Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-04-25

adrfft for three or four hours before ht
saw or heard any indications of life.
ttSuddenly a Fl gure rose up on the bank,
! and stood there watching the river. It
was an Indian. Hewas 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 through the branches and
discover him. :.
But the Indian probably never
thought of sucha thingas a persons be.
ing hidden in a tree-top, and oen Rot-
ert 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 a tree-top
down the river, and Robert passedthemf
safely.
Presently he heard the sound of g
paddle, and peering through the
toward him. There were three Indians
| in it.
The canoe was being steered straight
Tor the tree-top. He believed that his
presence there hsd been discovered. 1t
was barely possible that IS mad not,
however; but if the Indians ran into tho
tree-top, as it looked as if they intends
ed to, it certainly would be, # he rel
maine6 crouching Or the tree. He low
cred himself noiselesAy into che water
until only his head renuined above the
| surface.
The Inlstuns ran the frontof' tbs ezpoe
upon the trunk of the floating top, and
one of them got out and stood upon it.,
steadying himself by holding to- the,
branches, while his comrades made
some changes in the blankets and other
articles in the-bottom of the canoe:. Tho
Indians feet were not a foot from Rob-
ert's head. The extra weight caused
the tree-top to'sink lower in the water,
and once or twice, while Mie' Indian
stood there, Robert came near strangg-
ling. for the water rose to his mouth.
But he managed: to lift himself a.. little
higher, and keep above the threatened
danger. 1t was with such intense relief
S SONY theycan imagine who have BEEN
i'm similar position that he saw the Inc
diar get back into the canoe.
After that Roberts saw no more of the
Indians, though he heard several whoops,
and their answers a little distance 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 beat ashore, and climbed the, bluff.
bank. Before him, peaceful and unsusl.
picious of danger, lay the little settle
ment of ''Armstrong' s."
He hurried to the house where his
sister 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 ut
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 one in the settlement, and the
most substantially built, and herest the
settlers gathered, bringing guns, pitch
forks, scythes and whatever. seemed
likely to be of any possible use as 3
weapon. The house had a large cellar
under it, and in it the women and chill
dren were placed.
In less than half an hour from,the
time of Robert arrival they were ready
for the Indians. And by-and-by the In.
dians anne They had expected to lind
their victims aslcep;. 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 the
Indians We're seen coming scross the
clearing, fire was opened on them. The
shots were 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 havm.
less shots.
The next day assistance came to, the
little towns along the river. But il
Robert had not done what he did, it. is
quite likely every soul at Armstrong;
would. have been butchered that night
He was a hero among the thankful. set
tiers on account of his brave deed, and
he deserved to be, for by. it he had
saved a good many lives. Such deeds
are grand, and truly great ones, and the.
doors Of them are our truest heroes
Ebem r. Regtord, IN Hazpe1's Young.
People.