Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1877-05-03

they killed three OF the redskins and
wounded two more, as the Indiana af.
Iterward admitted. When they found
that the plan was to surround them
they fell back. Between that point
and the cabin the child was killed. The
women carried the body Tor few rods,
but the close pursuit obliged them to
drop il.
A new horror awaited them a. they
entered the cabin. The demons had
already been there. The oldest child
was dead on the floor, its head almost
severed from the body. and the young
est had been carried away. Two In
dians were still in the house. making
preparations 10 burn IT. one -MxneI
safe escape, but the other was,shot down
by Mrs. Eb5erts a. he cleared the door
step. There was no tune to remember
the scalp and mutilated bodies 10 the
forest. The Indians were at the door
almost before the dark body at the step
had ceased quivering.
II was stout cabin, having more
strength than convenience. Logs and
and roof were not vet seasoned enough
to burn, and the single window was
protected by heavy blind. The red
skins knew that there were only two
women in the house, and they dashed
at il and swarmed around il as wolves
would surround helpless doe.
Mrs. Hutley was as pale as death and
her hand trembled as she loaded the
rifle, but her eyes shown like fire and
she bit her lips till the blood came.
suppose | was hall crazed, for I wanted
to open the door and fight the whole
band.
Thus, says the survivor, whose story
Of the terrible affair IS as clear as the
page Of a book, the excitement was
too great for the women to plan a de-
fense. but both understood that the In
dians must be beaten of. There were
two loopholes in the door and others in
the wall. While the savages were
massing against the door two Of them
were badly wounded from within, and
soon thereafter one was killed from a
loophole in the wall. Discovering that
they had perilous work on hand the
Indians drew of and took cover behind
logs, stumps and trees, and for an hour
they fired at the loopholes, hoping that
a chance shot might kill or wound
Their bullets were simply thrown away
and the effort 10 fire the roof was time
spent for nothing.
All day long the ige was maintained,
and when darkness fell the women re-
al, shas 40 kA h.
night Of their lives. A chlid dead in
the cabin; another carried away, a hus-
band and two children dead in the
woods, and the little clearing was alive
with human devils sreking the blood
of the two desperate defenders.
Says Mrs. Ehberts: "My nerves were
strung up till | felt every minute as if
| must toss up my arms and scream out
TO relieve the agony of my heart. and
Mrs. Hutley was suffering just as bad
ly. AT one time she would be waiinc
ami sobbing over the poor dead body on
the floor, and then again she would stand
at one of the loopholes, her face so
white that could see it through the
darkness. 1t was as still as death out
side until about ten o'clock. We were
not of our guard at ALL but were be-
ginning TO hope that the savages had
lett. when we heard them on the roof.
At the same moment they plugged up
all the loopholes with sticks cut for the
purpose. drove these plugs out with
the AK, while Mrs. Hutley watched the
roof. She fired as the Indians made
and ha,,.t -
pain. There were no further demon
>traiions until an hour before daylight,
though We heard the wreiches creep
ing around the cabin.
As the night was wearing awav
they brought up log and battered in
the door. We had warning and were
ready. As the Indians rushed into The
opening We both fired. They came
faster and thicker, Mrs. Hutiey went
at them with the ak aud ! with a knife.
and we dreve them out. II was all
over in minute. l remember the
shouts aud yells; they got hold OF me;
l heard the AZ chopping at them and
then We were alone again. a.
AT daylight the Indians drew of.
WdEutu ttidt dlu LOT tflf women was al
hand. Hatley neverreac he'd the settle
ment for which be started. Weeks at
,erward his dead body was found in the
woods. while his scalp ornamented
some warriors dress. The heroines
were rendered motherless and widowed
in one day. 10. the child c,rried away
has never been heard OF. and while one
received slash across the face in the
terrible fight TO clear the cabin the 9TH
er was wounded by bullet al the same
moment.
They came here years ago to be near
friends. but long ago Mrs. Hutley be-
came craxed with her grief, and for
years Mrs. Ebberts has been q nervous
wreck, starting UP in alarm at the
slightest sound and unable 10 sleep for
more than few minutes at a time
During the last five years of her life
Mrs. Hutley wandered up and down
searching tor her child. stopping pedes-
trans to ask for her.husband, and tears
came TO the eyes ofstrangers a. they saw
the poor wreck at the gate and heard
her call: Come back. Mrs. E5terts
Come back and I'll ask your forgive
ness