Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1905-01-12
CHAPTER w.


see, here and there on the high ledge
above us, little patches of snow-the
fading footprints of winter. Day and
night we could hear the wings of the
wild fowl roaring in the upper air as
they flew northward. Summer was
coming-the summer of 1S12-and the
war with the British. The president
had called for a hundred thousand vol
unteers to go into training for battle.
He had also proclaimed there would be
no more whipping in the ranks. Then
my father told me that, since | could
have no peace at home, | should be off
to the war and done with it.
We were working near the road
that day. Thurst Miles came gallop-
ing out of the woods, waving his
cap at us. We ran to meet him
my father and l and the children. He
pulled up a moment, his horse lathered
to the ears.
"Injuns," he shouted Cit out O.
here quick n mex fer the Corners!
Yell be all massacreed eff ye don't"
Then he whacked the wet flank of
his horse with a worn beech bough, and
off he went.
We ran to the house in great panic
| shall never forget the crying of the
children. Indians had long been the
favCrite bugbear of the border country.
Many winters evening we had sat in
the freight, fear-faced, as my father
told of the slaughter in Cherry Valley;
and, with the certainty of war, we all
looked for the red hordes of Canada
TO come, in paint and feathers.
Ray" my father called to me, as
he ran, 'ketch the COW quick an bring
'er long"
| caught her by the horn and brought
Eer to the door quickly. Mother was
throwing some clothes in a big bundle
Father met me with a feather bed in
his arms. He threw it over the back
of the COW and bound it on with a bed
cord. That done, he gave me the lead
ing-rope to tie about her horns. The
hoofs of the flying horse were hardly
out of hearing when we were all in the
road. My mother carried the baby, and
my father his sword and rifle and one
OF the little ones. | took the three
older children and set them on the
feather bed that was bound to the
back of the cow They clung to the
bed-cord, their hair flying, as the old
COW ran to keep up with us, for at first
we were all running. In a moment we
could hear the voices of people coming
behind. One of the women was weep
ir1ry oh
cross-road We saw Arv Law and his
family coming, in as great a hurry as
we. Arv had a great pike-pole in his
hand. Its upper end rose 20 feet above
his head.
what ye goin' t. dew with thet?"
my father asked him.
Coin t run it through the fust In
jun | see" said he. Il We broke the
lock O my gun"
There was a crowd at Jerusalem
Four Corners when we got there.
Every moment some family Was arriv-
ing in panic-the men, like my fa-
ther, with guns and babies and baskets.
The women, with the young, took
refuge at once in the tavern, while the
il4Sl Oul OulltNd II. luSluG lIc line
were youths, some oddly armed with
sings or clubs or cross-guns. / had
only the sword my father gave me
and a mighty longing to use it. Ary
Law rested an end of his pike-pole
and stood looking anXiously for red
devils" among the stumps of the far
ther clearing. An old flint-locll, on the
Slnnlnpr of q Il
Garrel half as long as the pole. Da-
vid Church was equipped with ak and
gun, that stood at rest on either side
Of him.
Evening came, and no sign of In
dians. While it was growing dusk
borrowed pail of the innkeeper and
MIXED the cow, and brought the pail,
heaped with froth, to my mother. who
passed brimming cups of milk among
the children. AS night fell, we boys,
more daring than our fathers, crept to
the edge OF the timber and set the
big brush-heaps afire, and scurried
back with the fear of redmen at our
heels. The men were now sitting in
easy attitudes and had begun to talk
Don't blieve there s no Iniuns
comm" said Bill Foster. EFF they
wus they'd come"
"Cordin' t. my observation" said
Arv Law, looking up at the Sky, "In-
Juns mos gen'ally comes when they git
ready"
AN t amt when yer ready t. hev
EN-, nuther." said Lon Butterfeld.
"B'lieve they come up n peelled out
o the bushes N see Arv with thet
air pike-pole, n med up their minds
they hedn't better run up ag'in' it,"
said Bill Foster. "Scairt 'em-thet's
whuts tn matter"
Man 'et meks light o. this pole
oushter hey t carry it," said Arv, as