Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-09-07
A Heroic Girl.

A Heroic Girl.
In the year 1871, when the British
troops in the Middle states were
marching on to Philadelphia, and
Washington, at the head of the col
onial army, was doing all he could TO
keep them from entering the city,
General Burgoyne led his forces from
the north by way of Lake Champlain
and landed near Crown point. Here
he met n large body of Indians, who
went with his army to Crown Point
and Ticonderoga
These Indians, cruel, cunning and
savage in their nature, were the most
terrible enemies the American sol
dicrs and country people ha to fear.
They were worse than the Hessians,
the Tories and the British regulars all
put together.
A body of troops under Colonel
Shepherd held Fort Henry against the
British and the Indians, but the gar
rison was gradually diminished to a
few hundred men. They were daily
looking for reinforcemeuts, and the
majority of the men, going one day to
meet them and bring them through
the enemy's lines, were cut off by n
band of the Indians, who prowled
about in every direction.
Within the stockade surrounding
the fort the farmers, who were also
soldiers, had driven their horses and
cattle spared by the invaders; and
their wives and children, with their
household goods, were safe inside the
fort. At the approach of the Indians
the little garrison of twelve brave
men, under the command of Colonel
Shepherd, determined to sell their
lives as dearly as possible, and not
knowing how far off or how near the
reinforcements might be, they hoped
for the best.
But their powder was nearly ex-
hausted and there was no chance of
keeping the savages at bay by any
other means Some one then remem-
bered that in a small building just
outside the stockade there was keg
of powder that had been forgotten
when the other effects were carried
inside the fortified place. But who
would go for it, or who could be
spared from the small garrison?
Every man was needed at such n
time. Their leader was brave and
generous man; but he knew that his
place was there; his duty was TO
protect the fort and save the helpless
women and children from the savage
cruelty of the enemy. Several OF his
best men offered to GO, but he could
not make up his mind to lose one of
of venturing within the range of the
Indians tomahawk.
~ cannot command any man to go
for the powder" he said "If there
be any one willing TO take the risk he
must assume all responsibility of the
venture"
What was to be done? The powder
they must have. Soon it would be
too late, for the savages wers coming
nearer all the time. Three of the
men were discussing which of them
could best do the hardy deed, when
brave girl, whom history knows as
Elizabeth Zane, approached Colonel
Shepherd as he stood listening to the
arguments OF the men.
Let me 60" said she. ~ can
bring the powder as well as any one
else, and II | do not come back with
it-why, you will be no worse off
than you are now. 1t would not be
like losing man."
After much hesitation they let her
go, thinking the Indians would be
less likely to attack her than a man.
Very carefully they watched her
those inside the fort-as she crossed
the open space before it, until she
reached the house in which the
powder was.
No doubt, If the savages had rushed
upon her, the gates of the stockade
would have been opened and the men
would have defended with their last
breath the brave girl that had so
nobly rislled her life.
But she reached her destination be-
fore the savages had fairly seen what
was the object of her expedition out
side the gate of the stockade. Re-
turning she again had to cross the
open space.
Perhaps the weight of the keg of
powder made her footsteps slower.
Perhaps the Indians had suspicion of
what it was that Elizabeth carried in
her homespun apron, for with wild
whoop they let fly a shower of arrows
round her head-not one of which,
however, harmed hcr-and two or
three of the nearest savages rushed
towards her rs the gate of the outer
barricade opened and shut quickly be-
hind her.
The powder that Elizabeth brought
held out well, and the Indians, judg-
ing from the incessant firing the gar
rison kept up that achievements had
arrived withdrew and left them ur-
disturbed until the main body of the
troops came to their relief. -Philadel.
phia Times.
Cunning of the Coyote.
The barking habit of the coyote is
very doglilSe. and his Old name of