The Lincoln County herald., 1873-04-23
AN INDIANS REVENGE.
BY RALPH RINGwoOD.

either bank bold, rugged cliffs that lift
their submits f,e hundred aud a thou
sand feet, as tho case may be, above the
stream, there lived in early times settler
b. tho name Of Rufus Branson, who with
his wife and only child, a charming little
girl Of some eight or nine years, occupied
the rude cabin st the base of precipice
q little back from the river.
Although greatly exposed to danger
the Iudians at that time being plentiful
in the region-he managed to live quietly
for several years.
The Indians frequently visited the
rude homo of tho hunter. and being al.
ways welcomed and provided with such
food as might DO 10 the lsrder, they
maintained friendly attitude. .......
Especially were they fond Of the child,
Maggie, and more than one fierce war
warrior had been seen sitting on the grass
in front Of the cabin, listening to the
childish prattle Of tho little one, or else
engaged in making it some toy or play.
thing from willow twigs or plant bark.
In this manner several years had been
passed, and Rufo Branson came to feel as
secure as though he was within the walls
of a frontier fort.
One evening Branson and his wife were
seated near the doorway, when suddenly
shadow fell across tho threshold, and
the next moment a tall savage, whose
rceling step and blood shot eyes told that
he was intoxicated, appeared, and stag
gering to the log steps, threw himself
upon them.
His first demand was for "6re water,"
which was OF course refused, Oh the plea
that there was none in the house.
| The ICdan became cross and ugly,
swearing with terrible oaths that if the
liquor was not produced, he would mur-
der the whole household. Rranson was
brave, determined man, and although
he dreaded tho necessity, yet he saw that
he would be compelled to take prompt
steps to prevent tho savage from execu'
ting his threat.
Waiting until the warrior had made
demonstration, which he soon did by at
tempting to draw his tom ihawk, Branson
sprung upon him, knocked him down
with blow of his fist, and then quietly
disarmed and bound him where he lay.
After few minutes of furious rawlings
and futile efforts to free himself the saw
age rolled over and sunk into drunken
slumber.
He did not wake until next morning
but before he did SO, the settler had
quietly removed his bonds and restored
the weapons, which he land by the sleep
er's side. The savage, on awakening
rose slowly to his feet, felt his wrists as
though the thongs had left feeling
there, took up his weapons, and withou,
speaking word, left him and disappeared
IN the timber near by.
"What do you think Of thatY' asked
the wife, turning to her husband with
scared look.
"Pshaw! Don't trouble your head
about the drunken BRUTE" answered the
} settler lightly. but as be turned ava,
and stepped into the yard, be muttered
Like it? Well, not much. The fellow
must be watched. l was in hopes hi
would not have remembered, but tha
lump where my fist landed, was enough
if nothing else, to recall the circum'
stance"
Q The summer passed, and they saw th'
drunken guest no more. lie failed Il
0 make his appearance. But as the leave
began to fall, the settler one day, whil'
= returning from hunting on the hills, ant
passing through q deuse piece OF timbe
not far from tho house, caught sight OF
} figure lurking among the bushes, bu
which quickly disappeared when he ad
vauced toward where it was. The hgur
!, was that Of 40 Indian warrior, aud Ruf
Branson would. have sworn it was th
Indian whom he had knocked down an
bound the previous summer In
knowledge was not in any way comfort
y ing, and hence be did not tell his wife Q
the discovery.
1t would only alarm her, without pei
haps any good result. llo simply toll
her he had discovered bear tracks nea
by, and that she and the child must sta
= within or close to the house when he wa
absent.
, Several days afterward, Rue Branso
heard his dogs IN the timber down by t'l
river, and knowing they never opene
without good cause, he caught up h1
rife and hasteued TO where they, wer
barking. They had struck fresh oea
- trail, and as he arrived in sight, they f4irl
lifted it, going off in straight line dow
the river. :,
Ie The chase led him several mile
and when, at last, he got bis shot th'
finished bruins career, he found it W.
= three or four o'clock In the afternoon.
Swinging his game to sspling out
reach Of cat or wolf, he started for HON
J to get the old grey marc and return
- fetch il that night. II,
Taking q near cut, be approached u
cabin from the western side, where II
s., timber grew heavy up to within fe
l. rods of the building, aod consequently !
could not see the clearing or what m'g'
~ be trauspiring there until he had passe