Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-07-10

ture him, ana indians were several times
sent from Nova Scotia to assassinate him.
The friendly Indians were coming and
going from the colonels house at Ma
chias every day and sometimes dozen
times a day.
One afternoon as the colonel, who Was
i'll that day, was sitting in chair, with
a bedspread around him, talking with
his sons, John and Mark, one of the In
dians, named Sam Jack, cane in and sat
down without saying anything.
But as the colonel allowed them to
come and go as they liked. no questions
were asked him. By-and-by, as they
went on talking, Sam Jack got up and
got behind the door leading into the
colonels bedroom, which stood ajar, just
back of his char. They were so busy
talking that they did not notice it, OF
forgot it in few moments; and after
time John and Mark both went out to
do some work, leaving the colonel alone,
as he thought.
Some minutes passed, and he had
fallen into browse, when suddenly the
outside door flew open with bang, and
a gigantic Indian. named "Seek-'um-O-
cum, from down Halifax way-not one of
the Maine Indians, but one that the British
had hired to kill the colonci-leaped
/ into the room, frothing at the mouth
like a mad dog, having wrought himself
up to fearful pitch that he might have
courage to commit the deed. He was
brandishing a huge knife around his
head; and Colonel Allan, who was quite
unarmed and wrapped closely in the bed
| IL
eyes sternly on those of the assassin.
With frightful howl the savage
sprang npon him to strike, but at that
instant Sam Jack, who had somehow
heard of his coming, and who had been
4 standing behind the bedroom door all
y this time, bounded out, and with one
blow of a club which he had concealed
g under his frock, laid the red miscreant
stiff on the foorl
Drawing his own knife, Sam Jack
might have had Seek-'um-O GUMS scalp
off in short order. But the colonel for
babe him; and when at length the
would-he murderer came to his senses,
the colonel merely pointed to the door,
and babe him ''go home"
At another time while alone on trip,
during the early part of winter, to con
fer with some of the Penobscot Indians
t, then camped on the Schoodic lakes, he
was chased by party of six hostile In
n dians from across the border, who wished
to take him prisoner, in order to get the
large reward offered for his capture, deac
or alive, by the British. These savage
had been dogging his steps for two days
and finally came up with him as he wal
going down the lower lake on skates.
CHANGING to glance over his shoulder
when about a half-mile out from tn
shore, he saw all six of them dash ou
upon the lake in full chase. They ais
were ON skates, Col. Allen we'll knew
what his fate would be if taken. Lik
a strong man who feels that his life is 0
!: stake. he struck out with all his power
60 neoana But the Indians were MOI
practiced skaters than he; glancing bacl
the colonel saw that despite his utmo
exertions, the savages were slowly cor
ing up with him.
HTheir exultant whoops sounde
nearer and nearer. Worse still, he no
discerns black line of open water, n
more than a mile ahead stretching +
out from the shore nearly across Il
lake. IL ulu uOb lOOh fSly "ANNi ~
exactly how wide it was, he could n
AZ 6rat tell. If too wide to leap acroF
he would surely be taken But, refe(
ing that to drown was as good or bett
than capture, the brave colonel strain
every muscle, and skated straight at t
res open water. The nearer he came, t
broader the gap looked !
"Its rod wide, surely" thoug
the colonel. ''But God helping me-
can clear tiff I get good jump"
He was now within ten rods of
and couple of lunges more broug
him within a hundred feet of the bla
water 1t now looked wider still.
"Heavens! it's twenty feet" mutter
the colonel. "Can I? | can't. Bu
mustp and he collected all his strene
for the terrific jump.
The Indians now saw what
sed meant to do. They were scarcely hi
he dred wards behind him, and seeing
irot design. they yelled horribly-to tlus
his him. Two of them hurled their ton
do hawks, one of which whirled past
the colone's head; the other skipped ale
nno the ice between his feet; and b.
eri9 pumped into the water ahead OF M
ave Just as he jumped For coIlectlng all
ioin his strength at the final forward lun
de- he sprang for the ice on the other sid,
and barely landed on the brink of it
,ces and slid far along on his hands and kne
ican third tomahawk whizzed by him,
ses. cut into the ice, before he could reg
An his legs; and one of the Indians
ince had halted little way back to unsl
|, or his gun. fired at the same instant, Sc
was ing a ball skipping along the ice,
ano- But the Indians had all stopped. :,
one of the six dared take that peril
oine leap; and as the colonel scrambled
that his feet again and dashed away, he he
r he one of them exclaim:
the ''Ugh big iumpl"
For Before they could go ashore and cl
de. ber through the thick brush so a
do come out ON the ice below, the coll
soon had mile the start of them ag
over which so disheartened them that
n,ota gave up the chase. For they knew t
verv was block house at the foot OF
mob lake.
tben An hour later Colonel Allan arrive
ar the block house somewhat fatigued-
'onld otherwise none the worse for his race
ance his big jump. = Youths Companion.
hing ---=
with The Valuable Cork Oak.