The Opelousas courier., 1889-07-20
That the Indians had not killed her

That the Indians had not killed her
when they had the opportunity was a
source of thankful wonder. 1t could not
be, she believed, that they had not
seen her, but they must have thought
themselves undiscovered. Thus she
speculated in fear and excitement.
Through an opening in the front win
dow her eye took in the broad expanse
of the Mississippi beyond the ambush
of the savages. Suddenly there came
into view, not q mile distant, the we'll
known sail of the bateau.
Her first feeling was one of delight;
but almost instantly the true situation
flashed upon her and she realized the
purpose of the ambush. A deadly fear
for her trapper friends seized upon the
brave woman's mind.
She saw it all now. The Indians had
discovered that 2ssal7away down the
river, and knoe4ng where the boat
would land they had, after their cum
ming and treacherous fashion, stolen
back to lie in ambush for the unsus-
| pecting boatmen. She had not been
seen on her excursion to the spring
because the Indians were intent upon
other victims.
She kept her eyes on the boat; it
was coming slowly on with a light
breeze in its favor; the boys seemed
to be plying the oars lazily.
What could be done to warn them?
It would be certain death to her to go
outside and make any movement like
ly to attract their attention. Even if
they saw or heard her, they might
well fancy her to be merely greeting
their return.
Then she thought of the "Wild
Goose Bar" and a plan of action came
like an inspiration. The Wild Goose
Bar was a drift of sand which extended
into the river from a point several
hundred yards above the mouth of the
creek. 1t connected with a small
island, or rather peninsula, about a
hundred yards from shore. The geese
in their autumn flight often alighfPd
upon it at night in great numbers, aid
this had given this sand-bar its name.
From the lay of the ground back of
the cabin-knoll Sallie knew that she
could reach a point very near to the
bar without being seen. If she might
but safely run the gauntlet of the sand
stretch to the covert of the willows
upon the island, she would be able to
warn the coming boatmen.
There was no time to lose. BY the
time she could reach the island the
bateau would be close at hand. She
opened the back window and, gun in
hand. crawled through and down
the side of the knoll into a little
''swale' which extenasd for some dis
lance parallel with the rivers bank.
Once on this low ground she bent for
ward so as to keep her head out of
sight and hurried up to a point which
she knew must be about opposite the
sand-bar. Then boldly rising upright
she ran swiftly across the intervening
ground to the river-bank and slid down
its steep side to the foot Of the bar.
The keen eyes of the Indians had
seen her at last. They guessed her
purpose and set up a howl like the cry
of a pack of wolves. Looking aside
in her flight along the bar she saw
them emerge, a yelling swarm, from
the creek-bed, and give swift chase up
the bank Of the river.
They shot rrow at her as she ran,
but the range 1t, first was to great,
and the shafts fell in the wate%p r. stuck
lightly in the sand behind her. RddlS
enough she thought of the cores Of
wild geese that had been fired upon
from the bank and killed upon the
sands over which she was fleeing.
That hundred yards seemed a long
distance. The Indians gained swiftly
upon her and before she could reach
the island their arrows began to whiz
past. She would certainly
have lost her life had not the boatmen.
who were rapidly drawing near, opened
fire at this critical moment. Their
l~ong-range rifles scattered the Indians
and sent them instantly flying.
Sallie had just breath lift to note
that there were more than two men in
the 6ateau, and then she fell exhaustfd
aid fainting upon the wet sand at the
edge of the island.
- t.
When she became conscious, Briggs
and Ellery were kneeling by her, one
on either side, tanning her with their
hats. Her clothing and hair we're
drenched with the water they had
thrown in her face to revive her.
Looking up, Sallie saw two tall
strangers leaning on their guns and
looking upon her with sympathy and
interest. They now came forward and
each in his rough way-for they, too,
were Observation-Disclosures express
sions Of grateful admiration, mingled
with not a little wonder at the feat she
had performed.
When Gleason returned and the
story was repeated to him, he said,
simply, but with wet eyes: "Ye're a
brave woman, Sallie, but I'll never
leave We alone agin, so longs thar's
danger from Injuns.n
That night John Ellery set out for
Prairie du CHEN In a canoe, and a few
days later a squad of cavalry secured
the region in search of the Sioux.
They did not find the Indians, who no
doubt knew of their presence and mis-
sion, for the settlers at Little Pinnicon