The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-07-25

SaJnerlnS nlmSel1 up TO his Iull HelShU,
drew the latch and swung the door wide
open. The light of the fire streamed out
upon the dark, crouching form of half
breed, who had always been looked upon
with distrust by the settlers, but who
made himself useful in various ways.
My fathers astonishment upon seeing
him at this hour did not in the least dis
concert him. He said he had run out of
powder, and, as the store was fifteen
miles off, and he wanted to go hunting
! the following day, he had called to bor-
row some powder and shot, if my father
could spare any. My father cautiously
replied that "he could not spare much,"
but let the fellow have some. He thank
ed him, and left. My father walked out
with him to the gate of the stockade,
leaving the door open. L heard dis
tinctly the Gathering of a horses hoof
over the hard ground. My mother,
whose hearing was impaired, did not OBJ
serve this
When my father returned, my mother
asked what he thought of the half
breeds visit. She was much alarmed,
and insisted that it BODIED no good. My
father laughed, but when he approached
the candle again to take up his paper, 1
observed his countenance was deadly
pale. What could he have seen when he
went out to the gate of the inclosure
My father was brave, stro1g-hearted
man. My mother presently went to
bed-she slept in room adjoining the
main sitting-room. About nine o'clock
the gate of the stockade swung open
loudly, and my brother Liph came walk
ing up the pathway, and hammered a
loud knock on the door, which echoed
back from the corner OF the stockade /;
but as Liph came in, thought he was
not as CHEEKY as usual. Father took him
aside and asked him if he had seen any
thing.
Liph said he had; man riding
white horse very rapidly, just after he
left Hanks's house.
"Then," says my father, :" there is
something wrong, for the fellow who
rode past the stockade an hour since was
on a black horse"
Then my father called me to him, and
said: "Stevie, you are not afraid of
anything, are you?" 1 said 1 supposed
not. "Well," said my father, "I've a
mind to send you over to Hanks's cabin
for some powder. 1 would not let that
half-breed rascal know how little l had,
but have nearly run out, and we may
want all we can get before morning"
So l started for Hankss. At the gate,
my father said: "Stevie, be careful
how you go ; the reason why 1 send you
is, they will not notice you, as you are
small if Tom, or Liph, or should go,
we could not hide as well as you. fear
there are some bad Indians about. Keep
close along the timber; don't show your
self in the open prairie at all. Keep
your eyes about you. Get all the pow
der Hanks can spare. Hurry back be-
fore the moon rises"
I reached Hankss in safety, saw moth
ing, told him what father thought, got
started back; but had not proceeded
far before 1 saw half dozen Indians
riding on the prairie. They were going
at the top of their horses speed in the
direction of our house.
My father let me in; we closed and
barred the gate, then we closed the door
and barred it, as usual. Father exam
ined the heavy shutters they were all
tight. Then, said he: "Boys, wake up
Tom. We must get to work and load
every rifle and pistol in the house" 1
woke up Tom.
After we got through loading, my
father made me lie down, and he lay
down himself. Liph said he would keep
watch.
The clock kept ticking away, as though
nothing unusual was at hand, and father
seeing the hands pointed to two, said he
thought it was a false alarm, and turned
over and fell asleep.
1t seemed to me 1 had been asleep
only a few minutes, when Nero sprang
up, and gave loud bark that brought
us all to our feet. Father had his rifle
in hand instantly. We listened-not a
sound-the dog with his nose to the sill
kept up a low growl.
Father and Liph talked in an under
tone, then they unbarred the door, and
Liph stalked out into the gloom. He
walked to the stockade, and raising him
self up on barrel, looked cautiously
over the top
Liph then crossed the inclosure, and
getting up on log, looked over on the
other side. Then he called to my father
and Tom, and they ran out with their
rifles My mother had been awakened,
and also my sisters, and they came run
ming into the sitting-room, all very
much excited. When mother heard
what was the matter-that my father
was afraid the hostile tribe of Indians,
the Arapahoes, were about-she took
from corner a rifle, and handed it to
my sister Annie. Then she called in the
hired girl, but she cried and shook SO
she could net hold the gun.
Presently father called to me to come
to him. ran out, and mother and sis
ter Annie, too, each with rifles, loaded
and cooked. And father said: "There
they are. Do you see them, just coming
from the belt of the wood Z"
The moon was partially under the
clouds, but there was light enough to
see about dozen crouching forms CON-
ing through the high grass toward the
stockade.
"Now, all draw your rifles on the ras-
Gals, but don't fire till l give the word
and then all together"
The Indians came on, noiselessly, fear
lessly; they did not suppose they were
discovered.
We waited for them until they came
within twenty yards of the stockade
when father gave the order to fire. We
must have knocked over fully half oi
them. The rest lay still for a while, and
then rose of a sudden and ran back tc
the belt of woods.
"Thank God those fellows are out
| of the wav" said NV father, thay