The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-12-14
dcred from the settlers cabins. and n

| 'HNiuehoiy Iney nau seen Jne nasty fl1gnt
to the milk-house, but gave no hint of
having done so. Among the band, Mrs.
Harvey recognized several whom she
had kindly supplied with food and other
articles not many days before.
9ells of savage indignation came from
the Sioux who entered the cabin and
store, to find them already stripped of
their most desirable contents. A coun-
Gil was held Immediately.
They expected every moment to see
the flames devour their buildings. But,
instead, an Indian who had been in the
settlement often and had picked up
little imperfect English left tho coun-
Gil and approached the retreat of the
whites, giving the peace sign.
He stopped when within a hundred
feet of the fort, and called:
"Runnin' Dog want talk with store
man." meaning Harvey, who had built
up considerable trade with the Indians
in his little isolated rural store.
"What do you want to talk about?"
Harvey shouted back through one of the
loop-holes:
"Runnin' Dog and braves want heap
powder-shot!'
"To kill the whites?" demanded Har-
vey.
mo kill pale-faces; Sioux friendly"
replied the willy Running Dog.
What do you mean then, by riding
around this way?"
"Some braves get fire-water, drink
heap, make heap noise, ride over white
mans settlement; but no kill white
man." answered the Indian.
| al Jo &c
fight"
"Why whites go into store house?"
asked Running Dog.
1--WE thought change might be good
for our health"
"Will store-man come out?"
"No, the air outside isn't good for him."
"Then Sioux burn store and cabin"
answered the Indian.
'That is what we have been expecting
ever since your bloody gang rode up. So
| pitch in!''
| And so the conference ended.
| Running Dog returned to his fellows,
to whom he lost no time in fully trans
lating the dialogue between himself and
| the settler.
With whoop and howl some of the In
dians opened fire on the fort, while
others prepared for great bonfire.
The shots against the fort had no
effect whatever. Very soon store and
cabin were wrapped in wild flames, and
the Sioux began little war-dance
around them, leaping and yelling in
fiendish glee.
The store being log structure, the
roof fell in before the walls. AS the
Sioux leaped and chanted wildly about |
their bonfire, suddenly there was great |
explosion, followed almost instantly by |
shrieks of terrible agony. Burning logs |
were hurled in every direction, and in
tense excitement reigned among the red |
war-dancers.
Harry Grey only gave grim smile as
his companions looked inquiringly ut |
him.
81 merely placed half-keg of powder
where | knew it would do us a friendly |
turn if the Sioux burned the store" he
said.
The smoke somewhat subsiding after
the explosion, the besieged were able to
count eight Indians killed and several
badly mangled. Among the slain was
Running Dog.
The buildings consumed were the only
shelter from which the Indians could
attack them, and they were now lost to
them. The gang clearly realized the
strength of the little garrison, and pos
sessed caution enough not TO attempt
rush upon it.
The band soon rode off, taking their
dead and wounded with them. This
gave the besieged whites an opportunity
to leave the milk-house, kindle fires,
and prepare food enough to last several
days. Harvey and one of the settlers
attended to strengthening the fort and
perfecting arrangements for long
siege. There was no telling when re-
lief would reach them.
The shadows of evening were length
ening across those sadly desolated prai-
ries, when the whites beheld long line
of Sioux steal out of the forest and ride
like demons toward them.
Quickly entering their fort they had
the door barricaded, and every gun ready
for use when the band, which at this
time numbered forty-one, rode up and
halted just beyond rife range.
Harry Grey had counted them from a
loop-hole. Suddenly his ruddy face grew
pale, and he was observed to tremble as
if an ague had seized him.
"The fiends!" came from his ashen lips,
"What is it?n cried Harvey.
''Look!" and he pointed toward the s
band of Sioux. I
Harvey sprang to a lopp-hole and sur
veyed the object of Harry's emotion. He s
started greatly as his eyes fell on Il lovely
white girl, with plump, graceful figure,
long golden hair streaming wildly away {
from her scared, colorless face and with t
her arms tied cruelty behind her back. 4
She was captive in the midst of band ]
Of merciless Indians! t
Heavens" calculated Harvey, SIT is
Daisy Murdoch" '
Eyes, and she.is captive in the hands /
Of that fendish band. Heavens! what d
San / do?" he cried, in wild excitement.
Daisy Murdock was the only child of a
settler who had taken "a claim" about 4
fifteen miles south of Harvey's store. f
The Murdocks and the Greys had been +
Did neighbors in Illinois, and had come q
to Minnesota together. Daisy and Harry
Grey had been lovers from childhood, y
and the coming Christmas had been APP a
pointed as a suitable time for celebra- L
ting their nuptials in good old-fashioned
frontier Style. Harry had intanded Inv 81