Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1895-01-10

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treat under . CALLING fire. The few
men in the fort we're enabled te
keep Up constant firing, for the
xolnen nodded the bullets and load.
"a the guns a. fast as they could b
used. Night coming on, the firing
ceased Quistness now reigned,
and the darkness became intense.
ABOUT midnight the attention Of the
negro cook, Sam, was attracted by
. small stream Of light that found
its way through q crevice in the
kitchen wall from the outside. An
] Investigation revealed an Indian
tdI y lighted brand enaeaxprine 70
ssE iire u the Kitchen. Sam. watch
ing his chance, sent o bullet through
his red hide.
Early the following morning the
Indians renewed the attack with
much vigor. Having procured q
hollow maple log, they converted it
into a cannon binding it around
/ solidly with chains obtained from
the houses of the settlers. After
placing heavy charge of powder
in it and filing it to the 'muzzle
with cannon balls, captured the
day before from fiatboat that was
passing down the river from Pitts
burg, in grea: triumph they con-
veyed it to within 60 or 20 yards of
the fort and pointed it at the gate.
Then, with shouts of exultation,
which meant, We've got you now
they touched it off. To their utter
amazemement and orsternation,
the log burst into a thousand frag-
ments, flying in every direction,
killing and wounding several of
their own numer. During all this
time the riflemen in the fort and
dwelling were picking them off at
rapid rate, and when the smoke
from the explosion had cleared
away the ground was found strewn
with dead savages.
The disaster and the disappoint-
| ment arising from it so exasperated
the Indians that they madly threw
themselves against the gate with
heavy battering rams made of logs,
determined to force an entrance.
Above the din and confusion the
voice Of Girty was heard urging the
savages on, but he was nowhere to
be seen, being shielded from the
deadly rifles of the patriots in the
fort, who, he well knew, would re-
joice to get u shot at him. The
constant fire poured upon the saw
ages from the fort and dwelling
forced them to again retire.
At this juncture it was discovered
that the supply of powder in the
fort was about exhausted. Ebene-
Ear Zane remem bered that he had
. keg slowed away in his house, but
how was it to be obtained? Who
ever ventured to procure it was al
| most certain to be cut down by the
bullets of the Indians, who were so
near and always on the alert.
Only one man could be spared for
the service from the defence OF the
fort. Colonel Sheppard. not will
ing to order any one to the duty.
asked for q volunteer. Every man
present eagerly offered to undertake
the hazardous duty and while they
were contending for the honor it
wss feared that before the question
was settled and the powder obtained
the savages would renew the attack.
At this moment Elizabeth Zane
or Patty, as she was usually called
"a young girl just returned home
| fresn school in Philadelphia, but
i little accustomed to the horrors oil
border warfare, came forward and
asked to be permitted to 60 for the
powder, alleging as reason for her
going that not a man could be
spared from the defense Of the fort.
"Whoever undertakes the duty will
be in great danger Of being killed
or seriously wounded, and If | fall
will not be missed in the defence
Of the fort. / Ihave no fears for the
result. God will protect me-"
| So earnest was the appeal of the
young heroine that consent was re.
lncsantly given. There was nc
time to lose. Kneeling for mo.
ment in prayer, she arose with q
beautiful smile on her beautiful
face, saying, .'I am resdy." The
gate was thrown open. She sailed
forth and soon cleared the space be-
a tween the fort and her brother'l