Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-06-02

| voice OF MT oakley:
Fire steady, boys, and take good aim
Don't waste powder"
A dead silence ensued.
They're cowed, father. They are sneak.
| ing off to cover" exclaimed Simeon.
Not they they are only contriving
some new deviltry. John and Matthew,
round with you to the back of the house.
Grace-my God where did that shot come
fromf" as with a sharp cry, Reuben, the
| eldest, leaped three feet in the air, and fell
forward, on his face, stone dead.
Mrs. Oakley sprang forward and threw
herself on his body. The fair-haired eld.
est boy was her darling. Another shot
came crashing through the window, and
bedded itself in the opposite wall.
Aim at yonder tree," shouted Mr..
Oakley. "I saw the gleam of rifle stock
among the leaves. See the oak yonder. u
A third shot whizzed 80 close past us as
to make us start back; and then our un-
erring rifles answered back, and down
through the boughs went dark body,
striking with heavy "thud against the
ground.
!. He Is silenced," exclaimed Mr. Oak.
ley, with a CLEAN of stern satisfaction
shooting across his face.
Here there was q silence of longer dur.
alton than any which had preceded it and
we were at a loss to know whether they
had drawn off and given up the attack.
This, however, my uncle doubted, for he
was accustomed to the tactics of those
willy foes At last he remarked:
Where can they be hidingP l see
none of the rest"
Father, FatherP called Grace, in an
agonized tone.
Mr.. Oakley ran hastily into the back
room, where she was. A stalward man in
hunting trOck, and so bronzed as to make
it almost doubtful if he was white or red,
had swung himself from an adj lining tree,
on to the balcony and was trying to force
himself through the little window.
AS MIR. Oakley rushed forward, he drew
his hu uting knife that ne wore in his belt,
but seizlng the sharp edge in his bare
hands, the inturiated father wrested il
from his grasp by main strength, and
plunged it up to the hilt in his breast
A fierce yell and harmless volley from
those in ambush, received this new defeat,
and then came another of those ominous
pauses.
What can they be aboutS" uttered
Simeon, who was again at the look out
They are plling up hay and brushwocd
They surely do not dream of firing the
house?"
The door, the doorl" gasped Grace.
Right exclaimed her father. THE
girl has more wit than all of us. We must
barricade the hall. "
Never mind the shutters, " said Mrs
Oakley, who had regained her marble com.
posure. ave will bar them," and she be.
gan to draw the bolts.
MIR Oakley hesitated, for the task was
one of danger, bat there was no time, and
chairs, tables and sofas were piled up at q
short distance from the door, in what was
really formidable barricade, guarded as il
was by the unerring rifles. The smell OF
the burning wood aud the smoke that fill
ed the hall, now grew almost intolerable
MIR. Oakley placed us on the stair case anG
exhorted his sons anew to stand close, anC
take good aim. A portion of the dool
fell in. Mr.. Oakley raised his rifle, anC
Walter Van Culyer, who was the first tC
spring in, staggered and fell back with 8
groan; the others swarmed in like bees
but second and a third of these deadly
volleys brought them to stand. No mar
cared to expose himself to such certain
death.
Mr.. Oakley turned impetuously to hi.
sons:
"Give 'em another, boys; we'll beat 'en
off yetp But a mute shake of the heaC
was the only answer. The powder wa
exhausted. For moment deadly pallol
overspread his face; the next, his voic'
rang out, clear and firm as ever:
Close upl Draw your knives! w,
will sell our lives as dearly as possible"
Come on! their powder is out shout
ed man, who, with half dozen others
had succeeded in scrambling over the bar
ricade, and making his way toward tn,
| little group.
A" You had better be careful Our wo
men have their knitting-needles yet" re
torted Mr. Oakley, derislvely."
We'll take care of you and the womel
BOTH" returned the ruffian, aiming
blow at Simeon, that brought him to tn
ground.
A spasm contorted Mr.. Oakley's sterl
| features Tor moment; and then, with
strangled sob, he threw himself headlonJ
upon his assailants.
Kill him-cut him down-he's tn
devil himself!" shouted a dozen voices
| but in moment arose another and tar dif
ferent cry.
"The rebels--the rebels are upon us 7
And laundering on, trampling the COW
ardly wr tches down under the horses
hoofs, came Mark Warner with his ligh
horse troop. In an instant all was con
fusion. No one thought of anything bu
flight; and the enragtd Americans MOVIE
the flying tories down like grain.
Then burst forth all the emotions so lonl
pent up. Father and sons threw them
selves into one anOther's arms; Gracr
tainted and Mrs. Oakley's stony compo
sure melted into flood of hysterlca
| tears.
Ours was joyful, and yet a sad hous
that night-for although VIC had been de
livered, as it were, from the very jaws o
death, yet the bodies of our dead wer
with us.
Ahl children! these times were saC
times-trying times There was a wed
ding afterwards between Mark and Grace
and danced as merrily as any of them
but poor Mrs Oakley wore mourning t,
the end-of her days and the last words OF
her lips were the names of her murdere,
sons. And greatly affected. my grand
mother took off her spectacles and wipe
her eyes.