Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-08-29
rooms Ter My c6W.Hands on th' q

wes big outfit an Perry-beln' part
ner-had fixed things up deal ahead o.
tn average ranch house, an it seemed
pity T. leave it = make bonfire fer tn
cussed redskins, but all could think OF
then was tn safety of Mrs. Winston an
her baby, an when Tartar brought wett
q grunt IN tn gate O. tn corral; an
I saw, at a glance, thes it, an tn stable
beyond was bare O. hoof er heel el-empty
as an alkali hole in August turned
nigh sick with fear an dread O. whut
was before US.
Well, I rode on. I felt pretty sure
thet Mrs. Winston's own saddler--a big
Oregon horse. as fast as anything on TIL
river-mustb be somewhat about tn place;
most Likely taey had him up close t tb
house fer some reason er other.
rode up t tn open door. cd catch
glimpse through it o Wing Lee, th'
Heatheu Chinese tibet did tn cookin',
settin' th' table fer supper, an cried out
t Mira. Winston, who came outside t
meet me.
"Whut horses is th' on tn placel"
"Not one LETT" said she. "Perry
sent over fer Bueno yesterday, two of his
string have fallen lame and one got
kink In his pc:S. But what's the matter,
Steve, that makes you want to torrow2"
IsPrung of o my own horse an took
look at him. His head went down an
his tanks ~as 8orl1in' like force-pump
with every breath; if I'd only saved him
up little he might O. been able + git u:
mile or two up into tn hills, but il
want no use t think about thet now.
Gail Wing Lee!" cried !, catchin' ur
the baby tibet came toddlin' upt' me-
SAN como into tn big room. We've got
: barrjcade 1t ay'in ta' Piegans!'
The Silver Conano was one o tn few
frame buildin's on th' Argall, made o
some O. tn first lumber ever turned out
by tn sawmill over in Pine Tree gulch.
But whut they call th' "big room" wa:
older n the rest, an was made o hevn
Ioge, we'll built an pointed, an weth
good strong shutters t TIL doors an win.
dows. In tn first place Perry used it fei
saddle room, but it was SO large an SC
comfortable warm in winter an cool il
summer-thet his wife took fancy to it
an how IL was tn regular livin' room o
tn family. Twas far stronger than tn
rest o. tn' house, an' saw tibet there was
where our stand 'u'd have t. be made.
They got into 1t through narrow pas
sage way which was shut off from tn
inin' room By good stout door. Stout
enough; but not like t stand long as'ir
tn hatchets O. dozen Piegan braves
An knew thet little entry was where
tn battle 'u'd be fought out t tn bloo1y
end.
Well, we didn't stop t. think er talk
much, but just got hard at it, doin' the
work before us. Mrs. Winston din't
need t. be told anything, she was So
brave an so ready; an tn Gilman N
buckled to in a way that l hadn't be-
lieved was in him. If he'd lodged into
some hole er crawied out t. save his own
skin by givin' US away t. the Biackfeet,
| shouldn't wondered at it; but there
be wus, workin' like white man;
helpin' me t drag TIL mattresses Off o
tn beds, an jam 'em ag'in tn outside
door, turnin' tn piano up on end t
hold 'em in place; an crowd tn win
dows full o pillows an bed blankets, an
barricade 'em tn best we could weth 1h'
rest o tn furniture; hopin' t deaden tn
force o tn bullets thet we knew II be
fyin' like hail in big storm before
long.
All this time Mrs. Winston had been
ransackin' tn mems quarters, th' bunk
house an Perry's saddle room, an
bringin' in all III guns an cartridges she
could lay hands on.
She'd led Tartar into tn safest corner
an close t. his head pulled her baby's
cradle, an there tn little one sat CROWN
an reachin' out her tiny pink fists t tn
tired broncho thet only blinked his eyes
at her, ben' too dead beat by his eIgnt-
mile run t raise his head, though he
knew her well an tn Jumps o sugar her
mother d taught her t feed him. An
then, spreadin' out big table, she got
all tn guns together, al putin in fresh
charges laid 'em out iu order, ready t
hand when came t ncel 'em.
Tn was quite show. Perry's Via
chester an mine, an an old.fashouei
muzzleloader thet looked liable TO DO as
much harm at one cad as th' other; two
good sixshooters, LETT az home by some
o the boys, mounted Smith and Wesson
besides tn two thct was IN my belt; an'
an old powder-an' bail Colts the. sht
could at fad any caps fer, an so want
want no good, except I club. Sac pu
'em all in as good shape as she knes
how, an then looked t me fer fresa
orders. By this time I'd got things a
near on war foo.in' as l could, a.
turned t take look at tn China h.
".D'y'know how ! ire
said 7. C'n y shoot an Indian dog,
thet'll surely kill you if y let him go2''
Wing Lee shook his head. Isaw how
it was; he'd stick by me, an obey CT.
ders, but I couldn't count on him fel
much more then thet. I looked at Mrs.
Winston.
"steve," said she, "vhat is iti Car
I do iti"
"It's tn Windows" said I. 18Th
doors pretty safe fer while anyhow,
but they'll crowd t TIL windows, an tn
Grst hand or head thet shows must be
riddled quickly. I've got my work Gu,
out; it's T. hold to- entry, an want you
7 stand behind ME, cut o range, O
course, al load an hand tn guns. Y
must go tn rounds an give 'em chance
t cool off little, ar above everything
else, y mustn't let Inc wait tn hundredth
part o a second; fer they've got t be
kept out O. here an prevented from com
in t close quarters at any cost! II they
end out thet tbs only one man here,
they'll make big rush an it'll be all ur
weth us. But, thank the Lord, tbs
plenty O. cartridges, an weth you t. load
Ter me, I en- stand 'em off all night an
shoot tn whole band, il they'll only give
TIC time enough. But there's TIL win,
! 1owsW
Just then Wing Lee ran in from til
ii tchen.
"China boy heap likec blig knife!"
cried he, holdin' up tn huge buck-hand-
Icl carvin' knife. ''Indian stick he
tand in tn window. I chlop I'm Off
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