The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-07-29
COLONEL ALIENS LEAP.

Colonel Allan's boyhood was passed
in Nova Scotia. OF which province he
was citizen till about his twenty-frs,
year, though he received a part of his
education in Boston. When the colo.
mics declared their independence and the
war of the Revolution began, young
John Allan, who was an ardent Ameri
can patriot, made strong effort to have
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick join
with Maine and Massachusetts, and de-
clare themselves free of England; and
if he had succeeded, those two provinces
would be free States of the American
Union to day instead of colony posses.
sions Of England. But the Tory intlu.
ence there was too strong for him, since
he was then only about twenty one o,
twenty-five Years old; and he was
obliged to fly for his life to escape hang.
ing.
He came over the border into Maine
and settled at Machias; and from that
time forward, through the whole war, he
was the mainstay Of defence for the
people Of the eastern frontier. Fol
though quiet man. he was very dc.
termined one: and his rule of always do
ing exactly as he engaged to do soon
made him loved by the Indians, over
whom he gained an almost complete
mastery and leadership. This was very
important; for the Indians of the Penob,
scot and Passamaquaddy tribes were then
very numerous and very useful in war.
OF hot TINA on,,1S
give Colonel Allan but little assistance,
though he was we'll known to Washing,
ton and Knox, and acted in concert with
them. At one time, fearing that he
should be unable to give certain supplies
to the Passama9uoddy Indians, he left
his two sons, William and Mark, as host.
ages, in their hands, and proceeded tc
Boston, hoping to hasten the tardy ap'
preparations made for them.
Delay followed delay, and the lads,
then aged thirteen and eleven, spent two
years among the Indians, hunting por'
poises md fishing with them, getting
nothing better to cat all that time than
plrched corn, fish and occasionally BIZ
of moose. meat. All, how poor Mrs,
Allan worried about her boys, whom she
was unable to see during all that time
When at last they did return home, they
were dreadfully dirty, clad in skins, and
their hair hung in tangled locks down
their shoulders.
The British were greatly incensed
against Colonel Allan during all this
time. Many attempts were made to cap
ture him, and indians were several times
sent from Nova Scotia to assassinate him
The friendly Indians were coming ano
going from the colonels house at Ma
chias every day and sometimes dozel
times day.
One afternoon rs the colonel, who wa:
i'll that day, was sitting in chair, with
a abedspread around him, talking will
his sons, John and Mark, one of the In
dians, named Sam Jack, cane in and sa
down without saying anything.
But as tho colonel allowed them tt
come and 60 as they liked. no questions
were asked him. By-and-by, as they
went on talking, Sam Jack got up and
cot behind the door leading into th'
coloncl's bedroom, which stood ajar, jus
back of his chair. They were so bus.
talking that they did not notice it, o.
forgot it in few moments; and after
time John and Mark both went out t.
do some work, leaving the colonel alone
as he thought.
Some minutes passed, and he had
fallen into browse, when suddenly thu
outside door flew open with bang, ant
a gigantic Indian. named "Seek-'um-O
cum, from down Halifax way-not one O.
the Maine Indians, but one that the British
had hired to kill the colonel-leapee
into the room, frothing at the moutf
like mad dog, having wrought himself
up to fearful pitch that he might have
courage to commit the deed. He wa!
brandishing huge knife around hi
head; and Colonel Allan, who was quite
unarmed and wrapped closely in the bed
spread, could do nothing save fix hi
eyes sternly on those of the assassin.
With a frightful howl the savagt
sprang npon him to strike, but at thai
instant Sam Jack, who had somehow
heard of his coming, and who had beer
standing behind the bedroom door all
this time, bounded out, and with one
blow of club which he, had concealed
under his frock, laid the red miscreaat
.ksR rn %ho dnnrt -H ..