The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-11-09
Il STORY OF THE BORDER.

tia me- Wnich taxes all young men
had married his girl, a lass of eighteen.
| as brave and hearty as himself; and to-
eether they had decided to seek their for
| tunes on the very edge of the border. An
me haG no relatives left since .he Indians
sc riped her brother, and Lesie's father was
not the man To hold his son back from any
hon able step because it involved hardship
aud danger.
Indeed, how superior in some qualities
to the people of the present day were those
ofthe frontier seventy five and one hundred
Yeas ago. Then parents encouraged their
children TO undertake perilous and trying
enterprises, and were pI oud to see sons and
daughters set their faces to the front to
battle with Indians and animals forests
ana late, and establish new homes of their
own.
Thus it was that Mr.. Cochran gave Les
lie a horse, and mother Cochran furnished
the ''setting OUT fer "a cabin, and the
young people departed into the great
woods.
The previous year Leslie had been on a
scout against the redskins, and a rich piai.
lie HAT in ,he French creek country had so
charmed him that lie determined 10 make
ii his home,
Thither with his buxom bride lie made
lis way. The hurSe carried all their pos
sessions ana the girl beside, when she
chose TO rid.
1t is surprising how small an amount
sufiiceo for housekeeping in those days
Leslie Cochran aud wife went out with a
little bedding, few dishes aud kettles and
a dozen rpeuter's tools. the whole making
but halt load for "a horse. Everything
else essential the piouecr manufactured it.
the forest. Aud YET such beginnings must
not be drsI.iscd. foI, from them, and the
families using them, have spruug grand
results.
Reaching their destination. a temporary
cabin WAS buIlf, a field of curu planted, and
III few weeks they were fauly al home
though many miles away from the nearest
settlement. Their food consisted mainly
of fish aud Wild game.
DURING the summer, Leslie erected
more substantial log house. "a sIa able for the
horse, aud dug well surrounding the
whole 10y "a stockade as a defence. Inside
of the stuck.,de IA quantity of wood was
broush:, the corn when ripe was gathered,
hay was collrcted, and every provision was
made 10 supply the demands of the ~inrer.
Two three trips to distant mill, Oc
cupying 4 week, were necessary to turn
several bushels of corn into meal. These
mill journeys, the first separation our young
couple had experienced, were long and
-auXluus weeks.
The iist was safely performed, and
fine Riist of yellow meal was The result
But the second was not So successful.
He reached the mill i'll safe y. aud with
ont observing anything 20 excite his fears;
but as lie was aiting to Ie urn he was
HaIned against bands Of Shawnese known
to be lurking in the vicinity. lie, however,
set out with all the greater haste, carrying
but a part of the grist. and thinking anx-
iouSly of the peril of his young wife alone
i'll the little stuckade.
All day he pushed on, wearily, but with
the highest speed of which the horse was
capable. At nlgh;fail b" had to stop. it
being impossible To keep the way i'll dark
ness. Turning in'o Il thick cnpse of hem
locks, lie fed the horse, ate his own lunch
of corn cake and veniSon, aud lheu tried tO
sleep. With the early dawn lie was off
again, goadeG OH 10y a growing ankle y To
reach his cabin.
But as the horse was drinking at the first
brook crossing omething mysterious alarm
ed IL to such a degree that it almost refused
to go forward. Peering sharply around,
Leslie could see nothing terrible, and at
tributed the fright to the scent of some
wild beast that bad perhaps been prOHIng
about he spot during the latter part OF the
night.
Mounting and urging the animal onward
he had scarcely gone a score OF rods when
the crack of guns start led the silence, aud
he felt "a bullet tear its way through his
thigh. At the same instant the savage
, war whoop burst on his ears, aud three or
four Indians came rushing at him from
among the trees.
The fright Of the animal was now Of in
estimable value, it sprang along the
way at a furious rate, dropping the savages
from view almost i'll a moment. Leslie was
badly wounded aud bleeding rapidly, but
he managed 10 keep his seat for two o;
three miles, gradually growing weak aud
dizzy, however, and expecting at every
lean to- be hurled to the ground.
Suddenly the crisis came as the horse
gave an unusual spring 10 clear small
stream. On went .ne terrified animal AT
swIfter gait than befuie, but poor Leslie
! fell like dead man into the dashing cur
rent of the brook.
Fortunate for INN was II that he dropped
! where lie did. for the cold bath revived
| him at ouce, aud as lie crcpt down the
: stream in search of a hiding place the
water covered his trail FROM The pursuing
Shaw wnese.
A moment brought him 20 an overhang-
inp bank upheld by the roots of Large
tree beneath which he crept as the only
coucealment possible Tor hHn to gam, Win
/ one useless limb and such dealhy weak
! ness. But As lie was painfully crawling
! uuder the bank another danger appeared
An enormous panther, probably att.act-
ed bv rI,o SINE II of fresh blood, entered upon
the SCENE. and spying the wounded nau,
! sp,aup fieicely up the trunk OF. leaning
tree a few .eet away, to watch him IKE
cat about to seize a mouse. The position
/ of the leaning tree was such tbat wheh
Leslie had perfected his concealment as
| we'll AS he could, there was still an opening
among the roots through which he ana the
! u,ntI,er Looked eacl, otner in the face.
This state Of affairs continued for hall
an hour OF more, The creature lashing It's
I tail and drawing its claws along the bark
of the tree, as if just about To spring, when
| asIie knew from the beasts sudden change
| of action that the Indians were approach
| ing.
| nc ,be pauther turned al louu1 and began To
| howl at the presence of the new foe. tlav-
! ing traced victim to the hole among the
roots the great cat was enrased at the ap-
| -,,,c, ,,f :, rival at its feaS. Of blood.
But the interval was brief Again the