Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-28

the way, but they knew the general
direction of the bride path and
thought that they should be back by
noon Of the next day.
Florinda baked corn meal into thin
cakes, and put the cakes and some
slices of bacon into the saddlebage
along with corn for the horse. The
men were to return by way of the
store to bring provisions.
Two days and two nights passed,
and the men had neither come nor
sent any message. BY that time there
was not much left to- eat in either
house.
Florinda and the children slept both
nights at Mrs. Moores. Mr.. Bowen
had said 1t would be better for them
to sleep there. Mrs. Moore's house was
much the safer of the two buildings.
Its walls were of heavy timbers, and
It's doors were of oak studded with
spikes.
The Indians never attacked a
strong house like that, especially If it
were guarded by white man with
firearms.
Mrs. Moore's brother was living with
her-a young man named David Pal
mer, who could not walk then on &C.
count of having frozen his feet.
On the second morning, Philip beg
ged Florinda to let him take his hand
sled and go to the store to get some
meal and some bacon for themselves
and Mrs. Moore. Florinda felt loath
to let him go. 1t was long distance;
there was snow in the woods and no
track.
But Philip said he wasn't afraid:
the Oldest boy ought to take care of
the family.
And at last Florinda said he might
go. Indeed, there seemed no other
way; for. unless he did, they might
all starve, especially If there should
come on a heavy snowstorm.
Mrs. Moore had him start from her
house, because she wanted to be sure
that he was well wrapped up. He left
home In good spirits about nine o'clock
in the morning on the thirty-first day
of December, promising to be back be-
fore evening.
Florinda spent the day in spinning
and in other work for the family. AS
soon as it began to grow dark she
barred the door and closed all the
shutters but one, She left that open
so that Philip might see the freight
shining through.
The children began to cry because
Philip was out all alone in the dark
woods, and Florinda did everything
she could to occupy their minds.
Nathaniel told afterwards of her
rolling up the cradle quilt into baby
for little Polly and pinning an apron
on it; and of her setting him letters to
copy on the bellows with chalk. He
said she tied a strip of cloth round
his head to keep the hair out of his
eyes when he bent over to make the
letters. He remembered her stopping
her wheel very often to listen for
Philip.
At last little Polly fell asleep and
was placed on the bed. Nathaniel
laid his head on Florinda's lap and
dropped asleep there, and slept until
she got up to put more wood on the
fire. 1t was then nearly twelve o'clock.
He woke in fright, and crying. He
had been dreaming about wolves.
After while Nathaniel climbed uN
and looked through knot mole in the
door and told Florinda that he saw
fire in the woods.
Florinda said she thought not, that
maybe it was the moon rising; and
kept on with her spinning.
By and by he looked again, and said
he did see fire and some Indians sit
ting down by it.
Florinda left her wheel then; look
ed through the window, and said yes,
it was so.
She kept watch afterward, and saw
them put out the fire and go away in
to the woods toward the Point She
told Nathaniel of this, and then held
in language he could not understand.
By this time the night was far spent.
At the side of the hut, near the fire.
place, there had been, in the summer,
a hole or tunnel dug through to the
outside under the logs. 1t was begun
by a tame rabbit that belonged to
Nathaniel. The rabbit had burrowed
and got away.
The children at play dug the hole
deeper and wider, and it came quite
handy in getting in firewood. This
passage was about four feet deep.
They called it the back doorway.
When winter came on, 1t was filed uE
with sand and moss.
Florinda through it well to be pre-
pared for anything which might hap
pen; and, therefore, she spent the lat
ter part of the night in taking the
filling from the back doorway. The
outer part was frozen hard and had
To he thawad with hot water
When this was done, she took the
workbag out of her clothes box and
put into 1t Mr.. Bowen's papers and the
teaspoons.
She said a great deal to Nathaniel
about taking care of little Polly. She
told him If any bad Indians came to
the door, he must catch hold of her
hand and run just as quickly as he
could through the back doorway to Mrs.
Moore's.
Wy.