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wi plied the youth. ‘And then he muttered to himself:
. for the last résort, and could be launched in a few
“\. settling in the valley of the Juniata, the Indians
NUMBER 19.
OLMSTEAD & CO0., PUBLISHERS.
~ “INDIAN ATTACK ON A SETTLER,
As you ascend the Juniata River from its con-
fluence with the Susquehanna, you enter a wild,
secluded dell, where in some places, the banks rise
steep and rocky above the flowing river.
« In one place, where the cliff has a perpendicular
descent of fifty feet, an early settler erected his log
dwelling upon the very brink. ‘It was an almost
impossible thing for the Indians to assail it on the
side next to the water. To prepare a way for re-
treat, in case of its being successfully stormed in
front, or on the land side, the settler dug a kind of
“well, nearly down to a level with the water, enlarg-
ing the excavation at the bottom sufficiently to con-
tain a small boat, with an outlet directly upon the
Juniata. He concealed this outlet with a thin shell
of earth and stones, so disposed as to resemble the
natural cliff itself. At the bottom of this well a
small boat was placed. This was kept in readiness
minutes by destroying the thin barrier, and pushing
it. out upon the water. Thus. prepared, with a
“windlass for lowering the persons who wished to
‘descend, it was thought the settlers’ family might
escape before any assailing Indians should discover
their secret. The settler felt as much at ease as
any one could in, his exposed situation, and went
vigorously to work, with his two sons, aged sixteen
“and eighteen, clearing and tilling the land of his
purchase." oo
The household of Job Hanson consisted of five
souls—himself, wife, the’ two sons just mentioned,
anda daughter of twelve. At the period -of. his
were at peace with the whites. Nothing occurred
“go disturb the tranquillity of the family for s couple
: of years. Then vague rumors of savage discontent
and probable hostility began to reach them and ex-
eite a feeling of uneasiness. Not long afer this
came the fearful intelligence of the destruction of
Wyoming. On the very heels of this, as it were,
a party of savages, headed -by’ a white man, were
“discovered ‘approaching™ the dwelling. The . two
“gona, who were at work in a field abdut a quarter
“of a mile from the house, saw them just in time to
get home and give the alarm. The father was al-
ready there, being indoors with an attack of rheu-
‘matism. * Though it was with difficulty he could
move about, -his bead was clear to direct, which
was of great consequence to the less experienced
inmates. Ie ordered the gate of the stockade to
be securely closed, the rifles to be reprimed, and
then, to guard against accidents, had his wife and
- daughter lowered down to the boat already men-
tioned. By the time this had been accomplished,
the savages were whooping before the dwelling.
«“}Tow many of the painted imps are there ?” he
* inquired of his sons.
ea aoot exactly know, father,” answered the el-
der; “but I should think somewhere about twenty.”
“Well, if that is all, we ought to be able to hold
‘out against them for two hours at least, and by
that time it will be dark enough for us to put off in
* our boat without being seen. Thank Heaven that
_ they came so late in the day! Be cool, boys, and
. firm, and don’t waste any powder. If you have to
shoot at all, be sure you fetch one of the scoundrels
down every time, which will make the others very.
: cautious how they expose themselves, and they'll
* probably haul off to wait for night of their own ace
» cord.” | ‘ . .
oeThere’s a white scoundrel among em,-and I
just want to shoot him !” said the younger, with a
flash of his eye, a8 he tightened his grasp on the
rifle he held in his hand.
“Take care, Sam!” said his fathers don't you
* xo to being rash, and exposing yourself any more
: fran is abelately necessary, for if anything should
- happen to you, it would be a sorry day for your
+ mother, to say nothing of the rest ofus. Take pat
. tern by your brother Jim, who is always cantious’
.4Q, I'll be careful !~don’t you fear for me, re
“7"l) fix that white scoundrel, though, if there’s any
chance!”
“}alloo the house !” at this moment.sang out a
yoice from the outside.
:.,. The brothers hastened to the second story,
» projected ver
* manded the little court within
which
about two feet over the lower, and com-
the stockade, and
WALRUSES.
“Well, what’s wanted of the house ?”
“We want to come in peaceably,” replied” the
white man, “and I'll pledge my honor that no one
shall be harmed.”
