Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-06-05
The Boy HerOe.
A TALE OF CHIPPEWA LAKE, BY w. F. z

the banks OF Chippewa Lake, a lovely
sheet of water, situated in northern
Ohio, which has now become so famous
summer resort. Four years before,
John Taylor had emigrated from the
State of Connecticut, with his wife and
two sons, Charlie and Ben. Reach Ing
this spot, he was charmed with the stu
alton and here he drove down his
stakes A rude log house soon added
to the picturesqueness OF tho scenery.
and the family soon made themselves
at home amid their surroundings. -Four
years Of hard labor with the gun and
traps. added materially to his worldly
possessions, and Taylor was known to
his few scattering neighbors, as man
of some means. A few days before our
story opens, he had returned from his
nearest trading post, with the money
he had procured for his furs which he
had gathered together during the
wear. At evcntide, on the day our
story opens, Taylor and his sons were
sitting in front of the log cabin, when
they were startled BY the barking OF
their dogs of in the woods. Soon the
dogs came running toward the house
whining and barking furiously. As the
occurrence was an unusual one, Taylor
rose to his feet with the intention OF get
ting his gun, and going into the woods
to see what the trouble was. AS he
rose to his feet be perceived two men
picking their way through the woods
toward the house. The strangers were
rough-loohng customers, dressed in the
style oftrappcrs, and carrying the long RI
fle on their shoulders, and long belt-knI!e
at their waists. The foremost man ac-
costsd our friend with
Hello, stranger. does John Taylor
live here:'
Good evening said Taylor, 1 am
the man, can | do anything for you"
We'll, the factis, stranger, we are on
our way from Canton to Sandusky' and
having hearn tell that you had squstted
in this out'u way place. thought we'd stop
and see if wc could get some grub aud
floor room for the night.
The family had been closely watching
the covplc during the conversation, and
to tell the uuth, were not very aSreea-
bly impressed with their appearance
You are welcome, sad Tay lor. i
never turn man or beast from my door.
Come in. and my wife will get you some
supper.' The strangers and Mr. Taylor
went into the house. The boys called
the dogs, which yet seemed 10 be un'
easy, and locked them up Tor the night
m their kennel. Ben, who was only
ten years old, asked Charlie what made
the doss act so. Charlie was twelve AID
Was \ very wideswake boy, whs came
to his own conclusion in direct way
and said: They look to me like bad
men. Ben, and think the dogs kno"
/ it,
What do you think they want here
Charlie, if they are bad men =
Il don't know, but may be they want
to steal the money father got the other
day. will tell you whatlt IS Ben'sup-
pose we keep an eye Oh them tonight
What DO YOU say:
am willing, and if l get a chanc',l
shall take our gun up stairs tonight
That's good, but let, 5 go in and see
what's said.
After supper Mrs. Taylor, who was
not very well, went to bed and left the
men talking upon the topics OF the day.
and after awhile tho strangers proposed
to retire. -
The cabin contained only two rooms,
one of which Mr.. Taylor and his vile
occupied as a sleeping room. The boys
slept up in the loft. The flooring was
composed ofrough slabs aud was reached
by rude ladder from the corner OF the
living room, the one in which the tray-
elers were too sleep. The men al
went out of doors before retiring and as
soon AZ the door closed, Charlie whiS'
pered to Ben, 'Quck! take our rifle uT
stars and hide it Under the bed while
fix theirs.
While Ben ran up the ladder with the
gun. Charlie quickly emptied the prm'
inc out Of the pans of their old tlint-lock
rifles. When the men returned to the
house. the boys were in bed, and, to al
appearances, asleep. Beds were ar
ranged ON the floor for the strangers and
soon the house was wrapped IN darkness
and quiet. but not asleep. for The boys VI
stairs were too excited to sleep. The
hours crcpt on. on leaden wings to the
little senlincls in the loft. About mid
night the boys heard stirring and whls
pering among the men. Then Charlie
quietly crcpt to a crack aud looke'
down ana listened, and this is what h'
heard:
Wall, | sorter guess the folks arr
asleep and we'd better begin our work
What shall we do iirst-kill the young
stcrs or old ones, eh9'
On this point opinion seemed to be di
yided, one was for putting the old folk
out of the way first, and the other argu
: lng to kill the brats up stairs first. L
was finally agreed that the former plal
should be adopted, on condition tina
one should go up the ladder and see
the little fellows were sounder'n log.
The boy could catch the gleam Of knive