The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-02-26

full OF muscle and VlgOr; and they res
pected him for that. He was a splen-
did man-the finest deep, dark eyes
you ever saw, which could search you
through and through; and the sweet
est, singing voice-Gordon has some
of his grandfather's gifts"
Gordon has told me some wild sto-
ries of his grandfather's career as an
early settler and his dangerous jour
neys. But he said you could tell me
more of such things than any one in
the family"
II reckon I can, child. Gordon's
mother could tell you, too, if she
would, though Bell was little thing
then. But has she never told you
about when the Indian massacre was
threatened?"
Never, Aunt MacAllister, and I
want to hear about it.
1T was while the Government was
making preparations to move the IN
dians, and the Creeks were so angry
about it that the whole country was
in a state Of excitement and dread.
One night Johns family were all
about to go to bed-some Of them
were in bed, and Bell, your husbands
mother, says that she remembers dis
tinctly how tired she was that night,
little thing, running around all day.
Her eldest sister, Sophie, was in the
bed, and Bell says she was undressing
and looking over at Sophie, she
thought, oh, how snug you look, and
how good it will be to go to sleep
there by your when she heard some
one calling at the front gate. John
Floyd's name was called, and he went
out. By and by he came back to Jen-
ny, who was in bed, and told her and
the girls, who had all run in to her,
that there was bad news and that they
must be brave It might turn out to
be only scare, but the warning came
very straight, and that he was going
to carry them out Of reach of danger
The man who stopped at the gate was
Mr.. Williams, a preacher. A squaw
had come to him and told him that a
large body Of the Indians had resolved
to set out that night and massacre all
the white people in the neighborhood;
they were coming to kill Y onah' first,
so as to get ammunition and guns
They all knew the usual Indian hour
for attack-just before day.
''It was their way to surround
house in the darkness, break in at
dawn, and have the early daylight in
which to burn, kill, pillage and make
their escape. There was not a mo-
ment to lose. All the negroes were
called up; the nurses dressed the chill
dren, the others got together necessary
and possible luggage, and hasty pro-
visions were cooked for the big family
of white and black, while the men
harnessed mules and saddled the hor-
ses, and hitched up every possible con-
veyance. While they were still at
work, torches began to flash in the
woods around, and the neighbors were
found to be gathering to John. He
told them the women and children
must be put in safety, and that then
the men could return; he had room in
his vehicles and on his horses for all
the feeble ones who had no convey
ance of their own, and the whole par
ty was shortly started on their way
Some Of the negroes had to walk, as
all the able men did, and [ have heard |
them say that poor little Bell insisted |
on getting off her horse to let her
little darkey named Bet,
take turns in riding, and as they cross
ed brook Bell missed her footing on
the stones and fell into the water.
We lived twenty miles and more away,
and we got word Of their coming be- |
for they got to US. I remember how
[ hustled about and got up great bask-
cts Of things to eat, and sent to meet
them on the way, for I expected they'd
be half-starved.
AUNT MacAllister! It sounded
like the patriarchal ages! Esau going
out to meet his brother or something
Biblical! Were they all coming to
your house?'
"Of course they were, and it was
full. The negroes all found places in
the negro quarters, and the house was
crammed-four in nearl y every room.
But that only lasted few days. Some
of the white people went on to their
friends, or scattered around among
the neighbors. John turned around
and went back home the very next
day, satisfied that Jenny was safe with
me- It was very hard for her to let
him go. John said afterward that as
he rode up to the top Of the hill over
looking his home he expected to see it
a mass Of smoking ashes; and [ have
heard him say that he never expected
to forget how he felt when he saw the
house lying there, fair and quiet and
still as ever. He said he never knew
how he loved his home till he saw it
that moment, and felt the thankful
ness and joyful surprise bring the
tears to his eyes Jenny wouldn't be
kept from going to him in a weeks
time, but she left the children with
me till all fear of trouble was over
We heard afterward that the Indians
had learned that they were betrayed
and that the whites expected them, so
they abandoned their plan"
"Were there any churches about
where you lived, Aunt MacAllister?"
Yes, there was a Methodist church
two miles off, and a Presbyterian
church five miles away; and we used
to 90 first to one and then to the 9TH
er. [ remember Mr.. MacAllister's
laughing about my Methodist mare,
as he called her; she was my fayorite
riding horse, and she was so used to
90 to the Methodist church that she
wouldn't take the other road at all
unless before | came to the bend [ set
her in a gallop and whirled her by the
forks before she knew it.