Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-12-24

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surveyed the whole grund foresnw
'hat u he Pursuded the same track
ana should be discovered, his friend
would DE IN danger. He therefore took
the heroic resolution Of diverging from
TIE true course so far, as that any of
the enemy who should follow him
would not fall in with Burgess. With
this intention he moved sical,hiIy along
through the smoke and bushes, mend
ing when he emerged to retreat at full
speed. But as he left the thicket, he
heheld large Indian near him, and
two others nm the other side, in the di-
rection of the fort. Tom coolly sur
veyed his desperate foe, and began
TO chalk out his track; for, tho firm in
the confidence of his own activity and
courage, he felt undismayed az such
odds, yet he found it necessary to act
the general. Having an enemy on
each hank, he determined to separate
them, and fight them singly. Making
Tor ravine, which was not Far off, he
bounded away. but soon found that one
OF his limbs failed him, having receiv-
ed ball in the fire, which, until now,
he had scarcely noticed. The largest
lndian was following him closely.
Higgins several times turned to fire,
but the Indian would halt and dance
about to prevent him from taking aim;
and Tom knew that he could no, afford
TO fire at random. The other two were
now closing on him, and he found that
unless he could dispose of the first one,
he mus, be overpowered. He there
lore halted, resolved 10 receive fire;
and the Indian, at few PAGES distant,
raised his rifle Higgins watched his
advei sary's eye, and just as he thought
his inger'pressed the trigger, sudden.
ly threw his side to him. IL is proba-
bic that this motion saved his life, for
the bail entered his thigh, which would
have pierced his body. IS Tom fell, but
rose again, and ran, and the largest In
dian, certain OF his prey, loaded again,
and then with two Others, pursued
They soon came near. Higgins had
again taller, aud as he rose they all
three fi,ed, and he received all their
balls. He now iell and rose several
times, and the Indians, throwing away.
theirlguns, advanced on him with spears
and knives. They frequently charged
upon him, but upon his presenting his
G uh at one or the other, they fell
back. AT last. the largest one, think
ing probably from Toms reservIng his
fife SD long, that his gun was empty,
charged boldly upon him; and Hig-
gins, with steady aim, shot him dead.
With four bullets, in his body, with
| an empty gun, two Indians before him,
and a whole tribe but a few rods off,
almost any other man would have de-
SPARED. Bat Tom Higgins had no
such notion. The Indian whom he
had last slain was the most dangerous
of the three; and lie felt little fear of
The others. He had been near enough
to see their eyes, and he knew human
nature sufficiently to discover, that he
was their superior in courage. He
therefore faced them. and began TO load
in courage. They raised a whoop,
and rushed on him, They kept their
distance as long as my rifle was load
ed" said he, g but now, when they
knew 1T was empty, they were better
soldiers" A fierce and bloody conflict
ebsued. The Indians rushing upon
Tom, stabbed him in many places; but
it happened, fortunately, that the shafts
of their spears were thin poles, rugged
hastily for this occasion, which bent
whenever the point struck rib, or en-
countered the opposition of one of Hig-
gins's tnugh muscles. From this cause,
and the continued exeition Of his hand
and rifle in wardiDg off their thrusts,
the wounds thus made were not deep,
but his whole front was covered with
gashes, Of which the scars yet remain
in honorable proof of his valour. At
last one Of them threw his tomahawk !;
the edge sunk deep in Higgins's cheek,
passed through his ear, which it sever
ed laid bare his skull 10 the back Of
his head, and stretched him on the
plain. The Indians rushed on; but
Tom instantly recovered his self-pos-
session, and kept them off with his feet
and hapds, until he succeeded in gras-
ping one Of their spears, which as the
Indian attempted to pull it from him,
aided him 10 rise and clubbing his ri
fe, lie rushed upon the nearest Of his
foes, and dashed his brains out; in do
ing which, he broke the stock to pie
ces. Il retained only the barrel in his
hand.
| The other Indian, however warily
he had fought before, now came man.
fully into battle. 1t is probable that he
felt his character as warrior at stake.
To have fed from man desperately