The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-06-28
Bola Defense.

klnQly TO Immigrant VINO SeLLleO
upon their hunting grounds. Like
the AngIo-Saxon. they loved broad
acres, revered 'tVested rights" and
defended both against the encrOach-
ment of white men Whe held to
'sThe good old rule and simple plan,
That he should take who has the power,
And he should keep who can"
The relation between the two was
not such as ought to exist between
landlord and tenant. The Indian
looked upon the settler as s'squat-
ter" whom 1T was right to eject, not
only from the land but from the
earth. The bold tftenant at will"
had to be constantly on his guard !:
for q summary "notice of eject
ment" might be served at any mo-
ment by posse of painted savsges.
aalAbeut the first thing done by q
band of immigrants locating in an
Indian country was to build q fort
or block house. Then within q mile
or less of this Fefuge they scattered
their log huts. One of these old
forts now remains, though In d.
lspidated condition, and ass ociated
with it is 9 romantic story of from
tier life.
In those Indian days to which the
story refers the fort was q substan-
tial budding, with brick sides in 8
wooden casing. 1t would have been
taken for the large dwelling-house
of prosperous settler but for the
many Ioop-holes cut in each side.
One bright morning, when not q
cloud was to be seen, the man left
early to work in the fields, leaving
Betty, the woman, to attend to the
tort. For several hours nothing
disturbed the monotonv of her
work, save her own singing or cheer
full thoughts as she went to and fro
on her household duties.
When done scrubbing and wash
ing of dishes she had emptied the
water pail, went to the well to fill
it. Looking down the road she saw
afar off dark object moving tow
ard the settlement. Thinking it the
loaded team of some farmer, she
went back to the fort and resumed
her work and singing.
In the course of q few minutes,
moved by q natural impulse, she
poked her head out of the door to
see how far the team had progress
ed. To her horror she saw g band
of Indians only short distance off
making straight for the fort.
Not q white man was in sight, for
every one, together with the women
and children of the settlement, had
been lured by the beautiful day into
the fields.
In an instant she took in the stu
alton. If she attempted fight, she
would be captured before she could
run a hundred rods. To be captur-
ed was death-the surrender of the
fort. She would stay in the fort,
and alone fight the savages until the
men, alarmed by the firing of guns,
came to her aid.
With a bang the oaken door
swung shut, and down went the
heavy wooden bar. Gong from
f0op-hole to loop-hole, she placed a
loaded musket by each one.
The terrible war-whoop startled
her fer aznannnaH4--Eksa- shsR.xoice
rang out loud aud clear, "Here Jim
George, Henry, John, Bill Don'i
you hear? Bill, stand by that hole
Jim you take that gun ~
Two guns were fired, and then
the voice called out, George, shoot
that big Injunl Henry, aim for the
chiefl" Two more bullets went
whizzing among the Indians.
They were taken absck. They
had supposed the fort deserted, save
by the woman. But it was full of
men. Another shout, another bull.
let, and this time it hit one of them.
They hesitated to advance. Bullet
after bullet winged, and two more
men were wounded.
Then they turned and fed, and
when the men came running to the
fort, the brave woman had hardly
strength to unbar the door.
A long time after this brave de-
Tense, farmer, living near the fort,
started one morning to NOW. As
was usual in those days he carried
his musket with him. He had q
special reason for being on his
| guard, for a certain Indian had be-
come his personal enemy.
On arriving at the hay field, he
leaned his gun against q tree, threw
off his coat, sharpened his scythe
and began moving.
AS, swinging his seythe, he drew
near the lower end of the field, he
saw an Indian crouehing behind q
row of bushes. The farmer was q
cool man, and swung his scythe as
steadily as if he had seen nothing.
Looking again ha saw that the
Indian was his enemy. In one hand
he held tOmshGwk, while q scalp
ing knife was stuck in his belt. The
farmer knew that If he attempted to
run for his gun, thu swift-footed In
dian would be upon him before be
had gone q hundred feet. Self-pos.
session was his protection.
He moved mp to the bushes, and
then turned, swinging his scythe az
if anxious to reach the end of his
swath.
Waiting until the mower had de.
parted two or three rods from the
bushes, the Indian moved noiseIess.
ly through ths bushes and crept af.
ter the farmer.
But with every swing of the
scythe the farmer, CHANGING over his
left shoulder, had taken in the posi-
ten of his catlike enemy.
Nearer .crept the stealthy savage
One step more and he wonld be up
on the mower. Raising his toma.
hawk he braced himself for the
spring, and-felI on the ground
dead.
The farmer with all his strength
had smung his scythe, with its point
inclined up, completely around. Il
wounded the Indian so that he fell
dead.