Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-04-25
"A THRILLING ADVENTURE. /.
Ex perience OF an Early settler with
the Indians-A Fortunate and Fa'

ne country at 4tnaL time was aH uu-
broken wilderness. But few settlements
had been made by the whites, and they
were so far apart as to render vain all
hopes of assistance, in case of attack
from hostile Indians, numbers of whom
still infested the neighborhood. | lived
there alone with my wife for several
months unmolested, aud by dint of per-
severance being young and hardy, had
succeeded in making a clearing In the
forest, which | planted with corn, and
whick promised an abundant yield.
One morning, after we had dispatched
cur humble meal, and had just pre-
pared TO venture forth upon my accus-
toned routine of labor, my attention was
arrested by the tinkling of a cow-bell in
the cornfeld. 90 ~ kd ~
There" said my wife, the cow is in
the cornfield."
But the ear of the backwoodsman be-
comes educated very acute, especially
from the fact that his safety often de-
pends upon the nice cultivation Of that
sense.
i was not so easily deceived. The
sound was repeated. That" said i, in
reply to my wife remark, was not the
tinkle of bell upon the cow, but de-
COZ from some Indian who wishes to
draw me into an ambush.
Believing this to be the case, | took
down my old musket, and seeing that it
was properly loaded, stole cautiously
around the field toward the spot from
which the sound seemed to proceed.
AS / suspected, there in a clump Of
bushes an Indian was waiting for me to
appear in answer to his decoy bell that
he might send a fatal bullet to my heart.
| approached without discovering my
self to him until within shooting dis
tance then raised my piece and fired.
The bullet sped true to its mark, and
the Indian fell dead r 'ea
Not knowing but that he was accom-
panied by others, returned with full
speed to the cabin, and having firmly
barricaded the door, watched all day
for the companions OF, the Indian / had
killed. To add to the danger and seem
ing hopelessness of my situation, | dis
covered that had Int one shot left, and
if attacked BY numbers / should be en-
tirely in their power Determined to do
the best with the powder, j put it into
the musket and then waited for the. APP
proach of night, feeling sure of ar. at
tack. 4
Night came at last A beautiful moon
light night it was, too, and favored me
greatly, as / would thereby be able to
observe the movements of the enemy as
they approached the cabin.
1t was some two hours after nightfall,
and yet had neither heard nor seen o
sign of the Indians, when suddenly j
was startled by the baying Of my dog at
the stable. The stable stood a little
west of the cabin, and between the two
was a patch of clear ground, on which
the moon fell unobstructed. Judging
from the noise at the stable that they
would advance from that direction, |
posted myself at the port-hole on that
side of the cabin. aB fffg
had previously placed my wife on
the cross-pole in the chimney, so that in
case our enemies effected an entrance
into our cabin, she might climb out
through the chimney and make her es-
cape. For myself l entertained no
hope, but determined togsell nay life
dearly.
With breathless anxiety l waited at
the port1hole. At length / saw them
emerge from the shadow OF the stable
and advance across the open ground to-
ward my cabin. 0ne--two-three-greati
heavens six stalwart Indians, armed
to the teeth, and urged ON by the hope
Of revenge, and / alone to oppose them
with one charge Of powder Ny case
was desperate, indeed. With quick aud
stealthy steps, in close single file, they
approached, and were already within a
few yards of the house, when slight
change in the movement of the forward
Indian changed the six, so that a portion
of the side of each was uncovered. |
They were in range, and one aim
would cover all. Quick as thought |
aimed and fred. AS the smoke cleared
away could hardly credit what my
senses showed me as the result of my
shot. The fifteen slugs with which /
had loaded the mpsket bad done their
work we'll. Five Of the six Indians lay
dead upon the ground, and the sixth
had disappeared Although no enemies
we're now in sight, | did not venture forth
until morning. There lay the bodies of
five Indians undisturbed, together with
the rifle of the other. Securing the
arms and ammunition Of the fallen In
dians, l followed up the missing one un-
til reached the river, beyond which
point | could discover no trace what
ever. From the amount of blood which
marked his trail, together with unmis-
taxable evidence that he had picked his
way with difficulty, was lead to believe
that he was mortally wounded, and in
order to prevent his body falling into
the hands of the foe, he had CROPPED his
way to the river and thrown himself in
the current which had borne eitRway