Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-05-08


est loop-hole, showed her that the saw
ages had made a platform of logs, upon
which four of them were standing. while
they repeated the tactics which failed at
the door, with heavy log. They were
| beyond the reach of the iron bar, and
1 the blows fell upon the window with
a force that made the very walls rattle
For some minutes the stout oak resist
ed the rapidly repeated shocks, but final
/ ly showed signs of yielding, and quick
/ ly pushing the table TO a point Just be-
/ side the window she mounted thereon,
| and grasping her axe firmly, made for
! what might be her death struggle.
Scarcely had she completed her ar
rangemcnts before the fastenings gave
way, and a flood of light poured into
the room. Again the light was obstruct-
ed, and this time Mary knew a human
body was the cause. She raised the axe
and stood like a statute A moment af-
ter the hideous head of savage peered
into the cabin, but failed 10 notice the
brave woman, standing almost at his el-
bow. His shoulders followed, the gilt
tering axe fell, and the Indian, with
/ head almost severed from bis body, hung
! across the broad log With desperate
/ effort she dragged him aside, and as
carefully as possible lowered him TO the
i floor. None of the Indians had seen her
movements, and naturally concluded
that their companion had effected safe
/ lodgnent within the cabin. Loud and
/ demoniac laughter followed his disap-
/ pearance, but as all within still remained
silent, these gradually subsided.
Again the window was darkened,
/ again the head and shoulders of a huge
/ Indian appeared in the cabin, again the
axe descended, and another body was
dragged in and deposited on the floor.
/ Fresh yells and laughter followed, but
as the cabin was still silent as the grave,
/ the Indians became somewhat alarmed,
! and proceeded to act with more caution.
/ A long pause ensued, and Mary began
! to indulge faint hope that they would
/ desist from their efforts. But they were
/ not so easily discounted, and for the
! third time the light was obscured, and a
/ painted face peered into the apartment.
4 Before his eyes had become accustomed
/ TO the gloom the ayenging axe again de-
! scended and the burly form tumbled, a
/ ghastly heap, outside the cabin.
A fierce yell of rage arose from the
/ remaining savages upon the discovery of
/ the fate of their companions. and for
! movement on the part of the assailants
/ Mary's blood was up. She would now
/ have fought single handed against an
! army. From the loop hole she saw that
/ the four surviving savages had drawn off
/ a short distance and were engaged In an
earnest consultation. Some were evil
4 IDENTIFY in favor of withdrawal, and
/ finally seemed TO prevail, as the whole
/ party moved slowly off. Mary felt a
/ curious indifference in regard to their
I movements, and when she saw them
+ halt, and, after a short pause, again turn
and rush with loud yells toward the
cabin, she felt something akin ts the
/ sense of relief, and merely braced her
( self for a new effort.
/ From the movement of her foes it soon
became evident to Mary that the next
attack would be by way of the capa-
/ cious chimney. She cOuldhear their foot
steps on the roof as they moved along
4 its steep surface. So large was the throat
/ of the chimney that she felt sure that
/ two Of them would come down
/ at once, and, for a moment, was at
/ fault. Thought was rapid with her.
/ however, and in a twinkling she had
| dragged the heavy feather bed from the
/ beadstead, and to the fire place, and
with her axe made large opening in the
/ sack. Peering up she could see two
savages preparing to descend, and step
ping back until, as she judged, they had
/ completed about half the distance, she
! emptied the feathers upon the glowing
/ Goals on the hearth.
/ At that instant she became aware that
another Indian was effecting an entrance
/ at the window With one spring she
was upon him. The savage saw her
dasL towards him with uplifted axe, and
/ struggled to get back. But he was al
ready too far inside, and before he could
clear himself from the window the
weapon went crashing into his brain.
Meanwhile the feathers had done their
work The pungent smoke had filed
/ the lungs an ] eyes of the saYages in the
chimney and after a short struggle to re-
gain the top, they succumbed and rolled
/ upon the hearth, half strangled and
/ wholly blind.
Mary was ready for them Twice
! her reehing axe rose in the air, and with
/ each descent of the terrible weapon the
soul of an Indian went TO the happy
4 hunting ground.
But her troubles were not vet over
\ As she turned, her last antagonist con
!
I sprang to meet him with the energy OF
a panther. His tomahawk whizzed past
her head and sank quivering into the
logs of the cabin, but before he could
| draw his knife and close with the fren-
! Zied woman, she was upon him, and
| with one terrible blow severed his arm
and buried the axe TO its helve in bis
side. A second blow sent him TO join
his companions, and, now, Mary's work
4 being done, she sank into a deadly
| swoOn.
| Half an hour later John Mead re-
/ turned. While still at a distance he no
! ticed that everything about the cabin
bore its usual aspect, and riding cheer
| fully up to the door called his wife to
! admit him. Receiving no answer he
went to the window. There the two
bodies, grim and CHASTITY, confronted
| him, and he turned sica with dread.
/ Looking in at the window he saw the
/ marks of that fearful contest, the form
of his wife lying PROSTATE over heap
I of dead savages, and crawled through
| the opening just as one of his terror
stricken childen was making its way
through the barricade.
Mary soon recovered and told the tale
| Of the terrible struggle, which neither
/ of them were ever likely to forget.
| Mrs. Mead afterwards remarked that
| so well did she retain her presence of
mind from the time that she first dis
covered and numbered her assailants un-
I til she struck her last blow, that every
! time she Glove the skull of a foe, she
mentally registered the number she had
killed.
STARTING New DAILY.-The Fitch
burg Mass Sentinel, an excellent pa
per, is going to start a daily. We are