Part 12 (2/2)

FEMALE INTREPIDITY

In 1782, Wheeling was besieged by a large number of British and Indians

So sudden and unexpected was the attack, that no time was afforded for preparation The fort, at the period of the assault was commanded by Colonel Silas Zane The senior officer, Colonel Ebenezer Zane, was in a blockhouse some fifty or a hundred yards outside of the wall The enemy made several desperate assaults to break into the fort, but at every onset they were driven back The ammunition for the defence of the fort was deposited in the blockhouse, and there had not been time to remove it before the Indians approached

On the afternoon of the second day of the siege, the powder of the fort was nearly exhausted, and no alternative reh the enemy's fire to the blockhouse, in order to obtain a supply When Silas Zaneif any one would undertake the hazardous enterprise, all at first were silent

After looking at one another for so man stepped forward, and said he would undertake the errand Ierous enterprise

While they were disputing as to who should go, Elizabeth, sister of the Zanes, cao for the powder Her brother thought she would flinch from the enterprise, but he was mistaken She had the intrepidity to dare, and the fortitude to acco Her brother then tried to dissuade her fro that a man would behis life

She replied, that they had not a man to spare from the defence of the fort, and that if she should fall, she would scarcely beas would iht, she prepared to start

The gate was opened, and Elizabeth bounded out at the top of her speed, and ran until she arrived at the door of the blockhouse Her brother, Colonel Zane, hastened to open the door to his intrepid sister The Indians did not fire a gun, but exclaimed, as if in astonishment, ”_Squaw! squaw! squaw_!”

When she had told her errand, her brother took a tablecloth, fastened it around her waist, and poured into it a keg of powder She then sallied back to the fort, in high spirits The moment she was outside of the blockhouse, the whole of the enemy's line fired at her, but the shower of balls fell without doing her any injury She reached the fort in safety, and the garrison was, in consequence, enabled successfully to repel their savage foe Such an instance of fe is worthy of all commemoration

FEARFUL ENCOUNTER WITH ROBBERS

The Madrid papers recite the particulars of a terrific scene which took place on the 14th of August, 1851, at the house of Don Diego Garcia, an old nobleman, who resided in the vicinity of that capital:

The night was dark and tempestuous The rain poured down in torrents, and induced the night-watch, who had been reinforced since the recent augmentations of crime in the environs of the capital, to keep close to their quarters The roads were co intervals only the shadow of a huo's mansion, in anxious haste toward its habitation

Juan Munoz, the Don's old valet, had been sent to this city, by histhe best of his way home His errand to the capital had been to procure someat the tiout

Juan, as we have said, was picking his way, as best he could, through the deluged streets and roads, when, just as he caht of the mansion, he heard the voices of a nu them to be a party of his fellow-servants who had been sent in search of him, since he had been much later than he expected to be, he drew back into an open recess to await their approach He discovered that he was deceived in his expectations; the ers to him, or, at least, he did not know their voices, but, while passing him, he plainly heard the name of hisforward, he asked if they wished to see Don Diego that night The men seemed perfectly stupefied by his sudden apparition, but they soon recovered fro that he was alone, he was politely asked to go before them and show the way

Scarcely had he proceeded a dozen yards; when a violent blow on the head laid him prostrate; a knife was then twice thrust into his breast, and the lifeless body was hurled into the ht, when the wife of Don Diego, while tending her sick husband, was startled by a noise fro the bell, and was answered by the major do determined to await the return of Juan As he entered, the door leading to the ante-chamber was also quickly opened, and on the threshold appeared five masked men, ere evidently unprepared to find ht the major-domo atteht awake the sleepers and obtain their aid, but quicker even than he was the leader of the masked band, who seized a pistol froed it at the devoted servant There was a faint cry: the old servant stretched out his hands for support, and then, with a heavy groan, fell to the floor, where death closed his eyes

This unexpected catastrophe seemed to spur on the robbers to instant work While one man was posted at each door, the three others insisted upon being inforo where he kept his money and valuables; but the sick old y by the dreadful event which had passed under his eye, that he was unable to answer them As rapidity of movement was, however, rendered peremptory to insure the safety of the band, the chief addressed the Donna for the same purpose, in answer to which, she evinced but little reluctance, and bade them to follow her The robbers at once declared their readiness, and, after passing along the corridor, entered the dining saloon, where the Donna pointed out a large box, which, she said, contained the plate

Here another difficulty arose The box, which in reality contained the plate, was securely locked, and the key nowhere to be found Anxious to get at the rich booty, the leader, with an angry imprecation, put the muzzle of his heavy horse-pistol to the lock; a sharp report followed, and the lid thus unceremoniously opened offered no further obstacle to the rapacity of the invaders Donna Ignazia took advantage of the joyful excitement of the band, and left the room to descend into the lower story of the mansion, where her hurried summons at the chamber doors of the servants were readily responded to by them, as they had already been awoke by the double report in their ed so fearfully, had meanwhile ceased; the torrents of rain were followed by a clear night; the fury of the eleather strength for a fresh outbreak--nature's wrath had given place to the wrath of man

The inani body of soldiery, who carried it to the guard-house The stabs were found to be of h it had caused a very severe wound, had occasioned only a temporary loss of consciousness It must be borne in mind, that two hours had nearly elapsed between the assault upon Munoz and the entrance into the house by the robbers, which tiain access Strong restoratives, judiciously applied, soon brought back aniive a confused narrative of what had befallen hiave orders to proceed to the o, which they reached at the precise nazia, with an ar saloon The summons of the officer at the front door was followed by a dead silence on the part of the robbers: but when they heard the ht for ht This, however, had been provided for; a portion of the military had surrounded the house, while the others, reinforced by the servants, approached The only chance then left to the brigands was to cut their way through, or sell their lives as dearly as possible In an instant the huge oaken doors of the saloon were closed and barred, the lights were extinguished, the s opened, and everything made ready for the last desperate chance Fortune favored the a leap of their eneh ithdrew their sentinels frouard the side and rear outlets of the mansion Two of the bold ruffians had already ether, when the alariven The soldiers rushed to the spot--a third robber was clinging to the frail chance for life, and was rapidly descending, but a well-directed shot bereft hith, and, after a few frantic efforts to retain his hold, he fell heavily to the ground His two coainst the nurievously wounded, into the hands of the victors

Two more only re shi+elded by strong bolts nificant eneainst the s, but the true aiandseffect, since each of them laid low one of their assailants

At last an attack upon the doors was resolved upon, and soon the heavy blows of the ponderous axe resounded froave way: there was a stunning crash, followed by reports of fire-arain the numbers were successful, but in this instance the victims knew no mercy, and, when at last the tuands could hardly be recognized from three of their late assailants

Thefro entered his heart The two survivors were subsequently identified as Raa, better known as ”the Hunchback,” two of the lars, for whose apprehension a large reward had been offered