The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-11-19
The Hollow Oak,
A Story Of Backwood's Life.

the right bank OF the Mississippi, Simon
Grant built his cabin, and set to work clear
ing the land that Immediately surrounded
it. His family consisted besides himself, OF
q wife and two small children, both the lat
ter being under four years of age.
Not another white person was there within
the radius of at least two miles; but the
forest was thronged with savages and wild
beasts; the latter we're no more treacherous
than the redskins or made more savage war.
fare against the settlers.
The pioneers upon the river said that
Simon Grant was beside himself thus to pen
citrate alone so deeply into the forest, where
he would get no support from his friends in
case of danger, but he stoutly declared tina,
he was as safe as any of them, and his
chance as good for shesring clear Of dan-
ger.
And so for a year he had lived in his little
world by himself, and no harm bsd come TO
ten been made
Little by little the clearing about the
cabin enlarged it's borders, beneath the stur
DIV strokes of his ak, and fields of waving
corn and wheat took the place of the forest
trees, and hid the blackened and IN
slightly stumps from the gaze.
One tree only had been spared in the
whole clearing, and that stood some dozen
rods from the cabin.
Il. was a huge wide spreading oak, with
a great gnarled trunk that looked half as
large as the settlers cabin.
Its branches extended far and wide,
shadowing much of the ueighboring ground
and not a few there was who had come to
the clearing but what asked him why it was
that he had spared the tree which shaded so
much ofthe fertile ground about it.
To this observation he would reply that
it was a notion of his, tina, the tree was
grand looking and that it would seem q
shame to cut il down.
And. besides, it's trunk was so large that
it would be no easy task to accomplish
1t.
These might have been plausible reasons,
but the one he did not give, he wished to
keep asecret to himself and family, for fear
that some way it might get to The ears OF
those from whom he desired to keep it.
Inc real cause why the tree had been
spared was because il was hollow.
In its very heart there was a large cavity
In which the settler and his family could
with ease bestow themselves away should
danger threaten them, or the occasion de-
mand.
Tn,s was his castle of refuge, and here he
had made all pre- parations which lay in his
power for a successful defence should he be
attacked IN his stronghold.
Inc entrance to this cavity was so very
small thai ne had 10 enlarge 1t somewhat to
force his body through, and once inside
there WAS considerable to be done in re
moving the rotten wood that chung to its
sides, and the debris that had fallen to the
bottom.
Many odd hours he had worked here, till
all was arranged to his nina.
A piece of bark was made to serve for the
door. and so nicely was this Joined to that
on the trunk, that a casual glance would
not have revealed it.
By a dlnt of patience he had constructed
@ couple Of loop holes through the sides,
SO that he could observe what was passing |
without, and thrust the muzzle OF his rife |
into them should the occasion demand.
Here, too, at all times, he kept a small
quantity Of provisions, enough to stand a
short seige from the redskins.
To this stronghold i it was his intention TO
retire, 10 case of danger, should ne have
warning in time to leave the cabin.
He thought that they would stand a better
chance for their live in the heart Of the OAK
than in the cabin, and In this he was correct,
as events soon showed.
Late one afternoon he was at work fell
ing trees, upon the outskirts OF his clearing,
al e spot the farthest removed from his
cabin that he could be and still have it IL
sight.
The sun vas well nigh down, and in b
little more 1t would have touched and disap
peared behind the tree tops.
lie was cutting into the side OF one of the
forest giants, and be meant if possible to
send II to the ground before the sunlight was
gone.
The sound OF the sturdy blows of his ak
resoundeu throughout the clearing, making
music for his ears and those SO dear to him
IN the cabin.
Closer and closer grew the sun to the
tree tops, and slowly but surely his axe eat
its way to the heart of the tree, there to
meet the notch he had Gu. upon the other
side
Only a little Of the solid wood now re-
manned, and already the tree began to trem-
bic, as though conscious of the doom thai
awaited it. 4 few moments more, and just
as the sun went down, it gave q eroan
that seemed wrung from its very heart, and
shen toitered and wen. crashing to the
ground.
Win lSsiluR Oh Satisfaction tLhL us tasa
for the day was ended, the settler stood
leaning upon his axe, contemplating the
work his hands had wrought.
At that moment the sharp report of a rifle
rang out upon the still evening air; ahd q
bullet whis,Ied SO close past his head that he
iuvoluntarily raised his Rand as ifto see that
1t ha@ not done him harm.
A white smoke curled up amid the trees
In the plU at the fnrpat- showing the sDOt
where the would be assassin had stood, and
from the nesrness of the range, Simon
Grant wondered that he had escaped with
his life.
That one or more redskins was lurking
about for the purpose of taking his life, he
had no doubt; and he felt that the safest
place for him was with bis family.
Giving one more hasty glance into the
forest, now fast filling with the shades OF
coming night, he started for the cabin. in the
door of which ha could perceive his wife and
children, brought thi,her in alarm by the
sound of the rifle.
The distance was some forty rods, but the
settler was not long III passing over it, and
gained his own doorway, where he was
by his wife with a face almost as
pale as death.
"Simon. are you hurt she cried with
appre hension, as she stood aside that ne
might enter.
"No, Mary. If were l could hardly made
so good time as | have done coming from
the f. rest. But | came within one of getting
q bullet through my head. It came so close
to my cheek that | could feel it when ii
went by."
The cheek of the settlers wife again
They must have meant TO takaI
your life, F" she said I
Ges,' he answered, land | fear that
they will not give up now. We will have
trouble with them tonight" /
What makes yop think so, Simon ?"
" because they have been hanging round .
the settlement for a number of days, and 8
they wont leave until they have committed =,
outrage. This morning, | saw two OF 4
them gliding along past in the edge of the