, 1877-08-17
A Story of the Border.


Leslie Cochrane was only twenty years
OLD when he became pioneer among the
wild woods and wilder dangers of West
ern Pennsylvania. But ne had been
caught in that net which takes all young
men-love-had married his girl, lass
Of eighteen, as brave and hearty as him
self; and together they had decided to
seek their fortunes on the very edge of the
border. Annie had no relatives leftsince
the Indians scaIped her brother, and Les
lies father was not the man to hold his
son back from any honorable step be-
cause it involved hardship and danger.
Indeed, how superior In some qualities
to the people of the present day were
those of the frontiers seventy-tive and
one hundred years ago. Then parents
encouraged their adult children to under
take perilous and trying enterprises, and
were proud to sec sons and daughters set
their faces to the front to battle with In
dians and animals, forests and fate, and
establish new homes IF their own.
Thus il was that Mr.. Cochrane gave
Leslie horse, and mother Cochrane fur
nished the "settiDg out" for cabin, and
the young couple departed into the great
woods,
The previous year Leslie had been on
scout against the redmen, and rich prai-
rie fat in the French creek country had
so charmed him that he determined to
make it his home. .t|.F.
Thither with bis buxom bride he made
his way. The horse carried all their pos
sessions and the girl beside when she
chose TO ride.
1t is surprising how small an amount
sufficed for housekeeping in those days.
Leslie Cochrane and wife went out with
little bedding, few dishes and kettles,
and dozen carpenters tools, the whole
making but half load for a horse.
Everything else essential the pioneer
manufactured in the forest. And yet such
beginnings must not be despised, for
from them, and the families using them,
have sprung grand results. r.U...l..
Reaching their destinations q temporary
cabin was built, field of corn planted,
andin few weeks they were fairly at
home, though many miles away from the
nearest settlement. Their food consisted
mainly of fish and wild game.
During the summer Leslie erected q
more substantial Lighthouse, stable for
the horse, and dug well, surrounding
the whole by stockade as defence. In
side of the stockade "a quantity of wood
was brought, the corn when ripe was
gathered, hay was collected, and every
provision was made to supply the demands
Of the winter.
Two or three trips to a distant mill,
occupying each week, were necessary
in order to turn several bushels of corn
into meal. These mill journeys, the first
separation our young couple had expe-
rienced, were long and anxious weeks.
The first was safely performed, aud a
fine grist Of yellow meal was the result.
But the second was not so successful
He reached the mill in safety, and
without observing anything TO excite his
fears; but as he was starting to return he
was warned against bands of the Shawa-
nese known to be lurking in the vicinity.
He, however, set out with all the greater
h"otS, NoAA yang ouN u palt VA tuS SLlSt,duu
thinking anxiously of the peril of his
young wife alone in the little stockade.
All day he pushed on, warily, but with
the highest speed of which the horse was
capable. AT nightfall he had to stop, it
being impossible TO keep the way in
darkness. Turning into thick copse of
hemlockS he fed the horse, ate bis own
lunch Of corn-cake and venison, and then
tried to sleep. With the early dawn he
was off again, goaded on by growing
anxiety to reach his cabin.
But as the horse was drinking al the
first brook crossing something mysteri.
Gus alarmed it to such a degree that it al
most refused to go forward. Peering
sharply around, Leslie could see nothing
terrible, and attributed the fright to the
scent of some wild beast that had per-
haps been prOwling about the spot dur
ing the latter part Of the night.
Mounting and urging the animal on
ward, he had scarcely gone a score of
yards when the crack of guns startled
the silence, and he felt bullet tear its
way through his thigh. At the same in
slant the savage war-whoop burst on his
ears, and three or four indians came rush
ing at him from among the trees.