Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-05-18

y
Texas the house was free from intru-
sion.
The teacher always had loaded rifle
sitting i'll the corner OF the schoolroom
during school hours, and had it strung
behind her saddle us she rode. She
was q fearless rider and m unerring
shot.
After tho school at the Peak had
been going on for about two years n
singular state of affairs began gradually
to come into being. The fame of her
school had gone out over all the sur
rounding country. She had exactly
those accomplishment and exactly
that turn of mind calculated TO win
for her the respect and admiration of
the MEN of the frontier. The result
WAS that they respected, trusted aud
almost worshipped her. BY degrees
she acquired almost unlimited influ-
cnce over the men for over 100 miles
around. They would come to her to
settle all disputes, and would always
respect her decision. If any given
man felt inclined to resist her dccis.
ion snch feeling WAS useless, ms every
other man felt honor bound to help
enforce it. If n question arose rs to
the ownership Of stock the parties
would bring tine cattle or horses in
volved mp to the Peak Each claimant
would state his side of the case and
call on anyone else he might choose to
substantinto it. Then came the de-
cisiou from which there was no APP
peal. III II Ian WAS suspected of steal
ing stock or Of committing murder the
process was the same. A case could
be disposed of completely i'll thirty
minutes. On one OCCASION = mere boy
was brought mp under accusation of
murder. The case vas clear aginst him,
mad tho verdict ran MS follows:
"Well he ought to die, but he's
nothing but II kid. Give him pony
and let him go, but hang him il you
find him within forty miles of this
place by tomorrow morning."
Tho boy left.
Meantime Il natural metnmorphosis
took place sin,sthsip uains Of tthe place
yNIays shs lived sFron, d Peak
at Was Chang CAD TO. Queer Reslse, 5lh6
sch oli.ia spl being by tbat limo s.ui-
versallv 4 towa ss the qtssei, i /
Her a. dssth, however, rs IS itsshonld
have been, tile climax aud browning
point Of her lie. 1t was MI that was
necessary to make her subjects worship
her, not almost, but altogether.
During the fall of 1859 the Co
manches began once more to make
raids through this portion of Texus
The Comanclles hive been called the
Ishmaelities OF the West, their hand
hcinS against every mans hand aud
every mans hnnd against them, The
queen had formerly acquired almost
rs much influence over the Indians rs
she had over the whites, and in peri
obs of open Indian hostility this in
finence stood her in good stead The
Indians seemed to consider that her
Indian blood nude her one of them
selves, and SO allowed her to pass back
ward and forward to and from their
camps unmolested. Though Chero-
kec, she had soon acquired the lam
guaGe of the Comanches. For long
time her influence was successful in
protecting the settlers around the
Peak from any disturbance, but Oh one
OCCASION il fniled. All the men for
forty miles had gone some distance
below To Clear Creek Canon, toward
which locality it had been reported
that large band of hostilcs were al.
vnncing. While the country was thus
unprotected, fonrteen-ycnr-o boy
came dashinS mp on his pony and
called to the queen that II band of
about twenty Comauches were coming
rs fast MS they could travel He
begged her go meet them md paciiy
them.
ono" she answered sally; sits no
use this time. Their blood's mp be-
cause our men have gone to Clear creek
aud they won't be paciticd. You ride
like the wind and get all the women
and children hid in the creek bnnk.
I'll hold the Indians long enough for
that"
Even rs she was speaking the Indiuns
came in sight over II rise in the prairie.
They would willingly have passed her
by without molestation, hut she WIS
determined they should not. Taking
deliberate aim at long range She fired
and one Indian tumbled from his horse.
Then she sprang upon the topmost
stone of the Peak and, standing at full
height, sent out Il ringing yell and de-
risively waved her gun. The boy
waited to see no more, but keeping the
wooded base of the Peak between him.
self and his pursuers, he dashed oil, us
he had been told.
No one will ever know the details OF
what happened after this. There WAS
n natural barricadc of stones on top of
the Peak, and keeping behind it she
had the advantage over her foes i'll the
open prairie. The Indians seem finally
to have taken positions inside the tim
Der around the Peak, and then gra-
dually to have drawn their lines nearer
the summit. Doubtless they were I'M
able to tell whether it was defended
by one person alone or by more.
Doubtless, when they had drawn nearer
and were DreDariur tn mike fbo Loot