The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-07-19

| there would be tongues to tell who it was
that put the schoolmastcr to death. No.,
we must kill all or none"
When this speech was finished the In
dian sprang into the room while the others
remained outside to guard the door and
give timely notice to the fcnd within in
case they were discovered. The contest
with the schoolmastcr was soon decided.
The Indian ficrcely attacked him with his
tomahawk and as Master Brown had moth
ing with which to defend himself but his
hands the battle was II very unequal one.
lie fought bravcly, however, and it was
not until both his hands were disabled and
his arms broken that the furious savage
was able to strike him u fatal blow. Final
~ blow upon the head fellcd him to the
| hoor, ana while he lay dying the Indian
tore the scalp from his skull
The children were almost frantic while
this bloody scene was enacted, and kept
running to and fro in their fright, conscious
OF the fate that impendcd over them.
Some oak and hickory boughs had been
placed in the great chimney few days be-
fore, and although they were already wiltcd
and nearly dry, Archie Mccullough Sue
ceedcd i'll concealiug himself behind them.
The two Ruths huddlcd together in cor
ner and vainly hoped to escape. the fury of
the savage.
"Now, little pale faces" the monster
exclaimed, when the master lay scapetl
and dead on the floor, "the Indian will .
that you tell no tales out Of school, as the
white man say"
The little ones were then killed one by
one, each being dispatched with single
blow OF the tOmahawk. When all Law dead
or dying, their scalps were torn off Nv the
savage monster, who went hastily from one
to the other fearing discovery before his
bloody task was ended.
All this time Archie Mccullough sat
behind the wiltcd boughs in the chimney,
looking in childish wonder at the horrible
slaughter of his old school-mates. Think
ing his work was finished the Indian turned
to go, and in a moment the child would
have been safe from the fate that befcl his
companions. Unfortunately for Archie
the boughs behind which lie was hidden
did not entirely conceal him, and as the
savage gave a last glance at his bloody
achievement he perceived the boy concealed
III the chimney corner. 1t would not do to
allow the only witness of his crimes to
escape, and with maddcned fury the savage
rushed upon the child
On, please, don't hurt me-" Archie
implorcd, but the savage was relentless.
A fearful blow laid the child PROSTATE,
and tearing off his scalp also, the Indian
left him to die among his dead companions.
The savages departed from the scene of
the massacre, and for hours Archie McCul-
lough was left with only the companionslip
of the deatl
Scalpcd and stunned the child survived,
but was stone blind.
a settler happening to come near the
schoolroom about noon, and observing the
unusual quiet at time when 1t was to be
expected the children would be at play,
was led to look in at the door.
The scene that met his gaze battles de-
scription.
Ten lifeless bodies lay stretched upon the
floor
Archie Mccullough, moaning and crying,
was crawling about among his dead com,
panions, running his fingers through their
hair, and smoothing his hands over their
faces as if seeking to distinguish them by
the touch. The man looked III grief and
wonder upon the death scene which met his
eyes, and while he looked the child touched
in succession the forms of the two girls.
"The two Ruths, " he exclaimed, crying
with grief and moaning with pain.
The children were taken up and buried
in the same grave with Master Brown, and
the whole neighborhood participated in
their obsequies There was vacant place
at ten hearthstones. for each of the nl,lr-
dered scholars belonged to different fami-
lies. Although more than a hundred years
have elapsed since the massacre, the story
is told in the neighborhood of what is
known as Browns School-house to this
day, as the most noteworthy tradition of
the locality, and it certainly is one of the
most terrible episodes of Indian marauding
on the early frontier.
Archie Mccullough lived to be an old
man, but his sight never returned, and the
bright intelligence of his childhood had
departed forever A mumbling imbecile he
would often try to decribe the terrible scene
which had crazed his brain, and to the last
day of his life lie would moan and cry over
the fate Of "thc two Ruths."
'I