Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-10-10

scenes of blood in the oli land, the
homes of his kindred, and their dl5ap.
pointments.
The night was still and moonlit. and
when the old man had crept softly to"hh
of the small. high windows of the fort
ress like cabin. he W the sha low of TIE
forest. strongly defined IN slack. S!nnD
moveIessly upon the verge of clear
ground encircling his abode. The watch
dog had assumed position of defiance,
and his attention seemed directed to the
thicket.
Scarce minute had Grandfather
Moore gazed from the window, when his
ear caught sharp vibration, and in
stantly the great dog leaped in air, then
fell stone dead upon the ground What
were those short, slight objects fixed in
the animals side and made just percep-
tble by the moonlight? As the old mans
involuntary consci 'usness answered its
own question, he 1t that the hour OF
fate had come. Were they not the quilts
of the wild goose, such as the Huron
warriors fastened to their arrows? Though
their arm of chief reliance was the mus
ket, they often carried, for stratagem
and silence, the original weapon of thelI
race.
Grandfather Moore awoke his wife.
then the gentle sleeper in another room,
for he would not suffer them to be first
aroused by the uprodr of an attack that
must so terribly alright them. The long
l, ~ +n1-, f,A, itc
and the unfaltering old man stood at his
post-stood in the lonely cabin, miles and
miles from any human aid, to beat back
the savage avalanche which threatened
all he loved.
Grandfather Moore waited moment,
the pause being filed by the dreary howl
of fox mile off in the deep forest;
then he saw dusky figure close to the
ground, moving so stealthily from the
thcket that at first he thought it
shadow But it took shape in the moon
light, and grew upon his vision, and
came nearer. Another followed, and
another, and the old man counted the
successive shapes that, leaving the
thcket, crept toward the house. His
wondered if the dreadful red men were
really come, wondered how many her
grandpa saw, and if they would yell fear
fully, and when they would begin; but
she dared not speak, not even in a
whisper.
"Sixteen!" thought Grandfather Moore,
but he uttered no word.
shot at intervals an almost imperceptble
glimmer, as carbue or belted hatchet
glanced athwart the mo0nbeams. Mary
had never heard a gun fired in the house;
and now to be awakened at midnight,
and see grandfather standing in the gray
darkness, his face at the small loophoe,
and the old kings arm clutched in both
hands, gave her an indescrbable thrill of
fear. She caught her breath quickly, as
Grandfather Moore drew back the ham
mer with "click, and then, hiding her
face with her hands, she shut out from
her sight the flash that illumined the Old
mans head. The report was not very
loud in the house, the conclusion being
without the loophole, but a sulphurous
room. Grandfather Moore was greatly
excited but resolute.
Cheer up, wife, " he said, "and you,
Mary, darling. There are but 10 now"
The air, but late sosilent was now rent
with frightful yells. Old Mistress Moore
did not answer the cheering words of her
husband indeed she had not entered the
ho1
the sudden terror had proved too violent
for her White and silent she leaned in
a sitting posture against the wall at the
head of her bed and Mary, going to seek
her, lifted her grandmother's dropping
head, rested the cold face against her own,
and then realizing the dreadful truth that
she was dead, with low, piteous wall,
sank insensible by her side.
So Mary lay beside her grandmother,
and heard not the strange midnight battle.
She knew not how often the yells of the
enemy died away to be succeeded by fresh
bursts of fury, as the warriors, taking
counsel with each other, varied their plan
of attack. Lost upon her ear was the
occasional report of Grandfather Moore's
darted in view; lost also to her were the
old mans CALCULATIONS of self encourage
ment.
"Now there are 49," he murmured-
"11-yes, I'm sure he dropped-only II
now. Thank heaven! that was to the
purpose! How high the copper skin
leaped! Only nine! Holy mother be
praised!"
Neither did Mary hear the hatchet
strokes upon the door, nor the dull fall of
a warrior who had reached the roof, and
whom Grandfather Moore, directed by
the sound, had shot dead through the
stout oaken covering.
"Only six now," he said "but they are
hard at work on the door"
More than once the Hurons had at
tempted to fire the cabin; but on the day
previous there had fallen a drenching
shower, the effects of which, joined with
the heavy night dew, defeated their en-
deavors. The windows, high above the
ground, were less than a foot in width;
the chimney was too small to admit the
passage of man, and the door was
of three inch plank. Upon this last,
however, the attack was finally concen-
trated. The old man had fired IA times
10 times with complete success and
four times either entirely missing or only
slightly wounding his enemy, But tho
tug of war was yet to come.
The break of day witnessed fearful
struggle, and when again the sun ap-
peared, all was silent in the cabin. A