Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1874-02-26
A SHOT FOR LIFE.
Story of the Early settlers.

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Where the Kentucky river cuts its
way through the mountains. having
upon either bank bold, rugged cliffs.
that lift their SUBMITS five hundred
and thousand feet above the stream,
there lived in early times a settler
named Rufus Bronson, who, with his
wife and little child, charming girl
of nine or ten years, occupied the
rude cabin at the base of the preci-
pice little back from the river.
Although greatly exposed to dan
ger, the Indians at that time being
very plenty throughout the region,
be mansged to live quietly for seve-
raj years.
The Indians frequently visited the
rude home of the hunter. and being al
wavs welcomed and provided with
such food as was in the larder. theg
maintained a friendly attitude. Es-
pecially were they fond Of the chiid,
Maggie. 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
ingenious toy or plaything from will
low twigs or plant bark
In this manner several years had
been passed, and Bronson came to
feel as secure as though he was with
in the walls of a frontier fort. One
evening Bronson and his wife were
seated near the doorway, when sud
denly shadow fell across his thresh
old, and the next moment tall saw
age, whose reeling step and blood
shot 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
household. Bronson was a brave,
determined man, and although he
dreaded the necessity, yet he saw he
would be compelled to take prompt
steps to prevent the savage from ex-
ecuting his threats.
Waiting until the warrior had made
q demonstration, which he soon did
by attempting to draw his tomahswk,
Bronson sprang at him, knocked him
down with a blow of his fist, and then
quickly disarmed and bound him
where he lay. After few moments
of furious rawlings and futile efforts
to free himself, the savage rolled
over and sunk into q drunken sleep
He did not awake until the nextmorn-
ing, but before he did so the settler
had quietly removed the bands and
restored the weapons, which he laid
by the sleeper's side. The savage,
on awakening, rose slowly to his feet,
felt fell. bis wrists as though the thongs
weapons, and without speaking a
word, left and disappeared in the
timber near by.
"What do you think of that?'
asked the wife, turning to her hus-
band with a frightened look.
"Pshaw! don't trouble your head
about the drunken brutei' answered
the settler, lightly; but as he turned
away and stepped into the yard he
muttered-
Like il? Well, not much. The
fellow must be watched. l 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 circumstances
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 hunting
on the hills, and passing through q
dense piece of timber not far from
the house, caught sight of 3 man
lurking in the bushes, but quickly
disappeared when he advanced to
where it was. The figure was thai
of the Indian warrior whom he had
knocked down and bound the pre-
vious spring. The news was not in
any way comforting. and hence he
did not tell his wife of bis discovery,
He would only alarm her, be
thought, and perhaps, without 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 to the house during
! his absence.