The Lambertville record., 1910-08-19
TRANSLATED
BY HARRY VAN AMBERC
Copyright, 1910, by American Press
Association.

indians, and during the war of the
Revolution there was also war with
the British. But by that time the In.
dian fighting had retreated westward.
In l717 Harrodsburg, KY, was sur.
rounded by red men, and the people,
not daring to go out to hunt for game.
were often in great straits for food.
The settlement was protected by one of
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 Indian hostility and con-
sequent lack of food youth of sixteen
made himself invaluable by leaving
the fort before dawn. hunting all day
and returning after nightfall with the
game he 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 companion were
outside the fort shooting at mark.
Suddenly Ray heard the report Of a
rife and his friend fell dead. It did
not require process Of reasoning for
Ray to know that the shot had come
from an Indian. Looking about him
he saw the redskin who had killed his
friend and raising his rife was about
to shoot him when there was a whoop
from another quarter. Then Ray took
to his heels and ran like deer toward
the fort few hundred yards distant
Ray was 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 If they
did the savages would follow him and
massacre the garrison they refused to
do so.
Ray threw himself fiat on the
ground. a stump covering him from
the fire of the enemy. That is, the
indians couldn't hit 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
60 through his foot. He was but half
a dozen steps from the fort, within
which he would be safe If 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 he
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 his 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 it left an In
dian rife, knowing that it marked the
sending of 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-
fected 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 it. the consequent expo
sure of some portion of his 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 it, and he
was covered by dust they had thrown
upon him.
Night was coming on and the In
dams were drawing nearer. When it
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
hole under the cabin wall and take
me in
All wondered why they hadn't
thought of the plan before. Pick and
spade were brought. and hole was
sunk in the ground. Then when 1t was
of depth sufficient to excavate under
the wall, channel was run out to the
Young hunter and he was drawn with
in the fort.
Raw had no sooner emerged from the
hole than he found himself hugged IN
his mothers arms. and the others
crowded round to congratulate MN.
Tho redskins heard the shout OF tri-
nmph that was raised in the fort and
Lnev thar the man they were hr1ng at