The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1877-02-01
A Little History.


that history bands down to us is the
saving Of the little town of st Geni.
ere, on the Upper st Lawrence, by
a boy and q pair OF skates. The
town was besicged by Indians. and
the few settlers, hardy Frenchmen,
took refnge in the block house fort.
For days and days the siegers held
on. worrying their victims whore
they might, well knowing that nun
ger must at last force them to sur
render. But still tho Frenchmen
kept their flag flying, meted out
their pr 'vi,i ms in sc,ut rations. aud
hoped and prayed for help. To go
out and attack tho Indians was de-
feat and certain death to surrender
was no better. They must wait and
starve unless succor came to them
from the British fort, twenty miles
below So they waited and waited
but no help came Could they get
n message t, the fort they were saw
ed. But the Redskins surrounded
them on all sides. ani to show head
or foot beyond the walls Of their
narrow prison was tn court death by
n poisoned arrow. Every day their
provisions grow less. till Mt lcngth
their only choice seemed to be be
tween death bv hunger or 10y massa.
ere. Men were weak AMI dying
from starvation women aul chill.
dren were CRYING for bread The
last ration hal been given out. aud
all hope WAS gone. Nothing 60 cat ;
ammnnitiIn nearly exhausted, uui
no help from tho fort. Bat Just
when the winl veercd ronnl to the
north anl it began to grow cold
Every minute it grew colder. and Il
gauzy finn of ice form Il on tho sur
face of tho st. Lawrence. In an
hour the iim hal turno to n slice;
Of glass When the sun went down.
the river was cJverel with hard.
springy ice.
Then II brave little French boy,
whose namc history has forgotten.
but whose noble deed will be re.
mcmbe,cl forever, sll that h"
conll save his coIntrymen. The
bloc: fort stood on the river bank
the British fort was within gunshot
Of tho shore. twenty miles below.
lie had skates and knew how to
use them. At mi hight, when the
ice had ,hickened, his father should
lower him with rope from tho ram.
part to the ice below and well am-
cd shoul | be tho arrow that would
harm him. in his speed thr0u IA tho
dll kness. When liI mother protest.
ol that he was rushing into certain
death. that tho river hIn,, wis line
with hostile Indians tirouSh h all the
dangerous rontc, ''is it nos better.
he replied. that | shouli die tryin
10 reach the fort than that we should
stay her O aud starve Z So be went
At midnight he dropped qnci;ly
down the rope. with skntes aIrea iy
strapped to his feet, aml before his
friends knew that he hai touched
the ice he WAS flying down the dark,
dtngerons river. On he went ovri
the slippery ic,. NV anl again
his quick strokes Were heard on the
shore aud n random arrow spel af,
ter him Flying over thin places,
narrowly escaping one obstruction
anl another A. il came IN his way,
on he few The fierce wind WAS u,
his back aud helped him on his voy-
aga for life Tue moon, Ms if to
shield him from danger, hid herself
behind a big, black cloud, till, OK
bansted, painting. he reached the fort
and tLen she shone out in all her
silver glory in honor Of his heroic
deed In an hour, through dark
ness and danger, he had made The
trip, Before the sun shone again
the Kings red-coated m,n. equally
swift in their mission OF mercy, were
Ut the little block fort st. Gsniere
was savel, Tue brave boy and the
trusty skates had done their work
-IHiiaieiphia Times.