The Opelousas courier., 1884-10-04

NEHI ~ -. AE
night would have suited him best,
lt seemed to him that he had be
adrift for three or four hours befo
ne saw or heard any indications of lii
Suddenly a figure rose up on the ban
I and stood there watching the river.
b was an Indian. He was not TWEEN,
feet away from Robert, and the be
hardly dared breathe for fear Of beiD
heard. It seemed to him as if the I,
dlans sharp eyes must see through til
branches and discover him.
But the Indian probably neye
thought of such a thing as a person
oeing hidden in the tree-top. and 500,
robert had left him behind. But Their
were others skulking up and down th
river, and he saw several Of then
Before he had gone much further. Blu
they, like the first one, did not seem t
think there was anything unusual o.
suspicious in the floating of a tree-tor
down The river, and Robert passed
them safely.
PRESENTLY he heard the sound Of a
paddle, and peering through the branch
es' ne saw a canoe coming toward him.
There were three Indians in it.
The canoe was being steered straight
Tor the tree-top. He believed that his
presence there had been discovered. It
was barely possible that it had not,
however; but if the Indians ran into
the tree-top, as it looked as if they in
tended, it certainly would be, if he re-
NAMED crouehing on the tree. He
lowered himself noiselessly into the
water until only his head remained
above the surface.
Inc Indians ran the front of the
canoe upon the trunk of the fioatinal
Top, and n of them got out assw
upon it, steadyina .ld $1,000
ON II thea Aimself by holding
~ branches, while his comrades
made some changes in the blankets and
other articles in the bottom of the
canoe. The Indians feet were not a
foot from Roberts head. The extra
weight caused the tree-top to sink
lower in the water, and once or twice,
while the Indian stood there, Robert
came near strangling. for the water
rose to his mouth. But he managed
to lift himself a little higher, and keep
above the threatened danger. It was
with such intense relief as only they
can imagine who have been in a SINH
lar position that he SAN the Indian get
back into the canoe.
After that Robert saw no more of
the Indians, though he heard several
whoops and their answers a little dis
tance back from the banks.
By-and-by he knew from the trees
and some of the bluffs along the stream
that he was nearing the settlement
where his sister lived.
Half an hour later he padded his
leafy boat ashore, and climbed the
bluff bank. Before him. peaceful and
unsuspicions of danger. lay the little
settlement of "Armstreng's."
He hurried to the house where his
s ster lived, and reused the owner Of
it. TO him he told his story in a few
brief words. The place was in danger.
The settlers must be got together. and
that at once. The Indians might
come at any time.
The man started in one direction, and
Robert In another. 1t did not take
long to visit all the houses. and rouse
their inmates. Armstrong; house
was the largest mi in the settlement.
and the most substantially built, and
here the settlers gathered, bringing
guns, pitchforks. scythes. and what
ever seemed likely to be of any possible
use as a weapon. The house had a
large cellar under it, and in it the
women and children were placed.
In less than half an hour from the
time of Roberts arrival they. were
ready for the Indians. And by-and-by
the Indians came. They hal ex-
pected to find 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 IS the Indians were
seen coming across the clearing, fire
was opened ON them. The shots vera
fired with such rapidity that the
besiegers evidently thought the be-
sieged to be much stronger in number
than they were. The surprise of the
sudden and altogether unexpected at
tack threw them into confusion, and
they retreated after firing a few
harmless shots.
The next day assistance. came to
the little towns along the river. But
il Robert had not done what he did
IL is quite likely every soul at Arm
strongs' would have been butchered
that night. He was d hero among the