River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-04-25


Winter came and passed without in
I cident 70 the settlers. save such as
+ their hunts afforded. These were often
/ stirring or amusing. and their recital
served 20 make the evening pass pleas
antly before the cracking bacz-Iogs of
F the Fireplace.
Thus time passed until planting
/ time came and went. and still the
little band remained unmolested. About
the FIRST Of June Briggs aud Ellery.
with the bateau 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
i GleasOns, who were out of -four and
/ some other necessities. II was on the
morning Of this twelfth day that Bill,
/ Is his wife and the others called Glea-
son, came hurrying to the cabin.
"sallie," said he. with much excite
ment, there's big band of elk bout
a mile up creek, an I'm goin' after
EN-. Won't be gone long"
Go ahead. Bill, said his wife. 81
can take care o myself a few hours. "
He snatched down his rifle from its
/ pegs, and hurried out.
/ He had been gone not much more han
an hour, when a young dog c. aimed
I near the door began 10 bark. Mrs
! Gleason looked out. and saw coming
down the river half mile away,
string Of horsemen whom she knew at
( once to be Indians.
She watched them a moment.
/ Whether it was the manner in which
/ shey 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 tools hastily barricaded the two
small openings which served as win
dOws, leaving a corner of the one at |
the front open to serve as a portfolio.
Then she looked to her gun, and !
/ freshened the printing
BY this time the sound OF horses |
hOofs had drawn near the cabin and /
halted. Sallie Gleason's face was very |
pale at this moment. and her hands /
trcmbled. yet she did not hesitate, gun |
in 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 had 1
taken. Naked, hideously bedaubed 1
in paint and evil-eyed, such a VIII 1
demonstrating lot of savages she had /
never before seen. There were sew
enteen OF them drawn up in a squad a
few yards distant. and they were sur
veying alternately the cabin and the
growing dog.
The Indians were armed with bows
and arrows and lances. with but two
guns in the crowd. Mrs. Gleason saw
at once that they were Sioux. Stand
ing far enough back in the darkened l
cabin to prevent them from seeing
he. she looked through her portfolio
directly into the eyes of these danger
Gus visitors.
For a few moments thev sat their
ponies silently. giving no hostile sign.
Presently one Of them with a cultural
word Of command. turned his animals
head and with a vicious cut OF his
quirt set of at a gallOp, and the whole
troop followed him.
Sallie Gleason breathed more freely
a. she watched the galloping squad
cross the creek and ride out of sight
beyond point OF bluff some half-mile
below. She thought OF her husband.
but felt certain he was not in the d.
rectiou they had taken. She opened
the door aud windows aud resumed her
household occupations. but kept a
sharp watch ia all directions.
Several hours passed with no Incl
dent 10 arouse her fears afresh. At
noon she made preparations for dinner.
expecting Bill soon to return. Then she
took pail and started for the spring
for water
She reached the top Of the gully
through which the little creek ran. and
was about to descend 70 the spring
when she saw something near the
mouth of the gulch that gave her in
slant alarm. It was single feather
dyed red projecting above the ridge Of
a clay bank that marked a turn of the
creeks channel.
She had seen that feather three hours
before and remembered il. II slowly
disappeared. She turned about and
hurried back to the cabin, expecting
every moment 10 hear the Indian yell
and feel an arrow pierce her body.
Bat nothing further occurred TO alarm
her then. and she reached the cabin in /
safety.
Once more she barred all entrances |
and prepared 10 defend herself 10 Tho |
last. She understood now. she thought.
why the treachcrous fellows had rid
den away 80 uncOncernedly. They had
intended the action for blind After
riding out Of sight they had dismOunt-
ed, and having SUNK back under shell
ter OF the river bank. had entered the
bed Of the creek, whore they were now
lying in wait for "A chance to shoot
down the inmates Of the cabin.
That the Indians had not killed her
when they had the opportunity was
source of thankful wonder. II could not
be. she believed, thSt they had not
seen her, but they must have thought
themselves undiscovered. Thus she
spccula;cd in fear and excitement.
Through an opening in the front win
dow her eye took in the broad expanse
o. the Mississippi beyond the ambush
of the savages. Suddenly there came
into view. not "a mile distant. the we'll
known sail OF the blicdu.
Her first feeling was one of delight;
bat almost instantly the true situation
flashed upon her aud she realized the
purpose of the ambush. \ deadly fear
for her trapper friends seized upon the
brave wOman's mind.
She saw II all now. The Indians had
discovered that sail away down the
river, and knowing whore the boat
would land they had. after their Gun
ming aud treache-ous fashion, stolen
back 90 lie in ambush for the unsus-
pcctjng boaimeu. 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
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