San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-01-06

L
| lent Udludble assistance.
nounced, as his wife, a rotund little
woman of about forty-eight, with a
beaming, kindly face, and the wife of
one of the settlers hurried toward them
from the cabin.
"Howdy do, Miss Gilbert and Lois?'
Mrs. Jordan greeted them. I'm plumb
| glad ye've come. I've jest been a-worry-
in bout you uns way up the river thar
by yerselves. ever sence we uns heerd
that them mean copper skinned var
minis was burnin cabins and chopin
people ter pieces with thar tony
hatchets.''
Wasn't you two scared nigh to death
to come all them three miles by your
selves?" Mrs. Betty Rowland inquired
| sympathetically.
mo-" said Lois; "mother and l de-
cided to keep as cool as we could, Chey-
ennes or no Cheyennes."
"Yer'd sure been er soldier, Lois, eff
yer'd been boy" old Silas broke in.
But Pm plumb sure some chap with a
| leetle yaller mustache who ranges on
Their puraries south O. you uns is mighty
thankful as yer jest wot yer ARA pow
erful good gall
"Come ON inter ther house, invited
| Mrs. Jordan smilingly. "Silas would
| joke for solid week eff no one Rendered
him, even eff ther ole scratch was waitin
ter kerry him off," ..
Eyes, yer women folks go on in; we
men folks hev got ter fly round, like a
grasshopper in purary fire, an git
things more in shape for them red
scamps," said old Silas.
Lois started with the other women
into the cabin, but turned and came
back to HERDS side. Laying one arm
caressingly over his smooth neck, she
said:
"Goodby, Hero. If the Cheyennes
get you, We'll never meet again."
"I'll lead l.im up inter ther bluffs whar
we uns hev did Their other critters" said
old Silas. "He'll be safer up thar, an l
don't think ther Injuns will go nosin
round them bluffs. They'll most likely
keep in s'arc;4 O. cabins"
Lois released her pet and suffered old
Silas to lead him away toward the river
Then she hurried to the cabin, where the
women were busy making such prepa-
rations as were deemed best. Lois was
soon assisting them in various ways.
There was an abundance of loose rock
on the hill where old Silas' cabin stood.
The few men outside hastily threw up a
| wall, which would serve as sort of
breastworks, before the cabin. They
also made numerous loopholes in the
sides of the cabin and got their little
stock of weapons ready.
The women were just as busy in their
particular department. They baked
bread, cooked great quantities of meat,
and Lois and Betty Rowland carried
bucket after bucket of water till they
had filed a large barrel. H.
This preparation was a wise one, to
say the least, should they happen to be
| besieged by the redskins for two OF
three days, as was not at all unlikely. :
BY two o'clock in the afternoon the
rude preparations were finished, and the
tired band of settlers gathered around
the table to partake of their late din
/ ner.
| The meal was not yet over when
Lois, who had begged to act as guard
while the others dined, caught the out
line of long file of horsemen sweep
over prairie ridge some distance away
to the south.
''Mr. Jordan" she called; "come here
at once"
Something in the pretty, self appoint
ed guards voice, calm as it was, raised
afresh the apprehensions which the
neighborly gossip at the table had lulled
into slumber.
All arose with one impulse and started
toward Lois, who watched from the
open door at the front of the cabin.
Old Silas was the first to reach hel
side, and one swift glance of his well
trained gray eyes, undimmed by his
fifty odd years, suficed to tell him the
truth.
"The red imps air comm an no mis-
takel" he turned and. coolly announced
to those who crowded around him.
Every heart felt its own peculiar emo
tons as Silas Jordan's voice fell calm
and distinct on the ears of that little
party of pioneers. Some had nursed
vague hopes that the Indians might mo-
pass that way. But they were actually
comingi
While Jordan and the men secured
the cabin and saw that their guns wer,
in readiness and their ammunition neal
at hand the women were everywhere
bravely assisting their defenders for tn,