The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-06-18
SCARED.

| SCARED. 4. /. 4.
The hardships and perils Of life upon
the border wave were not all endured by
our forefathers. Even now upon the re-
mote frontier there are people living
through hours of priyation and terror,
which we, in our sAfe and convenient
homes, know nothing Of. % ..(...,:9,..,,..l,
The adventure related in this simple
sketch occurred only few months since,
upon the Kansas frontier, during the
late troubles with the Cheyenne Indians.
Mr.. HUDSON, a former resident of In
diana, had met with business reverses,
in consequence Of which he determined
to begin life anew in the far west He
gathered what little household property
was left to him, and in wagon drawn
by two horses journeyed to his new
home Eoa&ld 5r14uatut gn4etaEE
| He selected land far from any railroad
or settlement, because such land was
cheaper, and having built himaelf a log
cabin, he managed in much privatlon to
live. through the first year. .... .., no
! The Indian troubles began during the
second year, and caused the family a good
deal Of anxiety. They were not modest
ed, however, and had begun to feel almost
easy again. One day Mr. Hobson had
gone to his nearest neighbours, a distance
Of several miles, with his horses and
wagon. Mrs. Hobson was in the house
boiling hominy, in a kettle in the great
fireplace. She needed a bucket of water,
aud started to get it, when, as she reached
the door of the cabin, she saw dozen In
dams coming directly to the house. & f..
| They did not see her. Without wait
ing to fasten the door, she caught her
baby, aninfant of eight months, from its
low box-cradle, and in her fright rushed
up ladder which stood in one corner of
the house to a low loft above. - {. .s.s.,-
Laying the baby on a pile of qnilts,
with desperate strength she pulled the
ladder up after her, and shut down the
trap-door. Then she crouched in a cor
ner by the chimney with her babe in her
arms. ...+ ... #. -
The sayages entered the lower room,
and commenced searching and plumber
ing in great glee. ST.,
They snatched the clean, blue wooden
coverlets and blankets from the beds and
wrapped themselves in them, threw the
the pillows on the floor and sat upon
them, and appeared particularly delig ht-
ed with the feather-bed, which was the
pride of Mrs. Hobson's heart. .....
! Through a crack in the floor, which
was also the ceiling of the lower room,
Mrs. Hobson watched them. Every in
slant she feared their noisy shouts would
wake the baby; but fortunately the child
was undisturbed by the revel going on
below. ~ '.T. -
In a few minutes the savagcs discov-
| cred the kettle Of hominy, and in great
glee it was set upon the hearth, dipped
out into pans, pots, crooks, gourds, any
thing they csuld lay hands on, and de-
voured Even in her terror Mrs. Hobson
wondered what their Threats were make
of that they could swallow it 80 scalding
hot 2e .H @Mi.iH 1f. ~ .2iG =!,.' .s!g-
| It appeared to sharpen their appetites,
for they began to search for more food.
Presently one of them found sack of
potatoes under cupboard. - z II },/fs
| "PaddYs! paddys!' he shouted, glee-
fully; "Injun roast paddys; make big
fire, get big roast. Big heap paddy
! Mrs. Hobson knew that many of the
Indians called Irish potatoes "paddys,"
so; though she could not see the sack, she
knew what they had found. They re-
turned to the fireplace, and poured the
potatoes down in a heap on the floor.
Then they drew the Goals and ashes upon
one side, and soon had nearly half
bushel of the potatoes roasting in the
ashes .'7...,'..... .. ...'.l: -
| They sat down to wait for their ex-
pected feast. and as Mrs. Hobson peeped
u through the crack in the floor at them,
so dirty, ugly and repulsive, way of es-
! cape occurred to her What could she
: do? $780,. .s-.....s. p. .s...., r.
| As she glanced despairingly round the
low, dark loft, she saw in a corner no lit
tie red chest. Now came an answer to
her question. ~: p s@t''4a .e.:..dlr:d
| "Henry's powder is in that chest. II
could only throw some of it down into
the fire and frigten them, or burn them
little!" Ia 4?Ht.t1@a5@ se..@.ss @
II can! I Can't she thought the next
instant. "IfI can get my hand into the
hole in the chimney, 1 can" Il. - - &z~s
Creeping softly to the chimney, she
: put up her hand and felt for the hole
This chimney was built of mud and
sticks, and up in the loft the mud had
dried, cracked and broken away in one
place. Mr.. Hobson had often declared
he must mend that hole, but he was al
: ways so busy It was not yet done, and
now how glad Mrs. Hobson was that il
was still there. .,,. .. 6.s..f-' l.. ,.. ...
She found that the hole was large
enough to admit her hand, and then she
Z was sure her plan would work, for she
!, knew that these Cheyennes were the yer.
; lest towards, easily scared at what they
7 did not understand. - #s 4.."s'
Very slowly and carefully she crept to
the chest, opened it with the greatest
t care, and took out the can of powder In
; doing SO she saw small tin mustard.
box, which contained some sulphur. The
very thing! she thought. 81 don know