The Opelousas courier., 1891-02-28

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evil-looking man, and I knew that h
was a stranger in the neighborhood..
suppose that he believed us all in the
bush, for he leaned his rife against the
logs and walked over to a chest in which
father kept his papers and which was
the storehouse for articles of personal
wear which we never used.
A report had got abroad that father
had brought money into the country tt
buy land. While this was untrue, il
had found believers, and this desperate
had come to rob US. L had not yet been
out of bed. Father had his rifle at the
sugar camp, while my shotgun hung on
its hooks ten feet away. I could do
nothing to drive the man away, and if I
betrayed my presence he might kill me.
! therefore lay quiet, hoping that some
thing might bring father up.
The chest had a spring lock, and the
key was hanging on the chimney. The
stranger did not even look for it, but set
about breaking open the chest with his
hunting knife. In his efforts he broke
the blade square off about two inches
back from the point. He was cursfng
and growing and still at work when l
heard mothers footsteps outside. / was
close to the logs, and in turning the
corner of the house the path led over a
rocky surface. | knew she'd walk right
in on the man, and I realized that he
might kill her, but I suddenly became so
weak that l could not lift a finger nor
raise my voice.
The door was a bit ajar, and mother
pushed it open and walked in. She had
come up to dress my foot. As she en-
tered the man rose up with a curse, and
for twenty seconds the two stood look
ing each other in the face. Then moth
er suspected what sort of a fellow he was
and what he was there for, and she
sprang at him. He had the broken
hunting knife in his hand, and / saw
him lunge at her. As he did so she
struck him with her open hand fair on
the nose-a woman's awkard blow, but a
powerful one-and he yelled right out
as he went down. She had one hand in
his hair and the other clutching his
throat I'm no time, and then came bump!
bump as she knocked his head
on che puncheon floor. It wasn't over
three minutes from the time she entered
the door until she had him tied hand
and foot, and it was only after that OPP
that she looked over to me and
'sHarry, are you awakea"
Well, we had the fellow snug and fast.
The blow mother gave him almost
smashed his nose, and he bled like a
stuck hog. She choked him until he
was black in the face, and it was about
ten minutes before he fully recovered
his senses. Then how he did go on!
He writhed and twisted, raved and
and mother had to threaten to
put Goals to his flesh to calm him down.
She carried me to a chair, got a rest for
my foot, and then left me to watch
while she went after father. | sat there
with my shotgun in my hands, and three
different times / cooked it and made
ready to fire on the fellow, who was de
termined not to be held. When father
came up the man changed his tactics,
and became as humble as a dog. He
tried to make us believe that he thought
our cabin the home of his uncle, and
that he was after deed which his uncle
was Illegally holding.
Every border neighborhood made its
own laws in those days. Father called
In q couple of neighbors to consult over
The case, and as a result the fellow was
out, tied to a tree and then
on the bare back until his cries
Tor mercy could be heard a mile away.
His weapons were retained and he was
YET free to take the trail for a settlement
ifteen miles away. It was expected that
he would return some day for revenge,
but he never did.
In those early days the country was
Of game, and wolves, bears, panthers
md wild cats were numerous. The
were u greatest foes, as they
to kill everything in the line Of
i've stock, and we lost several head by
Them. On one occasion when our pony
was running loose in the woods with a
bell on his neck, ] went to look him up.
| found him two miles from home.
by the bell, / discovered him on
he further side Of a g'ade or opening,
about ten rods across. | had just come
the edge Of the glade, and had opened
ny mouth to call the pony when a
sprang on his back from the
Of a tree. His spring almost
Knocked the pony down, but he was a
tout little fellow, and he got his feet
md came dashing straight at me. The
was fairly on his back, but the
gave him enough to do to hang
IN. The pony dashed for a big beech
with low spreading Inns, and at two
he was relieved of his burden and
he panther rolled to the ground within
'our feet of me, screaming out in a way
% lift my heels off the ground. / ex-
,ected to be attacked, and on this oc-
,osion had no weapon with me. The
BEAST had got more than enough, how
,ver. One of his eyes were put out, his
Ihoulder broken, and he must have been
,adly bruised up He rolled around for
! while, screaming in pain and anger,
md then skunk off without having seen
ne.
H was n connection with a panther
hat ] saw my father perform a feat
which ID recorded in pioneer histories.
)ne day il October he and / were out
uniting. I had Jagged behind to pluck
ome wild grapes. and, coming to a