The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1841-04-30

antecedent to the period, which we have
chosen for our narrative, at 4 time when
all the difficulties with the Indians seemed
permanently settled, removed from his
residence in the then province of Y ork,
to the new settlement, of which we have
family endeavored to give an outline.
He left in York a brother, to whom he
had been much attached; and, who, in
the early portion of their lives, had shared
many days privation and adventure to-
gether. Philip had not married till late
in life, and the consequence was, had no
issue; his brother, however, had married
early i'll life, and his wife dying soon af-
ter his marriage, left him widower and
a father. Mary, his only child, grew up
III beauty and intelligence, outShining and
outvieing all her juvenile associates and
friends. At length, however, a yearnng
TO see his brother and niece, induced Phil
ip to send an express invitation to him,
to come and spend few weeks in the hot
summer months at his home, near the
head waters of the SchuylkilI. His
| brother, unable to leave his business, con-
scented to leave his idolized Mary. under
the protection Of her cousin Willie, visit
! her uncle. The two cousins set out Oh
their journey, accompanied by an escort
of a dozen men, accustomed to border
warlares, and we'll armed; the journey
though a long one, was performed in
safety, and the third day saw them safely
settled amid the green hills that surround
ed their uncle Philips residence. But to
return to our narrative. Willie, on leay-
| ing the cabin, instead of proceeding, as
was his first intention, to bid adieu to his
friends in the village, directed his steps
to that part of the forest where Philip had
entered. He pursued a narrow, olt-devia-
ting path, till he arrived within a few
hundred feet of the brow Of the hill, and
then striking from the path, he walked on
through the tangled briars and buckle ber-
ry bushes, till he arrived at a large fiat
piece of rock which protruded some height
above the surface of the ground. This
rock had been his favorte retreat since
his residence with his uncle. Here, then,
he seated himself; and laying his ri0eb by
his side, he sank into silent and grateful
admiration Of the works of the unknown
and inscrutable hand of God The moon
had entered her second quarter, and the
brightness Other rays enabled him wildly
| 70 Il ietiu,,,,i.h thn cp,olIoc, ,l,i,,, al,
valley below him. For some distance
down the precipitous and rugged Sides of
:. the hill, bare space, with here and there
a struggling laurel bush, extended, beyond
which, it rose to small mound, and then
gradually declined to the rivers edge.
Not sound was heard not even rose
upon the stiffness Of the night, the bark
of the hunters dogs in the village: and
save the voice of the dying zephyr, as it
whispered its mournful drge through the
foliage of the surrounding trees, the be-
holder might have lancicd himself gazing
on some well-painted and highly finished
picture. SO highly did the scene affect
the feeling and untrammelled heart Of the
inexperienced and unwordly being who
gazed on it, than more than once the
warm tear rose in his eye, and fell down
his ruddy cheek.
Whilst thus absorbed in the delightful
emotions created by the varying and beau
tiful prospects which opened before him,
a slight noise, as of stone displaced
above him, caused him to start from his
recumbent posture and grasp his only
companion-his rifle. He listened for
few moments, and gazed upwards in the
direction whence the noise had seemed to
proceed. Hearing nothing, and his eye
detecting no cause for alarm, but suppos-
ing that rabbit had tilted some nicely
balanced stone in It's course, and causing
it to roll, he again laid himself down on
the rock. While he thus lay, second
time he heard the noise, and endeayoring
to spring up, a rough grasp on his throat
held him firmly on his back, and the tall
figure of an Indian, with his tomahawk
raised in his hand to strike, met his eye.
1t was but the work of moment, to
draw his knife, and struggle to free him
self from the hold Of his savage and I'M
expected antagonist: but in vain; grippe,
as of vice, held his throat, straining at
each moment to sud'ocatc him. The sa.
wage gave low cultural laugh.
RED man no hurt broder white man.
muuered the Indian, Ibis aspect, howe,
5 yer, indicating anything but peaceful
determination.
Whatever might have been his intcn.
: tious respectinr his prisoner, thew were