Bradford County telegraph. (Starke, Fla.) 1888-current, 1910-09-02
TRANSLATED
By HARRY VAN AMBERG
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association

the British. But by that time the In
dian fighting had retreated westward
In iii Harrodsburg, Ky, was sur
rounded by red men, and the people
not during to so out to hunt for game
were often In great straits for food
The settlement was protected by one o.
those stockade forts used at that time
for keeping off savages, and when
they were hostile the inhabitants OF
the place were obliged to keep within
its inclOSure
During this Incian hostility and con.
sequent lack Of food youth of sixteen
made himself Invaluable 10y leaving
the fort before dawn. hunting all day
and returning after nightfall with the
game be had shot. James Ray was
the name Of this brave boy. and he
afterward became a general officer in
the United States army.
One day Ray and a companion were
outside the fort shooting at a mark.
Suddenly Ray heard the report Of q
rife and his friend fell dead. 1t did
not require a process Of reasoning for
Ray to know that the shot had come
from On Indian. Looking about him
he saw the redskiD who had killed his
friend and raising his rife was about
to shoot him when there was n whoop
from another quarter. Then Ray took
to his heels and ran like deer toward
the fort few hundred yards distant
Ray was q very quick runner. The
Indians could not catch him, but they
followed him with brisk fire. He
reached the fort without having been
hit, but found the gates closed. Those
within had heard the firing. had shut
themselves IN and were too terrified to
open the gates. Ray called upon them
to let him In. but fearing that II they
did the savages would follow him and
massacre the garrison they refused to
do so.
Ray threw himself fat on the
ground, a stump covering him from
the fire Of the enemy. That is, the
indians couldn't bit him, though their
bullets sang in such proximity to his
ears as to make him think that the
next would cut of one Of them. or per
haps tear strip out Of his side or
go through his foot. BE was but half
a dozen steps from the fort, within
which he would be safe IL he could
only get there.
But this was impossible so long as
the Indians were threatening him
Near enough to see those In the fort
looking through the loop holes be
talked with them about ways to extri-
cate him from his position. While the
bullets were singing on either side Of
him he was conversing with his moth
er. There seemed no way to relieve
him except to open the gates, and by
doing this many lives might be sacri-
feed In an ineffectual attempt to save
one.
There was one In the fort who suf.
fered as much, doubtless far more.
than Ray himself That was bis moth
er. She looked through a lOophole,
where she could see him lying In his
perilOus position, and she could see
each squirt Of smoke as 1t left an In.
dian rifle, knowing that It marked the
sending OF a bullet to kill her boy.
And Ray could not only hear the bull
let sing by him and feel the dust sprin-
king over him, but saw his danger re-
Elected In his mothers face.
Hour after hour passed without any
change in the situation. When It
seemed impossible for him to lie any
longer In one position and he attempt
ed to change II. the consequent expo
sure of some portion Of bis body would
draw more fire, admonishing him to
endure the constrained attitude rather
than risk a wound by trying to relieve
It The ground on each side Of him
was torn up in burrows By the bullets
that had been shot through 1t. and be
was covered by dust they had thrown
upon him.
Night was coming on and the In
dams were drawing nearer. When 1t
became dark there could be nothing to
prevent the savages from coming near
enough to take him or to shoot him
from position where the stump would
not protect him. For four hours he had
laid In view of those in the fort, his
mother trying to encourage him. yet
herself needing encouragement, when
sudden thought occurred to him.
For heavens sake" he cried, dig
I hole under the cabin wall and take
me In"
All wondered WI! they hadn't
thought Of the plan before. Pick and
spade were brought, and a hole was
sunk in the ground. Then when It was
of depth sufficient to excavats under
The wall, channel was run out to the
young hunter and he was drawn with
h the fort.
Ray bad no sooner emerged from the
hole than be found himself hue9ed in
bis mothers arms, and the others
crowded round to Congratulate him
The redskins heard the shout Of til
umph that was raised In the fort and
knew that the man they were firing at
had escaped. But howl It was still
light enough for them to keep In view
the stump behind which he had taken
refuge. and had he got up and been
assisted over the stockads he would
have been in their full view The
gate had not been opened Surely the
palefacs bad been translated into The
Port By the Great Spirit