Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-01-27
Select Story.
A NIGHT ATTACK.

| had scarcely got out of my boy
hood when l left England to become
the partner of an old schoolmate, Dick
Merrlvals, as sheep farmer in South
America. We invested our joint and
rather modest capital in a league OF
land on the Parana, and erected on it a
/. spall house, built of sunbaked bricks,
which consisted of one tolerably large
room, with fiat roof and parapet, ac-
cessible from the inside by means of a
ladder. Around it, at short distance,
we had dug deep, dry ditch, crossed
by drawbridge, intended as protec-
ton against surprise by the Indians.
One Christmas Dick remarked to me
that he had been told that morning
that the savages had crossed the river,
and we must keep our wits about us.
1t was scarcely an hour after, that two
Guachos put in an appearance, their
usually swarthy faces were livid with
fear. They sprang from their horses,
which, covered with blood, sweat and
foam, showed how sharp had been the
ride, and rushed over the draw bridge
They told us as soon as terror would
allow them, that 300 Indians were in
hot pursuit, and would soon be on the
spot, and besought us for the love of
the virgin. to give them shelter.
Dick, rather to my surprise, calmly
lit his pipe, and then ordered our visit
ors to make themselves scarce. 'un-
less,' he said politely, you can tell d
plain tale. senores, without lies
After cross questioning, we learned
that they had been to buy horses at the
station Of rich Spaniard, Don Ramon
Garcia, who live about fou, leagues
from us; and when they reached the !
top Of a gentle rise in the ground and
had aSview of the house they had seen,
to their horror and dismay, large
body of the dreaded Indians, who were
attacking-for they heard shots-Don
Ramon's estancia.
IF this be true, said Dick, the soon
er we prepare to fight, the better. We
must be prepared for them
The natives-both the late arrivals
and our own two men, who had often
boasted Of what they meant to do and
had already done in the way of fight
ing Indians suddenly disappeared.
We afterwards learned that they took
refuge in cornheld in the rear of the
house, whore they lay concealed until
the fight was over.
Our preparations We're very simple,
box of cartridges was opened (for we
were provided with these inestimable
peace and life preservers, breech- load
ing rifes) and placed ready to hand,
together with a bottle Of whisky and a
jar of water; the door and window, our
weakest point were secured as strong
ly as possible; and then sheltering our
bodies behind the parapet, we peered :
cautiously over and strained our, ewes
TO get the first glimpse of an enemy.
ALFRED, my boy said Dick, keep
cool and do as | tell you, Remember
to aim steadily, and don't show your,
self more than you can help. Their
great point will be to force the door; /
but we can soon stop that if you are
steady with your shots
Just then something dark appeared
on the ground near the corral. 'An
Indian, sure enough. and the balls 60
ing to commence. AS he said this
Dicks rifle rang out in the silence of
the night. and ! saw splinter fly
white in the moonlight, about foot
above the dark object which thereup-
on started up with cry, and fed.
Then we heard the galloping of horses,
and about one hundred Indians rode