The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-26

Ts1ViEPn one OI tISE
Of successful DefenseS.
From the st. Louis Republic.
tho southern slope of a hillside, about
e,,,.-eye miles west from ST. Louis and
---+5c.av between the Missouri and Missis-
-..,-i rivers. is the ruin-and even that has
.Ir,o-r disappeared-of a quaint, heavily
...fl,log structure known in the early days
- tns white mans advance into Missouri
Fort Kennedy. This outpost of the
r..stv-3rd march of civilization was the
..rs of A battle waged on one side by a
Marty of maraudlng Indians, on the other
T., woman. and the result of which was
,ba voman's victory. was the battle OF
a woman for her home and little ones and
for her own life, too. The fort was years
oftar superseded by a substantial farm
bouse the forest has given way to the ak,
md what was once thick woodlands is now
divided into pasture and grain fields. A
rarroad runs across one corner of the
farm and in sight of the house has grown
mn thriving Missouri town. The de-
e.andants of the woman who fought and
uon the battle stin own, but do not live
or the farm.
II was autumn and the Osages, the tribe
NJ Indians that inhabited the territory at
that time, were rowing about IN panuS
bunting the game season being at It's ze-
rir1 The red men We're not friendly
ui,h the ever-increasing palefaces, and IN
fact looked on them as their inVeterale
enemies The whites returned the senu-
r7ent with interest and collisions win
hunting parties of Indians were frequent,
A. the time mentioned, maraudings ana
v,,i,rdars nv the Indians had been more ire
o1ert than usual. 1t was not strange
therefore that Mother Kennedy, staining
AZ the front door of the fort should leel
anprehensiVe as she peered down the vista
i'm front flanked upon either size by lohs
f-as of giant oaks and hickOries. she f'nd
bar three small children We're the only per
.ons at the fort Her husband had Sone
o,rt that morning with his dogs and rifle
in quest of game salt pork and dged ven
js,n having become uresome diet. lie
had said ne would return IN the aIteIHoo"'
but had not come
missing on the probability of her hus-
bands return, fearing what might have
r3ppened. yet daring not to think on what
she feared, Mother Kennedy began DONG
the chores that evening brings apout
farmhouse. She noticed as she went apout
tHa work that the hogs and cows had
,roe nm from the range earlier than US
nal and huddled about the pens ana feed
ing places in a manner not usual WIN
Them. The two ponies followed her ABOUT
ifnpatently 1t was almost dark Wheii
Mother Kennedy finished the eNenlus
1,or, and entered the fort The evening
meal over the anxious woman stepped out
side TO listen. She thought she might DC
notified of her husbands approach by his
singing or whistling, for he was cheery
man or the barking of the dogs. She
waited until it grew quite dark, ana theh
suddenly the cry of a panther broke on
he sin night air It seemed a long way
off and was intive as the wee waning OF
cbild "Painters?" she said. Thar am
hen nary painter round this settlement all
summer" and again she listened. The cry
was repeated. Her trained ear, TINS tlihe
axpecting the sound, told her that IL was
a counterfeit of the crying of that AMI
NAL The cry this time was nearer too.
In an instant it was repeated on announcer
s.de of the house, some distance away, put
sin nearer than the first "InJuns." SAD
the hardy woman. Il reckon better get
tbirAe ready fer the varmints
So-she eroped her way through the dark
ness 10 the woodpile in the yard ana Sc
cured her husbands AK, returned ana re-
entered the fort. First she barrlcaueu lhe
door ard set the ak against the wall 10
Inc ready for emergencies. Then she Iook-
ed over her rifle and saw that II was wen
loaded She leaned it against the wall near
n small aperture set al an are 10 conf
rn3nd a view of one side OF the toFC. 1nen'
without saying a word, she put nef niue
ones to bed. This done. she looked Or
rather felt about for something else 10
do There seemed nothing. she hsteueu'
The false panther cry grew very close 10
fine fort. Peering through the port-hole OF
the fort Mrs. Kennedy fancied she coulu
see forms OF Indians gathering on Tue
edge of the clearing, few rodS from inc
budding She raised her rifle II IL We're
panther to fire would frighten the amman
away. $780,.
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 if indeed, none were hit, when sIe
hope might be the case il she hred as II
would prove to the reds that ii might be
safer TO stay away than to attack one
was almost on the point of pulling the
trigger, when it occurred to her tnal' inc
fort being dark-she had not HShted tle
tallow dip-the Indians might concIude'aI-
Ger rcconaoitering, that no one was there
and would go away again. But this was
not to be The forms drew nearer until
she could distinguish one from anothef-
She raised her rifle again, aimed ana hi
ed. A form leaped into the air, there was
a shrek of pain, and hurryinS OF 1901
steps back to the shelter of the trees
Mrs Kennedy quickly reloaded her rira'
and, knowing the tactics of the indians,
made circuit of the room and looked
ont of the portholes-there were tour one
on each side of the fOrt-to see II an APP
proach was attempted from any other
point She could see nothing. Another
contingency now presented itself She no
sooner thought of it than she emptied the
mattress on her bed of its stufinss of
geese and turkey feathers, into the fire
place. Then, to be prepared for an emer-
gency, she awakened her little ones and
made them stand near the door ready 20
run for the timber it if should be ueces-
sary to attempt to save herself by flight.
Another circuit of the portfolios was made,
but nothing was developed. After few
minutes shots were fired in front Of the
fort. Mrs. Kennedy rushed to the port
hole on that side and raised -
But she did not fire She waited for one
OF those dark forms to appear, so that
she might fire effectively. None appeared,
but the ruse of the Indians was effective,
and one or two Of their number reached