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


, and petted me until fe asleep in her
arms. When L wakened, she had gone
away and Charley told me that We were
| to stay in until she came back. SO We
played ball contented!y and forgot
| everything else, (for we were hardly
more than babIes,) until We heard the
men tramping about and calling TO each
other. That worried rs, and We ran 10
the door and peeped out; we saw some
of the men busily mending the wall,
and trying to strengthen the weak
places in the palisades, while Others
were posted at the portfolios with their
rifles IN position for firing, and the
women talking together anKiously.
| Then We knew that an attack was eX-
pected, and young as We were We re-
joiced TO think that the Indians had
shown themselves just when they did,
for If they had waited but little the
fort would have been without protec-
tors, every man, except few very Old
ones would have been on the way TO
Hoy's Station.
After q little while, mother came in
and gave us some bread and cold meat
to eat, but there was no dinner cooked
that day. Father could not leave his
post at the portfolios for he waved TO
keep on the lookout for the enemy, so
mother carried his lunch to him. As a
great treat Charley and l had sugar on
our bread, but We had only half cup
full of water ench, and when we asked
for more, mother shook her head
grayely and said that the pail was emp
ty. We children did not then realize
what serious trouble 1t was-that emp
ty pail Every family in the fort was
In the same trouble, for no water had
been brought from the spring all day,
and who would 90 and fetch some when
it was known that band Of muTderous
redskins was hidden n the bushes? If
Indians stayed there much longer We
| should all be dying of thirst-no Won
der that every one looked anxiousl
The enemy did not show themselves
again, but our men knew they were still
In ambush and they would try to make
the whites come out Of the fort. All of
a sudden our next door neighbOr's son,
Frank, came running into our cabin TO
tell mother that father and the others
wanted her for few minutes, and when
she had gone he set to work to amuse
Charley and me, and calm our fears.
he told US that two of the young men
had crept out of the side gate and made
their way through the bushes without
being seen by the Indians, and that
they were going as fast they could
to Lexington, to get a whole lot OF men
with guns, and they would all come
and drive the Indians awav-but he
said not a word about the empty water
pailsl Frank Hayward was a good
deal older than We, and 90 We Thought
HIM almost a man, and he was such Il
brave merry little fellow that we loved
to hear him talk, and before he left us
We were laughing gaily. Then We
thought We would 90 aud find mother
and tell her what he had said. We ran
out to where the grown folks were
standing, and no one noticed US for
every one was either talking or listen
ing, and we saw by their faces that "A
very grave matter was being discuss-
ed.
I'VE can not possibly do without
water until the men come from LeXlng-
ton" said my father earnestly. and the
others seemed to agree with him, aud
after a short pause some one else said
in n decided tone.
Our first plan is the only one to be
thought of-now who will go?"
One of the Young women exclaimed
directly, "I will, if my cousin Mary
will" but another girl said with "A
frown. Il don't see why the Indians
should be expected to let us pass any
more than they would the men"
"Nor !, ;" said another, .'they never
make any difference between male and
female scalps" Some of the older
people then explained TO these timid
ones that the Indians would be sure to
wait for the men to come out of the
fort. 1t would be no use for them to
shoot at n few women, but If they could
kill all the men, then II would be easy
to sisZe the fort and put the women and
children to death or make them prison
ers.
At the thought of being carried
away by the cruel Indians, Charley and
L were SO frightened that we began to
cry, and one of the women turned and
bade us go back to our cabin. So We
went home and waited there trembling
until mother came. She clasped us in
her arms, soothed us with more than
usual fondness and kissed us again and
again, then taking up the water-pail
she went out, saving that she would be
back soon. Suddenly 1t dawned upon
Us that she WAS going for water to the
spring, going with a few other women
right into the clutches of those terrible
savsgesl We were so frightened at the
stood looking at each other in dumb
disA,sy, and then Charley ran out of
the cabin. L followed him slowly, and
saw that a dozen or SO of women and
girls were gathering at the gate, each
carrying a pail or pitcher, and all look
ing grave but determined. just a. they
had taken down the bar, Charley ran
to mother, and catching hold of her
skirts implored her not to go.
1--WE won ask for any more water,
we don't want a drink at all, " he sob
bed, but father came up and carried
him away, and the next instant mother
and the others had gone and the gate
was barred behind them.
The mon returned hurriedly to the
porthol especially to those which
looked towards the spring, and / was
left alone. L had just turned to go
back to our empty cabin when Frank
Hay ward came up and took me by the
hand.
Don't fret, Sadie" :" he said coaxing-
ly, ''be brave girl and your mother
will soon come back" He found it a
ard task to cons ole me, however, and
at last be said gaily, 81 tell you what
we'll dol Well go and watch them
come back-I know where there's a
splendid crack that we can look
| through" Then 1 followed him gladly
to place in the wall where there was a
long crack between two stakes, and
here we crouched and peered out eager
ly. We were almost on a line with the
spring SO we could plainly See the
| group of women near it; We heard
their clear voices, for they talked,
laughed and even sang as uncOncerned-
| ly as If they thought there was no In
dian within miles of them. The grass
and trees were green around them, the
ripe corn waving, and the bright blue