Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1881-01-05


Maxwell was correct in his con-
clusion. for at the end Of couple
of hours achievements began ar
irving from the south, and joined
those in the hills.
Not long after, number ap-
preached the fort, and called out:
Glow! how! Come out Give
up
I'VE will give mp, never!' shout
ed back Maxwell. 1--WE like this
kind of fighting. II yon like it,
give Us some more"
The Indiats accepted the invita-
ton. and began crawling through
the grass, sheltering themselves
behind every little mound or elump
of earth which came in their way.
"Obsorve that rascal said Max
well. He has hattened himself out
like a window.pane but ] can
fetch him for all that"
And thereupon he proceeded to
fetch" him.
The firing became rapid at this
iuncture, and continued with
scarcely any intermission for two
hours. It was eminently wise in
Maxwell to take such care and
pains in the throwing mp Of his in
trenchmen,s, for he and his party
would have been overwhelmed, de-
spite their brave defense, but for
the very great effectiveness of the
meaus Of resistance.
AS it was, at the end of a couple
of hours the savages we're within
an ace Of getting inside the fort
They steadily pushed their way
forward, and for q few minutes 1t
seemed as if they we're certain to
succeed; but the breech-loaderS in
the hands Of the four brave men
wero terribly effective, and, at the
critical juncturo, the redskins
suddenly broke and rushed down
the hill again.
They now gathered in the woods
for consultation. II is hard to
guess what their conclusion was,
but they divided into Ave parties,
went on the hills again, built large
fires, and encamped.
A half-dozen warriors, at inter
walls, sauntered down toward the
fort, and showed great solicitude
for talk" but Maxwell warned
them 20 keep away, or he would
fire upon them.
''Their object is to find out how
many of us are here" he snid, to
bis men, $50 keep close, so as to
prevent them. It will be to our
advantage if we can quadruple our
numbers in their eyes"
One of the warriors was deter
mined to interview the whites, and
refused to take warning. When
/ he got too close, Maxwell winged
him, and he went limping off, howl.
ing with pain.
Mrs. Maxwell and her daughter
were fully as brave as their de
tenders. They cooked food, anc
carried it to each man, who tool
it in one hand while he held hi'
rifle ia the other
\ The situation remained thus fo
the rest of the day and through
the entire night The Indians So
around their respective camp-fires
and now, and then made an inef
fectual effort to open conversation
with the white men in the intrench
ments.
The next day had scarcely open
ed, when the savages once NOR
renewed the attack. This tim
they surrounded the fort, and tn
charge was most bitter and deter
mined.
1t continued for half hour, du
ring which the bravery and cool
ness Of the little band were devel
oped in still more astonishin
manner, and the result was the as
sailants made as tumultuous q re
treat as before.
It would seem that they ougt
to be satisfied with what they ha
done-or rather had attempted {
debut they showed no honest in
tentions of giving over the figh
even though they must have com
to believe the number Of the gaI
rison was much greater than We
the case.
The Indians now resorted to th