The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-08-16
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 he had been
caught in that net which takes all young
-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 left since
the Indians scalped 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 see sons aud daughters set
their faces to the front to battle with In
dams and animals, forests and fate, and
establish new homes If their own.
Thus it was that Mr.. Cochrane gave
Leslie horse, and mother Cochrane fur
nished the setting out" for a cabin, and
the young couple departed into the great
woods.
The previous year Leslie had been on
scout against the redmen, and rich pfai-
RE fiat in the French creek country had
so charmed him that he determined to
make it his home.
Thither with his buXom bride he made
his way. The horse carried all their pos
sessions aud the girl beside when she
chose 10 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 a load for horse
Everything else essential the pioneer
manufactured in the forest. And yet such
beginnings must not be despised, fol
from them, and the families using them
have sprung grand results.
Reachiag their destinations temporary
cabin was built, field of corn planted
and in few weeks they were fairly a
home, though many miles away from the
nearest settlement. Their food consisted
mainly of fish and wild game.
During the summer Leslie erected {
more substantial Lighthouse, a stable fol
the horse, and dug a we'll, surrounding
the whole by a stockade as q defence. In
side of the stockade a quantity of wooC
was brought, the corn when ripe was
gathered, hay was collected, and every
provision was made to supply the demand!
of the winter.
Two or three trips to distant mill
occupying each a week, were necessary
in order TO turn several bushels of corr
into meal These mill journeys, the firsr
separation our young couple had expe
rienced, were long and anxious weeks.
The first was safely performed, and &
fine grist of yellow meal was the result
But the second was not so successful.
He reached the mill in safety, anc
without observing anything to excite hi.
fears; but as be vas starting to return ht
was warned against bands of the Shawa
nese known to be lurking in the vicinity
He, however, set out with all the greater
haste, carrying but part of the grist, ano
thinking anxiously of the peril of hi.
Young wife alone in the little stockade.
Ali day he pushed on, warily, but with
the highest speed of which the horse wa.
capable. At nightfall he had to stop, i
being impossible to keep the way il
darkness. Turning into thick copse o
hemlocks he fed the horse, ate his owl
lunch of corn-cske and venison, and ther
tried to sleep. With the early dawn h
was off again, goaded on by a growing
anxiety to reach his cabin.
But q the horse was drinking at thu
first brook crossing, something mysteri
GUS alarmed it to such degree that it al
most refused to go forward. Peerine
sharply around, Leslie could see nothing
terrible, and attributed the fright to thu
scent of some wild beast that had per
haps been prowling about the spot dur
ina the latter part of the night.
Mounting and urging the animal on
ward, he had scarcely gone score o.
wards when the crack Of guns startled
the silence, and he felt bullet tear III
way through his thigh. At the same in
stsnt the savage wsr-whoop burst on hi
ear. and three or four Indians came rush
inw Ct him from among the trees.