The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-04-01

the father and daughter.
Hewas a man of middle age, of the
ordinary type of backwoodsmen,
strong and brown and stalwart, of
the rude, rough type that seems to
belong to tho border. His face was
haggard and white, although cover
ed with PRECIPITATION. His breath
came through his parted lips in quick
uneven gasps. He had run far and
swiftly, and looked as il about to drop
from fatigue.
"What has happened, Thompson"
asked Dane, with keen anxiety, the
mans singular appearance giving
him a sudden shock of alarm.
"The Indians!" gasped Thompson,
scarcely able to command his voice.
"They are coming! Red Knife and
his band-divided = my wife - my
children! Help me! Help mel"
"What talk is this?" cried Dane,
agitnted in spite OF his efforts at self
control. "Red Knife was killed yes
terday-'
Gle was only wounded" Interrupt
ted Tho .npson. "He is coming to
take his vengeance on us Settlers
He has divided his band into two
They were up at the Deer Fork this
morning, aid are now coming this
way. The points to be struck are
your house and mine"
"My Godl' calculated Dane, as
his informant paused in his excited,
breathless narration.
"a horse! lorse!" cried Thomp-
son, reeling with fatigue. ~ can 90
no further ON foot. Ny wife, my
children-God pity and save them y
He looked from the hunter to his
daughter in agonized and mute sup
plication. ....I 49,.
Dane snatched the glass from Mi.
RAMS hands and placed it to his
eyes.
He looked TO the northward-saw
his pretty cottage, his wife busy at
Ter needle under tho trees - and
glanced at the dim line of the horizon
stretching away eastward and west,
ward from his home.
Suddenly the glass dropped from
his hands-his face blanchcd to the
hue of snow. From the west, seeming
to emerge from the clouds Of scarlet
and gold, he had beheld a band Of
mounted Indians riding boldly to.
wards that unprotected home, towards
that uuconcious and helpless wo.
man.
With a frenzied cry, he put spurs
to his horse, and dashed away like q
mailman, shouting to his daughter
to follow him at the same instant
Thompson staggered forward and fell
in the maiden's path, holding up his
hands in anguish.
"My wifel my children!" he groan,
ed.
There was no hesitation in the SOU
of the brave Miriam.
Mine is Init n ningle life; he has
seven depending on him." she said
aloud.
AS she spoke, she leaped from her
saddle, and, with gesture, command.
ed him TO take her place.
"But your danger!" taltercd
Thompson. "The Indians"
Miriam again pointed to the sad
de-.
"Go," she commanded. "Think
only of your family, and be gone "
Still Thompson hesitatcd, sweeping
the horizon with eager glances, to
assure himself that no immediate dan
ger threatened. A change came over
his face as he looked, and he uttered
a wild cry, catching up the glass Mr.
Dane had let fall and looking through
it.
The sight he beheld convulscd him
with terror.
Not a mile away, to the west, he
saw coming over q ridge in the plain
and approaching rapidly, a consider
able body ofmountcd savages.
"Thcy're coming--a band of red
Satisfactorily towards usl" he gasp
ed. ''l'm lost! Fly, Miriam, while
you have the time!' ...
The Maiden took the glass and
gazed through it an instant at the
approaching Toe, A strange light APP
peared in her eyes-a light possessed
only by those upon whom COP has
bestowed a consciousness ofIlis great
protection = the light of heroism
which death itself cannot master.
"Surc enough" she murmered.-
"They are coming! The leader is
Red Knife. Go, neighbor Thompson
ON the instant J"
awe can ride together" cried
Thompson.
"No! The horse is tired. We have
been to Willow Island. We should be
overtallen before we had gone two
miles,"
"Then We'll die together !"
"No! no! You must mount
With a grasp so sudden ard firm
that it startled him, tho maiden push
towards the horse, and in another in
slant found himself, more by instinct
than by thought, seated in the sad
away, Selim!' cried Miriam tt