Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-11-23

mOtneT, was EpnS cneeTy grectlng.
Only she's pretty well frightened at
nothing
"sOhl Eph, at nothingr Bathsheba
said, in demonstrating voice, as she
sat up and realized where she was.
49, oh mother, 'twras a great, big
fierce-looking Indian who frightened
me so. Eph didn't see him, because
he was bending over a great, beautiful
fern that wanted so much: but 1
saw him distinctly. His big. feathered
head loomed up out Of cIump Of
young trees. and I'm sure his big
mouth was grinning in delight over
us-two children alone in the woods
Eph was little way off, and I didn't
dare cali to him, for fear the Indian
might scalp us and so | threw my
basket at Eph's head. That's all /
know about it.
Mother looked at Eph, and he said,
with laugh - And she hit me, too,
mother, a sounding thump. / thought
maybe the (" COW with the crtmpled
horn " had got hold of me, and, turn
ing to see, saw Bathsheba motioning
to me. | understood, by the way she
pointed and worked her fingers, that
she meant there were Indians around
Then I saw her tumble over, and /
picked her up and came home
"'WeIll wellr mother said, IN tone
which meant not well. I shall be
afraid togo to bed if there are any
Indians about, and father away and
Nick Vose, too.'
"'It's my opinion that there amt
an Indian within miles Of us. Bath
sheba's an imaginative girl. I've no
doubt that twas the tree-branches
swaying in the wind that she took for
redskins head
You can think what you're mind
to, Aunt Huldah; but / know twas
an INDIAN Bathsheba said, decidedly.
"Bathsheba was right; for the very
next morning the sad news came that
whole family, less than mile from
us, had been murdered in the night
and their log hut left bare and desc
late. After that father and Nick
came home every night, whether con-
venient or not, and it was often very
inconvenient to come home when they
were miles away, cutting logs; but, as
days and weeks passed by, we heard
nothing more of the Indians and
we began to breathe easy again.
1t lacked only two days of Thank ksgiy-
ing when father received word from a
man over in the next settlement to
come over and attend to some urgent
business. He took Nick Vose with
him and also Eph, he being the Oldest,
as it was necessary to bring back sew
eral loads of lumber, and Eph could
manage oxen as well as Nick could.
Well, that very evening Jerry and I
hurried through our chores to help
Aunt Huldah pick some ducks for
Thanksgiving. Mother was sick with
a cold and she did not help; but she
talked and laughed with us as. we
worked. Pretty. soon we heard steps
outside, and Aunt Huldah said:
"sPerhaps our men are back. l do
hope they are.'
"But Jerry jumped up quickly, and
drew the bars across the door. Bath
sheba's blue eyes grew round with
amazement, ana she said Why, Jerry
do you mean to lock father out n
!" "LookF he said, pointing to the
little window. All! that lookl how il
frightened US, and our sick, timid
mother fairly shrieked. As for Bath
sheba, she wrllng her hands in agony.
- Hushl every one of you,' Jerry
said, in commanding tone, as if he
was general Of an army. Here
Phil, you get mother and Bathsheba
over in that corner and keep guard
while Aunt Huldah and I run up the
ladder and look out the loop-hole, and
see if there's many of them.'p
Alf's curiosity could wait no Ion
ger. "What did ye see, NASSAU Was
it bars, big. black bars, loolxin' in at
de windyP"
"No, Alf," answered Uncle Phil.
Not bears, but savage Indians. We
looked out the loop-hole CHATS what
we called a little round hole over the
door, and we saw one Indian near our
house, and another, with his back to
the house, little way off. Father,
Nick and, Eph had taken the guns, and
we were at a loss to know what to do
if the IAdians should try to break in.
Suddenly there was loud pounding
on the door. We went down and
Aunt Huldah asked what was wanted.
They wouldn't answer, but whaeked
away until ! thought every minute the
door would give way. Aunt Huldah
rushed down the ladder, and motioned
to Jerry and me to follow her. We
went with her into little room, par
titioned off from the kitchen, where a
barrel Of the strongest kind Of soft
soap stood. We each carried pail Of
that terrible soap up the ladder to the
loft, and then crept up from the loft
to the root. Then, creeping along
softly to the etlUe of fhe roof wa sa,xy