Year: 1870

We question whether, in the history of
hair-breadth escapes, parallel to the fol-
lowing can easily be found. The story
was told to us by an old and valued friend,
whose early days were spent near the
scene of the tragic adventure recorded
here.


We give the story as it was related to us,
in the words of the hero


"It was about the year 1906 that set
tied in Virginia, near the falls of the Ka-
nawha The country at that time was an
unbroken wilderness. But few settlements
had been made by the whites and they
were so far apart as to render vain all hope
of assistance in case of an attack from hos
tile Indians, numbers of whom still infest-
ed the neighborhood.


81 lived there alone with my wife for
several months unmolested, and by dint of
perseverance, then young and hardy, had
succeeded in making quite clearing in the
forest, which | planted with corn, and
which promised an abundant yield.


One morning, after we had dispatched
our humble meal, and just prepared to ven-
ture forth upon my accustomed routine of
labor, my attention was arrested by the
tinkling of cow-bell in the corn-feld


There said my wife, the COW is in
the corn-feld'


"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 SO easily deceived I lis
tened. The sound was repeated. That
said |, in reply to my wife's remark, was
not the tinkle of bell upon the neck of a
COW, but decoy from some Indian who
wishes to draw me into ambush


Believing this to be the case, took
down my old musket, and seeing that it
was properly loaded / stole cautiously
around the field towards 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 the fatal bullet to my heart.
| approached without discovering 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 knowing but that he might be ac-
companied by others, | returned with all
speed to the cabin, and having firmly barri-
caded the door, / watched all day from the
port-hole in anticipation of an attack from





To add to the danger and seeming helpless
ness of my situation, | discovered that
had but one charge of powder left [
could make but one shot then; if attacked
by numbers should be entirely in their
power. Determined to do the best with
what | had poured out the first charge,of
powder, and put it into the musket, and
then waited for the approach of night, feel
ing sure of an attack.


might came at last. A beautiful moon
light it was, too, and this favored me great
ly, as | would thereby be able to observe
the movements of the enemy as they ap-
preached the cabin.


ut was some two hours after nightfall,
and yet had neither heard nor seen a
sign of the Indians, when suddenly | was
startled by the baying of my dog at the
stable. | knew that the Indians were COM
ing. The stable stood little to the west
OF the cabin, and between the two was a
patch OF clear ground, upon which the
light OF the full moon fell unobstructed.
Judging from the noise at the stable that
they would advance from that direction. [
posted myself at the port-hole on that side
of the cabin.


81 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
low chimney and effect her escape. Fol-
myself l entertained no hope, but deter
mined not to be taken alive, and to sell my
life dearly.


"With breathless anxiety | waited at the
port-hols. At length | saw them emergt
from the shadow of the stable, and advances
across the open ground towards my cabin
One-two-three-great heaven SIX stal
wart Indians, armed to the teeth, anC
urged on by the hope Of revenge, and
alone to oppose them with one charge o
powder My case was desperate indeed
With quick and stealthy STEP in close
single file, they approached, and wer,
already within few yards of the house
when slight change in the movement o
the'forward Indian changed the position 0