Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-09-12


When Peto UDorlin reached mp &C
the shelf behind the stove that night
and after feeling vainly around in
the darkness struck a match and OK.
amined tho surface he let forth a
volley Of oaths that would have
shocked the cars of mule driver,
finishing up wrathfully with, Wish
I'd let the old thief die and be ID
to her afore ever she got away with
my hand carved brier wood pipe"
Week after week Pete Oberlin, II
his capacity of mail carrier, logged
over tho dusty plain, wound in anG
out through the foothills, with &
stop here and there at tho ranches
enG climbed over tho ridge to the
lot on the reservation, always the
destination of the biggest part of his
budget.
After the early rains had carpeted
the bare brown hills with green and
given a glossier tingo TO tho mourn.
full bark stripped eucalyptus he be.
gan to hear ugly rumors on his trips
from farmhouse to farmhouse. There
had not been an Indian outbreak for
20 years in that section, but some
disquieting influence was hard at
work on the redskins. Some said tho
Indian messiah was coming, others
that one of Gcronimo's lioutcnants
had been sowing this excitement
among them 30 that as it may,
there was watchful anxiety at the
fort and q growing feeling of danger
in the breasts of the neighboring
ranchmon. Every bit of this came,
of course, to the cars of tho mail car
rier, and in tho s:,ug barroom of the
Oasis he would regale n little knot
of oronies with highly colorcd tales
of the secret dances, tho weapons
and war preparations to be seen in
wild hooks in the hills if white
man knew where to look for them.
Yet for all these notes of warning
no ono dreamed of an actual danger
Gus uprising
One soft winters night when the
damp laden rain wind blow heavily
from the south and tho low hung
cloud blanket shut out evory wee
ray of starlight dark mounted figures
met in sheltered hill basin-1O,
20, so, they gathered. Then in sin
gle file, with muffied hoofs, they
wound away from their prison. Sew
eral hours later rs the mischievous
band stealthily made it's way out on
the plain n stunted figure in q ragged
blanket shrunk silently into the
bushes to let the oavalcade pass and
then emerged once more from her
cover and struck into a swinging
trot in the rear of the swift moving
riders.
A faint angry flush of dawn peeped
over the somber mountains as the
redskin braves surrounded the few
scattered buildings composing Rush
Station. A dog barked in the rear
OF the saloon. and in response sharp
report sent a shudder through the
chill morning air. With a howl of
anguish the poor beast rolled over
in the dust. AT the crack of the pis-
toll the half dozen men in the shan
ties came tumbling out from differ
emit doorways. Not one was more
than half dressed, but each one had
snatchod up his rifle. What odds are
six men against so? AS the hastily
wakened settlers stumbled out from
their cabins leaden hail ratified
around them. Two of their number
fell, struck off at once by tho raiders.
"ln1uns. by tho tarnal heavensw
cried Ike Dempsey, and the four re-
naming defenders, now very thor
oughly aroused. drew quickly back
into the store and blazed away from
this cover at their murderous assail-
ants. They had ammunition in plen-
ty and spare guns. Ike's wife put
her two little sobbing children into
n big box in the center of the build
ing, as tho point that was farthest
from danger, and herself filed the
hot, smoking rifles The fusillade
was thick and fast, and bullets flew
in through the openings. Pat Gro
gan's right arm was shattered, but
he rested his gun on the window and
fired away vindictively. Poor Smith
was shot through the lungs and fell
in a dying condition. Mrs. Dempsey
took his place, handling her rifle
deftly. Time and again some sharp
howl of anguish told of a we'll Direct
ed shot at the half concealed, SIMS
ter foemen.
Morning was advancing. Perhaps
by this time the flight from the res
ervation WAS discovered. uul soldiers