Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1893-06-16
A CRITICAL SHOT.

Where the Kentucky River cuts III
way through the hills or mountains
having upon either bank bold, rugged
cliffs that lift their submits 500 tC
1000 feet above the river. there lived
in the earlier days settler by the
name of Thomas Cooper, who, will
his wife and child, charming little
girl of some 6 or years of age, occu.
pied rude log cabin at the base OF
the cliffs, somewhat back from the
river.
The Indians frequently visited the
rude home of the settler, and, being
always welcomed and provided with
such food as was in the larder, they
maintained friendly attitude. Es-
pecially were they fond of the child,
Jennie, and more than one big war.
rior had sat on the grass in front OF
The cabin and listen TO the childish
talk of the little one, or else made hei
some toy or playthlng from willow
twigs or plant bark.
In this manner scvaral years had
passed away, and Thomas Cooper had
come 10 feel as secure as thoug Ii ht
were within the walls of frontier
| fort.
One evening Cooper and his wift
were sitting in their doorway whcr
suddenly a shadow fell across Tho
threshold, and the next moment Ia I
savage, whose recling steps and blood.
shot eyes told that he was intoxicated,
appeared, staggered to the log steps
and threw himself upon them. His
first demand was for firewatcr, which
was, of course, refused him on the
ground that there was none in the
house. The Indian became cross and
ugly, and dec ared with oaths that ii
the liquor was not produced lie
would murder the whole household.
Cooper was brave, determined
man, and although he saw the neces-
sity of the situation, yet he saw he
would be compelled to prevent the
savage from executing his threat.
Waiting until the savage had made q
demonstration, which he soon did by
attempting to draw his tomahawk,
Cooper sprang at him, knocked him
down and then quietly disarmed him
and bound him where he lay.
After few moments of furious
raving the Indian rolled over and fell
into drunken sleep. He did not
awaken until next morning. but be-
fore he did so the settler had quietly
removed his bonds and restored the
weapons, which he laid by the sleep
er's side. The savage on awakening
rose slowly TO his feet, felt his wrists
as though the thongs had left a feel
ing there; took up his weapons, and.
without saying word, left and dis
appeared in the timbers that skirtcd
the river.
"What do you think of that?"
asked the wife, turning to her hus-
band with frightened look.
"Pshaw! Dom trouble yourself
about the drunken BRUTE" answered
the settler,
The summer had passed away and
they saw their drunken guest no more.
But as the leaves began to fall the
settler one day, while returning from
hunting on the hills, and passing
through dense piece of timber not
far from the house, caught sight of a
figure lurking in the bushes, which
quickly disappeared when he ad.
vanced TO where it was.
The figure was that of an Indian
warrior, and Cooper would have
sworn it was the same Indian whom
he had knocked down the previous
spring.
The news was not very comforting
and so he did not tell his wife any,
thing about it. 'It will only alarm
her, he thought, "and without per-
haps any good cause" He simply
told her that he had discovered bear
tracks near by, and that she and
Jennie must stay in or close 10 the
house during his absence.
Several day afterward Cooper heard
his dogs in the timber down bv the
river, and knowing that they never
opened without good cause, lie caught
up his rifle and hastened to where the
dogs were barking. They had struck
fresh bear trail, and as he had ar
rived in sight they fairly lifted it,
going off in bee line down the river.
The chase led him several miles, and
when he at last got a shot that finished
bruins career he found that it was 8
or o'clock in the afternoon.