The National tribune., 1902-10-09
t,EAEEE EE.
A wOMAN's sECaEE.


and their bloody work seen only through
the minds eye OF another generation, tie
horrors and tarrors Of the s-tcas;o2 OF
their hapless victims cannct be Iu!;y
realized at this late day. IL -ie case OF
those whose untoward fortunes we are
depicting the outrages of their savage
enemies were only too well known, and
both had felt the pain of a personal loss.
As she saw her intrepid husband fall,
Mrs. Craig casped her babe closer IN her
arms, while the young woman beside her,
swinging the smaller gun. which was
empty for the want Of ammunition, over
her head resolved to die in the defense OF
herself and companion. She actually fell
ed the foremost of the assailants to the
floor, and the others hesitated at sight of
the desperate amazon. But the respite
was brief. Already others Of the Indians
We're effecting an entrance from the rear,
and a moment later the distracted mother
was seized. Her scream of fright caused
the younger woman to glance backward,
which was fatal movement to her, FOR
the Indians swiftly improved their advan-
. tage. and she was oyerpowered and made
Il captive.
The cabin was already in flames, and
with demonical yells the red captors bore
their victims out in the open air, and
away from the doomed dwelling. A halt
was made at the lower edge OF the
UedGOW, 10 eudD1e tue eNultdut
to watch the burning of the building. Dur
ing this brief delay. excited by the sight
of the work they had done, the Indians
danced about in wild glee, swinging their
tomahawks, ever and anon, In the faces
of the terrified captives.
The cabin soon becoming only mass
of fiery ruins the Indians, with cultural
eXclamations of satisfaction, started away
from the place upon what was to prove
long and tedious journey. While with
out the captives they might have threaded
the trackless aisles of the wildwood with
comparative rapidity. accompanied by the
two women, and one of these hindered
with Il child, their progress was at times
slow. This was due mainly to the den
sity and chaotic state of the underground
and fallen trees of these ancient woods.
This was nothing unusual in the condi-
ton of the primeval scenes. The fact is
the majesty of the primeval forest with
its ''canopied halls stretching for miles
with smooth foors," existed only in the
fertile imagination of the romancer of
those early scenes or with the historian
who has written carelessly of pioneer
days. 1t was inevitable that it should be
different, except in rare cases. These
were generally where some whirlwind or
Autumn gale had caught up the ancient
growth, root and branch, to Sing them
aside TO make room, and what was Of
more vital importance, let in the warmth
and sunlight to encourage and invigorate
a new generation of plant life, afording
that picture of forestry We SO fondly asso-
ciate with those days. Outside Of these
oases of the wilderness, not common in
New England, the forest stood in COM
atose sfatr r' de, peradyenture,
7e * for thousands
e"-"- SIS iecaying, dying,
good by Ian
-7' weak and sick
t-. lack Of the sun
---ss to propagate
he underground
worse condition,
I'd slime of its
----vu..umgs. Only at rare
Intervals were really noble specimens of
forest monarchs to be found, and these,
as has been remarked, grew where some
tornado or power of the elements had
cleared the way for them. These kingly
rulers of the inanimate world were always
objects of pleasure and yeneration to the
untatesed red men, who were inclined to
weave about their silent lives the romance
OF some warrior dream. A pine. for in
stance. was believed to have sprung from
the ancestry of a chief Of their own race;
the oak was believed to have had bear
for an ancestor; the ash, a deer, while
other trees were given similar origins.
All that night the Indians kept up their
march. but when morning came halt was
made within sight of a beautiful sheet of
water. Here the captors built a campfire
by the side of a huge rock, and some of
them set about making birch-bark canoe.
The Indians were adept at doing this, and
as this party had brought with them an
axe taken from some white in this raid,
no doubt, and with sharp knives set about
the task Of securing the material with
which to make the light craft While
nf thu . h., L.,
suitable birch, others boxed pine to
obtain the pitch to make the seams water
tight Before night the two boats were
made.
During this time the captives for the
hrst time had opportunity to exchange
briei words upon their condition. The
younger woman, who gave her name as
Mary Shepley, was the more despondent,
and at intervals she could not refrain
from breaking into tears, at which occa-
siOns Mrs. Craig sought to encourage her
It'll ma do, Mary" she said in a
kindly tone, with that Scotch accent that
seemed part of her inheritance. "See,
they air watching ye. It'll fare better
for ye to hop up yer head"
How can /, when l realize nv awful
fate! IL l knew father, mother and Eden
were safe: 1 would try and meet my fate
hopefully"
IFS all ye can do, lass. Think O. me.
There's Christie, killed before my ain eyes,
an, with this BARN in my arms it seems as
II 1t could ma he any worse. Every time
Las night when she cried-and the puir
thing could ma help it-one O. the red
divils would put his hatchet ag'in her leetle
head. an act as il he was going to xiii
herv'
What will they do with us?"
'NTake us to Canady likely, though I
know not what they'll do wi us there.
II they intended to kill us they'd ne'er
ta'en the trouble to bring us as far as
here"
s.This is worse than death" moaned
her companion, though trying to bear up
''An We can do is to hope-hush. cbee,m
admonished the mother, as her child he
gan to cry again. How fretful the leefle
thing grows. I-hush-hushw murmured
softly, as brawny Indian disturbed nv
the childish outbursts perhaps, came that
way.
Ne take eal." he said, grimly, reach
Ing for the frightened little one.
No-no" cried the terrified mother,
81 will soon
"Houa" muttered the red man, seizipe
the babe by the hair of the head and pull
ang her away from her frantic parent.
whose mother heart cried out in anguish
though she dared not utter any remon-
STRANGE aloud, lest the Indian should dash
the poor things brains out against a tree
Instead OF doing this he carried the still
crying child away, her means and half
stihed grief growing fainter until the
cries could not be heard for the distance.
In silent horror the mother continued
a Gv,n al l.