Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-05-05


no means Of ascertaining the lapse of time,
except by the length of candle consumed,
or by the stars as there was no moon; but
she conjectured that it was long past mid
night.
Again and again did she go forth and
looked all around with searching glance;
but nothing met her gaze, except the dark
forest in the distance, and close around
her dwelling the black stumps, that looked
like sentinels on guard; while nothing
was heard save the soft ripping of the
water, and at times a low rustling, as some
passing zephyr stirred the leaves Of the old
oak.
AT length, as she stood at the corner of
her house, beneath the shade of that tree,
looking earnestly towards the woods, she
thought she perceived something emerging
from their shadow. If it did. it vanished
instantly. She kept her eyes fixed on the
spot. A bright starlight enabled her to
discern objects quite distinctly, even at
distance, especially when her faculties
were reused and stimulated both by hope
and fear. After some time, she again, and
plainly, saw human figure. 1t rose from
the ground. looked and pointed towards
the house, and then disappeared
She recollected her light 1t could be
seen from the window, and probably had
attracted the notice of the savages, who,
she could no longer doubt, were approach
ing.
They had, as she fancied, waylaid and
murdered her husband. They were COM
ing to capture, perhaps murder, her and
her child. What should she do? What
could she do?
She never thought of attempting to es-
cape without her babe, but in what direc-
ton should she fly, when perhaps the In
dams even now surrounded the house :?
There was one moment Of terrible agony,
when, in her imagination, she saw the
mangied form Of her husband before her.
and heard, in idea, the shrieks of her babe
beneath savage torture, till her breath
failed and reason itself seemed deserving
her. But she made strong effort to recall
her wandering senses, and then, with her
eyes and ciaSped hands raised towards
heaven, she formed her resolution.
With a noiseless step she entered her
dwelling, extinguished the light, took her
infant in her arms, and again stole softly
forth, creeping along in the shadow of the
house, till she reached the spot where she
had first seen the object that alarmed her.
Here she stood perfectly still Her infant
lay on her bosom in profound sleep, as
quiet and seemingly as breathless as
though his spirit had already flown. She
did not wait long before the same figure
again rose, looked around, and then sank
down as before
The moment it disappeared, Nellie
passed swiftly and softly as a shadow over
the space that separated the house from
the oak tree. The tree was an uncom-
monty large one, and there was separa-
ton e the trunk into two branches. :ibout
three feet from the ground, where Nellie
thought 1t possible she might lie con-
cealed. She gained it, and placed herself
in position which allowed her to watch
the door of her dwelling.
All was silent for a long while-more
than an hour as she thought; but, sit
uated as she then was, every moment
seemed an age to her, and she began to
doubt the reality of what she had seen.
imagining she had been deceived and
taken stump for human figure, and she
was about to descend from the tree, where
her situation was extremely uncomfortable,
when suddenly savage crept by her be-
tween the tree and the house. As another
and another followed, it was with diff
Guilty that she suppressed her screams.
But she did suppress them, and the only
sign she gave of her fear was to press her
infant closer to her bosom.
They reached the door, and an exclama-
ton of surprise at finding it open was
uttered by the first savage and responded
to by the second. After a short consulta
ton they entered, and Nellie soon saw the
CLEAN of light, and supposed they had
klndled 1t to search for her. Her heart
throbbed wildly, and nameless fear seized
her soul; yet still she hoped to escape. 1t
was not probable, she reasoned with her
self, that they would search tree so near
the house; they would rather suppose that
she had fled to a distance
Presently loud cracking noise came
from the house; the glare of light was seen
through window and door; the Indians,
with wild yell of exultation ringing
upon their lips, rushed out and began to
dance around with frantic gestures, and
Nellie saw that the house was on fire.
Still, the only sign she gave of fear was
as she took the scarf from her neck and
threw it over the face of her sleeping child.
to screen his eyes from the glare of light
that would certainly waken him, and to
press him closer and closer to her heart.
The flames shot through the door and
window, streamed upward, and soon caught
the rafters and boards, and it seemed scarce
five minutes from the moment Nellie first
saw the light till the blaze burst through
% NJ 1 l. Il
heat around the burning building, sud
denly expanded, and the cool or more
dense air rushing in seemed as if the wind
had violently risen, and it drove the thick
smoke and showered the burning cinders
directly upon the oak tree.
Nellie felt the searching heat, while the
suifocating vapor almost deprived her of
the power of respiration. She grew dizzy.
yet the only movement she made was to
turn her child little in her arms that he
might be more effectually shielded from
the smoke and cinders.
AT that moment one of the savages ap-
preached, in the wild movements of his
war-dance, close to the tree in which
Nellie was hidden. A gust of wind swept
away the smoke; the light of the burning
house fell full on the pale face of Nellie;
her eyes, as if by power of fascination,
were riveted upon the paint-bedaubed
countenance of the Indian; his fiery glance
was raised towards her, and their eyes
met.
The savage gave a start, and the note of
his war-whoop was shriller and more pro-
longed as he intently regarded his victim.
Suddenly he turned away. Nellie MUIR
INJURED a prayer and resigned herself to
death, as she heard the painted demon
give utterance to a blood-curdling war
whoop.
Ny boy my husband p she mentally
1--WE shall meet-we shall
meet in heavenr p
But why did not the Indians approach ?
She listened, looked around the whole
clearing was Illuminated by the bright
glare, and she saw the Indians fleeing
with the speed of frightened deer to the
shelter of the wood. She did not pause to
consider what had caused their flight;
but, obeying that instinct which bids us
shun the present danger, she sprang from
the tree and rushed to the river. which
was only few rods distant. She recol-
lected spot where the bank projected,
beneath which, during the summer months.
the bed of the river was nearly dry there
l. II i 2