The Hazlehurst signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1883-1885, 1884-04-03
NUMBER 8.

river, and ho saw several OF them before
he had gone much further. But they.
like the iirst one. did NOT seem to think
there was anything unusual OF. sus-
picioas In tho floating OF . trco.top
down the river, and Robert passed them
safely. Ls sr
Presently no heard the sound ot .
paddle. snd pcering through tho
branches, he saw . csnoo coming
toward him. There were thrce Indians
in II. .st go. !.
Tho canoe was being stesred straight
for the trce-top. He believed that his
presence there hsd been discovered. Il
was barely possible thst IL had not.
however; But r. the Indians ran Into tho
tree.top, ns it looked ~ u they inteud|
ed to. Il certainly would be. u he re-
mained crouching on the tree. He low
cred himself noiselessly Into tho water
until only his head remained above tho
surface. !
The Indians ran the front Of the canoe
upon the trunk OF the floating top, and
one OF them got out and stood upon IT,!
stendying himself by holding 10 tho
branches, while his comrades made
some changes In the blankets and other
articles In the bottom Il tho canoe. Tho
Indians feet were not foot from Roh-
ert's head. The extra weight caused
the trcc-top to sink lower In the watsr.
and once or .tWicc, whllo the Indian
stood there, Robert came nsar strSng-
ling. for the water rose 70 his mouth.
But he managed TO lift himself . little
higher, and keep above the threatened
danger. Il was with such Intense RELIEF
as only they can Imagine who have been
In similar position that he saw the In
dian get back into the canoe.
After that Robert saw no moro OF the
Isdians, though he heard several whoops
and their answers little distance back
from the banks. !,
By.and-by he knew from the trees and
some Of the bluffs along the stream that
he wa, nearing the settlement where his
sister lived.
Half an hour later he padded his
lcaiy boat ashore. and climbed the blum
bank. Before him, peaceful and unsus-
plcious Of danger, lay the little settle.
ment OF "Arnstrongs."
He hurried to the house whore his
sister lived. and reused the owner OF u.
To him he told his story In few brief
words The place was In danger. Tho
settlers must be got together. and that
ut once. Tho Indians might como 1t
any time. ft,. =,
The man started In one direction, and
Robert In another. IL did no. take long
10 visit all the houses and rouse their
inmates. Armstrong; house was tho
largest ono In the settlement, and tho
most substantially built and here the
settlers gathered. bringing guns, pitch:
forks, scythes and Whatever scemcd
likely TO Be OF any ,,poss' bio use as .
weapon. Tho house had q large cellar
under II, aud In Il the women and ohiI.
drcn were placed. .i,. +,
In less than half an hour from ths
timo of Roberts arrival they wcro ready
for the Indians. And by.and.by tho In.
dians came. They had expected to lind
their victims asleep; but they found
them very wide awake. There were
three or four guns OF the repeating kind
IN the little party. and as soon as tho
Indians were seen coming across tho
clearing. frs was opened on them. Tho
shots were fired with such rapldity that
the bcsicgcrs evidently thought the be-
siegcd to be much stronger In number
than they were. The surprise Of the
sudden and altogsther unexpected st.
tack threw them into confuiion. and
they retreated after firing few harm.