Year: 1867

It was about the year 1905 that / set


tied in Virginia, near the falls of the


Kanawha. The country, at the time, was


an unbroken wilderness. But few settle


ments had been made by the whites, and


they were so far apart as to render vain


all hopes of assistance in case of an at


tack from hostile Indians, numbers Of


whom still infested the neighborhood.


lived there alone with my wife for sew.


eral months unmolested, and by dint Of


perseverance, then young and hearty,


had succeeded in making quite clearing


in the forest, which l planted with corn,
and which promised an abundant yield.


One morning, after we had dispatched
our humble meal, and just prepared to
venture forth upon my accustomed rou.


tine of labor, my attention was arrested
by the tinkling of cow bell in the corn
field


"There," said my wife, the COW is in
the cornield.


But the ear of the backwoodsman be-
comes by education very acute, especially
so from the fact that his safety often de-
pends upon the nice cultivation of that
sense. / was not easily deceived. !
listened. The sound repeated "That,"
said /, in reply to my wife'sremark, was
not the tinkle of bell upon the neck of
a COW, but decoy from some Indian.
who wishes to draw me into an ambush.


Believing this to be the case, took
down my old musket, and seeing that it
was properly loaded, stole cautiously
around the field toward the spot from
which the sound seemed to proceed.


As suspected, there in clump of
bushes crouched an Indian, waiting for
me to answer to his decoy bell, that he
might send a fatal bullet to my heart
/ approached without discovering my
self to him until within shooting distance,
then raised my piece and fred. The
bullet sped true to its mark and the In
dian fell dead.


Not knowing but that he was accom-
panied by others, / returned with all
speed to the cabin, and having firmly
barricaded the door, | watched all day
for the companions of the Indian | had
killed. To add to the danger and SEEM
ing hopelessness of my situation, | dis
covered that had but one shot left, and
if attacked by numbers, should be en-.
tirely in their power Determined to do
the best with the powder, / put it into the
musket, and then waited for the ap-
proach of night, feeling sure of an at
tack.


Night came at last. A beautiful moon
light it was, too, and favored me greatly
as l would thereby be able to observe the
movements of the enemy as they ap-
preached the cabin.


1t was some two hours after nighttall,
and vet had neither heard nor seen a
sign of the Indians, when suddenly
was startled by the baying of my dog
at the stable. The stable stood little
to the west of the cabin, and between
the two was a patch of clear ground,
on which the light of the moon fell un-
obstrueted. Judging from the noise at
the stable, that they would advance from
that direction, posted myself at the
pert,hole on that side of the cabin.


/ had previously placed my wife on
the cross pole in the chimney, so that
in case our enemies effected an entrance
into our cabin, she might climb out
through the lower chimney and effect
her escape. For mysalf entertained
nc hope but determined to sell my life
dearly.


With breathless anxiety / waited at
the portfolio. At length / saw them
emerge from the shadow Of the stable |
and advance across the open ground to-
ward my cabin. One-two-three- |
great heaven six stalwart Indians armed |
to the teeth, and urged on by the hope
of revenge. and ] alone to oppose them
with one charge Of powder. Ny case
was desperate, indeed. With quick and
stealthT steps, in close single hle, they
and we're already in few
wards of the house when slight change
In the movement Of the forward Indian
changed the position Of the six, SO that
a portion of the side Of each was I'M
covered.


They we're in range, aud one aim
would cover all Quick Rs thought ]
aimed and fred. As the smoke cleared
away, / could hardly credit what my
senses showed me as the result OF my
shot The fifteen slugs with which had
loaded the musket had done their work
veil; Eve Of the six Indians lay dead
ipon The ground and the sixth bad dis
appeared.


Although no enemies we're nov in
light. I did not venture out until morn
ng There lay the bodies Of the i've
Indians, undisturbed, together with the
-iae Of the ether. Securing the arms
nd ammunition Of the fallen Indians,
oIlowed up the trail Of the missing one
Until reached the river, beyond which
,oint ] could discover no trace whatever.
from the amount Of blood which marked
lis trail, together with On unmistakable !