Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-06-23
MISCELLANEOUS.
A NIGHT ATTACK,

WAS still young man, scarcely more
than boy, in fact, when left England
to become the partner of my old school
mate, Dick Merton, who had settled down
as q sheep-farmer in South America. Our
joint and rather modest capital was in
vested in . league of land near Santa Fe,
on the Parana, bought "for a song" on ac-
count of some defect in the title; also in
few sheep, having the lathy appearance,
and almost the speed, of greyhounds; and
lastly, in the materials of our house, of
which, as we had ourselves been the ar
chitects, builders, and clerks of the work,
we were not little proud. 1t was built
of sun-baked bricks, and consisted of one
tolerably large room, with fiat roof and
parapet, accessible from the inside by
means of a ladder. Around it at about
thirty.yard distance, we had dug q deep
dry ditch, crossed by q drawbfi5ge, and
intended as protection against surprise
by our enterprising .neighbors, the Indi-
ans. The latter dusky gentlemen had
hitherto behaved themselves very much as
such, and had confined their throat-cut
ting propensities to certain stray sheep,
instead of gratifying them at the expense
of the owners But ugly tales were still
told of their doings round about us-of
white men taken while riding in sight of
home, and tortured; of cattle driven of,
and sheep speared in very wantonness of
which caused US to keep q particularly
sharp lookout, especially when, as now,
the Indian moon (their faVorite time of at
tack) gave light enough to point the way
to plunder, but not to guide the aim of
the defenders. S#
Dick Merton, changed indeed since the
days when his word was law among q So
lect circle of Pail Mall dandies, lOunged
up to where was standing. His cos
tune was simple in the extreme, and con-
sisted merely of sufficiently aged pair
of leather unmentionables and q red fan
mel shirt-the whole being surmounted
and relieved by a very long black beard,
and very short but equally black pipe
but through rough attire and surround
ings, the fndefnable je ne sails QitoS Of gen
tlity was as clearly recognizable as when
he5was sowing his rather extensive crop
efswild oats upon home soil, and before
that memorable Derby which induced
him, after settling with duns of every
description, to embark himself and the
leavings of his property, and dwell among
sheep and sayages, until he could return
with tresh grist to carry on the civilized
mill.
Can you see anything stirring in the
campf" said he, as he came up. Those
horses are making a confounded row in
the corral. saw Johnson the Yankee
this morning, and he said that Indians
had crossed the river and he guessed we'd
better keep our wits well lied, that the
dusky varmin didn't look in when we
warn't ready for visitors.'
Now, horses were our surest safeguard
against surprise. Dogs we had too, bu
they reused us up so frequently by bark
ing at nothing more formidable than {
stray deer or fox that-reminded of the
gentleman whose amusement it was tC
: cry, Wolfp-we lost all faith in them
but our little half wild Pampa horses hac
q truer instinct, and their warnings, giveI
by stamping upon the ground, were no
to be disregarded with safety.
can make out some objects moving
about half mile to the southwark" saiC
!, alter a long look out on the plains.
SThey are mounted men by Jove !" ex
claimed my companions; "and riding hard
this way, too Stand here with your rifle
: Alfred, while slip cartridges into the
directly"
And 30 they were. Almost before Dick
had reached my side again, two "Gua.
chos," their usually swarthy faces ivid
with fear, sprung from their horses. which
covered with blood, sweat, and foam
showed how sharp had been the ride, anC
rushed over the draw bridge. They TOLD
us as soon as terror would allow them
that three hundred Indians were in hot pur
suit, and would soon be on the spot, ant
besought us, for the love of the Virgin, T.
give them shelter, as to ride out agail
into the camp upon their founders
horses would be certain death.
Dick, rather to my surprise for / di
not then know what distinguished liar
the natives as rule are-calmly lit hi
pipe, and then ordered our visitors, Il
somewhat doubtful Spanish idiom, t
make themselves scarce"
Unless" he said, politely, "you ca
tell plain tale, senores, without lies
Udn1os and Gdios' -
Upon this we learned, after much cross
questioning, that they had been. to bu
horses ("To steal them, more likely" inte1
jected Dick) at the station of a ric
Spaniard, Don Ramon Garcia, who live
about four leagues from us; and tha
when they reached the top OF gentl
rise in the ground, and had a view of tn
house, they had seen, to their horror an
dismaY, large body of the dreaded Ii
dians who were attacking-for they heal
shots-Don Ramon's est0ncSd.