Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1888-12-20

shouted grandmother, waving her hand
TO him; and he did his best.
But the old man did not have it in him.
He was within rifle shot of the door,
when the redskins bore him down to the
grass, righH in plain sight of his wife.
Five or six of them halted to take care
Of the prisoner, and the rest, whoopine
and yelling, made for the house. Grand
mother stood square in the door, and the
rifle was slowly lifted.
When the foremost savage was twenty
rods away, out on a line with the barrel,
there was quick report and the Indian
fell forward on the grass. Then she
stepped back, closed the door, and the
next moment the shouting demons
jumped against it. The door stood like
a rock, Baffled and disappointed, the
Indians hacked at the boards with their
tomahawks, as II to hew their way in.
Striking away, one of the blows fell on a
knot in the plank and the knot fell at the
woman's feet, while hole az large as a
mans fist was left IN the door, En-
couraged by this the Indians were chop
ping away, when grandmother seized the
revolver, took swift aim, and horrible
yell mingled with tho report The In
dams then fell back. to where they had
left their prisoner, and were out OF
range. '"~
Grandfather had his arms tied behind
him, and after q few minutes walked out
a few feet in advance of his captors. He
looked ut the house, then looked back
and refused to obey the command given
him. The Indians advanced, drew their
tomahawks, and then the captive shouted:
! Nancy Nancy! unbaT the door,
leave the rifle in the house and come out
here. They won't hurt you'll"
The wife heard every word Of it, and
the trembling tones of the old mans
voice made her heart ache. But she
knew that the Indians had forced him to
make the appeal and that it was only a
ruse for them to get another prisoner.
She made no reply, and directly the red
skins forced the old man to speak again.
Nancy" he called, 1.-The Indians say
if you don't come out they will murder
me right here"
1t was the hardest struggle Of her long
life, but grandmother realized that both
would certainly be murdered if she COM
piled, and that If she held out there was
hope that help might come from immi-
grants or hunters before night. Tears
came to her eyes, and she could not
choke down her sobs as she thought of
her husbands fate; but she was deter
mined to resist to the last, As she did
not reply one Of the Indians, who could
speak English quite well, stepped out
and shouted
Come, hurry up quick. You no
come out, we kill old mani"
Peter Barnes" shouted old grand
mother, her mouth at the knot hole, IL
know that you don't want me to come
out, and l shall not come. have the
rifle and revolver. and shall defend the
house to tho last Be on your watch for
chance to break away and run to the
house"
Tho Indians understood sufficient of the
speech to know that the woman did not
propose to surrender, and they gathered
around the prisoner and held consulta-
ton. At length, leaving two of their
number to guard him. the others, fifteen
in all, made detour and collected on the
north side of the house. They had no
arrows to fire the house from distance,
but gathered brush and piled it against
the north door to force the woman to
come out.
She had no loopholes en- that side, but
going up stairs she softly removed strip
Of "chinking" from between two Of the
logs, thrust through the hand holding the
revolver, and shooting by guess badly
wounded one Of the savages.
With great whooping and yelling the
rascals drew out Of range and held an
other consultation. In few minutes
they all reappeared on the south side,
gathered about grandfather, and directly
struck course for the woods from
which they had first issued, grandfather
being led along behind. The woman
watched them with the greatest anxiety,
believing that they had abandoned the
siege and that she would never see her
husband again.
She watched and waited for about half
an hour, and was just thinking of OPEN
ing the door when faint whooping
reached her from the woods A moment
afterwards grandfather came flying
across the fields, waving his hands to her
as soon rs leaving tho woods. Two or
three minutes later the Indians burst ont
Ct tho woods in full cry, but were forty
rods behind the fugitive.
Grandmother realized that an escape
had Ecen made, and she laid Gown the
revolver and stood ready to oren the door.
AS tho fugitive got within twenty rods,
being then thirty rods ahead of pursuit,
she began to unbar the door. Shc had
only touched it whom some one lcaped
against it-not one, but four or five.
Finding it fast, the savages, for such they
were, sat up howl of rage and retreated
out of range. Grandfather was standing
still. about fifteen rods from ;hc door,
and the woman did not have 10 look twice
10 see into the game. One of the Indians
had donned the prisoners clothing,
jammed the familiar hat over his fore
head, and the pursuit. was all a sham.
Before he had left tie woods four or five
Indians had made 4 detour urd softly ap-
preached the house. 80 as to be ready to
leap in when the bar came down from
the door. 1t was not grandmothcr's wit,
but their own haste III leaping OFT, which
had prevented the capture Of the house
and her death.