River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-11-29
THEINDIAN TRAIL.
BY FIERCE Il. SHELTON.

The lndlans have attacked Mr.. Stuart
house. burnt it. and carried his family
into captivity" were the first words 0.
q breathless woodsman, as he rushed
into the block house or village in
Western New York, during one of the
early border wars. Cup, up, dozen
men should have been on the trail two
hours ago."
God help us" said one of the group,
bold. frank forester, and with face
whittier than ashes, he leaned against
the wall, gasping for breath. Every eye
turned on him with sympathy, for he
and Mr.. Stuart's only daughter, lovely
girl of seventeen, were to be married in
few days.
The bereaved father was unusually re-
speeted. He was a man of great bene-
violence of heart, and of some property,
and resided on mill seat he owned,
about two miles from the village. His
family consisted of his eldest daughter
and three widowed children. lie had
been from home, so the rumor said,
when his house was attacked, nor had
the neighbors any intimation Of the
catastrophe, until the light of the burn
ing tenements awakened the suspicious
of 3 settler, who resided mile nearer
the village than Mr.. Stuart, and who,
proceeding towards the flames, found
the houses and mills in ruins, and rec
ognized the feet of females and children
on the trail of the Indians. He
hurried instantly to the fort, and
it was this individual who now stood
breatalessly narrating the events
which we, in fewer words, have de-
tailed.
The alarm spread through the village
as fire spreads in a swamp after a
drought, and before the speaker had
finished his story, the little block-ho use
was filed with eager, sympathizlng
faces Several of the inhabitants had
brought their rifles, and others now
hurried home to arm themselves. The
Young men of the settlement gathered,
to man, around Henry Leper, the be-
tnrothed husband Of Mary Staurt, and
though few words were spoken, the ear
nest grasp of the hand and the accom-
panying look, assured mia that his
| friends keenly felt for him, and were
| ready to follow him to the worlds end.
The party was about to set forth when
| man was seen running up the road from
the direction of the deserted home
SIT is Dir. Staurt," said one OF the old
est OF the group. Stand back all, and
let him come H."
The men parted right ana left from the
doorway, and Immediately the father
entered; the neighbors bowed respect
fully to him as he passed, He scarcely
returned their solutions, but advancing
directly to his intended son-in-law, the
| two mutually fell into each others arms.
The spectators, not wishing to intrude
on the privacy of their grief, turned
| theiL faces away with that instructive
| delicacy which is nowhere found more
often than among those who are thought
| to be merely rude bolderers: bnt they
| heard sobs, and they knew that the
heart of the usually collected Mr.. Staurt
must be fearfully agitated.
My friends" he said, at length, this
| is kind. l see you know my loss, and
are ready to march with me. God bless
you" He could say no more, for he
was choking with emotion.
"Stay back, father" said young Lep-
err, using for the first time name which,
| in that moment of desolation, carried a
sweet comfort to the parents heart,
you cannot bear the fatigue as we'll as
we--death only will prevent us bringing
back Mary"
81 know it-Isknow, my son-but !
cannot stay here in suspense. No, /
will 90 with you. / have to-day the
strength of a half dozen men,"
The fathers who were there nodded
in assent, and nothing further was said,
but Immediately, the party, as if by one
impulse, set forth.
There was no difficulty in finding the
trail of the Indians, along which the
pursuels advanced with speed inered-
ible to those unused to forest life, and
the result of long and severe discipline.
But rapid as their march, hour after
hour elapsed without any signs of the
vicinity of the savages, though evidence
that they had passed the route while
before was continually met. The sun
rose high in the heavens until he stood
above the tree-tops, thun he began
slowly to decline, and at length h1s
slant beams could scarcely penetrate
the forest; vet there were no appearance
es OF the Indians, and the hearts OF the
pursuers began to desponG. AL
ready the opinion had grown
general that further advance
was useless, for the boundaries of the
settlers districts had long been passed;
they were in the very heart of the say
ages country; and by this time the In
dams had probably reached their vii
lage. Yet when the older men, who
alone would venture to suggest returH,
looked at the father or his intended SON
in-law. they could not utter the words
which would carry despair to two al
most breaking hearts, and so the march
was continued. But night drew on, and
one Of the elders spoke:
There seems to be no hope" he
said, stopping, and resting his rifle on
the ground, "and we are far from our
families. What would become of the
village If attacked in our absence?"
This was question that wenttO every
heart, and by one consent the party
stopped, and many, especially OF the
older ones, took a step or two involun-
tarily homewards. The father and
young Leper looked at each other in
mute despair.
~ on are right, Jenkins" the young
man said, at length. 1t is selfish in Us
to lead you so far away from home on"
and here for an instant ne choked-" on
perhaps, frutless errand. But as for
me. my way lies ahead, even if it lead
YOU into the very heart of an Indian vii
lage.'
"And will follow you!" "And t."
"And T." exclaimed a dozen voices, for
daring in moments ike these, carries
the dav against cooler couusels, aud the
young, TO man, sprang to Leper's SIDE
Even the older men were affected by
contagion. They were torn by conflict
inc emotions, now thinking of their
wives and little ores behind, and now
reminded of the suffering captlves be
fore. They still huctuated, when one Of
the young men exclaimed.in low voice.
"See-there they areW and, as he
spoke, he pointed to thin column ot
light ascending in the twilight above the
treestops from the bottom Of the valley
lying Immediately before them.
"On, then-on" said jenkins, now
he first to move ahead; "but silently,
or the slightest noise will ruin our
hopes"
Oh how the fathers heart thrilled at
these words. The evident belief Of his
neighhors in the uselessness Of further
pursuit had wrung his heart, and with
Leper, he had resolved to 60 son unaid-
ed, though meantime he watched with
intense anxiety the proceedings Of the
council, for he knew that two men, or
even a dozen would probably he insuE-
fcient to rescue the capiives. But when
his ewes caught the distant light, hope
rushed wildly back over his heart. With
the next minute he was foremost in the
line of pursusrs. apparently the coslest
and most cautious Of all.
With noiseless tread the borderers
proceeded until they were within a few