Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-04-05

were at home was an arsenal OF guns
they had such abundance as three good
hunters with ample opportunities,
could secure. Even Mrs. Gleason was
provided with a gun, a short, flint
lock fowling piece.
Briggs and Ellery were often away
upon trapping and hunting excur-
slons. In September they rode away
upon their ponies to the west to shoot
buffalo, and walked back at the end
of the hunt leading their ponies heav-
lily laden with hides. They had to go
only three days journey from the
river to strike the buffalo range"
now dwindled from its former vast
proportions to the limits of the Ma
tional park in Wyoming, where a
Struggling band of bulfalOes still ex-
lists, protected by United States soldiers.
These isolated settlers lived in con
slant danger, for the country all about
them was Uncommon hunting ground
of bands of Winnebagoes. Potawat-
omies and Musquakies. and OCCASION
ally Sioux. These last were far more
to be dreaded than the others, as Black
Hawks war had given the lesser and
nearer tribes wholesome fear of the
soldiers, stationed at various posts
throughout the region. No Indian
was trusted unless thoroughly known
to the white mans friend, and of
the three men living at the Little Pin
NEON, one always remained near the
cabin. W hen the trappers were away,
! Gleason stayed close at home busying
himself with the building of stables,
yard and fence, or with improvements
upon the cabin. To the latter he added
in time bedroom for himself and
wife, and a general storage room for
provender of all sorts.
Flour, coffee, sugar and other nee
essaries were got at Prairie du Chen
by Briggs and Ellery, who made the
trip in their bateau.
Early III autumn Struggling bands
of Indian hunters sometimes stopped
atthe Pinnicon cabin to beg for 'to
bac" and "sug," which, as the sup
plies were limited, had to be denied
them.
Winter came and passed without in
cident to the settlers, save such as
their hunts afforded. These were Of
ten stirring or amusing, and their re-
cital served to make the evening pass
pleasantly before the cracking back
logs of the fire place.
Thus time passed until planting
time came and went, and still the lit
tie band remained unmolested. About
the first of June Briggs and Ellery,
with the batcau well loaded with the
spring catch, set out for Prairie du
Chen.
They had been gone twelve days,
and their return was momentarily and
somewhat anXiously looked for by the
GleasOns, who were out of flour and
some other necessities. 1t was on the
morning of this twelfth day that Bill,
as his wife and the others called Glea-
son, came hurrying to the cabin.
''Sallie, sad he, with much excite
ment, there's big band of elk bout
mile up creek, an I'm goin' after
EN-! Won't be gone long.
Go ahead, Bill. said his wife. Il
can take care o myself few hours. y
He snatched down his rifle from its
pegs and hurried out.
He had been gone not much more
than an hour when young dog
chained near the door began to bark.
Mrs. Gleason looked out, and saw
coming down the river, half mile
away, a string of horsemcn whom she
knew at once to be Indians.
She watched them moment
Whether it was the manner in which
they rode, or the fact that she was
alone that alarmed her, she did not
know, but accustomed though she was
to the lonely life of the frontier, she
was frightened. She Immediately shut
and bolted the door, and with table
and stools hastily barricaded the two
Small openings which served as win
dows, leaving a corner of the one al
the front open to serve as port hole
Then she looked to her gun and fresh
ened the printing.
By this time the sound Of horses
hoofs had drawn near the cabin AM
halted. Sally Gleason's face was very
pale ut this moment, and her hand,
trembled, yet she did not hesitate, gun
i'll hand, to take her place at the open
ing in the window
She saw enough at her first glance
to warrant all the precaution she hat
taken. Naked, hideously bedaubed il
paint and evil eyed, such villainou!
looking lot of savages she had nevcl
before seen. There were seventeen O
them drawn up in squad few yard
distant, and they were surveying al
ternately the cabin and the growing
dog.
The Indians were armed with bow
and arrows and lances, with but two
guns III the crowd. Mrs. Gleason saw
at once that they were Sioux. Stand
ing far enough back in the darkene(
cabin to prevent them from seeing her
she looked through her portfolio direct
!y into the eyes Of these dangerous Wis
itors
For few moments they sat thei
ponies silently, giving no hostile sign
Presently one of them, with a guttura
word of command, turned his animal
head and with vicious cut of hi
quirt set off at a gallop, and the who'll
troop followed him.
Sallie Gleason breathed more freel,
as she watched the galloping squa'
cross the creek and ride out of sigh
beyond point of bluff some half mil