Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-04-18
AN INDIANS REVENGE.

feet, as the case may be, above tn
stream, there lived in the early time
settler by the name of Rufus Bran
son, who, with his wife and child,
charming little girl of some eight Of
nine years, occupied the rude cabin a
tho base of the precipice little bach
from the river.
Although greatly exposed to danger
the Indians at the time being plen.
tiful throughout the region-he man.
aged to live peaceably for severa
years.
The Indians frequently visited the
rude hut of the hunter, and being al
ways welcome and provided with such
food as might be in the larder, they
maintained friendly attitude.
Especially were they fond of the
child Maggie, and more than one
fierce warrior had been sitting on the
grass in front of the cabin, listening
to the prattle of tina. little one or else
engaged in making it some toy or
plaything from the willow twigs OF
plant bark.
In this manner several years had
been passed, and Rufus Branson came
to feel as safe as though he was with
in the walls Of a frontier fort.
One evening Branson and his wife
were seated near the doorway, when
suddenly a shadow fell across the
threshold, and the next moment tall
savage, whose reeling steps and blood
shot eyes told that he was intoxicated,
appeared and staggering to the log
steps threw himself upon them.
His first demand was for "fre wat
err" which was of course refused on
the plea that there was none in the
house.
The Indian became cross and ugly,
swearing with terrible oaths that if
the liquor was not produced he would
murder the whole household. Branson
was brave, determined man, and al
though dreading the necessity yet he
saw that he would have to take steps
to prevent the savage from executing
his threat.
Waiting until the warrior had made
a demonstration, which he soon did
by attempting to draw his tomahawk,
Branson sprung upon him, knocked
him down with blow of his fist, and
then quickly disarmed and bound him
where he lay. After few minutes
of furious raving and futile efforts to
free himself the savage rolled over
and sunk into drunken slumber.
He did not wake until the next
but before he did SO the set
tier had quietly removed his bonds
and restored his weapons, which he
lay by the sleeper's side.
The savage on awakening rose slow.
ly to his feet, felt his wrist as though
the throngs had left feeling there,
took up his weapons, and, without
speaking word left and disappeared
in the timber near by.
what think you of that?' asked
the wife, turning to her husband with
scared looks.
'Pshawl Don't trouble your head
about the drunken BRUTE answered
the settler lightly, but as he turned
away and stepped into the yard he
Like it! Well, not much.
I was IN hopes that he would not have
remembered, but the lump where my
fist landed was enough if nothing else,
to recall the circumstances.
The summer passed and they saw
their drunken guest no more. But
as the leaves began to fall the settler
one day, while returning from hunt
on the hills, and passing through
dense piece of timber, not far from
the house caught sight of figure
lurking among the bushes, but which
quickly disappeared when he advanc.
ed toward where it was. The figure
was that of an Indian warrior, and
Rufus Branson knew 1t was the one
whom he had knocked down and
bound the previous summer.
The knowledge was not in any way
comforting, and hence he did not tell
his wife Of the discovery. 1t would
only alarm her, without perhaps any
good result. He simply told her that
he had discovered bear tracks near
by, and that she ana the child had
better stay close to the house when he
was absent.
Several days afterward Rufus Bran
son heard his dogs in the timber down
by the river, and knowing they never
open without good cause he caught
up his rifle and fastened to where they
were barking. They had struck a
fresh bear trail, and as he arrived in
sight they fairly lifted it, going off in
a straight line down the river.
The chase led him several miles,
and when at last he got shot that
ended bruins career he found that it
was or o'clock in the afternoon.
Swinging his game in saplin out
of reach Of cat or wolf, he started for
home to get the old gray mare and
return to fetch it that night.
Taking near cut he approached
the cabin from the western side,
where the timber grew heavy up to
within a few rods of the building.
and consequently he could not see
what was transporting there until he
passed through the wood. Thus il
was that, when within short distance
of his home, he heard wild, piercing
shrek.
T. 1 Il. 4.