The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-02-04
A Shot For n Life.


that lift their SUBMITS FIVE hundre'
and a thousand feet, as the case ma,
be. above the stream, there lived u
early times a settler by the name Q
Rufus Branson, who, with his wifi
and little child, a charming youn:
girl Of some eight or nine years o
age, occupied the rude cabin at th'
base of the precipice a little baci
from the river.
Although greatly exposed to dan
ger, the Indians at that time being
very plentiful throughout the region
he managed to live quietly for sever
al years.
The Indians frequently visited the
rude home of the hunter and being al
wavs welcomed andprovided with such
food as was in the larder, they main
tanned a friendly attitude. Especial
" were they fond Of the child, Mag
gle, and more than one fierce warrior
had been seen sitting on the grass in
front of the cabin, listening to the
childish prattle Of the little one, or
else engaged in making her some
toy or plaything from willow twigs
or plant bark.
In this manner several years had
been passed. and Rufus 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 a shadow fell across
the threshold, and tbe next moment
a tall savage whose reeling step
and bloodshot eyes told that he was
intoxicated appeared, and staggering
to the log steps, threw himself upon
them. His first demand was for fire
water, which was, of course, refused,
on the ground that there was none in
the house. The Indian became cross
and ugly, and declared with terrible
oaths that if the liquor was not pro,
duced, he would murder the whole
Observation-Disclosures was a brave de-
Jermined man, and although he dread
ed the necessity, yet he saw be would
be compelled to take prompt steps tc
prevent the savage from executing
his threat.
Waiting until the warrior had
made q demonstration. which he soor
did by attempting to draw his toma
hawk, Branson sprang at him, knock
ed him down with blow of his fist
and then quietly disarmed and bound
him where be lay. After few mo-
ments of furious rawlings AMI futile
efforts to free himself, the savage
rolled over and sank into q drunken
sleep. He did not wake until the
next morning, but bef,re be did SO
the settler had quietly removed his
bonds and restored the weapons,
which be laid by the sleeper's side.
The savage on awakening rose slow
ly to his feet, felt bis wrists, as
though the thongs had left feeling
there, took up his weapons, and with
out speaking word, left and disap-
peared in the timber near by.
What do YOU think of that ~
asked bis wife, turning to her hus-
band with frightened look.
"Pshawl Don't trouble your head
about that drunken brute J" answered
the settler, lightly; but as he tured
away and stepped into the yard he
muttered-
Like it? Well, not much. The
fellow must be watched. / was in
hope that he would not have remem-
bered, but that lump where my fist
landed was enough, if nothing else,
TO recall the circumstance.
The summer passed, and they saw
their drunken guest no more. He
failed to make his appearance. But
as the leaves began TO fall, the settler
one day, while returning from hunt
ing on the hills, and passing through
a dense piece Of timber not far from
the house, caught sight Of figure
lurking in the bushes, but quickly
disappeared when be advanced TO
where it was. The figure was that
of IN Indian warrior, and Branson
would have sworn that it was the
Indian warrior whom he had knock
cd down and bound the previous
spring. The news was not in anv
way comforting, and hence he did
not tell his wife of his discovery.
Ii would only alarm her, he
thought, and without, perhaps, any
good result He simply told her he
had discovered bear tracks near by,
and that she and the child must stay
within or close 10 house during his
absence.
Several days afterwards, Rufus
Branson heard his dogs in the tim
Der down by the river, and, knowing
they never opened without good
cause, he caught up his rife and
hastened 10 where they were bark
ing, They had struck fresh bear
trail, and, as be arrived in sight,
they fairly lifted it, going off in q
straight line down the river.
The chase led him several miles,
and, when at last be got a shot that
finished bruins career, he found that
it was three or four O'Clock in the
afternoon. Swinging his meat TO a
sapling, out Of reach Of cat or wolf,
he started for home to ge: his horse
and return and fetch it that night.
Taking a near cut, he reached the
cabin from the western side, where
the timber grew heavy up to within
a few yards of the building, and con-
sequently he could not see the clear
ing, or what might be transpiring
there; unit! he had passed through
the woods.
Thus it was that, when within a
short distance of his home, he heard
a wild piercing shreak; but he could
only guess that something terrible
must be taking place beyond the
screen of bushes and leaves. Utter
ing q loud shout that his presence
might sooner be known, BraDson
sprang forward like a wounded buck,
a great fear in his heart, for he had
only too clearly recognized in that
scream the agonized voice of bis wife.
1t took but a moment for him TO
clear the intervening timber and un-
dergrowth, and as be dashed out in
to the clearing, holding his rife ready
for instant use, be comprehended in |