The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-10-16
Saved In the
Nick Of Time
By RUTH w. MALTBY

]
ing America from the old world. they
settled in Pennsylvania. later emigrat
ed to western Virginia and, having
worked out their lands there. moved
on down the Ohio river to appropriate
the virgin soil Of Kentucky.
Among these movers was a family
named Martin. the father and mother
being elderly persons, their elder chill
dren grown. A daughter. Hester, was
a girl of eighteen. They settled not
far from where Bowling Green Is now
situated.
The war of 1912 was being fought
and soon after the arrival of the Mar
tins in their new home the battle of
New orleans was fought and won by
the Americans. or, rather, the woods
men of the west, among whom the
hunters Of Kentucky were cOnspicu
Gus. The war had been ended by
treaty before the battle, though the
news Of peace had not yet got across
the Atlantic. and soon after 1t was
over the troops came marching home.
A company Of Kentuckians recruited
from the region about where the Mar
tins lived was disbanded, and young
man, Abner Armstrong who had
marched away and returned as lieu
tenant was among the number. At
the time Of his appearance John Bart
let, man Of forty years of age, had
asked Martin for his daughter Hester's
hand. There were many mouths to
feed In Martins family, and Bartlett
was the only suitor who had establish
ed himself in the new country; there
fore Martin persuaded Hester to marry
him.
But before the wedding had taken
place along came the soldiers whose
rifles had won the battle of New Or
leans. Young Armstrong was a strap
ping, flaxen haired, blue eyed boy with
every appearance of manliness, but
withal an engaging smile. Hester look
ed at him and surrendered.
There is but little reason in youth.
Instead of confessing to her father and
her betrothed that she had not known
what love was and that, having dis.
covered it in the young soldier. she
had changed, Hester resolved on the
most desperate course to be conceived
Of. She told Armstrong, who was as
deeply smitten with her as she was
with him, that she could never face
either her father or her betrothed to
tell them of the change in her and the
only course left for them was to run
away. 1t was not likely that one who
had but recently helped to win battle
should show the white feather.
The only means of conveyance in
those days in Kentucky was a horse.
Armstrong had but one animal, but it
served for both. They started on an
afternoon, and their fight was discov-
cred about o'clock the same night
Bartlett was notified. and when he
learned how he had been treated he
said:
"I'll go after 'em and bring 'em back.
Then I'll tell 'em they kin git married
for all me as soon as they like"
With this he mounted his horse, his
rifle slung to his saddle and pistols in
his holster, for no one went about un-
armed in those wild days, and, assum-
Ing that the fugitives would make for
the Ohio river, he rode straight north
ward About midnight he saw lurid
light on the clouds to the northeast
ward, and, thinking the fugitives had
bivouacked and built fire, he turned
his horses head in that direction.
Suddenly he reined in to stand and
listened A distant confused barking
fell upon his ear. He shuddered.
picture came before his minds eye
painted by the hand Of experience. a
Kentuckian, he knew that the barks
he heard were those of wolves and
that one of the ways of fighting wolves
was by fire. He saw the girl he had
hoped to make his wife and the man
she had eoped with besieged by hun
cry beasts.
Urging forward his horse, guided by
the light, the barks growing more dis
tinct as he approached, he finally
burst In upon the very scene he had
pictured. Armstrong and Hester oc-
cupied the center of circle OF fire
they had built to keep off the pack
Armstrong; ammunition had been eX
pended, and whenever wolf snarlcd
too close he beat it back with the bar
rel OF his rifle or with burning brand
Hester. like a true daughter of the
forest. was bravely arranging the wooa
they had gathered to keep it burning.
Having ridden as far as his terrified
horse would go, Bartlett dismOunted
and, aiming at wolf. shot him dead.
Then, while the pack were devouring
their companion, the rifle was reload
ed and another wolf was brought
down. Drawing nearer to the besieged
couple, Bartlett called upon them to run
toward him while he covered their re
treat. They started, Hester in ad-
vance. The wolves sprang after them.
and just as their leader was about 10
spring upon Armstrong, who was NOV
ing with his face to them, Bartlett shot