Year: 1861

emigrant train She felt certain that it
had halted at the cossing of the stream
before her. and would probably encamp
for the night. The guard being slain, an
attack could be made without exciting
suspicion upon the part of the travellers
before it was too late to offer successful
resistance.


The brave girl reflected for moment
Her heart sickened at the thought of the
awful massacre which threatened her
friends, and all fear of personal danger
was lost in the one great fear for them.-
How to act, she could not determine at
once. She thought of rising to her feet,
and rushing screaming down the stream,
with the absolute certainty of being shot
herself; but this would only hasten the
assault, without giving due warning. No:
whatever was done, must be in such man.
ncr that the suspicious of the emigrants
would be aroused before the indians were
aware of it.


Her situation was at present such, that
she could do nothing without attracting
attention from the Indians opposite, who
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cordingy she worked her way cautiously
backwards, until there were enough BUSH
es between herself and them to screen her
movements. Then she stealthily crept
some twenty yards down stream, and once
more approaced the margin. Here she
reached down and disturbed the water in
the hope of making its muddy appearance
attract the attention of her friends
Fearing, however, to trust to this alone,
she made her way back into the wood,
and commenced approaching the encamp-
ment.


But she had gone but short distance
when she was made aware that, under the
present circumstances, such an exploit was
utterly impossible. The Indians were all
around her, and hardly movement could
be made without rendering her discovery
unavoidable. The suppressed signals of
their scouts reached her ears constantly.


Still unable to remain in one position,
she continued creeping forward on her
hands and knees, gradually lessening the
distance between herself and her friend,
until frightned at her own temerity, she
suddenly halted. As she did so something
cold touched her hand, and upon looking
at it she discovered that it was stained
with blood. The grass was trampled
down and the bushes broken and dripping
with blood, as though some death strug-
gle had taken place. Upon looking fur
thur, she saw rifle lying upon the ground
and upon examination, discovered to her
surprise, that it was still loaded. She
concluded that it was here their scout had
been slain, though it was a mystery how
his body came to be on the opposite side.


At first she laid the rife down again,
intending to leave it, but, upon second
thought she took it and secretel herself
in the bushes. Just then she heard
footstep, and looking discovered a crouch
ing Shawnee Indian, who was gazing upon
her in unbounded surprise. Hardly
knowing what she did, she raised her rifle
and shot him through the breast. Then,
without waiting to see whether he was
slain, she bounded to her feet and fed like
deer.


\ shot from the outlying scouts, was
the signal of danger to the emgrats, and
upon hearing this, they instantly formed
themselves in position to repel assault,
and await anxiously for further demon
strations. The absence Of the girl had
been noticed; the most painful apprehen-
sions were felt for her, and the shot al
most rendered the parents frantic, But
to their unbounded JOY the truant daugh-
ter appeared among them, and related
what had occurred. The Indians, finding
the cmigrants so well prepared, made no
attack, although their scouts followed them
all of the next day, and our friends final
ly reached their destination without fur
ther molestaton. The heroine of our lit
sketch is still living at Red Bank, New
Jersey; and although an aged woman,
this incident in her life is still remembered.
She cmigrated from the West some years
since, but while there Sarah W.Child was
we'll known along the frontier as one ofi.s
many heroines,


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