The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-08-04

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position of the leaning tree was such that
when Leslie had perfected his conceal
ment as well as he could, there was still
an opening among the roots, through
which he and the panther looked each
other in the face
This state of affairs confined for half an
hour or more, the creature lashing its tail
and drawing its claws along the bark oI
the tree, as if just about to spring when
Leslie knew from the beasts sudden
change of action that the Indians were
approaching
The poor fellows suspense wps agouiz.
Ing as the panther turned around aud be.
gan TO howl at the presence Of the new
foe, Having traced victim to the hole
among the roots, the great cat was onu-
gcd at the appearance of rival to its
feast of blood.
But the interval was brief Again the
sharp crack Of guns rang out, and the furi.
Gus creature sprang into the air and fell
heavily on the ground out of Leslie
sight.
Then he surmised from the sounds, that
the red n.en were removing the panther
hide, and for half an hour longer he was
on the rack Of anxiety lest they should
discovered his hiding place.
Butto his indescrbable relief he gathered
from few half English words, that they
intended to follow the horses trail, not
knowing that their rider had dropped from
his seat and was near them.
ln little time he heard their tread as
they crossed the roots within a couple of
yards of his head and hastened away on
the pursuit.
But had not the horse been also woun,
ded so as TO mark its continued fight with
blood, the sayages doubtless would have
come back to the brook where Leslie fell
and searched him out. Little cared they
for the injured animal, and much for the
sea p of its rider; but the continuous red
trail deceived them, and saved him.
As it was, he did not dare stir from his
hiding place until the afternoon of the
next day, lest returning past the place,
they might discover him.
All this time he was half immersed in
water, and suffering untold agonies from
his wound.
Finally, toward night Of the second day,
after nearly thirty-six hours in a living
grave, he crawed forth, like hunted fox
from its lair At first he put out his head
to look and listen; and then, discovering
nothing alarming, he crept feebly into the
open air.
But, all, what situation for wounded
and exhausted man, a long days journey
from the nearest help, and surrounded by
an untriendly wilderness His rifle he
had left with his wife for her defence if
needed, for pioneer women were often ex-
pert with gun; and hence his hunting
knife was his only weapon.
But he was more troubled concerning
his girl-wiie, alcne in the distant cabin
than about himself
The pain of his wounded limb was for.
gotten in the keener anguish of fear lest
the blood thirsty Shawanesc should follow
the trail to the stockade and succeed in
killing or capturing the woman who con
sttuted its only garrison.
As he lay on the autumn leaves in the
afternoon sunshine, filled with such fore.
bodings, hunger began to clamor within
him, and crawling painfully to the carcass
of the panther, he cut off and tried To eat
some OF this most unsavory meat.
At this moment the faint jarriug of
distant steps came through the forest 81,
lence to his ears, and feeling bis inability
to deiend-himseli from even the smallest
danger, he turned and began to creep back
toward the hiding. place.
While he is thus engaged, let US look
into the cabin and see how Annie is
iaring,
Knowing well her own perilous situa.
tion, she kept argus watch during Leslie $
absence; and toward evening of the day
when he was shot, what was her surprise
to hear the horse whiDy at the gate of the
stockade, as it was nearly twenty-four
hours too soon to look for her husband.
Running to port.hole, her heart sank
as she saw the animal without rider.
She unbarred the heavy gate and let in
the painting, foam-stricken creature, where,
in moment, she discovered the bloody
proof of what had befallen her husband
The buckskin saddle-cloth was soaked in
his blood
But Annie was brave and thoughtful
woman, and thereby gave way to nothing
weak or foolish. Firmly boiling the gate
again, she took down the gun, powderhorn
and bullet-pouch from the hook on the
cabin wall and filed an iron kettle over
the fire, determined if the savages attack
ed the stockade, to resist them with both
fire and water Then, while keeping a
keen look throughout the portfolios and
from the cabin roof, she thought over
the case and laid her plans.
From the amount Of blood on the sad :
die, she concluded that Leslie had held
his seat for some distance after the shot,
and hence, perhaps, had escaped the Iu-
dians, She surmised the faintness from
the loss of blood, together with some unu-
sual leap of the horse, had been the cause
of her husband falling to the ground.
Reasoning thus, it seemed to her that he
might be somewhere along the route in
need of help.
If not alive she might find his dead
body.
Or, il she failed to discover him, alive
or dead, she could ride through to the mill
settlement for safety and assistance.
With such reflections, she decided to
make an early start along the wild village
route.
She gave the .horse an abundance of
food, and bound up the wound in its
neck, knowing that all depended on the
faithful creatures strength,
1t was a long and anxious night to
poor Annie but the dawn came at last,
and she mounted and rode away; and so
swiftly did she go, that, had anybody seen
her, she might have seemed like some
spirit in the woods,
AS she sped onward along the faint
trail, marked by blazed trees, the peculiar
excitement of the horse attracted her
notice, and IL occurred to her that if she