The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-22
SHE FOUGHT INDIANS.
PERIL OF A PIONEER FAMILY IN
OLD MISSOURI.


single -Hnnded-True story of
which Reads Like Fictfon-The
Rescue.
From the ST Louis Republic.
On the southern slope Of a hillside, about
ffty-fve miles west from St. Louis and
midway between the Missouri. and Missis
sippi rivers is the ruin-and even that
has almost disappeared-of a quaint, heay-
lily built log structure. known in the early
days Of the white mans advance into Mis-
souri, as Fort Kennedy. This outpost N
the westward march of civilization was
the scene Of a battle waged on one side
by a party OF maraudiug Indians, on The
other by a Woman, and the result of which
was the womans victory. 1t was the bat
tie of a woman for her home and little
ones and for her own life, too The fort
was years afterward superseded by a sub
etantial farm house. the forest has given
way 20 the ak, and what was once thick
woodland is now divided into pasture and
grain fields. railroad runs across one
corner of the farm, and in sight OF the
house has grown up thriving Missouri
town. The descendants of the woman
who fought and won the battle stin own,
but do not live on, the farm.
Approximations.
1t was autumn and the Osages. the tribe
of Indians that inhabited the territory at
that time were rowing about in bands
hunting the game season being at It's
zenith The red men were not friendly
with the ever-increasing pale faces. and,
in fact looked on them as their inveterate
enemies The whites returned the senti-
ment with interest. and collisions with
hunting parties of Indians We're frequent
At the time mentioned maraudings and
murders by The Indians had been more
frequent than usual. II was not strange
therefore. that Mother Kennedy, standing
at the front door of the fort, should feel
apprehensive as she peered down the vista
in front, fanked upon either side by long
files of giant oaks and hickories. She
and her three small children were the only
persons al the fort Her husband had
gone out that morn ug with his dogs and
rife in quest Of game, sail pork and dried
venison having become a tresome diet
He had said he would return in the after
noon, but had not come.
Might Comes.
Musing on the probability Of her hus-
bands return, fearing what might have
happened, yet daring not to think on what
she feared, Mother Kennedy began doing
the chores that evening brings about a
farmhouse. She noticed as she went about
the work that the hogs and cows had
come up from the range earlier than usual,
and huddled about the pens and feeding
places in manner not usual with them.
The two ponies followed her about impa-
tiently. 1t was almost dark when Moth
er Kennedy finished the evenings work
and entered the fort. The evening meal
over, the anxious woman stepped outside
10 listen. She thought she might be no.
tied of her husbands approach by his
singing or whistling. for ne was a CHEEKY
man, or the barking of the dogs. She
waited until it grew quite dark, and then
suddenly the cry of panther broke on the
still night air, 1t seemed a long way off
and was plaintive as the waiting of
child. Painters" she said. Thar ain'J
been nary painter round this settlement
all summer" and again she listened The
cry was repeated. Her trained ear this
time expecting the sound told her that
IL was the counterfeit OF the crying Of
that animal. The cry this time was near
err too. In an instant it was repeated on
the other side of the house, some distance
away but still nearer than the first In
juusl" said the hardy woman. Il reckon
better get things ready for the var
minis"
Preparing for Redskins.
So she groped her way through the dark
ness to the woodpile in the yard and Sc
cured her husbands ak. returned and re-
entered the fort. First. she barricaded
the door and set the AK against the wall
70 be ready for emergencies. Then she
looked over her rifle and saw that It was
well loaded. She leaned It against the wall
near a small aperture set at an angle to
command view of one side of the fort.
Then, without saying word, she put her
little ones TO bed, This done, she looked
or, rather, felt. about for something else
to do. There seemed nothing. She listen
ed. The false panther cry grew very close
TO the fort Peering through the porthoIe
OF the fort, Mrs. Kenneoy fancied she could
see forms Of Indians gathering on the edge
OF the clearing, a few rods from the build
ing. She raised her rife. If it were a
panther to fire would frighten the ami
mai away.
If the forms she thought she saw were
real, a shot would warn the Indians that
the inmates of the fort were aware Of
their presence and prepared to receive
them, IT. indeed, none was hit which sne
hoped might be the case II she fired as il
would prove TO the reds that il might be
safer to stay away than to attack. She
was almost on the point of pulling the
trigger when 1t occurred 10 her that the
fort being dark-she had not lighted the
taAow dip-the Indians nigh conclude.
after accommodating. that no one was
there, and would go away again. But this
was not to be. The forms drew nearer nm
I'll she could distinguish one from another.
She raised her rife again, aimed and fired.
A form leaped into the air. there was a
Shrek OF pain and hurrying of footsteps
back 10 the shelter Of the trees Mrs. Ken
nedy quickly reloaded her rife. and. know
ing the tactics of the Indians. made a cir
cult OF the room and looked out of Che
portholes-there were four, one on each
side OF the fort-to see II an approach was
attempted from any other point. She could
see nothing Another contingency now
presented itself. She no sooner thought of
II than she emptied the mattress on her
bed Of its siuffing of geese and turkey
feathers into the fireplace. Then to be
prepared for an emergency. she awakened
her Little ones and made them stand near
The door, ready to run for the timber il it
should be necessary to attempt to save
herself by fight,
Another circuit of the portfolios was
Keeping Watch.
made, but nothing was developed After a