Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-09-09

many an Inconvenience in the future. "
This Ransom found indeed to be the
case.
Frequently as his farm was visited
by savages they always treated his
family with marked respect. IL they
wanted favor or drink they asked for it
modestly and civilly. The insolent de-
mands they made on other settlers
were never made on the Long Prairie
house.
Moreover on more than one occasion
the Indians showed themselves ready
to do favor for the farmer of Long
Pra rie. Once, when a portion of his
stock scampered, they drove it back
instead of stealing it, as was their in
variable custom. Another time they
returned him his pony when it strayed
away. The farmer, thanks to these
acts, began to congratulate himself up
on the good luck which had made him
friend of the great war chief of the
Apaches.
That parsonage turned up now and
then himself, and you may be bound
always To received cordial welcome.
His chief pleasure seemed to be with
little Dora, and he always had present
for her. Once it was crow that
turned somersaults and talked some
Indian words; another time it was a
little bow and arrow, which he taught
her how to use. She possessed quite
collection of moccasins, necklaces of
dried red berries, and softly tanned deer
and tiger skins, and every visit added to
her store.
So three years passed.
Slowly but surely the section of Ari-
iona in which the Bishops had set up
their homes had filled up. Where they
had been the only one in miles of coun-
try, the farms were only mile apart.
The log hut had been added until it was
quite an imposing structure, with
wings more extensive than the original
house. Herds of fine cattle grazed on
their prairie pastures, their barns were
full, and all about them abundent crops
grew OH the rich soil. In short pros
perity reigned at Long Prairie, and not
cloud darkened the pleasant future
which seemed to spread before the set
tiers there.
But unforeseen events were brewing
trouble. The Indians had been annoy
ed and in some cases treated with IN
Justice by the whites, and an outbreak
was smouidering among them. 1t was
only held back by the influence of Big
Bear. The war chef was friendly to
the white man, and his potent voice in
the councils of his tribe kept their an
ger in check.
One day, however, Big Bear went
hunting and met with an accident in a
terrific encounter with grizzly; he was
struck down in lonely pass among
the hills, and, as day by day passed
without witnessing his return to his
camp, the rumor went abroad that the
whites had k He'd him.
Then another chief rose to rule the
councils of the tribe.
This warrior cherished fierce and
bitter hatred to the whites, and lost no
time in declaring war against them.
In single night a descent was made
upon dozen settlements; and next
morning where prosperous farmers
and happy homes had been the rising
sun saw heaps of smoking ruins. Such
few of the farmers as escaped fled to
the larger settlements, and the call to
arms went throughout the territory.
A week Of the outbreak passed, and
the Bishop homestead remained I'M
scathed.
All around the settlers had fallen
victims to the ferocity of the savage,
but the protection of Big Bear still
sheltered his friends. Immunity from
attack made Ransom Bishop reckless.
He began to think himself safe forever,
and though he kept watchful eye
about him, he still entertained little
dread of serious trouble to himself.
He was doomed, however, TO find
himself sadly mistaken.
The ferocity of the Apaches grew
with their success, and when they had
wreaked their wrath ut the expense of
Ransom Bishops neighbors, they be-
gan to cast hungry eyes upon the well
stocked farm. He was the friend of
Big Bear, it is true; but Big Bear was
dead, they argued. Why, then, should
his friendship protect them? They an
swered that question one night by at
lacking Bishops house.
To offer any resistance would have
been simple madness. and Ransom
Bishop knew it. All the hope OF safety
he posed was in flight.
But how to flyp
The Apaches, apparently certain of
the people in the house, had begun
operations by plundering the outlying
storehouses. While they were thus
employed, the farmer got his wife and
child out by the back way, only to dis
cover, to his horror, that the gate of
his corral had been beaten in and the
horses removed from it,
He had hardly made this startling
| discovery when mounted Indian rode
around the end of the house. in whose
shadow the fugitives were concealed.
Gaunt and thin from sickness the farm
er did not recognize Big Bear, and he
raised his rifle to his shoulder, when
the Indian called out:
mo shootr' he said. "Me come to
sabe little missile"
Slipping out of his saddle, he notion
ed to the farmer to mount, and hurried
away, as he had come. He returned
presently with another horse, and, seiz.
ing little Dora, while Ransom Bishou
and his wife mounted the chiefs own
horse, the Indian led way into the prai-
RE.
The fugitives, as they departed,
could hear the exultant shouts of the
Apaches as they reveled in the plumber
of the store-room, but with the house
between them and the savages they
gained the open prairie unobserved
As they rode away Big Bear gave ut
terance to a cultural grunt and pointed
back to where red light began to glow
against the sombre midnight sky.
The farm buildings had been fired