Show I 1 front from the agrarian I 1 THE BOY BO HEROES A SKETCH or LIF when kentucky was an infant state and before the th foot of civilization had trodden her giant forests there lived upon a branch of the green river an old hunter banter by the name of if john slater his but was upon the southern bank of the at fl tream ream and save a small patch of same dozen acres that had bad been cleared by hiti hia own alej axe he was shut abut up by a dense forest suter slater had two obil dren at home with him two sons SOBS phili philip and daniel the former fourteen and ae the latter twelve years of age a his elder children had gone south his wife was with him but she had been for several years an almost helpless cripple from the effects of bove I 1 J I 1 it M haq wa early in the spring and yie old I 1 hunter h had a d just I 1 j returned from CV cumbia tumbi is 9 where he had bad been to carry the Prod produce pee of bf the winters winter labor which consisted mostly of furs he had bad received quite a sum of mon money evand ted had brought it home with him the old man bad f for meyeral years been 90 accumulating money for civilization was gradi gradually ally approaching him and he meant that his bin it children hildren should start on fair terms with the world one evening just its as the family were sitting down to their frugal supper they were attracted by 1 a sudden growling of the dogs and as slater went to the door booi to see what was the mattw matter 1 he saw three aien approaching his hi hab but lit be quickly quieted the dogs and the stran strangers n rs approached the door they asked f for or something to eat and also for lodgings in a for the night john slater was not tb the man to refuse a request of that kind anabe and he asked the strangers in they set their rifles behind tha door their packs and room was made for them at the supper tabler thy they represented themselves as travellers trav ellers bound farther west intending to cross the mississippi in ai search of a settlement I 1 the new comers were far from being agreeable or p prepossessing in their I 1 looks 0 but slater took no notice of the circumstance I 1 for he was botone not one to doubt a any ily man the boys however didiot did not like their I 1 I 1 ap perance at all and quick glances sauces which they gava each other told their feelings the hunters wife was not at the table but she sat in her grea great teasy easy chair by the fire slater entered into conversation with the guests I 1 but they were not very free fra and 0 after a while the talk dwindled to occasional questions hs philip the elder of the tha two noticed that the mien men cast uneuy uneasy glances about the room and he be watched them am narrowly his fears t eara had become excited and he be could not nob rest he knew that his father had money in ia the house bouse and ins his first thought was that these wad mea were I 1 there for the purpose of robbery after the supper was over the boys quilen I 1 I 1 ly cleared off the table and then they went out of doors it had become dark or rathor rather the night had fairly set in for there was a bright moon two thirds full shining don upon the forest daniel said philip in a low whisper at I 1 the same time canting a look over his shoulder houlder what do you think of these ere men or im afraid bad ones returned the younger be boy so am I 1 I 1 believe they mean to steal fathers money you notice how they looked round round yes P I 1 so did 1 I if we should tell father what we think he would only laugh at us sad and tell tel us we were pernot perfect scare cro crows djs j but we can watch em am yes we will wih watch let era but do not let them know iw U the boys held heia so some me further consultation and then going to the dog house they set the small door back so that the hounds might spring forth if they were wanted if they had desired tol to aspea speak with their ahir father about their suspicion they had no chance for the strangers sat close by him au the evening at length however the mom man signified his intention int intention eltion of tiring retiring re and aro arose se to go out of doors to see the state abate of affairs without the three followed him but they did not take their weapons the old lady was asleep in the chair now abow whispered phillip I 1 take two of fathers rifles up to our bed we may want them we are as good as men with the rifle I 1 daniel sprang to obey and quealy okly as possible the boys al slipped p ad two rifles from their pockets behind th the great ston stove re chimney and then hastened back and emptied the priming from fro the strangers rifles and when their father and the strangers returned they had resumed their seats I 1 the hunters cabin was divided into two apartments on the ground floor one of them in in the end and of the building being the ta old mans sleeping roomi room and the other the room in which the company at present sat overhead there was a sort af scaffolding I 1 reaching only ealy halfway half way over the large roo room in below it and ana in the opposite end of the building from the little sleeping apartment of the hunter A rough ladder led up to the scaffold ld and on it close up to the gable end wag was the boys toys bed there wis was no partition at tle the edge of this scaffolding but it ft was all open to the room bolow spare bedding was spread upon the floor of the kitchen for the three travellers trav ellers and after everything evry thing had been arranged for their comfort the boys went up to their bed and the old man retired to his little room the two boys thought not of sleep or if 1 I 1 they did it was only to avoid it half an hour had passed away and they could hear their father snore then they be beird ard a m movement from those below phillin philiip crawled silently to where he could w a p down through a crack and saw one of mhd men open hii pack from which he be took several pieces of of raw meat by the rays of je moon and towards the window shoved the sash back and threw the p pieces te oes of flesh to the dogs then heweet he went back to his bed bad and laid down at birtt the boy thought that this might be thrown to tile the dogs only to dio distract tract their attention but when the hd man iian laid down the idea of poison flashed through phillips phillias Phil liDs mind lie he whispered his thoughts to tits his bT brother other the first impulse of little diniel daniel as he be heard beard that his poor dogs were to be poisoned was to cry out ont but a sudden pressure from the hand of his brother kept him silent it at the end of the boys boval bid bed there wasa dark window a small square door and it was