The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-11-19

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the last time he felt sure that he saw .
savage skulkinp about behind the stumps,
half hidden by the thick shadows 'ha' were
A, LAT ,be suu was we'll down, and the
time had come for thsm to change their
quarters.
Once more the door was opened, and the
settler with his rifle in one hand aud, hold
ing that Of his eldest child with the other,
passed through, while his wife with the
Youngest in her arms came close after.
Then the door was carefully closed and
fastened behind them, and with hurried
steps they passed on to the Hollow Oak.
Once arrived beneath it's wide spreading
branches they we're not long in esconsing
themselves within the cavity which had been
formed by nature, and fashioned by art
Everything was arranged to make them as
comfortable as possible through the night.
might bring forth
They thought that they had made their
exit from the cabin without being seen. but
the eyes of the willy ssvages were upon
them. aud one lurking in their rear had
seen them come forth, and had followed
them till they had disappeared beneath the
branches of the oak. Then he waited several
minutes to see them emerge upon the other
side, but in this he was disappointed, and go
| be at last made up his mind that they had
hidden there, fearful of an attack BY his
brethren.
! To make sure of their whereabouts he
began cautiously to approach the tree, and
at last the settler, with his ear to one of the
loop.hoies he had made, caught the sound Of
his s,ealthy footsteps.
Quickly his eye was applied to the aper
ture, and in a moment i, rested upon the
dusky outlines of the savage. A moments
scrutiny convinced him that the savage had
watched their movements and knew that
hey were secreted somewhere about the
tree. To put him out of the way so tina. he
| might no. communicate to the others what
be knew, should they be lurking about,
seemed the best course to pursue, and
quickly raising his rifle he thrust the muzzle
into the aperture, and taking quick aim
upou the savage, fired.
The sharp report in so close quarters
seemed to stun them ell, while the flame
and smoke that flashed from the pan of the
rifle almost stitied them. The children
began to cry; and it was all that Mrs. Grant
could do to hush them so that they might go
TO heard outside of their hiding place while
her husband proceeded to reload his rifle, TO
be In readiness for another savage should
he present himself.
This done, lie again applied his eye to the
~loop-hole and saw that his aim had been a
true one: and the savage had fallen in his
tracks and lay outstretched upon the earth.
At that moment a fierce warwhoop rang
out upon the still evening air, and as if ~
magic q half dozen savsges sprang up
about the tree, and the next moment a
shower of bullets went crashing through the
branches above their heads. Evidently The
ssvages though, that the settler and his
family had taken refuge there.
Heaven protect US y cried Mrs. Grant
10 a frightened tone. They have discovered
our hiding place"
NO" said the settler. at is not hardly
so bad as that. They think we are some
where about the tree, up in its branches,
where their bullets can reach us. but In this
they are mistaken. Let them FIRE at random
as much as they will. Their bullets cannot
pierce the side of the oak and as yet we are
safe"
Another yell of savage rage at this mo
ment saluted their ears. The redskins
found that their bullet fired at random did
them no good. and they evinced their disap
pointment.
One of their number at this moment
presented himself within range. and the
settler could not resist the temptation of
bringing him down, and having
one less to contend with. So.
quick as thought, he took Elm
npon him, and fired ; and a shout of rage
iron the throats of the savsges told him that
his shot bad done lis work.
The next moment q shower OF bullels
again cut through the foliage of the osa,
but those beneath who heard their singing |
as they went by, were unframed.
Courage ~ exclaimed Simon in Z low
tone 80 long as they do no; find the
entrance, to this place We have nothing to
fear; and for them TO do so in the dark is
next to impossible If they will only co ne
within range, ! viii have them all Up out
here IN less than half an hour"
And thus the battle went on. With her
children clasped in her arms, Mrs. Grant sat
up against the side of the oak, while her
husband worked for their salvation. One
after another went down beneath his rifle,
until not less than six lay heAped upon the
earth within e short distance of he tree
There WAS another of the party. for the
settler had seven in all; but he did not show
himself, alarmed at the fate of the rest, he
had taken himself off that he might no: be
made to share it.
Our friends were no more disturbed
through the night. When the sun had risen
in the morning, Simon emerged from his
castle. and found only the dead savages
near him, and so be at once conducted his
back to the cabin, which he found
untouched.
That day he dug a deep pit in the earth,
at the spot where the savages had fallen.
and buried them there The secret of the
oak was till preserved, and he enanted it
nights afterwards.