Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-12-21


some of Braddock' s i'll fated soldiers.
After they had talked for awhile in low
and broken English Oliver suddenly dis
covered that they were on their way to at
tack Fort Hunter.
The lad now almost forgot his own
peril as he listened keenly for further in.
formation, and before long his patience
was amply rewarded He learned that the
Indians below him were the advance guard
of large force, which they expected to
join shortly at the foot of Peters noun
tain.
Then they planned to push on to Fort
Hunter, reach it before sunset and rush
through the gates.
Though Oliver knew that his situation
was still very critical, the uppermost
thought in his mind was to thwart the
threatened attack, and he saw pretty
clearly how it could be done, provided the
opportunity was given him.
Finally, after ransacking a chest Of
drawers and slashing it with their toma-
hawks, the whole party slouched out Of
the door, and their soft tread faded from
hearing.
Oliver did not dare to stir for several
minutes, though it seemed a much longer
time than that, owing to his excitcl state
of mind. Then he rose, stretched his
cramped legs bit and cautiously de-
scended the steps to the lower floor.
From the door a narrow road, with
bushes on each side, led straight for 90
yards to the thick chestnut timber. Sew
eral hundred yards to the right lay the
base of the mountain, and a short distance
to the left the clearing was bounded by
the channel of the run.
Oliver hurried first to the right hand
end of thehouse, and peeping through a
crevicc Of the logs he saw the last of the
Indians just vanishing in the rocky thick
cts of the mountain.
He waited a little longer to better his
chances of escaping observation and then
crawlcd on hands and knees out of the
door. He rose to his feet as soon as he
was fairly started down the road, and
STOPPING low he ran swiftly between the
bushes and tall grass
He was close to the shelter of the trees
when the sight of a copper colored snake
squirming across the path caused him to
start back and spring erect. Instantly,
but too late, he repented his imprudence.
A muskCt cracked sharply on the right,
and he felt n bullet whistle by his ear.
AS he plunged into the timber a second
rang out and IA bunch Of leaves was nip
ped from sapling at his side He sped
on like deer, wisely keeping to the road,
where he could make the best speed.
Faster and faster the lad ran. What if
the boat should be gone? The thought
struck chill of terror to his heart, for in
that event all hope of life was gone as
we'll.
The remembrance that other lives than
his own were at stake kept up his courage
and strength, but he was badly winded
when he came to where the road swerved
to ford the run.
AT last he caught glimmer Of the
broad river ahead, and an instant later he
eagerly tore apart a clump of water
birchGs There was the boat just as he
had left it, the paddle still lying on the
bottom.
Oliver quickly dragged tho light craft
over sand and gravel and launched it on
the swift current of the river. He tumbled
in and began to paddle with all his might
for midstream.
All, there they were! Out from the
bushes leapcd the painted savagcs, and a
blood Curdling whoop echoed from noun
tain to mountain.
Two muskets cracked, but still the dar-
ing lad padded on, hoping to increase the
distance before dropping under cover
But third shot tore the paddle from
his grasp, and then quickly a clever ruse
flashed into his mind. He uttered a cry
of feigned agony, tossed up his arms and
fell Imply to the bottom of the boat.
There was silence for a moment, and
then the bullets began to whistle Some
flew overhead, and some spattercd the wa
ter roundabout. Half a dozen pierced the
sides of the boat, but luckily did not harm
the PROSTATE lad.
The boat drifted on and on, now pitch
ing and tossing amid rapids, now grind
ing on submerged rocks and grass bars.
Oliver did not dare to rise. He knew that
the current trendcd toward midstream,
and in this thought there was comfort and
cheer
For fully half an hour he lay on his
back, gazing up at the blue October sky.
Then, satisfied that the danger was past,
he sat up and looked about.
In little less than an hour Oliver
landed under the stockade of Fort Hunter
and walked calmly through the open gate.
At sunset the Indians arrived, doubtless
disappointed to find the gates closed. The
watChful sentries discovered them lurking
in the timber, and they were greeted with
so hot and scattering a fire that they re-
hind.-Boston Globe.