The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-02-07
BY HORSLEY BROS. & FIGUERS

eyes; 1 did that when 1 went to tell
Mrs. Gordon about the doctor"
"You have done we'll. If we succeed
you shall have three thousand. How
about that shanty of yours on Pigeon
Lake? Can we take her there, and will
there be anybody to take care of her?''
"Of course. have an Indian wife
there and two grown daughters. She
must be gagged and wrapped up in the
buffalo robes for the last sixty miles
you must hire Indians to carry her.
But what will you do with the child
Will you take that, too ?''
"No. shall leave that with Cor
don. If he hves-which is doubtful,
for he took strong dose-he will think
that his wife stole the money and de-
serted him and the child. Be careful
to replace the bolts and leave every
thing secure but the front door. I have
made Gordon think that his wife is dis
contented, tired of her hard life, and
longing for ease and wealth"
'When will the sleigh be here ?"
cat ten o'clock precisely. You must
be ready for action then, but now you
had better see that all is safe"
l had stood as one spell-bound while
the Williams discussed their plans, and
now | dragged myself YEARLY into the
kitchen, closed and bolted the door, and
then went back to the bedside of my
husband. I took my sleeping baby
from it's crib and laid it by its fathers
side, and taking the money from the
drawer placed it under his pillow. A
revolver lay ON the secretary, and Harry
had taught me how to use it. / exam
ined the barrels to see that all were
loaded and primed, and laid it on the
table by the bedside; then, after one
prayer for Divine aid and protection, /
seated myself once more by the bedside
of my apparently dying husband, to
bathe his head and breast, and to do
what little / could to arouse him from
the fearful stupor which 1 now feared
must end in death. That was terrible
watch, dear Anna. The strong arm
that had always been able to protect
me, now lay weak and powerless as an
infants and l, frail and timid wo-
man, was left alone to defend myself
and my dear ones from the cruel villains
already on the watch to invade our
peaceful home.
"Twelve o'clock How soon it came
Not quite one; but there was a slight
noise at the store room window. Ny
ears were strained to catch the slightest
sound a door opened softly, and muf-
fled steps were heard crossing the kitch-
en- floor. l raised the revolver with my
finger on the trigger; then two men
with masked faces, bending forward and
peering carefully around them, stole
slowly into the parlor; they were just
opposite my bedroom door, when, tax
ing deliberate aim, I fired, once, twice
one fell. but his companion sprang to-
ward me with an oath. I fred again
and again he was wounded, but still
came staggering towards me; fired
again. Anna, had meant to wound,
to disable him, but did not mean to
kill him and as he fell dead at my
feet, shot through the heart, I sank
swooning on the floor
GO I do not know how long lay uncon-
sciOus; but was aroused by the groans
of the wounded man, and his piteous
appeals for water. Iraised myself with
difficulty, and almost hoping to find the
events of the night only a fevered
dream but there lay the horrible wit
ness that they were too true. His head
lay within the doorway, and I was
obliged to pass him to give assistance
to his wounded and suffering comrade
My feet seemed like lead /; but moved,
slowly and mechanically, to do what
must be done. 1 brought him water,
removed the mask and raised his head
that he might drink, staunched the
blood, and applied a bandage to his
wound, bathed his face, placed pillow
under his head, and spread a blanket
over him to protect him from the cold
By this time Harry's face had lost
its purple hue, and his breathing had
become more natural. 1 bathed his
head with ice water, and as heard that
coffee is an antidote against narcotics,
made some, hot and strong. [ succeed
ed in arousing him sufficiently to be able
to drink it, and soon saw that the dan
ger was past. Then, woman-like, / was
overcome by the consciousness of what
l had been through, and sank covering
by the bedside, my head upon my hus-
bands breast, and clung to him with |
the feeling that, weak and half con-
scious as he was, he could still protect |
me.
"When was fully aroused the next |
to knowledge of my situa-
ton, Harry stood at my side, still pale |
and weak from the effects of yesterdays |
potion. Mr.. Lees voice in the next
room was giving orders for the removal
of the dead body of Mr.. Tremaine, and
the safe-keeping of his wounded associ-
ate, Thomas McGrath, the wood-sawyer;
while dear Aunt Janet, with her arms
around my neck, was calling me "brave
little woman" little knowing what a
coward felt myself to be, and declar-
ing me worthy member of the family
of Gordon.
"This is the story, Anna, and you
will not wonder that I should shudder
and turn pale when anything recalls to
my remembrance that Night of Ter
rOr"