Year: 1866


Elements had been made bv the whites.
and they were so far apart as to render
vain all hopes of assistance in case OF
an attack from hostile Indians. numbers
of whom still infested the neighborhood.
| lived there alone with my wife several
months unmolested, and by dint of per
severence, being then young and hardy.
had succeeded in making quite clear
ing in the forest, which / planted with
corn. and which promised an abundant
yield.


One morning after we had dispatched
our hum BILE meal, and just prepared 10
enter upon my accustomed routine of la
Dor, my attention was attracted by the
tinklng of cow bell in the coiAfeld


s'Ther c. said my wife, 1.-The COW is
in the corn field


But the ear of the backw oodsman be-
comes, 'ov education, very acute, especi-
ally so, from the fact that his safety oft
en- depends upon the nice cultivation of
this sense l listened. The sound was
repeated. That" said l, in reply to
my wife's remark, .was not the tinkle
of bell on the neck of a COW, but a de-
coy of some Indian, who wishes to draw
me into an ambush"


Believing this to be the case, l took
down nay 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 a clump of
bushes, crouched an Indian, waiting for
me TO appear in answer to his decoy
bell, that he might send a fatal bullet to
my heart | approached without dis
covering myself to him. until within
shooting distance, then raised my piece
and fired The bullet sped true to its
mark, and the Indian fell dead.


Not kno wing but that he might be ac-
companied by others, returned with all
speed to the cabin, and having firmly
barrieaded the door, / watched all day
for the com panions of the Indian had
killed. To add to the danger and seem
ing helple ssness of my situation, dis
covered that l had but one shot left
and, if attacked by numbers, l should
be entirely in their power. Determined
TO do the best with the charge of pow
der, put it into the musket, and then
waited for the approach of night, feel
ing sure of an attack.





light too, which favored me greatly, as
would thereby be enabled to observe the
movements of the enemy as they APP
preached the cabin.


1t was some two hours after nj ghtfall,
and yet l had neither heard nor seen
sign of the Indians. when suddenly l
WAS sta.stled by the baying of dog at the
stable. The stable stood little to the
west of the cabin, and between the two
was patch of clear ground, upon which
the light of the moon fell unobstructed.
Judging II ON the noise at the stable that
they woold advance from that direction,
| posted III yself at the portfolio on that
side Of the cabin.


/ had pr aviousIv placed my wife on
the crosspoie in the chimney, SO that in
case that our enemies effected an en-
trlnte into our cabin, she might climb
out ttrbaIh the lower chimney and eff
feet hef E cape. For myself l enter
tained no ope; but determined not to
be taken alive, and to sell my life dear
~.


With bres.thless anxiety I waited at
the portfolio At length l saw them
emerge from the shadow of the stable,
and advance across the open ground
towards ny cabin. One-two-three-
great heaven, six stalwart Indians, arm
ed 70 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
stealthy steps, in close, single file. they
approached, and were already within
few Yards of the house, when a slight
change in the movement Of the forward
Indian changed the position of the six,
so that portion OF the left side of each
was uncovered


They were in range-one aim would
cover them all. Quick as thought |
aimed and fired As the smoke cleared
awav could hardly credit what my sen
ses showed me as the result of the shot.
The fifteen slugs with which had load
ed the musket, had done their work well,
five of the six Indians lay dead upon the
ground and the sixth had fed.


Although no enemies were now in
sight did not venture forth until morn
ing There lay the bodies of the FIVE
Indians undisturbed, together with the
ride OF the other. Securing the arms and
ammunition of the fallen Indians, fol
lowed up the trail of the missing one un-
til | reached the river, beyond which /
could find no trace whatever From the
amount of blood which marked his trail.
together with the evidence that be had
picked MS way with difficulty, i was led
TO believe that he was mortally wounded
and in order to prevent his body from
falling into the hands of the white foe,
he had CROPPED his way to the river, and
thrown himself into the current which
! had borne him away.
The Indians had killed my COW, and
that, you may be assured, was no trifing
loss; yet in my gratitude for my escape
from the merciiess savages, I would
have made greater sacrifices. was well
provided with arms and ammunition ia
ken from the six Indians, in case of
second attack, but this. fortunately prov
ed my last adventure with the sayages
Not one of the band had escaped TO
tell ID g tale, and ineite his brethren 10
. revenge the death of his cemrades-


All. exclaimed the old man, while
the tears gushed from his eyes, at the


memory Of that eventfui night, that
was glorious shot-the best that / ev-
Z