Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-10-25
Election tuesday, Nov. 9Th.

and as a result mounted their horses.
and followed by the footmen, rode away
The brave woman. almost exhaused by
the great physical strain that had been
put upon her, found vent in a flood of
tears as she threw herself into the arms of
her boys and, ,graSping the hand of their
brave ally, they sank upon the ground
and gave thanks for their preservation.
But they knew the craftineSs and hate of
the savage too well not to be aware that
the worst was not yet over and that the
band would return, perhaps with reen-
fOrcementS, and attack them.
That day passed in anxiety, but no en-
emy appeared and night fell, and still
there was no sign of their foes. The
faithful Fingre urged them to rest while
he watched, aud thus the night passed
until the first blush of dawn showed it
self in the east, when the watcher awak-
ened his mistress and quietly told her to
prepare for another onslaught. His eyes
had not mistaken the indistinct figures
that he caught glimpse of in the dark
ness, for hardly had the besieged reached
their posts when they were aSsailed with
heavy fire of bullets, and in the uncer-
tain light they saw large number of the
relentless Kaffirs making rush towards
them. Their rifles cracked time and time
again as they emptied the contents at
the advancing savages, now scarcely
twenty yards distant, but these did not
waver, they hurled themselves against
the barricades, which they endeavored to
beat down, and some, having lit torches,
threw them upon the matched roof of
the building, setting it on fire and ad-
ding another terrible phase to their al
ready desperate condition. The poor
mother was now almost driven to de-
spair, the new danger threatening de-
structiOn. But again the heroic boy
came to the rescue. Bidding his sister
take his place at the cartridge box he
moved towards the kitchen of the build
ing, which was in the rear, and, peeping
through the loop hole e,reconnoitred. The
enemy had retired, waiting for the fire
to do the work for them, and the lad,
having assured himself that no one was
lurking around, crept out with pail of
of water and, cropping his way towards
where the nearest torch had been thrown,
emptied the contents upon it and return
ed. Twice he did this, and was emerg-
ing third time, when he was GRABBED by
the throat by huge Katfir, who dragged
him away toward the attacking band.
The appearance of the Kafiir with his
captive was the signal for wild yell and
with the trembling boy in their midst
they dashed once more toward the house.
The horror of the now frantic mother
waSterrible, as in the fast approaching
daylight she recognized her boy in the
hands of these monsters. Morever, she
dared not shoot for fear of wounding
her son, who called to his mother "to
shoot and not to mind him." The KaffirS,
brandishing their assegais around the
boy, swore that if the besieged did not
surrender he should be butchered in
front of his mothers eyes and one already
pressed the point of his spear against
the boys chest. The grief of the woman
was heartrending, and it was with diff
Guilty that she could be dissuaded from
rushing forth towards her son, but her
agony was short lived. Even as she way
cred there arose upon the morning air a
clatter of hoofs, and, before the sayages
could recover from their surprise, with a
hearty cheer and sabers raised aloft,
there dashed into their midst party of
Cape Mounted Rifles. 1t was case of
''sauve que peut," and the enemy broke
and fled.
A bloody war followed, in which many
deeds of valor were done, but none that
outshone the defense of the brave wo-
man at the Idutche.