St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-04-28

revolver and stood ready to open the
door. AS the fugitive got within twenty
rods, being then thirty rods ahead OF
pursuit, she began to unbar the door.
She had only touched it, when some
one leaped against it-not one, but
four or five. Finding it fast, the say
ages. for such they were, set up
howl Of rage and retreated out OF
range. Grandfather was standing
still, about fifteen rods from the door,
and the woman did not have to look
twice to see into the game. One OF the
Indians had donned the prisoners
clothing, jammed the familiar hat over
his forehead. and the pursuit was all a
sham. Before he had left the woods,
four OF five Indians had made detour
and softly approached the house, so as
to be ready to leap in when the bar
came down from the door. 1t was not
grandmother wit. but their own haste
in leaping out, which had prevented
the capture of the house and her death.
The savages then tried another plan.
They brought the old man out of the
woods, naked except his shirt, tied him
to a wild plum tree just out OF rifle
range of the house, and then set about
maltreating him, hoping to work on
the woman ssympathies. Grandmother
could see every movement made, and
she was nearly crazed to see
them assault the old man with
knives and clubs. They pricked
him until he was covered with
blood, though not seriously wounded
in any spot, and, cutting number of
switches from the hazel bushes, they
whipped him until they were tired with
the sport. The old man groaned lit
tie, but they could not make him cry
out as they hoped to do; and in his
heart he hoped that grandmother would
not be imprudent enough to attempt
any interference Her heart big with
sympathy and distress and her eyes
full of tears. the woman allowed the
savages to get ahead of her. Several
of them moved back out of the range
of the knothole, skulked around TO the
north side of the cabin, and grand
mothers first intimation of their pres
ence was when she heard the cracking
of flames in the brush which they had
previously piled against the north door:
AS soon as the flames were lighted, the
savages drew off a few rods and COM
menced shooting at the spot over the
door where she had pulled out the
thinking to shoot at them before. Not
withstanding the whistling of the balls
| which every moment came through
into the garnet, the woman mounted
the ladder with pail of water, dashed
the contents out through the crevice,
and mere accident guided the dash so
| that the flames were devised out.
Two hours had passed since the first
appearance of the Indians; grand
mother had killed one and wounded
others, and such firing and yelling
had been kept up that the redskins
were fearful that help might come to
the woman, and therefore they with
drew. She counted them as they went
away, to be sure that none were left
behind. They took the dead one on
their shoulders, and the wounded were
assisted along each between two of his
companions. They entered the woods,
and after an hour had passed without
their temperance, grandmother real
lied that all danger to her was over.
She opened the door, took scout
around her house, and then her eye
fell upon the horses. The animals had
made long run when first taking
fright, going across the fields for a
mile or more, and were now coming
towards the house, dragging portion
of the pillow after them. In ten min
utes the woman was galloping towards
the nearest settlement. carrying both
rifle and revolver. a ride of an hour
brought her to the hamlet, and sevei,
or eight men quickly mounted their
horses and returned with her. The
cabin had not been disturbed, and
leaving their horses there, the men,
headed by the anxious and tireless
woman, took up the trail of the In
dams. Following it for an hour, near
ly always on the run, they suddenly
heard the report of rifles, followed by
whoops and yells.
Two bachelors named Turner had i
cabin and farm in the direction of the
shots, and the pursuers realized that
the Indians had attacked them. They
were hurrying on to the rescue, grand
mother leading, rifle in hand, when
she suddenly gave a sign of warning,
and all sank down. She had caught
sight of grandfather and his two
guards. Through the sparse timber
the men could see grandfather bound
to tree, and his guards standing neal
| by, but their faces turned in The direc.
ton of the battle which was raging be-
yond.
Like so many tigers the pursuers
crept forward, and only halted wher
within eight or ten rods of the cap
tive. They silently arranged for vol
ley which should riddle the bodies Of
the guards. and would have delivered il
in Il moment more but for grandfather
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