The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-05-16

not draw a breath minute for fear
one of the children would cry out,
when we would have all been massa-
cred; but the poor little things, with
the exception of n child a few weeks
old. were too badly scared TO stir or
speak unless hidden, and as for the
women, they put any man l ever saw
20 shame with their calmness and
courage.
"When night came we struck out for
line of the hills lying about five miles
away, and where counted on finding
cave or at least hiding place. OF
course l and the women and the larger
children could have made it without
difficulty, but being obliged to wait on
the little ones and to carry them every
half mile or so, we were nearly all
night getting to the nearest hill. We'd
gone about a mile when low down on
the horizon l saw a dull glow, and
knew the Indians were burning the
camp and that they'd be on our trail in
little while. When we got to the hill
l could see nothing like a cave, and,
while it was pretty heavily wooded,
there was no place to hide where the
Indians would not spy us directly. l
was looking about me when | caught u
glimpse of a black bear running round
rocky spur about half way up the
hill. l followed just in time to see her
go tumbling or climbing down a sort of
cash in the earth, and which I knew
must be her den. Without stopping
jumped after her and found myself in a
little cave, about ten by ten feet, but
with another larger one leading away
toward the center of the hill. The bear
began to growl when she saw me, and
l saw, when my eyes got accustomed to
the dim light, that she had two cubs in
the den with her which she was going
to defend. So, aiming as carefully as /
could, l fired at her, breaking her skull,
after which | killed the two cubs and
transferred my party to the cave. The
last of the cold meat and bread was
then eaten, and the women and chill
dren, creeping into the larger division
which was, however, only about four
feet in height-went to rest. But l
was too anxious 10 sleep, tired as l
was, so l hoisted myself out of the
cavern and climbed to the top of the
Hills W SCG IL L COlllNl SCC aug III VI bllC
Indians.
Several times it seemed to me that
saw band moving along the line of
the horizon, and, while the specks
might have been cattle, thought it
best to stay where we were all that
day, that night, and the next day. Our
great trouble was water, which had to
be brought from a spring on the other
side of the hill, and as only a small
quantity could be brought at time
my cap being the only vessel we had
the children especially suffered a good
deal At last one of the women dis
covered a fiat rock with a hollow dip in
the middle, which would hold about
two quarts or so, and kept this filed
as cistern. ventured that night to
roast a piece of the bear in a hole in
the ground which change of diet was a
welcome one, l never passed such g
time since l was born, for dare not
sleep an hour for fear of a surprise, and
the weight of responsibility felt with
those poor, helpless creatures on my
hands was simply awful.
Late on the second day, when
climbed the hill for a last look, l saw ;
small band of Indians not more thar
an eighth of mile away. They die
not number more than seven, but were
armed and in full war dress, and wer,
heading straight for the hill. Dropping
on my all fours l ran as fast as l coult
for the mouth of the cavern, ant
scram bling down soon had the womel
and children crouched up in the ia
end of the larger division, where n
shot fired into the smaller one coul,
reach them, though l hoped the Indians
would either pass by altogether or fai
to find us if they halted. Silence thel
was absolutely necessary, and tn
women impressed this on the children
then went back, and, by clinging t
one of the bushes across the entranc
to the cave, peered out to see what tn
redskins meant to do. / could see the
, had struck our trail and suspected w
were somewhere about, for they dis
mounted, and, scattering, began t
search about the woods.
= ''As they drew near our hiding plac
' l dropped down into it and cooked tn
guns the women had brought and m
. own trusty rifle. 1 suppose my frt
:. quent goings in and comings out ha
: left some trace, for they seemed t
: notice the entrance at once, and pre-
7 emily / saw head peering over. Th
: dim light of the cave might have pr,
vented the owner from seeing me, bu
. as i'll luck would have it, the infar
= child spoke of walled out just at tn
! particular moment. The child wa
= stifled in an instant, but it had bee
y heard, and the head craned over flu
y ther, while another and anotht
y popped over. was crouching down {
close as / could, but, hearing the clio
= of trigger, knew concealment wt
;. no longer possible and blazed ava.
a Two screams told me. that a couple
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