~“#If that's all you've got to pledge, you're a pdor,
miserable jackanapes!” called out the younger, be-
fore his elder brother had time to reply.
“You defy us, then?” said the man, in an angry
tone. .
“We'll not let you in peaceably, at all events,”
was the rejoinder; “and if you attempt to break iny
look out for the consequences—for there’s a num-
ber of us, “&hd we're well armed.”
“And we're enough to force our way in, and burn
your cabin about your heads!” shouted back the
white man. “If you'll throw open your gates and
doors, and let us in at’ once, we'll not hurt a hair
of your heads—for we're hungry and tired, and
only want to eat and rest—but if you hold out and
compel us to break in, we'll not spare a single one
of you—man, woman, or child !”
“Go ahead, and when you get in let us know!”
returned the spirited youth. “I suppose you're
down from the bloody butchery of Wyoming, and
we don’t expect any. mercy from such as you.”
. After this there was a brief consultation, as it ap-
peared, among the enemy, and then followed a se-
ries of wild, Indian whoops and yells, mingled with
‘a rattling volley of musketry, the balls pattering
harmlessly against the stout logs of the stockade
and dwelling. . .
“There, they have opened the ball,” said the
youth called Sam, “and now let them look out for
themselves !”
He approached a loophole that overlooked the
stockade, and caught a view of the heads of some
three or four savages, who were not so close under
the palisades as they might have supposed. They
seemed to be consulting together, and he thought
it quite probable they were a group of the principal
warriors. He cautiously presented his rifle, and
was in the act of taking sight, when crack went a
gun from a clump of bushes a little beyond the
parties, and a bullet, singing through the aperture,
grazed the young man’s cheek, and lodged in the].
roof.
The father, who had just worked his way up the
stairs, groaning with pain at every step, on hearing
the report, and seeing his favorite son stagger back,
with the blood streaming down his face, uttered a
wild cry of grief and alarm, and impulsively bound-
ed forward, forgetful of his own ailment. He
reached his son, himself trembling like a leaf and
the perspiration streaming from every pore, ex-
claiming: . . :
“0, my dear boy, are you killed *
“JIardly scratched, father,” replied the youth,
taking his hand from the wound after ascertaining
its whole extent; “a mere flea-bite! But,” he
handle yourself so lively—you were quicker than
Jim.” - '
“That’s a fact,” said the father, now recalled to
himself. “What’s become of my rheumatiz? I
don’t feel it at all;” and he commenced walking to
and fro, swinging his arms, perfectly astonished at
the fact that his sudden shock, fright and violent
exertion had cured him.
It was a fact, nevertheless, and the amazed and
delighted’ boy remarked that the savage was wel-
come to the shot, since it had produced such a won-
derful and happy result. ) Instead of the garrison
being weakened thereby, it- had been greatly
strengthened, and this was a cause for congratul
tion and hope. : .
For a few minutes after the single shot that had
wounded the boy, the besiegers. kept perfectly
quiet, and the elder Hanson remarked that this
was a sure sign that they were up to some mischief.
The boys looked through the loopholes meantime,
but with greater caution than before, and without.
getting sight of the enemy.’ At length a.volume
of smoke began to roll up in front of the gate, and
then, of course, it was known that the savages
were attempting to burn their way into the enclos-
ure, with a view probably of setting fire to the
dwelling also. :
“This looks rather bad for us,” said the father,
“If we could ‘only manage to kill that white vil-
lain, and one or two others of the leaders, I think
the rest would clear out,” said the elder son,
The flames now began to stream up through the
smoke, and the savages gave a yell of exultation,
and one or two of the boldest stole cautiously out
into yiew and looked up at the dwelling. Jim
drew up his rifle to a steady aim, but his father
suddenly knocked up the piece, saying:
“Not yet—not yet, my son—let them get a little
bolder first. As we haven’t fired yet, they may
think we can’t, and we want a chance at the white
man.” °
“That's my idea,” coincided. Sam. “If we can
only fetch him at the first fire, the battle will be
half won.” . .
For the next quarter of an hour all remained si-
lent within the dwelling—the gate and stockade,
meantime, burning to the satisfaction of the In-
dians, who announced their delight by occasional
whoops and yells, and some random discharges of
firearms, Then. a sort of battering ram was ap-
plied to the charred timbers of the burning gate.
