Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-07-05

step or two to see whether he was
not disposed to relinquish the con-
test. But the heather manifested
no such disposition. He had al
ready been shrewd enough to dis
cover that the advantage was really
with himself, and he was not dis
posed to yield it. With consider
able caution, therefore, he began
approaching the white man.
The latter allowed him TO come
within few feet, when, throwing
all his strength in his right arm, he
dealt him blow square OH the
nose, that felled him like an OK,
and gave him a glimpse of more
stars than Herschel ever discovered.
Bowdoin moved forward, with the
purpose of following up his advan-
tage, when he stepped upon some
thing hard. Suspecting what it
was, he felt in the snow for it, and
to his JOY discovered his own knife.
Grasping this with firm hand, he
decided the contest between cavil
i'll the next dozen seconds.
Seeing that his adversary was
dead, beyond all question, uncle
John resumed his homeward Jour-
ney. Severe as the contest had
been, there was scarcely a moment
during it's continuance that the
thought of his family had not been
uppermost in his mind and he lost
no time in walking as fast as his
exhausted energies would permit.
One would suppose that the old
man had experienced enough to en-
title him and his family to immun-
ity for the present at least. But
such was not the case. While en-
gagged single handed with this In
dian, his loved ones at home had
been subjected to a still more try
ing ordeal.
As the day wore away those with
in the cabin of Bowdoin naturally
looked for his coming with a great
deal of interest. The wife and
eldest daughter, sitting by the
fire listened if the sound of his ia
miliar footstep might not be near
enough to be heard above the sigh
ing wind. The three small child
rem continually ran to the door,
certain that they heard his voice
calling them, only to return sorrow
ing, disappointed, but hopeful that
he would soon make his appear
ance.
On one of these occasions all
three hurried to the door and open
ed it, and the oldest exclaimed
Dear papa and dashed out to
meet him.
The others paused on the step,
and moment later shouted, dat
amt papa; it's somebody else"
AS quick as lightning, Mrs. Bow
doin spraug forward. She saw her
darling child caught up by an In
dian, while second one made a
rush forward to burst in the door.
She had just barely time to secure
it, when he dashed against it with
all his force. 1t cost her dreadful
pangs to shut out her beloved child
with those who knew no mercy,
but the safety Of others compelled
it.
One of the Indians managed to
find an axe near at hand, and began
cutting in the door. 1t required
but few moments for him to open
a space large enough for him to
push his body through. Here,
while nudging himself forward, he
received a blow from a heavy stick
of wood in the hands of the daugh-
ter, and asthrust from a knife in
the hands of the mother that ended
his joys and troubles forever.
But the remaining savage was
not long in discovering the fate of
his companion, and he wisely adopt
ed the part Of discretion and retreat
ed.
A half hour later the father re-
turned. A few yards from the
house he stumbled upon the dead
body of his child, and with a tu-
multuously throbbing heart, hasten
ed on. He was relieved al
though ever possibly saddened-to
find that his eldest child was the
only victim.
1t was discovered afterwards that
these three Indians had come long
distance, and, obtaining, by some
unexplained means, a knowledge of
the absence of the father, one of
them had been dispatched to kill
him, while the other two made
their way to the cabin, with the in