Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-04-26

SAh " AChA eAAANA 90 my Ne.AAAO
near the south end of the field. which
was fringed by the forest. She saw
her husband pulling them and using
the whip. but in a moment more the
animals dashed off at full speed. Just
rs they started, grandmother heard
faint .'Yi! yir' and the next moment
caught sight of score of savages as
they dashed out of the woods and made
| for her husband.
"Just exactly as 1 dreamed" she
whispered to herself, lifting the rifle
clear of the floor.
Grandfather caught sight of the red
he wheeled and made for the house at
his best pace. For few rods he held
his own, but then his fifty yards be-
gan to tell on him, and the shouting
Indians began to gain. They were
thirty rods behind him at the start, but
before half the distance to the house
had been traversed they were not ten
| rods behind.
run. father! run for your lifer'
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 riie-shot of the
door, when the redskins bore him down
to the grass, right in plain sight of his
| wife. Five or six of them halted to
take care of the prisoner, and the rest.
whooping and yelling. made for the
house Grandmother stood square in
the door. and the rifle was slowly
lifted, When the foremost savage was
! twenty rods away, out on line went
the barrel, there was q 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.
Baff1ed and disappointed, the
Indians. hacked at the boards with
their tomahawks, as if 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
a hole as large as mans fist was left
in the door Encouraged by this, the
Indians were chopping away, when
| grandmother seized the revolver, took
swift aim, and a horrible yell mingled
with the report. The Indians then fell
back to where they had left their pris
Oner, and were out of range.
Grandfather had his arms tied be-
hind him, and after few minutes
walked out few feet in advance of
his captors. He looked at 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! unbar the door,
leave the rifle in the house, and come
out here. They won't hurt your
| 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 q ruse for them to get another
prisoner She made no reply, and
directly the redskins forced the old
man to speak again.
Nancy" he called. "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 complied. and that if she held
out there was hope that help might
come from immigrants or hunters be-
fore night. Tears came to her eyes,
and she could not choke down her sobs
as she thought of her husbands fate;
but she was determined 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. II
know that you don't want me to come
out, and shall not come! Ihave the rifle
house to the last! Be on your watch
for chance 10 break away and ruin to
the house."
The Indians understood sufficient of
the speech to know that the woman did
not propose to surrender, and they
gathered around the prisoner and held
consultation. At length. leaving
two of their number to guard
him, the others, fifteen in all, made n
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 on that side,
but going up stairs. she softly removed
a strip of "chinking" from between
two of the logs. thrust through the
hand holding the revolver. and shoot
ing by guess. badly wounded one of
the savages. With great whooping
and yelling the rascals drew out of
range and held another consultation.
In a few minutes they all reappeared