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

OF the hair breadth" escapes, par
allel to the following can be found.
The story was told by<an old and val
ued friend, now residing in Ohio, but
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:
at was about the year of 1896, that
l 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.
II lived there alone with my wife
for several months unmolested, and by
dint of perseverance, being young and
hardy, had succeeded in making quite
large clearing in the forest, which l
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 a cow
bell in the con-6eld.
"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
" oins5ii 3epeh1!ss nnon the nice calcu-
lation of that sense. was not easily
deceived. / listened the sound was
repeated. That, said l to my wife,
"was not the tinkle of bell upon the
neck of 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, end the Indian
fell dead.
"Fearing that he might be accom-.
panied by others, | returned with all
speed to the cabin, and having firmly
barracaded the door, watched all day
from the port holes in anticipation VI
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 in their power. De-
termned to do the hest 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 moonlight 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 nightfall 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 pitch o
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 tha
side of the cabin.
l had previously placed my wife OF
the cross pole in the chimney, so tina
in case our enemies effected an en-
3 trance in the cabin she might climl
out through the low chimney and efiec
! her escape. For myself | entertained
\ no hope; but | resolved TO sell my lifi
e dearly.
. with breathless anxiety / watched
e at the port hole. At length / saw
them emerge from the shadow of tn,
/, stable and advance across the vacan
: ground toward my cabin. One-tw,
r -three-great heaven! six stalwar
Indians armed TO the teeth, and urged
: on by the hope of revenge, and alon'
e to oppose them, with but one charg
Of powder. My case was desperat,
b indeed. With quick, yet steady steI
Q in close, single file they approached
and were already withing few yard
i of the house, when a slight change il
J, movement Of the forward Indial
: changed the position of the entire 81,
i SO that portion Of the left side o
v 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, l could hardl
credit what my senses showed me a
l the result of my shot. The Aftee
: slugs with which / had loaded m
musket had done their work we'll Fiv
of the six Indians lay dead upon tn
ground, and the sixth had disappeared
Although no enemy was in sight,
4. did not venture forth until morning
, Securing the arms of the fallen In