St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-05-28

Nathan Wilson and his wife had foul
boys, named Reuben, Joseph, Hiram
and George. Reuben was already nearly
twenty, and ON expert woodsman.
Silas Cary was less favored. His
boys, as he was wont loosely to remark
to his neighbor, "were all girls save
one-little JOSH"
But his girls, of whom Mercy was the
eldest, were almost or quite as good as
boys for all the lighter labors of the new
farm, and helped their father at his
planting and harvesting.
The distance from Cary's house across
to Wilson's was not much more than a
quarter of mile. A well-beaten path
led through the stumpy clearing and
down the bank to the brook, over which
there was rude log bridge. Beyond
the brook were clumps of bushes and a
few maple trees; and still farther on the
way led through an open clearing again
to Mr.. Wilson's house.
Mercy, with Tige and little Josh, had
been gone on her errand perhaps three
quarters of an hour. The sun had set;
and meantime Silas Cary, with the three
younger girls, came in from the field
where they had been planting corn and
potatoes.
"Where are Mercy and Josh?' asked
Silas, taking down the cedar buckets
from their pegs, preparatory to milking
the two cows.
ave sent them to Wilson's for the
brass kettle" replied Mrs. Cary. ats
time they were back"
"They are coming"' cried Patience,
as faint outcry was borne to their ears.
II hear Josh shouting Tag to the
Wilson boys"
The lad was indeed shouting, but not
to the Wilson boys. AS he and Mercy
crossed the bridge on their way home
with the kettle, the dog suddenly growled
and drew back. Mercy hurried across,
and little Josh followed; but as soon as
they had reached the other end of the
bridge two hldeously painted sayages
leaped out from the alders there, and
Selling them by the wrists, dragged them
away along the hollow of the brook.
Tige dashed at one Of the savages and
would have pulled him down; but the
redskin beat him off with his tomahawk.
Mercy screamed, and the lad cried out
and kicked his captor, but was beaten SO
cruelty that he dared not resist further.
Mr.. Cary, now out in the yard with his
buckets, heard Mercys piercing scream.
He rushed into the house, seized his gun,
and dashed down the path to the log
bridge, past the bushes. He met Tige
running toward the house. The dogs
head was bleeding from q cut; his hair
stood up like bristIes; and his eyes glowed
like live Goals.
Its In,,ians! It's Indians" muttered
Cary, stopping short. "Tige's after
help"
Presently he heard quick step up the
path on the other side, and saw young
Reuben Wilson coming hastily down to
the bridge. Mercy's scream had reached
his ear, too, where he had been at work
mortising fence posts with a postaxe,
beside the path, about fifty rods distant.
Not ten minutes before, he said Mercy
had stopped to chat with him, as she
passed. He had only the post-axe in
his hands.
"Reuben!" hailed Cary, in tones which
shook from fathers anguish. The
Indians have got Mercy and JOSH"
Reuben turned without word and ran
back to his fathers house to give the
alarm and get his gun. Hearing the It'd
ings, Nathan Wilson at once despatched
Hiram to the block house, to summon
assistance. Joseph he bado guard the
house, and sent George to Cary's place.
Then Selling his own gun and ammuni-
ton, he followed Reuben.
They overlook Cary half a mile up the
brook, and came out on the shore of the
lake, mile father to the northward, just
rs the last CLEAN of the fading twilight
shone on the water. Family as it
gleanred, it was still sufficient to disclose
the light imprint Of canoes bottom on
the soft sand. Near by were several
tracks. Tige had led the way
directly to the place.
That's bad murmured the elder
with a sharp glance along the
darkening shores. There are two.
We sha' come up with them tonight
The savages had gained start sutfic-
IOAC W Atl' Z ttlItduy boublCN IL pollIb oII
the shore, six or eight hundred yards dis
tant. The settlers had no boat on the
lake. The pioneer knew that the Indi-
ans could paddle their canoe faster than
the whites could follow them through the
woods by night, around the shores.
The contour Of the lake, too, was such
that the whites must take wide circuit
and oross two fnoo'o1 cwopnS
1t was probable that the Indians would
make directly for the head of the lake,
six or seven miles distant; yet there was
40 certainty of this. They might vecr
away to the right or the left shore.
After hasty consultation it was de-
,ided that the elder Wilson should return
and get a pack of provisions, and lead
The party which might come from the
block house; while Cary and Reuben,
With Tige, should skirt the lake in the
nope Of discovering where the Indians
anded. The night babe fair to be very
lark.
At about ten o'clock in the evening
eight men arrived at Wilson's place with
heir guns, from the garrison house; but
~ this time clouds had gathered, and
hey deemed it unwise to enter the forest
until daybreak Cary and Reuben,
Meantime, had pushed on around the lake
md reached the mouth of small brook
lear the head Of it, by the time the
clouds obscured the stars.
Not only did they find moccasin tracks
n the sand here, but other smaller tracks,
which Cary had no doubt were those of
lis children. The trail led along the
,ank of the small brook. But Cary
bought it imprudent to 60 on before
Wilson and the expected party came up.
Reuben took Tige and went on alone.
The dog followed the trail readily, and |
he young pioneer kept pace with him,
'reaking twig now and then to guide
be party when they should follow him.
= 10 ar ha cama tn the foot of n crOrra |