The mountain signal. (Mount Vernon, Ky.) 1887-18??, 1888-02-24

some opened fire on us from the win
dows. others made preparations for
bonfire. In about ten minutes the
house was on fire, and the Indians
crowded together on the far side. 1t
was log R6usc, and the roof fell in
before the sides were hardly ablaze.
The slight wind blew the smoke and
sparks directly over MS, 50 that we
could not see five feet. The Indians
continued TO yell and dance for time,
but suddenly there was terrific en-
ploson and Il dozen screams of terror.
| was looking into the smoke cloud,
which now and then lifted for an in
slant, and | saw the burning logs of
the house scattered to the four winds
by the explosion. Miller knew the
reds would set the building on fire,
and he had placed one of the kegs of
powder where it would do the most
good. We counted five warriors killed
or disabled by the explosion. and Mil
Ter killed two others before the crowd
got out of range. The house was the
best shelter from which to worry us,
and they had lost by destroying it.
The strength of our fort could be seen
at glance. The Indians were wise
enough not to attempt rush, and the
whole party we're also impatient to
push Oh to other scenes. Six or eight
more arrived soon after the explosion,
and presently we saw them making
ready to move of. A general volley
was fired at Ms, the war whoop was
sounded, and the brief siege was raised.
1t was half an hour before we ventlired
out, and not IN Indian was in sight
We could, however, se5 .all columns OF
black smoke whicheverwa we looked,
and it was plain that the whole section
was in the hands of the Indians. We
could not ut first make ont why they
had left us, but Miller soon concluded
that they knew what they were about.
| We had no means of escape left TO us.
The savages were on every side, and if
we attempted to leave the neighbor-
hood we should fall into the hands of
some of them. 1t was quite safe to
leave us there while they pushed on to
| butcher the defenseless ones.
An hour after dinner we were joined
by three young men who had been hid
ing, lodging and travelling since the
evening before, and who had come u
distance of twenty miles. They were
bachelor homesteaders, and all had
rifles, revolvers and plenty of ammuni-
ton. 1t was welcome addition to
our party, for we now felt that we
would have to stand siege. Mrs.
Miller brought out the pots and kettles.
and cooked iinner on a fire in the open
air, and aL was eAtenl she began
rST1 h f6r-Tse Nse. -'F5rk
was P5ie lr stirred inf cakes, cof-
fee made EnS pat into jugs, and before
night she had food enough to last II
dozen men II week. Meanwhile the
rest of us had not been idle. Some
large posts were sunk in the earth be-
fore the door, leaving space enough for
only one person to come in at us at n
time that way. Four more loopholes
were made in the walls, and then the
planking of the roof was loopholed
by means of the auger in at least
twenty places. / now saw what Miller
had been up to the day before. He had
put in no less than three powder mines
in the vicinity, running slow match
to each one. The only cover the
Indians could have in the neighbour
hood was in the rear of the fort. where
we had miNed the rock. We had left
q big Rol& which was q natural rifle
pit, AMI our loopholes did not COM
mand it. They would be sure to occu-
Ply this place. and the men prepared Il
torpedo holding fifteen pounds of pow
der, and hiIit under the rocks and
dirt on the brink of the pit. A trench
was then dug to and under the wall OF
the milk house. and by means OF
boards q tgairi of powder was laid.
When the mad been filled in again
no one co We told that it had been
We wei ready as we could be al
six o'clScI the'sun was just going
down wheks''f5 saw the Indians ap.
preaching. ,.By that time more than
three thousand settlers had been butch.
cred or driven from their homes, and
the war which was to sweep over III
extent of country two hundred miles
long and sIGtI broad, and alarm thirty
thousand s. lyl0F had opened in all its
| q
approached numbered only siXteer
warriors, and as soon as they saw oul
strength thay fired II few shots ut lons
/ range and Ecd on to the east. A
dark we Ell ed the fort, arranged thu
goods and. visions to give us all thu
room possibS<' and by and by turned
in TO sleep while one man was left o,
t watch. THIS was Miller. He was t,
watch until might, and then cal