Year: 1873

Keep up a good heart. Mary, I'll be
back in three hours at furthest, and |
don't think you'll be disturbed in that
time, but you must keep good watch,
there's no telling when the red devils
may be about.


The speaker was John Mead. the time
1850, and the place on the banks of the
French creek. midway of the region be-
tween Fort Duquesne and the great
lakes John and his wife had settled
here five years before when the country
was an unbroken wilderness, and his
nearest neighboT was forty miles distant.
Since then several families had settled
in the vicinity, and it was to the next
cabin, five miles away, that John was
going to borrow some meal until such
time as it should be safe to go To the
mill, for the Indians were especially
troublesome at that time, and several
recent Outrages had operated to keep the
men of the settlement always within
call of their own domiciles.


Mead's cabin was situated on a knoll
near the creek, and commanded an un-
obstructed view of the surrounding
| country for a mile in every direction.
Substantially built of huge logs, and
having projecting gallery on all sides,
well loop holed, so that it was well nigh
impossible for an attacking party to ap-
preach the walls, it was known as
''Meads Fort and a dozen resOlute
men, well armed, could have held it
against any number of naked savages.
Mary Mead was timid woman at all
times. when not called upon for i'm
mediate action, and yielding to her more
powerful characteristic, her husband had
hardly disappeared before she drew her
children into the house, closed and
barred the door, secured tie only win
dow. a hole in the gable end, about two
feet square aud seven or eight feet from
the ground, and sat down in the semi
twilight to await his return. At inter-
walls of a few minutes she would peer
through the loop holes, with which the
house was plentifully perforated, and
after glance in every direction resume
her seat. a nervous anxiety had seized
her for which she could in no way ac-
count, and she could only pray silently
for the swift return of her husband


An hour had passed away when, after
gazing long and earnestly through one
of the loop-holes, she fell on her knees
for moment, but only single moment,
and rose, to all appearances, an entirely
different woman. She saw seven lndi-
ans leave the forest and come toward
her dwelling, and her soul was now filled
with a determination to defend herself
and her little flock to the last. From
a shrinking woman she had developed
into heroine, resolute and invincible.
Hastily thrusting her children under
the bed She surrounded them with bar
ricade of firewood, and seizing the ak,
the only available weapon in the house,
awaited the coming of the savages,
meanwhile carefully observing their
movements. She had not long to wait.
| In a few moments they surrounded the
house, with so little of their usual care
about exposing their bodies that Mary
was sure they knew of the absence OF
| her husband.


The door was first tried, two Of the
sayares dealing it sturdy blows with a
heavy log. The door, itself, hewn from
a single trunk, two feet across, six inches
thick. secured by two massive bars,
would have resisted their most earnest
| efforts, but Mary was no mean auxiliary
to the strength of her fortress. A long
bar of iron, heated red hot, was sud-
denly thrust out of a loop-hole, and the
next instant the two savages, with yells,
| dropped their battering ram and retreat
ed rapidly from the still threatening
| iron. The few moments respite that
! this repulse gave her, Mary occupied in


stopping up the loop-holes, so that her


movements could not be perceived


from the outside, and, grasping her


ak, made ready to repel the next as


sault.


She was not long in doubt as to the


next point of attack. A crashing blow


fell upon the window fastening, followed