Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-09-21

with look on his face that showed
how much he appreciated the honor
and responsibility of his position.
Then the brave woman made hel
preparations for what she feared
would be desperate struggle for hel
own life and those of her little ones.
Presently movement on the part Of
her savage foes attracted her atten
ton.
An Indian showed his head from be
hind one of the large logs in front o.
the house. Waiting for q few mo
ments. as if to see il he was observed
he gradually moved out until hi!
whole body was visible.
What could be his object!
It was something unusuatfo an In
dian to expose himself thus.
The solution of the puzzle came i'm
mediately.
s:Nlamms ;" cried little Gabriel.
s'What is it, child!"
s'There is one of the men coming tt
the house,"
Then she,saw at once that the ap
pearance of the Indian in front wa:
i ruse to attract her attention while
his companions attacked the house
from behind.
Gabriel" she called hastily, ''come
here"
The boy ran over to her.
She pushed the muzzle of one of the
guns through the loop-hole, and the
savage Immediately disappeared.
snow, GABRIEL she said, "whenevel
that man shows himself you push the
gun 50 that he can see it,
The boy promised to do rs he was
bid.
Then the brave mother went to the
back Of the house.
Three Indians were slowly creeping
up towards it, taking advantage OF
every tree, rock, of inequality 'ot
ground. They evidently intended to
take her by surprise.
Determined that this time she would
make every shot tell. she waited until
they were within twenty yards. They
were close together, and crawling up
slowly.
| Suddenly the muzzle of the shotgun
was protruded from the loop.hole.
The savages saw their mistake and
turned to fee.
Too late! The sharp crack Of the
gun was heard, and two of them rolled
over in the agonies Of death.
Again the sharp crack, and the other
shot through the back ds he was run.
ming away, bounded in the air like
a stricken deer, and fell dead in his
tracks.
\ loud mournful howl was raised
by the savages in the woods when they
saw their comrades fall, and for near
ly an hour afterward they were per.
| fectly quiet.
Then they commenced another and
a more devilish plan of operations.
Seeing that there was little hope
of getting possession of the house by
means of a direct attack, without
mourning fearful loss Of numbers,
they put in practice one of the expe.
diants of Indian warfare, which is the
most dangerous because it is the hard.
est to combat. -..-~~
An Indian suddenly appeared on the
edge of the wood. In his hands he
held bow, and on it's string was an
arrow with burning rag attached to
the end Of it.
Mrs. Latour fired at him with the
Spencer, but he drew hastily behind a
tree and she missed him.
Then, before she had time to draw
back and charge her rifle, he jumped
forward and discharged the burning
arrow at the house.
With intense anxiety the woman
watched the blazing missile as it flew
nsv. so$
very great as she saw it carried by the
force Of the wind away to the left
side of the house and fall among the
trees.
Again and again the experiment
was tried, but someho,, without sue
cess; and the Indians showed their
vexation by keeping continual show.
er of bullets rafting against the house.
The shades of night were now fall
ing.
1t was with a feeling of the deepest
apprehension that Marian Latour saw
the darkness coming on.
Under cover OF the night the saw
ages could approach quite near to the
house without being discovered, and
her heart fell as she thought how lit.
tie probability there was of weak
woman being able to keep them back
until morning, when she expected her
husband to return.
He was only one man against at least
twenty. He would have to ride back
to the settlements for help, and by
the time he again returned, if he was
fortunate enough to escape the saw
ages, what might not have happened
Her reflections were cut short by a
yell of savage exultation from the In
dams.
She looked out, but could see
nothing unusual. What did it mean !
Something must have occurred to
We rise to that triumphant and de-
ciseive yell.
Straining every nerve, she listened
with the most intense anxiety. The
sound seemed to come from the roof
in one corner of the building. "A few
minutes revealed the dreadful cause !;
the roof was on fire!
Already the fire began to burn
through and red glowing spark APP
peared in one corner of the roof. The
children began to cry piteously, as if
aware of the danger in which they
stood, and Mrs. Latour's heart almost
failed her.
From the edge of the woods she
could hear the discordant bowls of the
savages but they took care to keep
out of the reflection of the fire. 80 that
she had no chance for a shot. Fiercer
and fercer grew the flames. The roof,
dry as finder, speedily caught every.
where a spark dropped on it. The
heat was becoming to unbearable {!
Was there no hope for them
Suddenly a strange sound mingled
with the cracking Of the fire.
What was it? A yell, but not from
an Indian throat.
With every sense on the alert she
listened.
Again the yell, and then q rattle Of
rife shots. mingled with shouts Of tri-
umph and frantic howls Of terror and
dismay.
Running to the open window, she
looked out, and could see by the LIGHT