Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-09-03

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and are filling their pails" / peeped
through the crack again and saw them
STOPPING over the water, and then |
looked anxiousiy at the brush-wood on
either side, but there WAS not an Indian
IN sight. L did not know then las the
others did that nearly five hundred
blood-thlrsty saSages were lurking
there and watching every movement of
the helpless white women-I did not
realize that if they thought best to fire
from their hiding-place our men could
not defend their wives and daughters
without leaving the fort unprotected,
and ii was Just as well for me that |
WAS too young TO fully understand all
this. And yet, | could not keep back
my tears, while | watched my mothers
bending form as she filled her pail, and
then helped one of the young girls,
whose courage and strength seemed to
be giving ont. Some of the women
called to each other gaily, and even
splashed the water as If IN mlrth, and
then at last they all stood up and turned
their faces towards the fort. Oh, how
slowly they seemed to walk Would
they reach the only place of safety be-
fore the Indians suspected them of
trickery? If they had hurried then, all
would have been lost, for not only
would the precious water have been
wasted, but the enemy would have seen
through the plot, and revenged them
selves with fresh fury on the women.
As they came nearer, carrying their
heavy buckets, | could see my mother
face; it was quite pale, but brave and
smiling. for she knew she WAS saving
her dear ones from the lingering death
of THIRST. In a few minutes the de-
voted party reached the fort; i started
TO my feet and running round to the
gateway, got there Just as the door
swung open and the women came in.
The young girls We're first, with their
pals partly emptied, for IN their haste
they had crowded little at the last
moment and the water had spilled
over, and then, more calmly, came the
married women-I rushed towards
them, the gate closed behind the last
ones and the next instant L was clasped
i'll my mothers arms. Oh, what q hap
py moment that wssi / cared for moth
ing else when | felt those dear arms
about me, and those loving kisses on
my face, for il seemed to me that il did
not matter whether the Indians were
out there in the bushes or not, now
that my mother Was inside the fort
again, and the gate barred"
The old lady stopped speaking and
wiped her eyes thoughtfully and her
young audience began TO fear that she
WAS not gong to tell them any more.
well Grandma, what did the In
dians do them" asked the children
eagerly. did they come out and shoot?"
"No indeed, they stayed in hiding
and pretty soon some Of our men dis
covered that party of redskins were
on the other side OF US, near the LexIng-
f..F 4 J.. 4 i.
up their minds that this WAS only de-
coy, and that if they were to leave the
fort to chase these Indians, those round
the brook would sieZe the opportunity
TO rush up, climb over the palisades,
fire the cabins aud kill the women and
children. SO thirteen active young
men We're chosen Frank two brothers
were among them) and when every
thing was ready they rushed out with
guns loaded and attacked the decoy
party, firing very rapidly and making
as much noise as they could SO that it
sounded as If every man had left the
fort. Meanwhile, all the rest of our
men had stationed themselves at the
portfolios nearest the brook, and wait
ell with their guns cooked for the main
body of the enemy.
Charley and | we're standing at the
door of our cabin holding tight to
mothers hands lest she should leave US
again. We heard the quick firing of
the young men on the Lexington road
and IL grew fainter and fainter until IL
ceased entirely, and the next minute there
rose a terrible war-whoop on the other
side, and five hundred painted warriors,
sprang up and came running towards
the fort, thinking to find it undefend-
ed. Frank WAS looking through his
crack and saw them and he told me all
about 1t. We heard their savage yells,
as they came and then saw father and
the other men discharge their rifles
the dusky mass stopped astonlshed,
several Indians fell and after a minutes
hesitation the rest turned and ran back
to shelter, followed by volley after
volley of rifle balls. At the same time
our young men came in at the other
gate, breathless but smiling, and de-
lighted with the success of the trick.
Then the Indians gradually spread
themselves round all sides of us, and
there was firing from time to time, but
no one was hurt, and IN the afternoon
We heard great noise on the LeIing-
ton road. 1t was the hurried galloping
of horses, and in few minutes sixteen
white men on horseback dashed up to
the gate. When they were safe insIde
the fort they told us that our messen-
gers, Bell and Tomlinson had reached
Lexington Just after all the fight
ing men had left for Hoy's Sta
ton, but had ridden atfull speed
after them, and persuaded them to turn
back to Bryant's where they were
needed most. Besides the horsemen
there were nearly fifty others, and Just
as they were hurrying down q lane be-
tween the woods and the corn fields
they were attacked by an immense
body of Indians; the horsemen man
aged to break through and reach the
fort but the rest ran into the cornfield
and there was skIrmish that lasted an
hour. Two of the whites were killed,
the others got away, and then the In
dians came back to besiege us. Our
men kept sharp lookout for them,
and thank to the bravery of the women
there was plenty of water for everyone,
to we were comfortable, and felt quite
secure. The afternoon passed quietly,
and Just as the sun was setting, a man
was seen creeping on his hands and
knees 10 a tree-stump near the fort,
and here he stood up and called to our
Garrison. He said he would give his
word of honor, that If he surrendered
at once not hair of our heads should
be hurt, but that If not, We would all
be blown into the air by the cannon
which he was expecting every minute.
On hearing this, some of our men were
in doubt as to what ought to be done,
but others said that this man was SImon
Girty, rascally white who had joined
the Indians, and that We could not
trust the word of a renegade, and after
minutes pause one of the bravest of
our young men, named Reynolds, stood
up on a bench, looked over the pals
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