The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1890-10-30

Il
I dians?"
"Iudiau heap mal-look outl" he re-
piled, and with that he stallled away,
and would not even turn his head when
I called to him.
I don't believe I should have realized
the full significance Of his warning had
not au older head come to my assistance.
Mrs. Webster, our nearest neighbor,
whose husband had also gone to be a
soldier, but who had not gone with him
to the station, came over at noon to bor-
row some flour. When I told her what
had happened she was very much
alarmed. She had heard whispered fears
of an Indian outbreak, and she argued
that Long Walk would not have done as
he had if there was not imminent dan
ger. She had no children, and was only
a few minutes in deciding to remain with
us until mother returned. I went to her
house and got her double -barrelled shot
gun and ammunition, rs we'll as "a bundle
of clothes, and when returned we began
carrying out the instructions of the In
dian. The spring was only hundred
feet from the house. got on the roof
and water was passed up to me, and
flung it about until the slabs would soak
in no more. A bonfire on the roof would
scarcely have ignited them. We had two
tubs and several jars. These we filed
and carried into the house.
1t was four o'clock in the afternoon
when we were through. I had then
moulded over a hundred bullets for rifle
and revolver, and we could think OF
nothing else to add to our security. What
was very unusual thing, we had seen
no Indians that day, except Long Walk.
This, as much as anything else, satisfied
Mrs. Webster that something unusual
was cn foot. About five o'clock she de-
termincd to go to her cabin to pack up
and bring away some small articles, and
she returned two hours later in a state
OF great agitation. She had caught sight
OF several Indians skulking about, and on
the road had met squaw, who had
spoken to her in au insulting manner, and
tried to take the bundle from her hand.
It was vet dark when we shut the house
up and made ready for the awful trag.
edy which was to bc played on the NOR
row.
don't think Mrs. Wester closed hei
eyes that night, although nothing occur,
red to disturb us, and sister and slept
for many hours. II had been daylight
for an hour when we awoke, aud we
were then aroused by the voice of Mrs.
Webster saying:
"Children! children! The Indians ore
coming"
While I was dressing I heard the yells
and whoops of Indians about the house.
There was a gang OF about forty of them,
and as soon as looked out through q
loopholc I saw a great smoke from the
residence of Mrs. Webster's house. Just
as I was dressed there came pounding
on the door, and the voice of an Indian
called out:
"Huh! Somebody in here! Oper
door, quick!"
"What do you want2" asked Mrs
Webster.
"Indian hungry-want food. 1udiar
good friends with Mrs. Bliss"
was watching the crowd at the door,
and saw that ali were armed. Two OF
three were crouched ready to spring al
the door the instant it was unbarred.
"Go away-you can't come in" re-
piled Mrs. Webster.
"Indiau want food"
"Wc have none for you."
"Indian want whisky"
"There is no whisky in the house."
"Then Indian want to talk"
"Wcll, what do you want9"
They had expected to take us by SUR
prise, and the fact that they had not up
set their calculations for time. They
retired q short distance to talk it over,
and during this interval we made ready
for what was coming. Making as little
noise as possible, six Indians laid down
their guns and picked up piece of four
by-four scantling, whicn father intended
to use as one of the sills for dairy
house over the spring. They were ap-
preaching the door with this battering g
ram when I fired from the lcft-hand win
dow and Mrs. Webster from the right
both of us using shotguns. I fired at th
mems legs and she at their heads. had
but one barrel, while she had two.
As all six went down I thought at frs
we had killed them all. Not so, how
ever, though it was plain that all wer'
hit. Two lay on the ground under tn
scantling, while the others got up tt
limp away. We had opened the battle
and got in the first knock-down blow
For moment the ITdians were s.upe
fed. Then they uttered their wal
whoop, and the fight was on.
think I should have made goot
fight of it without Mrs. Webster, as hat
been brought up on the frontier, and hat
the nerve of man, but it was we'll tha
Sic was there. While she was pale-facet
and anxious her voice was steady, ant
she took things coolly. Sister Mamie
was greatly frightened at first, but afte
few minutes she overcame it and asked
for the rifle, with which she was tolcr
ably fair shot.
The first move of the indians was tc
take possession of the log barn, whici
stood about 200 feet away. There wa
little Or nothing in it, and if they fired i
the distance was too great to endange
the house. They opened fire on the TIVE
rear windows, and we kept away from
them. Now aud then one of their bul
lets came through loopholc, but W
were out Of range. The Indians mus