Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-07-16
GRAND ROUNDS.
b. RockEoRp 900
copyright. 1909. by American Press Assn.
ciatfon .

miner. He had taken all sorts of risks
and had not manifested the best Of
judgment But who expects caution
and daring in the same man. especially
when passing out Of his teens into bis
twenties? In one Of his explorations
into the southwesternmost part of the
North American continent In trying to
Defrlend the remnant Of tribe of In
dams he had incurred their displeas-
ure. He had picked up a valuable
mine In their country, which he de-
termined to work. Tarr was a man
who when he set his heart on doing
a thing no one could brighten him
out of ii. and he worked his mine.
though the whole tribe had sworn to
XIII him. Then when he had proved
its value he went north and married a
wife.
Mrs. Tarr insisted on returning with
him. To dissuade her he told her that
the danger was too great to be in
Cured by woman. He yielded and
took her with him
Tarr's mine was encircled by a
stockade provided with watchtowers
and properly loopholed, in each Of
which sentry was kept day and
night while the guard remained be-
low.
Mrs. Tarr was the only one In the
Enclosure who was keenly alive to dan
ger She soon noticed that the guard
had fallen into Incidence through in
action, and a failure of their enemies
to show themselves had induced a feel
ing of security. She pointed out these
things to her husband, but he was fas-
cinated with his mine, which was
showing remarkable results. and she
/ found 1t difficult to secure his attention
! long enough to produce any reforma-
ton. He assured her that the Indians,
who were degenerated from the yalor
Of their forefathers. would not think
Of attacking white men provided with
modern arms and protected behind a
stockade.
But Mrs. Tarr was by no means sat
isfied. She constituted herself an Off
Ger of each and every day and night
and went grand rounds" frequently.
/ The guard complained that a timid
woman should be in their midst who
interfered with a sentry taking cat
maps on post; that she was so fearful
of the impotent threat of a race far
below the greasers as to worry herself
and all the rest into an abnormal con-
dition of fear. Some of these remarks
she overheard. but they had no effect
TO make her relax discipline.
One night a sentry heard a slight
stirring among the loose rocks sur
rounding the stockade-it was built in
a rocky canyon-but, concluding that
the intruder was some animal, he paid
no attention to it. Presently he smell
ed singular Odor. Then he became
drowsy. Other sentines on his side of
the stockade smelled the same odor
and also fell asleep. They had not ex-
perienced the odor before and pre-
sumed it to be from some shrub they
had never, encountered.
Just before daylight Tarr, sleeping
soundly was awakened by a shot. He
started up and put out his hand to as
sure himself that his wife was safe be-
side him. She was not there. Spring
ing out of bed. he jumped into his
boots and trousers. but had got on nei-
Their when be heard a number of scat
tered reports. He rushed out to find
Indians jumping over one side of the
stockade and down into the Enclosure.
few Of the guard were pointing their
rifles to receive them, and the balance
were snatching theirs. From one of
the towers came a rapid fire, which did
the principal damage that was done
the assailants.
1t was all over in a few minutes.
Not more than a dozen Indians got
into the stoekade, and they were shot
down at once. The guard mounted
the parapet to see a black mass of In
dams ready to follow up the advan-
tage that had been derived by their
skirmishers. They were too late. The ,
whites poured volley into them. and,
seeing the stockade manned. they dis
appeared in the gloom
My wife. My wife, Where's my
wisr?"
The cry came from Tarr The ques-
ton was not answered. The frightened
y
the limited Enclosure to seek her with
out avail
My God. she has been carried of!
There has been treachery. They came
to take her from me. knowing that IT
would be a worse revenge than my
murder"
Here she is" shouted a man who
had climbed 10 a sentry box.
Tarr climbed the steps to see his wife
lying in dead faint. \ few min
utes before she had gone the grand
rounds to find three sentries on one
side Of the stockade asleep. a smell Of
chloroform-the person who supplied
il and taught the Indians it's use was
never found-and from one Of the
towers could distinguish Indian skir-
mishers within a hundred feet Of the
stockade She fired n signal shot.
killed a number Of the first enemies to /
enter the fort and then when the fight