The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-11-17
SINGULAR ADVENTURE.


! Golfer came to St Louis in Nav. 1910. in a
small canoe, from the head waters of the Mis-
souri,, a distance of 5000 miles, which he ,ray.
ersed IN 81 days. ! saw him on his arrival and
( received from him an account of his adventures,
! after he had separated from Lewis and CIark's
party one of these, for its singularity, / shall
J relate.
On the arrival of the party at the head wa.
| tiers OF the Missouri, Golfer observing an an.
pearance of abundance of beaver being there
! got permission to remain and hunt for some
time, which he did in company with man of
I the name OF Dixon, who had traversed the i'm
I mense tract of country from ST Louis to the
head waters ofthe Missouri alone Soon after.
he separated from Dixon and trapped in COM
/ pany with hunter named Potts and aware of
| the hostility of the Blackfoot Indians. one of
whom had been killed by Lewis. they set their
traps at night, and took them up early in the
morning, remaining concealed during the day
I They were examining their traps early one
| morning, in creek about six miles from that
branch of the Missouri called Jefferson's Fork.
| and we're ascending in a canoe, when they sud-
denly heard great noise, resembling the tramp.
| ling of animals but they could not ascertain
the fact, as the high perpendicular bank on each
side OF the river impeded their view Golfer
immediately pronounced it to be occasioned by
/ Indians, and advised an instant retreat, but was
accused of cowardice by Potts, who insisted that
the NOISE was caused by buffaioes and they pro.
ceeded on.
In few minutes afterwards their doubts
were removed, by party of Indians MAKING
their appearance on both sides of the creek. 10
the amount of five or six hundred who becken.
ed them to come ashore. AS retreat was now
impossible, Golfer turned the head of the canoe
and, at the moment of its touching an Indian
seized the rifle belonging to Potts but Golfer.
who Is remarkably strong man, Immediately
retook it, and handed it to Potts, who remained
IN the canoe, and on receiving it, pushed off in
TO the river He had scarcely quilted the shore
when an arrow was shot at him, and he cried
out, Golfer, am wounded % Golfer remon-
strated with him on the folly of attempting 10
escape, and urged him to come ashore Instead
OF complying, he instantly leveed his rife at
the Indian, and shot him dead on the spot
! This conduct, situated as he was, NAV an
/ pear to have been an act of madness, but il was
doubtless the effect of sudden but sound reason.
! ing for, if taken alive, he must have expected
to be tortured to death, according to their Gus
/ tom. lie was instantly pierced with arrows so
numerous, that to use Golfers words, " he 1cos
made a riddle Of" They now seized Golfer.
stripped him entirely naked, and began 10 con-
suit on the manner in which he should be nut
to death. They were at first inclined to set
HIM up as mark to shoot at but the chief in
tertered, and seizing him by the shoulder, ask
ed him if he could run fast
Golfer, who had been some time amongst
the kee-katso or Grow Indians, had in a con.
siderable degree acquired the Backfoot lam
guage, and was also well acquainted with In
dian customs; he knew that he had now to run
for his life, with the dreadful odds of five or
SIX hundred against him, and those, armed In
dams; he, therefore, cuningly replied, that he
was very bad runner, although he was con-
sIdered by the hunters as remarkably swift.
Inc chief now commanded the party to remain
stationary, and led Golfer out on the prairie
three or four hundred yards, and released him,
bidding him SAGE himself if he could. AT this
instant tho horrid war.whoop sounded in he
ears OF poor Golfer, who urged with the hone
!. OF preserving life, ran with speed at which
himself was surprised
He proceeded towards the Jefferson Fork.
having to traverse plain six miles in breadth,
Astounding with the prickly pear, on which
he was every instant treading with his naked
feet. He ran nearly half way across the plain
before he ventured to look over his shoulder,
when he perceived that the Indians were very
much scattered, and that he had gained ground
to considerable distance from the main body;
but one Indian who carried a spear, was much
before all the rest, and not more than one hun
dred yards from him
A faint CLEAN of hope now cheered the heart
| of Golfer he derived confidence from the belief
that escape was within the bounds Of possibili-
ty; but that confidence was nearly fatal TO him
5 for he exerted himself to such degree, that
the blood gushed from his nostris, and soon al
, most covered the fore part Of his body. lie
had now arrived within a mile of the river,
5 when he distinctly hcnrd the appalling sound
| Of footsteps behind him. and every instant ex-
$ pcctcd 10 feel the spear OF his pursuer. Again