The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-29

the western district of upper Canada
a region for the most part covered by
primeval forests, though there wer,
quite extensive white settlements al
and around Moravian Town, not a great
many miles from his little ''clearings. :
On the stu of October, 1918, was
fought the battle of the Thames, where
ID Maj. Gen. William Henry Harrison
defeated the British forces, under Gen
Proctor, and their Indian allies, led by
the famous Tecumseh, who was himself
slain.
After tha battle, the destitute, demon
allied ss~ages, hitherto held together
IN some sort Of order by the strong hand
Of the great chief, roaned over the adj
Jacent country in search of food, and
soon became nearly as dangerous to
friends as foes, many of the hard work
ing settlers being reduced to absolute
penury b. their c2actions, which none
dared resist.
At tins time Robert Lee and his wife
had two children, Margery, thirteen,
and Walter, pine years of age. The
husband and father having joined the
Canadian volunteers, end coming home
only at long intervals, Mrs. Lee was often
left alone with these children to strug-
gle ageinst the difficulties of 'backwoods
life as best she could. Early one morn
ing, about week after the Thames af-
fair, she was busted with her household
duties, when she saw coming leisurely
toward the cabin band of twenty-five
Indians, under the command of a sub
chief named Wah-ne-ga-tah, whom she
knew by sight. At this moment, Mar
gerry and Walter came in at the back
door with pail of milk just drawn
from the only two cows owned by the
family.
Hastily raising trap in the floor,
the mother set the pail and what corn
bread she had in the little recess, re-
placed the board and, carelessly cover
ing it with piece of old rag carpet,
said to the children:
Here's lot of Indians coming and
they must not see the cows. Run out
and take the bell off old Brownie, and
then drive her and Daisy a mile or SO
into the woods, and come back as soon
as you can
The barefooted youngsters scampered
away, and Mrs. Lee went quietly on
with her work until the unwelcome
visitors filed in. one by one, and
squatted around the room
The anxious woman greeted them
and, in reply, the chief
sententiously grunted:
Ugh. We good iniuns. White squaw
give plenty eat. Young men much hun
gry."
Making virtue of necessity the con-
strained hostess speedily cooked her
whole scant stock Of salt pork and corn
meal, which the dusky warriors as
quickly devoured, and then. after first
searching the cabin for further sup
plies, they stripped the ripened ears
from a little patch of still standing
corn ard, greatly to her relief, vert
peaceably away.
Shortly afteIward the children re-
turned; and when ali had breakfasted
upon part OF the concealed bread and
milk, their mother said:
THE Indians have left us nothing to
eat except the potatoes in the ground
they were too lazy to dig them, | sup
pose-and we must get word to your
father at once. Do you think that you
two can look AFTER the house while /
20 to him?"
Yes, mother. Of course we can take
care OF things; bat You must not go.
Your ague might come on again. Let
ne go. It's only fourteen miles. and
heres road most of the way. / can