The Progress., 1893-09-02
g. Over nils and through woods

|
and marshes they went in pitiless
haste. dragging the woman and boy
with them. not stopping to rest even
when tho night closed upon them.
except for the purpose of numbering
tho defcnseless and stealing pro-
/ visions.
Betty kept her wits about her. and,
as she went along. she tore her hand
kerchief and other articles of dress
that she could do without into
pieces. which she hung upon the
bushes. hoping that her friends in
pursuit would observe these tokens
and be encouraged to press on for
her rescue.
.'One day the band halted and all
went off to plunder for food except
the chief. who re NAMED behind to
watch the captigcs. As it happened
he fell asleep. and when the Dutch
lad saw the helpless condition of tho
savage. he Immediately sliced a tom
ahawk and was about to strike the
lSdian a mortal blow, when Betty
caught his arm and begged him not
TO attempt so rash thing. for even
if they should kill this one savage
and they should try to make their
escape, the rest upon their re-
turn would Immediately start in
pursuit, recapturc them, scalp them,
and put them to death with dreadful
torture.
Day after day and night after
night was passed in skulking
marches, in avoiding dangerous pur-
suit, and, when opportunity offered
of scalping and numbering. The
party kept pushing on towards the
North. anxious to reach Canada and
! their French employers At length,
after many days of weary travel, full
of severe privations and hardships.
the captives found themselves within
a French fort and in tho hanls of
| palefaces from whom theo hay reason
| to hope for kind treatment, if not for
! freedom.
with the woman and boy were
delivered also the scalps which were
regarded as rare proofs that the In
dians had faithfully performed the
work they had been sent to do; and
/ these dreadful memories OF enemies
tortured and slain were hung in the
attic of the commandant's house
where Betty was assigned to duty as
waiting maid to the commandments
wife.
betty was pretty and interest
| ing woman, and performed the du-
ties of her station so well that she
was treated with much kindness by
her mistress, who was greatly
shocked by Betty's pitiful tale OF the
cruel murder of her innocent babe.
and severely rebuked the chief for
permitting the barbarous deed. Ev-
cry day, bowed down with grief.
broken-hearted she would ascend to
the attic. where hung those dreadful
trophies of murdered snglish. and
find sorrowful comfort in gazing
upon the scalp of her own first-born
| child, which she could easily distin-
guish from the rest Far away from
husband and home. made childless
by cruel destiny, helpless and even
hopeless. perhaps, the poor girl. her
heart sorely bleeding, drew from the
sight of that bit of silken hair at
least one drop Of sweetness for her
bitter cup of woe.
"My brother-in-law pursued the
Indians. but unfortunately he lost
their trail and, giving her up for
lost, returned home. Think of the
sorrows OF these two poor mortals.
cut off from all knowledge of each
other. the husband, indeed, mourning
his wife as dead.
Betty was in captivity about one
year and seven months. How long
her Imprisonment might have lasted
no one can say. for the commandant's
wife, though full of sympathy for
her, was powerless to effect her re-
lease. But, as it happened Colonel
! Schuyler, then in command of the
colonial militia in the northern part
of New York, heard that an American
woman was held captive by the
French, and, alter negotiating for her
exchange. paid the ransom demanded
out of his own pocket and sent her
to Philadelphia, where her father
met her. lie found her broken in
health. weak and emaciated but still
able to travel, and carried her to his
own home near the Buck, in Lam
caster county, Pennsylvania, where
her husband was waiting to receive
her. She had become much ex-
hausted by the wearisome journey
and lay PROSTATE in the rude and
jolting vehicle, unable to raise her
head from its uncomfortable pillow.
But when she heard her husband s
voice the Joy OF her heart renewed
her strength; she rose up to meet
him and fell into his arms. ."-Phila-
delphia Times.