Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-06-07
IN THE ETREE TOP.
Harper's Young People.

/ see now We re SOiuS LO UO lie
The speaker was a man dressed
as q. farmer; he was speaking to
his neighbors, ;and they We're all
gathered in u large barn, built of
logs, in one OF the newly settled
portions .of Minnesota. 1t was in
the time OF the Indian outbreak,
and they had sought safety here,
men, women and children, inspired
by a feeling of terror only under
stood by those who have lived on
the frontier, and know from actual
experience the danger of such a life
in places where the indians are
unfriendly and murderous.
Stories had come to them of
horrible Inassacres at New Uln and
other settlements not far away, and
they were expecting an attack at
any time. Every hour passed
slowly in fear and suspense. = ~
The. remark with which Ihave
begun this story was called out by.
the tidings which scout had just
brought in. He had learned that
the Indians intended to attack
settlement some ten miles down
the river. "Armstrong'so it was
called, because the name OF the
leading man there was Armstrong.
1t was lonely place quite by IT.
self, and as it had been but recently
settled, the only communication it
had with the outside world was by
way of the river, and rough trail
along the bluffs.
"It's Just like this, said the man.
''The Indians are scattered along
the river, ON either side of it, for
four or five miles below here, clear
back to the swamps, thus cutting of
all chance of escape for the folks at
Armstrong's, if they knew of the
danger, for there are Indians on
the other side of them. The only
chance for them to save themselves
is getting together as we've done,
and holding out against the red
skins until help comes, and that
will be soon, Pm sure. But they
don't know anything about what's
been done or what is going to be
done; therefore they'll be taken by
surprise, and they'll be butchered,
every man.. woman and child OF
them, as the whites were at New
Ulm. It's terrible, but don't see
how we can help it. It's sure
death to attempt to get from here to |
Arnstrong's. The woods are full |
of Indians, and they'd discover a |
fellow before he'd made two miles |
of the distance" ~
Robert Woods listened to what |
was being said with sad heart. |
He was poor boy, with but one |
relative in the world, as far as he |
knew. That relative was sister |
living at Armstrong;. /
"Must ] stay here and let her be |
killed ?" he said to him-"let her
be killed without making an at
tempt to save her? No; I'll try to
get to Armstrong; in some way If
] die for it," s,4
"See here" he said, going up to
the man who seemed to be the one
in charge OF affairs, ~ have sister
at Armstrong;. / can't stay here
and do nothing while she's in such
danger. I'll undertake to get there
and give them warming"
"Why, boy, you'd be shot before
you'd got out of hearing almost"
was the reply. 81 know it seems
cruel for us to stay here while
they're exposed to such danger, but
we've got our families to protect,
and we know that there isn't one
chance in a thousand of getting to
them. 1t would be like running a
gauntlet" /
s'I,n take that chance then," said
Robert. 81 must go. Don't try to
keep. me back. l have a plan
that may work. I'll try it, any
way"
,IWhat Is it?D they asked him.
"HOw are you going :"
"By river" answered Robert.
"They're camped all along the
bank a few miles below here, and
no boat or canoe could possibly
get past them unseen," they told
him. .........-
"But am not going in boat or
he said. 81 am going to
float down in a tree top" |
Just at dusk that night a tree-top
drifted out slowly into the river
from the little bend below the set
tlement. Hidden away among the
branches was the boy who had
to risk his life for the
sake of other lives.
The current bore the tree-tOp
along past the shores where, for all
the young 'voyager knew, an Indian
might be lurking, hoping for
victim. Sometimes it almost
touched the bank as the river made
a curve, and the current ran close
to the edge of the stream; then it
would drift out into the middle OF
the river again. j
The moon rose by-and-by, and
made the scene almost as light as
day. Robert was sorry about that,
for it made his voyage seem more
perilous, if it really was not so. A
very dark night would have suited
him best.
1t seemed to him that he had
been adrift for three or four hours
before he saw or heard any indica-
tions of life. Suddenly figure
rose up on the bank, and stood
there watching the river. IL was
an Indian. He was not twenty
feet away from Robert, and the
boy hardly dared breathe for fear of
being heard. 1t seemed to him as
if the Indians sharp eyes must see
lnTOuSH the DIduChSo anu OiSCo"OI
him. ...,
But the Indian probably never
thought of such a thing as a person
being hidden in the tFee.top, and
soon Robert had left him behind.
But there were others skulking up
and down the. river, and he saw
several of them before he had gone
much further. But they, like the
first one, did not seem to think
there was anything unusual or sus-
picious in the floating of tree-top /
down the river, and Robert passed
them safely.
Presently he heard the sound OF a
paddle, and peering through the
he saw canoe coming
toward him. There were three In
dians in it,. Is x q =
The, canoe was being steered
for the, tree-top. He be-p
lieyed that his presence there had /