Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-11-26
An Old Trapper's Story.
PROM lbc Atlanta COAST alton.


An ,it traFr-r tells thls story IF
o3r.y Minnesota days: The man If
the Lake Talcott party about t'is
tiule came in for ,ea-u 90 move their
outfit home. leaving the two boys to
take care Il things until his return
\ warm. mug-y lay came white b.
wls absent AMI thu b .vs. attending
- their traps and carrying their guns
around during the dHy. got them
both wet and, boy ike, neglected to
clea- and dyv them IN order 20 Ceu.ler
then sure fire when needed, Law down
10 sleep IN their bed without remov-
mG their ciuth!rg only drawing off
tkCIr boots.
Their cabin door opened outward,
and Just at daylight shortly after
they avoke, they obs rved their door
opening, AMI saw an Indian swing II
around aud set a stick against it, and
then spring back and raise his gun
plrugsIde Of two others who stood
with guns presented At the ir-t
sight Of the IndiaL the bnys ran
from their be = and while in the act
Of throwing Il the covering and
springiug 10 their feet the savsges
fired The distance WAS not over
fifteen feet Z afterwayd examined
the ground carefully, and while 1t
could not again have been done in y
thousand times trying without both
being killed The only hurt either sus-
tanned was fesh wound 10y small
bullet through the calf OF one Of their
lsys. SEEKING their guns. the bJys
aimed and snapped, but both guns
failed to ~
Instantly the thought of running.
while vet che guns Of the Indians
We're empty, came 70 their minds.
and, with "a word % each other, they
sPr.ug through the low door and
rushed for the prairie, As they dsd
30 one or Core charges probably
from double btrrelrd guus--reetei
their rush ior the open air, sud the
ruwouulei boy, Tom kirkpatrick,
had q hullst part LIS hair g.. graze
the skin Of the forehead As the In.
dusus ran after them the BOYS pre-
seuted their guns, and after tins
maueuvre had been few times ~
peated the w~etched towards turned
back to plumber the camp and tie
boys were left to make their Journey
of forty miles to the settlements ~
their stocking feat over the burnt
grass studs of the prairie.
In the afternoon the wounded box
declared his inability TO proceed d
further, and re- gested Tom to go e
the settlement aud bring wagon
out for him Tom accordingly hur
rIed on, sad yust about sunset. while
descending the river Just above ths
town ut jackson, (Which town, by the
way consisted alone # frontier pos;
office, lu-t as be rea>G he'd the crest
Of y low hill AMI glanced across the
summit # q next hill n front, he
saw ti,r SID..E, who. catching sight
ut h4El o. the same iastnut. came fuI
hru vu the rU-- spIs..sing their line
Ike an opening fan 40 they ran
Tom turned and ducksd io~n h hind
the Li |. and instead of running down
the ruyIuc toward the river. turned
Iud ran mp II and rut on tine high
prUurc, where. pT sy2,tsutiallv f1r LIm.
vas an Old deserted fed. Which had
i, .uuErd to a Norwegian ettlor muir.
iered IN the last massacre. 4ud
wt-ch, nov surrounded by IA high
raj. fence, was ocrul iaI by dense
crop Of tai weeds. The sprang over
the tance. aud in his peril and his
frlEk.- not forgetting - carefully
part the weeds IN front Of each step
and Gl. Sc them together behind him
worksc his way well oGt into the field
and fel Hat. Soon al Iudiau quick.
ly followed by twO others. appeared
perchea On tbs top Of the fence,
where To- minutes. which doubtless
were auz5ass ones for Tom. they sur
veyed the appIrantly unbroken ex-
panss of weeds. and at length, to ms
great relief, -urned back toward the
-lEer. Lying quietly until darkness
shrouded hS- IL 0yeueuts. Tom
male his way t1t of the field into
the prairie, ana making wide de
tour. reached ths house of friendly
settle. few miles dowr- the river.
where Just before lzoruinc the OTHER
boy put in an appearance, having
been uussble t. rest II the cold of ap-
proachiu.: night, but COMPEL eI there
by to keep moving, End doubtless
passing tls Indians IN the night
time.