At length, with a loud crash, it fell inward, and the
savages gave yent to still wilder yells of exultation.
For a minute or two they did not venture into the
little court; but finding all yet remained silent in
the house, they began to glide in, one after another,
till at last one half stood exposed to the deadly
Still no word—no demon-
stration from the besieged—and this silence and
rifles of the inmates.
** the elder shouted back:~
added with surprise, “I didn’t know you could
- e
a O :
apathy encouraged and emboldened even the more
timid to push on the work of destruction, Surely
the inmates must be without vfirearms, or they
would certainly have been hedfd from before this!”
and if without firearms, what had the besicgers to
fear? . : M
So, with exultant whoops and yells they brought
in wood and brush and piled it against the door,
and then set fire to it with the burning brands from
the demolished gate. , . *
At this moment, the most trying one of all to
Job. Hanson and his sons, when the smoke was
rolling up through the open space between the
projecting and lower story, and filling the house
with stifling vapor, and the fire was beginning to
burn the wood-work of the door, at this moment
the white man and two Indian companions ven~
tured in front of the open gate to look at the prog-
ress of the flames, and perhaps wonder at the
mystery of the silence within. They were seen
through the smoke by the brave father and his
sons, and their three rifles were: simultaneously
brought to bear upon them. ‘A momentary silence,
during which each selected his man, and then came
the emphatic words, spoken in a low tone by the
senior: . : tes
. “To the heart, boys, and God send us deliver-
ance! ,
The reports of the three pieces were blended in
one, and when the smoke rose, the three foes were
seen prostrate on the earth, with half the remain-
ing Indians howling in dismay around them.
“Quick, now—the water! the water!” shouted
the excited father ;“and in less than a minute the
flames about the door were extinguished by water
which had been kept in
emergency.
The savages bore off their dead leaders, and af-
ter whooping and yelling around for awhile, and oo-
casionally discharging their pieces in harmless re-
sentment, taking care not again to expose their
persons to the death-dealing rifles of their foes,
they disappeared from the vicinity, and never re-
turned, ee ah
That night was spent in watching and tearful
prayers of thanksgiving by the bled family
who had just. made a wonderful escape, and who, |
we will add, were never again molested, .
ns timers
+
. , THE RAG-PARTY. - q
“O girls! Ihave eomething to tell you,” cried
Lucy Allen, coming into the school-room one
morning long before nine o'clock. . The gitls, Who
had been gathered in groups, either talking Sor
studying, all looked up as Lucy went on to- say,
“Mother says I may invite you all to my house to
arag-party, next Saturday. Wont it be nice?” >
“What is a rag-party?” asked Alice.
“Why Alice! don’t you know?” said Emma,
“it is a party to cut and sew rags for acarpet. It’s
real fun. I mean to go if mother will let me.”
. tA rag-party!” said Kate, very scornfully ; “who
ever heard ofjsuch a thing! fy ma wont allow
me to sew rad¢.- I don’t think it is very genteel.”
The teats Cathe into Lucy’s blue eyes at this un-
kirid spéecl}; Dut she tried not to appear hurt, only
saying, “But Kate, this is to do good, and we
needn't be tshahed of that.” nos
“Ne indgd!” \said Julia, putting her arms loy-
ingly round Lucy. “But what are you going to do
with the carpet when it is finished, Lucy ?”.
“Why, you know the old lady who has moved
into the little cottage at the foot of our lane, and
has only her little grandson living with her; well,
mother went to see her the other day, and says
she is real poor... There is no carpet on the floor, and
she told mother she couldn't afford to get any now,
me, I thought right away about the'rag-carpet that
Isaw Aunt Betsey Hall making, and it is such
easy work that Annie and I thought we would try
and make one as a present for the old lady.”
“Good! that’s a first rate ideal”: said Nellie ;
“and you are going to.let us all come and help
you.” ° a : ot
“Yes, if you would like
says we may play and have ‘some music; so i
wont be so very ungenteel, Kate, after all.” .
“Well, Ido; don’t you, girls?” said Julia...) p
: °
to; we can begin at two |
o'clock and sew till tea time, then after tea mother |
“J don’t think I can come,” said Kate. va
readiness for just suchan =‘
because the boy had no work. When mother told+ -
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