Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-01-24
A HEROINE.

When Floyd Gardner and his wife de-
cided to leave home for few days, for
the purpose of making some necessary
purchases, they did it with many mis-
givings. Little Grow and his band had
been committing some recent depreda'
tions several miles away, but had been
followed by two regiments of govern.
ment troops and driven over the Dakota
border. There was really no cause for
alarm, they said, but neighbor had
kindly offered to send his colored woman
servant, lately brought from Kentucky,
to look after household matters and stay
with the children, and Mr.. Gardner told
his wife that they could not leave the
house in better care. The family con-
sisted Of Katherine, a girl Of IA; Harvey,
aged 8, and Bruce, the baby, 8 years old.
With many injunctions as to the care
of the colt in the stable, to look out for
prairie fires and to keep the children
from straying too far away on the prai-
rie, Mrs. Gardner departed, feeling that
she was very unreasonable to entertain
for moment the vague fear that filed
her mind and made her pause with her
foot on the wagon step, uncertain wheth-
er even at this last minute it would not
be better to abandon the journey.
At last, however, they were off, and
once out of sight Of the house she felt
her misgivings grow weaker.
A few hours after they went away a
strange sultriness was apparent in the
atmosphere.
"What makes the light so queer, sis
ter?' asked Harvey, standing in the open
door.
Katherine went to the door and looked
around. Twelve OF fifteen miles to the
north belt of wooded country-the
Great Wood of Minnesota-rose clear
against the horizon, while in every other
direction the prairies stretched away in
undulating slopes, yellow with golden
rod. No clouds were to be seen in the
sky, which hung above them, dull and
murky, like a copper dome. The sun
looked like brassy sphere suspended in
midair.
A close, sultry atmosphere surrounded
them, dead calm, only relieved by an
occasional puff of hot wind that passed
by and left the same dead calm as be-
fore.
Beulah, the colored woman, came to
the door and stood looking off to the
west. her hand shading her blinking
eyes.
Laws! Miss Katherine, dat ar colt
am whinnyin right smart. KANT be he
gwine to die on us, honey? Yer paw TUX
a good look at him las ting fo he lit
out, shuahf'
She waddled along slowly, for the day
was warm and Beulah was fat, toward
the lumber shop, or stable, where the
colt was kept at night, being tethered on
the open prairie during the day in sight
of the house. Katherine, more swift of
foot, flew OH before and quickly gained
the summit of the gradual ascent on
which the barn was built.
| Her hand was on the latch and she
was about to enter, when on the distant
horizon she saw sight that held her
motionless with sudden terror.
The Indians were comingl
Away to the northwest an irregular
line of horsemen were fiding directly
| down upon them, and though at that dis
tance she could not distinguish clearly
she knew by their peculiar mode of rid
ing that they were not white men. For
one moment her heart sank in terror, the
next her resolute spirit asserted itself.
| Save themselves they must, but how?
Poor, foolish old Beulah, clever enough
at concocting choice dishes over the kitch-
en- range, was an added burden in this
emergency. Could Katherine take the
children with her on the colts back and
ride with them to the nearest cabin?
What in such case would become of
Beulah?
She and ker brothers might gain the