and crept carefully and noiselessiy
forward until they were within a
few feet of where the two unsus-
pecting men were chopping. SUD
denly, with a yell which made the
forests ring, and which echoed and
re-echoed across the broad, still
lake, they sprang upon their vic
Tins and bore them to the earth.
Leonora, trembling with excite
ment and 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
purpose of the Indians; for, tying
the arms of the captives behind
them, they took them to the ca
noes, where, taking the old man
into one and the young man into
another, they showed boldly out
in the lake and padded rapidly
down toward where the house
stood. Leonora OWNED their in
tent instantly.
"Har' she said to herself, "they
design capturing me, tc>. They
deem that an easy job, perhaps"
and her eyes danced and her face
flushed with anger. "See! there
is a third canoe, which they no
doubt suppose will contain me.
This villianous work has been care
fully calculated; but you bad say.
ages, you have mistaken your girl
this time! Nora Brown has been
taught more things than to cook
a 7enison steak! Oh, dear, dear,
father, your Nora will soon show
you how bravely she can succor
you, and and how your instruct
ing her in the use Of the rife has
saved You this day. And you, too,
darling Harry Watson, have won
longer lease of your precious life
by presenting me this splendid re-
volving rife. Six bullets for six
rufiansl Miss one of them? All,
if should, there is my knife! No,
Nora, you must, will not miss one
Of them"
The girl now stealthily crept
through the underbrush up the
hank to the prairie above. She
knew thai, to reach the house. the
Indians would have to PASS across
a broad, fat field where there waS
no shelter for their persons. She
did not think they would hesitate
to do this, because, having the two
men, they would hardly expect re-
sistance from a single girl. About
thirty rods to the right of the
path, a cattle-yard had been erect
ed by her father, and in one cor
ner 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 she
was right in her conjectures. The
Indians, after having tied stout
rawhide thongs around the feet OF
their prisoners, laid them down in
the bottom of their canoes, and
taking their guns with them, strobe
gaily and laughingly along toward
the house, without attempt at con-
cealment.
Leonora's heart grew as hard
as a stone, and her nerves, which
hao fiuttered little before, now
grew as firm as steel. She had
but fresh waterproof caps upon
each nipple of her rifle, and, rest
ing the barrel upon rail of the
fence, she drew a sharp bead upon
the foremost one; but, as her I'm
ger curved to press the trigger,
Sue heard what actually seemed
to be voice whisper:
"Not yet, Nora"
She paused, and then, as BY IN