Year: 1872

they we're SO lar apart as 10 renuer VAIN
all hopes of assistance in case of attack
from hostile Indians, numbers OF whom
still infested the neighborhood. liv-
ed there alone with my wife for sever
al months unmolested, and by dint of
perseverance, when young and hardy,
had succeeded in making quite clear
ing in the forest, which l planted with
corn, and which promised an abundant
yield.


One morning, after we had dispatched
our humble meal, and / had just prepar-
ed to venture forth on my accustomed
routine of labor, my attention was arrest
ed by the tinkling of cow-bell in the
corn field.


"There," said my wife, !" the COW is in
the corn feld.'


But the ear of the backwoodsman be-
comes by education very acute, especial
ly from the fact that his safety often de-
pends upon the nice cultivation Of that
sense.


/ was not so easily deceived. The
sound was repeated. "That," said ], in
reply to my wife's remark, was not the
tinkle of bell upon COW, but decoy
from some Indian who wishes to draw
me into an ambush"


Believing this to be the case, 1 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 appear in answer to his decoy bell,
that he might send fatal bullet to my
heart. / approached without discover
ing myself to him until within shooting
distance, then raised my piece and fred.
The bullet sped true to its mark, and the
Indian fell dead.


Not knowing but that he was accom-
panied by others, / returned with full
speed to the cabin, and having firmly bar
ricaded the door, / watched all day for
the companions of the Indian had kill
ed. To add to the danger and seeming
hopelessness of my situation, / discover
ed that / had but one shot left, and if
attacked by numbers should be entire
ly in their power. Determined to do the
best with the powder, / put it into the
musket and then waited for the approach
of night feeling sure of an attack.


Night came at last. A beautiful moon
light night it was, too, and favored me
greatly as / would thereby be able to OBJ
serve the movements of the enemy as
they approached the cabin.


1t was some two hours after nightfall,
and yet / had neither heard nor seen
sign of the Indians, when suddenly was
startled by the baying of a dog at the
stable. The stable stood little to the
west of the cabin, and between the two
was patch of clear ground on which
the light of the 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.


had previously placed my wife on
the cross-pole in the chimney, so that in
the case our enemies effected an entrance
into our cabin, she might climb out
through the chimney and make her es-
cape. For myself entertained no hope,
but determined to sell my life dearly.


With breathless anxiety l waited at
the port hole. At length saw them
emerge from the shadow of the stable
and advance across the open ground to-
ward my cabin. One-two-three-gre
heavens six slalwart Indians, armed to
the teeth, and urged on by the hope of
revenge, and alone to oppose them with
one charge of powder. My case was des-
perate, indeed. With quick and stealthy
steps, in close single file they approached,
and were already within few yards of
the house, when slight change in the
movement of the forward Indian chang
ed the six, so that a portion of the side
of each was uncovered.


They were in range and one aim would
cover them all. Quick as thought 1
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 I
had loaded the musket had done their
work we'll FIVE of the six Indians lay
dead upon the ground and the sixth had
disappeared.


Although no enemies were now in sight
| did not venture forth until morning.
There lay the bodies of five Indians, un-
disturbed, together with the rifle of the
other. Securing the arms and ammunition
of the fallen Indians, / followed up the
trail of the missing one until l reached