Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1903-09-18
CHAPTER XIII.-(Continued.)

himself at the thought. II must go up
and break it to your mother, though how
l shall do so | know not Do you give
what orders you like for collecting our
friends. First, though, let us question
, this man. When was it?'
Last night, signor. at eleven o'clock.
had just lain down in my hut, and L no.
tced that there were still lights down.
stairs at the house, when, all of a sud
den, l heard a yell as Of thousand
fiends, and knew the Indians were up
on us. l knew that it was too late to
fly, but l threw myself out of the win
dow, and lay fiat by the wall, as the In
dians burst in. There were eight Of US,
and | closed my ears to shut out the
sound of the others cries. Up to the
house. too, could hear screams and some
pistol shots, and then more screams an
cries. The Indians were all round, ev-
erywhere, and dreaded lest one Of them
should stumble up against me. Then
sudden glare shot up, and | knew they
were firing the house. After time all
became quiet; but dared not move till
daylight. Then, looking about me care
fully, | could see no one, and | jumped
up and never stopped running until you
met me-"
Mr.. Hardy now went up to the house
to break the sad tidings to his wife.
Charley ordered eight poems to saddle
horses instantly, and while they were do
ing so he wrote on eight leaves Of his
pocketbooli: "The Mercer's house destroy
ed last night by Indians; the MERGERS
killed or carried off. My sister Ethel
with them. Meet at MERGERS as soon as
possible. Send this note around to all
neighbOrs."
One OF these slips of paper was given
to each peOn, and they were told to ride
for their lives in different directions, for
that Miss Ethel was carried off by the
Indians. This was the first intimation of
the tidings that had arrived, and a per-
feet chorus of lamentations arose from
the women, and, of eXecratons of rage
from the men.
Mr.. Hardy and the boys kept up as
well as they couia, in order to inspire the
mother and sister with hope during their
absence. and with many promises to
bring their missing one back they gallop-
ed off. They were scarcely out of the
gate when they saw their two friends
from Canterbury coming along at full
gallop. Both were armed to the teeth.
and evidently prepared for an expedition.
An exclamation of rage and sorrow
burst from them all, as only a portion
of the chimney and charred post or two
showed where the Mercer home had
stood. The huts of the poems had also
disappeared; the young trees and shrubs
around the house were scOrched up and
burned by the heat to which they had
been exposed, or had been broken off
from the spirit of wanton mischief
With clinched teeth and faces pale
with rage and anxiety, the party rode
past the site of the huts, scattered round
which were the bodies of several of the
murdered poems. They halted not until
they drew rein and leaped off in front of
the house itself.
In half an hour they were able to say
with tolerable certainty that no human
beings had been burned, for the bodies
could not have been wholly consumed in
such speedy conilagration.
perhaps they have all been taken pris-
oners," Hubert suggested, ms with sigh
of relief they concluded their search, and
turned from the spot.
Not as yet could they see into the
ditch. At ordinary times the fence would
have been an awkward place to climb
over; now they hardly knew how they
scrambled over, and stood by the side of
the ditch. They looked down and Mr..
Hardy gave Il short, gasping cry, aud
caught at the fence for support.
Huddled together in the ditch was
pile of dead hodies, and among them
peeped out piece OF female dress.
Anxious to relieve their friends agoniz-
Ing suspense, the young men leaped down
into the ditch and began removing the
upper bodies from the ghastly pile.
First We're the two men employed In
the house; then came Mr. Mercer: then
the two children and an old woman SER
want; below them were the bodies of Mrs.
Mercer and her brother. There were no
moro. Ethel was not among them.
Charley and Hubert turned toward
each other and burst into tears of thank
fulncSs and joy. The suspense had been
almost too much for them, and Hubert
felt so sick and faint that he was forced
to lie down for awhile while Charley
went forward to the others. lie was ter
rbly shocked at the discovery of the
murder of the entire party, az they had
cherished the hope that Mrs. Mercer at
least would have been carried off. As.
however, she had been murdered, while
It was pretty evident that Ethel had been
spared, or her body would have been
found with the others, it was supposed
that poor Mrs. Mercer had been shot ac-
cidentally, perhaps in the endeavor to
save her children.
The bodies were now taken from the
ditch and laid side by side until the 9TH
er settlers should arrive. 1t was not long
before they began to assemble riding up
IN little groups Of twos and threes. Rage