Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1869-10-21

and afer putting steadily to point where
a thick, overhanging birch tree afforded
concealment for their canoes, they disem-
barked and crept carefully and noiselessly
along until they were within a few feet
of where the unsuspecting men were chop
ping. Suddenly, with a yell that 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 and
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
their captives behind them, they took to
the canoes, where, taking the old man in
to one canoe and the young man into the
other. they showed boldly into the lake,
padded rapidly down to where the house
stood Leonora OWNED their intent in
stantly.
''Har' she said to herself ''they de-
sign capturing me, too. They deem that
an easy job, perhaps!" and her eyes fash
ed and her face flushed with anger -
'See! there is fourth canoe, which they
no doubt suppose will carry me. This
gillaiuous work has been we'll calculated !;
but ha you bad savages; you have mis-
taken your girl this time. L. Brown has
been taught more things than to cook ven
ison steak Oh, dear father, your Leo
nora will soon show you how bravely she
can succor you, and how your instructing
her in the use of this rife has saved you
this day. And you, too, darling Henry
Watson, have won a longer lease of your
precious life by presenting me with this
splendid revolving rife. Six bullets for
six rufians! Miss one of them! All, if
I should there's my knife No, Leonoya,
you must not miss one of them.
The girl now crept stealthily through
the underbrush up the bank to the prairie
above-She knew that to reach the house
Indians would have to cross broad, fat
field, where there was no shelter for their
persons. She did not think they would
hesitate to do this, because, having taken
the two men, they would hardly expect
any resistance from single girl. About
thirty rods to the right of the path, a
cattle yard had been erected by her father.
in the corner Of the fence stood an i'm
mense elm tree. Inside of this yard
climb Leonora and behind the big elm
she concealed herself.
A few minutes more proved she was
right in her conjecture. The Indians,
after having tied stout rawhide thongs
around the feet of their prisoners, laid
them down 10 the bottom of their canoes,
strobe gaily and laughingly along toward
the house without any attempt at conceal
ment.
Leonora's heart grew as hard as a stone
and her nerves-which futtered little
before-now grew as firm as steel. She
put fresh water proof caps upon each nip
pie Of her rifle, and putting the barrel on
the rail of the fence, drew sharp bead
upon the foremost Indian; but as her
finger curved to press the trigger she heard
what actually seemed to be voice whis-
per:
':Not yet, Leonora y
She paused. and then, as if by inspira-
ton, flashed the thought into her mind ::
"Wait until they get nearer the house
then shoot the hindmost one first"
She obeyed the impression, and let
them come on a few rods nearer. Sud
denly the thought came again.
''Now's your time"
Clappi1g her face to the rife breech,
she trained the death dealing tube steadi-
ly at the chest of the rearmost Indian for
az instant and fired.
The bullet proved true to its mark, and
the burly Indian threw up his arms and
fell dead, the rife ball having gone d.
rectly through his heart.
A clap of thunder from clear sky
could not have so utterly astonished those
remaining Indians Wildly they looked
in every direction to see whence came the
fatal shot. In the next instant, bang !!
went Leonora's rifle again, and another
one of their number dropped dead.
But they saw the smoke of the last shot
and caught glimpse of the shooter. At
once, they comprehended their peril
They could not hide, and their only show
was in running to the tree and tomahawk
ing their presumptuous foe on the spot.
Instantly sounding the war hoop, they
bounded forward, but with the notes half
uttered, another of their number leaped
into the air and fell back to rise no more.
Leonora had fired again.
The remaining three rushed on, but
again the brave girls rife rang like the
knell of doom, and fourth savage pitch
ed headlong to the ground.
The terror of the remaining two was
now pitiful to behold, they stopped short
in their onward course, and uttered the
most fearful screams. discharged their ri
hes at the tree, in the widest and most
unavailing manner. But again the relent-
less rife blazed, and another of the re-
naming two sunk to the ground as the
bullet went crashing through his brain.
Immediately the one left threw down
his rife and cried out
mo shoot me! No shoot me Me give
up"
Leonora had drawn bead on him, but
now he seemed so perfectly in her power
she lowered her rife, and stepping from
behind the tree, climbed the fence briskly,
and com neuced approaching the savage.
The surprise and indignation of the In
dian at the sight of the girl was intense,
and forgetting his supplicating cry, he
put his hand behind him and drew fourth
his tomahawk to throw at her.