Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-11-13

gathered a. out grandfather, and directly
struck course for the woods from which
they had first issued, grandfather being
led along behind. The woman watched
them with the greatest anxiety, believing
that they had abandoned the siege, and
that she would never see her husband
again.
She waited aud watched for about half
an hour, and was just thinking of open
ing the door, when faint whooping
reached her from the woods. A moment
after, grandfather came flying across the
fields, waving his hands to her as soon as
leaving the woods. Two or three min
utes later, the Indians burst out OF the
woods in full cry, but were forty rods be-
hind the fugitive. Grandmother realized
that an escape had been made, and stood
ready to open the door. As the fugitive
got within twenty rods, being then thirty
rods ahead of pursuit, she began TO un-
bar the door She had only touched it,
when some one leaped against it--not
one, but four or five. Finding il fast, the
savages, for such they were, set up Il
howl of rage and retreated, out OF range.
Grandfather was standing still, about iif
teen rods from the door, aud the woman
did moi have to look twice to see into the
game. One OF the Indians had donned
the prisoners clothing, iammed the ia
miliar hat over his forehead, and the pur
suit was all sham. Before he lett the
woods four or five Indians had made II
detOU and softly approached the house
so as to be ready to leap in when the bar
came down from the door. 1t WAS not
grandmother's wit, but their own haste in
leaping out, which had prevented the
capture of the house and her death.
. The savages then tried another plan.
They brought the old man out of the
woods, naked except his shirt. tied him
TO q wild plum tree Just out of rifle range
OF the house, and then set about NAL
treating him, hoping to work on the wo-
mans sympathies. Grandmother could
see every movement made, but she was
nearly crazed 10 sec them assault the Old
man with knives and clubs. They pricked
him until he was covered with blood,
though not seriously wounded in any
spot, and. cutting number Of switches
from the hazel bushes, they whipped him
until all were tired with the sport. The
old man groaned little, but they could
not make him cry out as they had hoped
to do; aud in his heart he hoped that
grandmother would not be imprudent
enough 10 attempt any interference. Her
heart biz with sympathy and distress, and
her eyes full of big tears. the woman
allowed the savages 10 get ahead OF her.
Several of them moved back out OF the
range OF the kno,hole. skulked around TO
the north side of the cabin. and grand
mothers first intimation OF their pres
ence was when she heard the cracking
of flames in the brush which they had
previously piled against the north door.
As soon az the flames were lighted, the
sacages drew off a few rods and COM
menced shooting at the spot over the
door where she had pulled out the chink-
ing 10 shoot at them before. NOtwith-
standing the whslling of the GSiiSwhich
every moment came through into the
garret, the woman mounted the ladder
with pail of water, dashed the contents
ont through the crevice. and mere acci-
dent guided the dash so that the flames
were dowsed out.
Three hours had passed since the first
appearance of the Indians; grandmother
had killed one and wounded others. and
such firing and yelling had been kept
up that the redskins were fearful that
help might come to the woman, and
therefore they withdrew. She counted
them as they went away, to be sure that
none were lett behind. They took the
dead one on their shoulders. and the
wounded were assisted along each be-
tween two OF his companions. They eu-
tered the woods, and after an hour had
passed without their temperance,
grandmother realized that all danger To
her was over. She opened the door. took
scout around the house, and then heI
eye fell upon the horses. The animals
had made long run when first taking
fright, going across the fields for q mile
or more, and were now coming toward:
the house, dragging a portion OF the
plow after theG. 10 ten minutes the
woman was galloping towards the near
est settlement, carrying both rifle and re-
volver. A ride of an hour brought hel
10 the hamlet, and seven or eight mel
quickly mounted their horses and re
turned with her. The cabin had not beer
disturbed, and leaving their horses there
the men. headed by the anxious and tire
less woman, took up the trail OF the In
dians. Following it for an hour, nearly
always on the run, they suddenly hearC
the report OF rifles, followed by whoop'
and yells.
Two bachelors named Turner had ,
cabin and farm in the direction of tht
shots, and the pursuers realized that th'
Indians had attacked them. They wer,