Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-05-12

am alone Of race. am ofSheeKdh. WI,
throw away my body the first opportunity. W
And his discourse was applauded by all presen'.
He Immediately removed, and pitched his lodge
on the extreme verge of the Chppeway territory
where he was most likely to be visited by the enc
my. But having thus devoted himself to destruc,
ton. he seemed to bear charmed lite. lie couia
find no hand charitable enough to terminate his MI
SCRABBLE existence. He twice joined the war par PAL,
ties of his people, but in neither instance ui'
they find an enemy with whom to combat.
At last, in the year eighteen hundred and TWEEN
t-three, he Joined party OF twenty OF ms tr'oe'
which was going to the red pipe stone quarry
1t has been said that this is holy ground, and mat
the savages forget their hostility there But TINS
is sheer ficton.-No war parties have ever met
at this quarry, and therefore no battle has ever
taken place 10 its vicinity,
The companions of Ahkitchetah Dootah took
as much of the stone as they needed, and then
left the place. We will not follow them till we
have attempted description of the spot.
prairie, in which the eye seeks in vain for a
tree or shrub. The only objects Percepiibie
are the countless herds Of buffaloes, and their
constant attendants the wolves. These last ac-
company them, patiently waiting till oneoi them
exhausted by sickness or old age. Then they
hurry to the feast Thro' this vast plain the
river runs. in thousand crooks and windings, its
banks thlnly skirted with trees and shrubs At
the quarry the pipe stone is found inlbedded be-
tween strata of lime stone. 1t is red and tria-
Bile. kind of serpentine, easily cut with knife
when first taken from the earth, though it grows
harder by exposure to the air. Asbetos is also
found in the quarry. Here the bluff rises per-
pendicuarly from the river, and directly in rs
front stands an isolated portion, rent from the
parent cliff by some CONFUSION of nature. Ii Is
about twelve feet from the bluff, and the younger
and more active Dahcotahs used to try their
nerves by jumping upon it across the awful chasm
below
OF the present occasion our friends wasted no
time in such feat.. or in contemplating the see
merry. A trial had been found, which their saga
city discovered to have been made BY the feet OF
Saaues and Foxes, and it beloved them to make
off with all convenient aacrity, for no people
better understood that discretion is The better part
of valor, than Indians. They travelled swiftly
for two days. till they came to the north branch
of the river Terre Bleue. where they halted and
pitched their lodges. Ahkitchetah Dootah, in
deed demonstrated against such uAseemy haste,
but as the others were not SO weary of life as he,
his words were UNDECIDED. Yet he followed a
good distance in the rear, to give the Saques and
| Foxes an opportunity to take his scalp.
The Dahcotahs had gained their hating place
unmolested, but not unobserved. The Saques
| and Foxes had seen them, but, though trebly SUI
| perior in number, they resolved to attack them
with as little risk as might be to themselves
| They followed at wary distance, taking good
care to keep out of sight. They were better
armed. too, than the Sioux, for their proximity to
the whites enables them to procure weapons at
pleasure. They bad each good rifle. whereas
half their opponents had nothing but bows and
arrows.
At daybreak the next morning, the usual time
for Indian attacks, they approached the Sioux
camp, taking advantage of the trees and the inc
qualities of the ground. When near enough they
raised the war whoop. and poured shower of
balls into the lodges. Five men were killed by
this first volley. The sleepers started, and bold
" gave back the exulting shout Of the enemy
They made so good use of their knives, that in
an incredible short space of time each had dug
hole in the ground deep enough to protect his
body. and with such effect did they project their
missiles that in few minutes the assailants
were compelled to retire to more respectful
distance.
Al the 1rSt nre ARltCnetan D0Otan Sprdng up
on his feet, and exclaimed that his time was come
at last, and that he should now rejoin his son.
He snatched up his tomahawk and ran out of the
lodge. A bullet through his thigh did not check
his career in the least He Drained the Saque who
had discharged it, and rushed upon the next
with his tomahawk uplifted. The enemy waited
till the old man was within five PAGES, and then
fired his piece with certain aim. The bullet
struck the Sioux between the eyes, and he was
dead man before his face touched the ground.
Thus did Akichetah Dootah fulfil his vow to
throw away his BODY
The Saques and Foxes showed less than their
wonted courage and the strife was soon over
They gave way before the Dahcotahs, and Keo-
kok, their partizan, or war chief, the first to
throw off all encumbrances and fly. The Sioux
were too few to urge the pursuit far. Seven of
them had been killed, and twice that number of
the enemies remained on the field of battle.
He whose avocations of pleasure may lead him
to wild and solitary ellen on on the north branch
of the Terre Bleue, four or FIVE miles from its
junction with the other arm of the river will there