Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-11-22
A Night Attack,

l was still young man, scarcely
more than a boy, in fact, when | left
England to become the partner of my
old school-mate, Dick Merton, who
had settled down as a sheep farmer
in South America. Our joint and
rather modest capital was invested 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 a few sheep, having the lathy ap-
pearance, and almost the speed, of
greyhounds; and, lastly, in the mate
rials for our home. of which, as we
had ourselves been the architects,
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 a fiat
roof and parapet, accessible from the
inside by means of ladder. Around
it, at about thirty yards distance, we
had dug deep dry ditch, crossed by
a draw bridge, and intended as pro-
lection against surprise by our enter
priSing neighborS the Indians. The
latter dusky gentlemen had hitherto
behaved themselves very much as such,
and confined their tEroat-cutting pro-
pensities to certain stray sheep, in
stead of gratifying them at the expense
Of the owners. But ugly tales were
told of their d0ings around about US
of white men taken while riding in
sight Of home, and tortured; of cattle
driven off, and sheep speared in very
wantonnesss of mischiet-which were
not reassuring, and which caused US
to keep a particularly sharp lookout,
especially when as now, the Indian
moon (thcir fayorite time of attack J
gave light enough to point the way to
pIunder, but not to guide the aim OF
the defenders.
Dick Merton, changed indeed since
the days when his word was law
among a select circle of Pail Mall
dandies, lounged mp to where | was
standing. His costume was simple
in the extreme, and consisted merely
OF a sufficiently aged pair Of leather
unmcntionables and a red flannel shirt
the whole being surmounted and re-
Iieyed by very long black beard, and
a very short but equally black pipe
but through rough attire and surround
ings the indefnable je ne Sais guoi OF
gentility was as clearly recognized
as when he was sowing his rather ex-
tensive crop of Wildcats upon home
soil, and before that memorable Der.
by which induced him, after settling
with dens Of every description, to en-
bark himself and the leavings of his
property, and dwell among sheep and
sayages, until he could return with
fresh grist to carry on the civilized
mill.
Can YOU see anything stirring in
the camp?' said he, as he came up
These horses are making a coufound.
ed 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 tried, that the dusky vermin
didn't look in when we warn't ready
for visitors"
Now, horses were our surest safe
guards against surprise. Dogs We
had too, but they reused Us up so fre
quently by barking at nothing more
formidable than a stray deer or foz
that it reminded of the gentlemar
whose amusement it was to cry
"Woit we lost all faith in them
but our little, halfwiId Pampa horse:
were true, and their warnings, giver
6y stamping upon the ground, wer,
not to be disregarded with safety.
Il can make out some objects NOV
ing about half mile to the southwark,
said |, after long look out on tht
plains.
They are mounted men, by Jove =
exclaimed my companion; and riding
hard this way too. Stand here will
your rife, Alfred, while l slip cart
ridges into the others. At that pac,
they will b1 here directly"
And so they were. Almost belor,
. Dick had reached my side again, TIVE
"Guachos, " their usually swarthy ia
ces liyid with fear, sprung from thei
horses, which, covered with blood
sweat, and foam, showed how sharI
had been the ride, and rushed owe
the drawbridge. They told US, a
soon as terror would allow them, tha
three hundred Indians we're in no
pursuit, and would soon be on th
spot, and be5Ought us, for the love 0
the Virgin, to give them shelter. a
to ride on again into the camp upol
their toundered horses would be Ger
tain death.
Dick, rather TO my surprise-for
did not then know what distinguished
liars the natives as rule are-calml,
lit his pipe, and then ordered our Wis
itors, in a somewhat doubtful SpanisI
idiom, to "make themselves scarce"
"Unless," he said politely, "yor
can tell plain tale, senores, withou
lies, camos and adios."
Upon this we learned, after muc
cross.qucstioning, that they had bee
to buy horses ("To steal them, NOR
likely" interjected Dick at the sta
tion Of a rich Spaniard, Don Ramo
Garcia, who lived about four league
, from US; and that when they reache
the top of a gentle rise in the ground
and had a view of the house, they ha
seen. to their horror and dismay,
: large body Of the dreaded Indian:
who were attacking-for they hear
: shots-DOn Ramon's estancia.
"Whereupon," said the spokesman
with teeth chattering, 1--WE rode har
to your abode, well knowing that th
brave Englishmen would not delive
US up. But let US mount your heetes
horses, senores, and ride for life
Soon they will be here, and who ca
withstand the fierce braUos?"
'If this be true said Dick, turnin
to me-"and [ believe it is, for thes
cowardly scoundrels' faces are proc
that they have seen something -th
sooner we prepare to fight the bette
M Al ,