Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-12-04

homers, as bess called them. The
pair of old birds had been given to thu
child by a friend of the family, and she
had named them Postum and T1nnat
She had raised two young ones. thin
and Spark, and all were great pets with
her. When she was at an Indian.
school she had used Postum and Tinnot
for sending messages home, and On
that account they had been priced hv
her parents nearly as much as by her.
self. AVA
The Carriers moved to their new homa
IN the spring, and it happened that be-
fore they had settled down in the now,
house some Sioux who had been ra.
nov to the Indian Territory becaro
dissatisfied with their location. broke
out, and started toward their old North.
ern home, plundering and numbering
as they went.
A report of this raid reached tho
Carriers, but too late to enable tLan' Nv. no
seek safety in flight, and when tLo,,
We're struck by the hostiles there was
ho'1lng 1or them to do but defend them
selves as best they could.
ms seemed to be an almost homeless.
task, as there were but three lighters at
the homestead-Jacob Carter, Els near.
~ grown sou Harry and Andrew
iatchin, the hired man. But they bar.
rlcaded the doors and windows Of tho
cabln, seized their rifles, and foupbt for
dear life.
1t was a small party of Sioux that
made the first attack. and thev We've
easily rcpulsed; but others arrived. and
lhe situation became more serions-
Anlgered by the desperate defense Of tho
CABIN, the Indians showed %determ;noo
ton to stay right there and capture i
at all hazards. "p'''e IL
When Andrew Patchin was severely
wounded, Mr.. Carter began to despair
and he sadly told his wife and Bessie
that he saw no chance to escape from
death or capture.
III 1t comes to the worst,'' he said.
you two must die rather than fall INTO
the hands of those iicnds. There is nc
nope OF help, and no one of us could
pass the Indians to take Il message to
the fort: even if they had not got our
There is one that can go, pa"
spoke up Bessie.
What do you mean, child? Who
can 60? Not Harry?"
Not Harry, pa, but Chip or Pos
sum-"
Mr.: Carter had not thought of tho
pigeons, and he eagerly seized the idea.
"Do you think that either of them
would fly to the fort?" he asked.
Eyes, sir. We were so long at the
fort. and the birds have not vet got to
think of this place as home. i am
sure they would do it."
"Get one of them, Bess, and I will
write a message"
Bessie had brought her pigeons into
the house for safety, and it was easy to
secure Chip. The message was fast
ened to him, and he was let loose.
After circling in the air for q minute or
SO he settled upon his course, and flew
away in the direction Of the fort.
Another message was Sent by
Postum. and then they waited. They
had to fight. too, as well as wait, and
Mr.. Carter and Harry continued to
make their rifles crack in the hope of
keeping the Indians away from the
house as long as possible.
The hours of the afternoon We're long
and painful, and it could be seen that
the Sioux were only delaying their at
tack until darkness should put the be-
sieged party at their mercy.
Darkness came, and they started to-
ward the house yelling and firing. But
other shots were quickly heard, and the
galloping of many horses, and u we'll
known cheer, as the blue-coated cav
airy dashed down upon the red raiders
and scattered them.
Captain Morris, Mrs. Carter's cousin,
had caught sight of Chip when the bird
flew to his old quarters at the fort, and
he at once secured him and found the
message.
In a very short time the men were
and speeding away over the
prairie, and SO the Carter family were
saved by Bessie's pigeon. --EdwarI
HaAct, IN Harper's Young People.
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