directly over the dogs house phillip resolved to togo go down and save the dogs the undertaking andert aking amsa a a dangerous one for the least noise nouh arouse arous the vill L lins in and d the consequence might be fital fatal but phillip h billip slater sl iter found himself strong in heart and lie he determined upon the trial his fathers life might be is his hands this thought ws was a tower of strength itself phiilip opened the window without movina moving 0 from the bed and aird it ft swung upon its leather hinges without noise ise then he threw off wie a sheet and tied the corner of it to the staple by which the window was hooked booked the sheet was then lowered on the outside sn and I 1 carefully ca 11 the brave bi aaa boy let himself out upon it he enjoined his brother not to move and then he be slid noiselessly down the hounds had aist j found the meat and they drew back at their youn a masters beck and phillip gathered the flesh all up he easily quieted the faithful brutes and then he quickly tied the meat up in the sheet there was as a light ladder standing near thee the dog doe house and setting this up up against the building phillip made his wa way bik back to his little loft and when once safely there he pulled palled the sheet in after him I 1 I 1 the strangers 1 had not been aj aused and an a with a beating heart the boy thanked god he had bed performed an act simple as it may mav appear at which many a stout heart would have quailed qu ailed the dogs growled as the they Y went back into their kennel and if the strangers a heard thi them to they thought the poor animals were growling over the repast they bey t had found at length the ceased their noise and all was quiet an hour passed away and so did another it must have bein been nearly midnight when the meo men moved again and the lad the rays ofa of a candle flash up through the cracks of the floor on ehni stood his bed ile he would have moved cy crack ck abele where he could peep down but at that moment he heard a man upon the ladder ito he uttered a quick I 1 whisper to his brother and they lay perfectly still the rhan man came to the top of the ladder and held his light up so he could look upon the bo boys fa the fellow seemed to be perfectly satisfied that they were asleep for he soon returned to the ground floor and then phillip crept to the crack he saw the men map take knives and he be heard beard them whispering well kill the old man and woman first said one of them thern and then well hunt the money IF thoe little biats up ing to the Pea fold wale wake up we can easily t ake 0 ire of them but we must kill them all said another of the gillaim vil laim I 1 iya retained reto ret wied arned the speaker hut but the young ones first they may make mak a a noise and start the old man up phillips phillipa apart part beat with horror borror down tm ladder outside he whispered to his brother down adow n and start up the dogs run for the front door and throw it port open it fastened oh do let the dogs in in the houf house e ast ag quick as you can cam ill look I 1 out for father while you go daniel quickly crawled out through the little window and phillip seized a rifle and crept pt to the head bead of the scaffold rold two vil ai lians ians were the door of his fathers room they had set the candle down on the floor apor so that its iti light would fall into the bee bedroom boom AS the door was opened phillip drew the hammer of his ri riffle file backhand back and rested the muzzle upon the edge of the boards one of the men hd had hi his hand upon the latch the th e b boy hero uttered a single dinglo word of heartfelt heart fett ax a er and then pulled the trigger the villain whose hand was wait upon the latch uttered one sha sharp r P quick erv cry and then fett fell upon the floor the che bullet had passed through his brain for an instant the two remaining villains were confounded but they quickly comprehended the nat cabre re and position of their enemy and they sprang forthe ladder they did not reach it however for at that instant the outer door was flung open and the hounds bounds four in number sprang 11 into the houe bouge with a deep wild yell the ani mals leaped upon q on 0 n the villains and they hid prawn drawn the thenmon nyon the floor just as the old unter came camene in his room helo ua help aist us father c crypt d phillip as he ha hurried down the ladder ladda ive shot one of them they are jobbery hold lend em hold holdam len cm the boy continued clapping his hands to the dogs OU slater compre hend edthe natured nat nature of the scone scene in a moment and sprang to the spot where the hounds had bad the two men upon the floor the vil lians had bad both lost their knives a and the dogs had bad sa wounded them that they were of resistance with much biffi coulty the animals were called off and then the two men were lifted to a seat there was waa no need of Iiii binding iding them As as the dogs had made quick fuiek work in disabling them after they had bad been looked to the old man east cast his eyes about the room they rested a moment upon the body of him who had been shot and then turned upon the boys phillip told him all that had bad happen ed ad it seemed some time before the old hunter could crowd the whole teeming truth through his mind but bat as he be gradually comprehended ended it all a soft grateful proud light broke over his features feature s and he held his arms out to his sons noble noble boys he uttered as he clasped them to his bosora bosom god bless you for this ohl oh I 1 dreamed not that you had such hearts for a long time the old man gazed on his bivs in silence while tears of love and gratitude itu de rolled down hiss his cheeks and his whole face was lighted up with the most joyous holy pride long before daylight phillip mounted the horse and started for the nearest settlement and early in the forenoon the officers of justice hadtke had the two wounded men in charge while the body of the third was removed they were recognized by the officers as criminals of notoriety but this was wab their last fast adventure for the justice they had so ae long ieng outraged fell upon them and stopped them in their career should adv of our readers chance to pass down the ohio river I 1 beg they would take notice of a large white mansion that stands upon the sout southern ern bank with a wide forest park in front of it and situated some eight miles west of owensboro Owena Owen boro aak your steamboat captain who lives there and he wilt wil t tell yog phillip slater brother retired gour merchants merd hants 5 they aro are the boy heroes of whom who I 1 have been een writing |