The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1871-01-10
A Thrilling Adventure.

uSN hlShu, hOW ISsluIhS III OhiOJ DuJ
whose early days were spent near the
scene of the tragic adventure here re.
lated. We give the story as related
in the words Of the hero:
alt was about the year of 1895, that
settled in Virginia |; near the fall of
the Kanayha. The country at that
time was an unbroken wilderness. But
few settlements had been made then
by the whites and they were so far
apart as to render vain all hope of
assistance in case of an attack from
the hostile Indians-numbers of whom
still infested the neighborhood.
81 lived there alone with my wife
for several months unmolested, and by
dint of perseverance, being young and
hardy, had succeeded in making quite
a large clearing in the forest, which |
had planted with corn, and which
promised an abundant yield.
"One morning after we had dis
patched our humble meal, and had
just prepared to venture fourth on my
regular routine of labor, my attention
was arrested by the tinkling of cow
bell in the con-feld.
"There," said my wife, "the COW is
in the corn.feld."
"But the ear of the backwoodsman
becomes, by education, very acute, es.
pecially so from the fact that his safe
! " ointaii 1epen1s nnon the nice calcu-
lation of that sense. was not easily
deceived. / listened the sound was
repeated. That, said / to my wife,
"was not the tinkle of bell upon the
neck of a COW. 1t is a decoy from
some Indians who wish to draw me in
to ambush"
Believing this to be the case, / took
down my old musket, and seeing that
it was properly loaded. | stole eau
tiously around the field to the point
from which the sound seemed to pro-
ceed. AS | suspected, there in clus-
ter of bushes, crouched an Indian
waiting for me to appear in answer to
his decoy bell that he might send the
faithful bullet to my heart. Iapproach-
ed without discovering myself to him
untel within shooting distance, then
raised my piece and fired. The bullet
sped true to its mark, vnd the Indian
fell dead.
Fearing that he might be accom-.
panied by others, l returned with all
speed to the cabin, and having firmly
barracaded the door, | watched all day
from the port holes in anticipation u
an attack from the companions of the
Indian / had killed. To add to the
seeming -helplessness of situation, ]
discovered that had but one charge
of powder left. | could make but one
shot, and if attacked by numbers, !
should be entirely y in their power. De,
termined TO do the best with what | had
| poured out the last charge Of pow,
der and put it in my musket and then
waited the approach of night, feeling
confident of an attack. Night came
at last-a beautiful moonlIgh night il
was, too, and this favored me greatly
as | would thereby be able to watch
the movements of the enemy as they
approached my cabin. 1t was somt
two hours after nighttall and yet had
neither heard nor seen any signs of the
Indians, when suddenly | was startled
by the baying of my dog at the stable
which stood little west of the cabin
and between the two was a pitch Of
of ground upon which the height e.
the full moon fell unobstructed. Judg
from the noise at the stables that they
would advance from that direction,
posted myself at the port hole on thai
side of the cabin.
l had previously placed my wife or
the cross pole in the chimney, so thai
i'll case our enemies effected an en-
trance in the cabin she might clint
out through the low chimney and effect
her escape. For myself | entertained
no hope; but | resolved to sell my life
dearly.
"With breathless anxiety l watched
at the port hole. At length / saw
them emerge from the shadow of the
stable and advance across the vacant
ground toward my cabin. One-twt
-three-gTeat heaven! six stawarI
Indians armed to the teeth, and urged
on by the hope of revenge, and | alone
to oppose them, with but one charge
of powder. My case was desperate
indeed. With quick, yet steady steE
in close, single file they approached
and were already withing few yard,
of the house, when a slight change il
movement Of the forward Indiar
changed the position Of the entire six
SO that portion Of the left side o.
each was uncovered.
"They were all in range-one ain
would have covered all. Quick a
thought l aimed and fired. As tn,
smoke cleared away, / could hardly
credit what my senses showed me a
the result of my shot. The hfteel
slugs with which / had loaded m,
musket had done their work we'll. FivJ
of the six Indians lay dead upon tn
ground, and the sixth had disappeared
Although no enemy was in sight,
did not venture forth until morning
Securing the arms of the fallen In
dians, | followed up the missing on
until reached the river, beyond whicl
place / could discover no trace what
ever, From the amount Of bloc,