Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-04-26
NJ | S C E L L A N Y
pOE'S LEAP.
A Renaissance OF BORDER LIFE

ABOUT the nludle OF July, lIoZ, seven
Wyandots crossed the Ohio few miles
above Wheeling and committed great de-
predatons upon the southern shore, killing
an old man whom they found alone in his
cabin, and spreading terror throughout the
neighborhood. Within a few hours after
their retreat, eight men assembled from diff
ierent parts Of the small settlement, and
pursued the enemy with great expedition.
Among the most active and efficient of the
party, were two brothers, Adam and An
drew Poe. Adam was particularly popu-
lar. In strength, action, and hardihood,
he had no equal-being finely formed and
Injured to all the perlls of the woods. They
had not followed the trail far, before they
became satisfied that the depredaors were
conducted by Big Foot, a renowned chief
Of the Wyandot tribe, who derived his
name from the immense size Of his feet
His height considerably exceeded six feet,
and his strength was represented as Her
culean He had also five brothers, but lit
tie inferior to himself in company, they
were the terror Of the whole country
Adam Poe was overoyed at the idea of
measuring his strength with that Of SO Gel
ebrated a chief, and urged the pursuit with
keenness which quickly brought him into
the vicinity Of the enemy. For the last
few miles, the trail had led them up the
southern bank Of the Ohio, where the foot
prints in the sand were deep and obvious,
but when within few hundred yards Of
the point at which the whites as well as the
Indians were in the habit of crossing it
suddenly diverged from the stream, and
stretched along a rocky ridge, forming an
obuse angle with its former drecton.-
Here. Adam halted for moment, and d.
rected his brother and the other young
men to follow the trail with proper eau"
ton, while he himself still adheres to the
river path, which led through clusters Of
willows directly 10 the point where he sup
posed them to lie. Having examined the
printing of his gun, he crept cautiously
through the bushes, until he had a view of
the point Of embarkation. Here lay two
canoes, empty and apparently Deserted
Being satisfied, however, that the Indians
were close at hand, he relaxed nothing Of
his vigilance, and quickly gained a jutling
cliff, which hung Immediately over the ca
noes. Hearing low murmur below, he
peered cautiously over, and behold the OBJ
ject of his search. The gigantic Big Foot,
lay below him in the shade of willow,
and was talking in a low deep tone to an
other warrior, who seemed a mere pigmy
by his side. Adam cautiously drew back
and cooked his gun. The mark was fair
tho distance did not exceed twenty feet,
and his aim was unerring. Raising his
rifle slowly and cautiously, he took stea-
dy dim az Big Foot's breast, and drew the
trigger. His gun flashed. Both Indians
sprung to their feet with a deep interjcc-
ton of surprise, and for a single second
they all three stared upon each other
This inactivity, however, was soon over.
Adam was too much hampered by the BUSH
es to retreat, and setting his life upon a
cast of the die, he sprung over the bush
which had sheltered him, and summouing
all his power leaped boldly down the pre-
cipice and alighted upon the breast of Big
Foot with a shock that bore him to the
earth. Al the moment Of contact, Adam
had also thrown his right arm around the
neck of the smaller Indian, SO that all three
came to the earth together. At that mo-
ment a sharp firing was heard among the
bushes above, announcing that the other
parties were engaged, but the trio below
were too busy to attend 10 any thing but
themselves Big Foot was for an instant
stunned by the violence of the shock, and
Adam was enabled to keep them both down.
But the exertiou necessary tor that pur-
pose was so great, that he had no leisure
\ to use his knife. Big Foot quickly reco-
vered and without attempting TO raise him
If. wrapped his long arms around Adams
BODY. and pressed him to his breast with the
crushing force of Boa CONSTRUCTOR
Adam, as we have already remarked, was
a powerful man, and had seldom encoun-
tered his equal, but never had he felt an
embrace like that Of Big Foot. He in
stantly relaxed his hold of the small Indian,
who sprang to his feet. Big Foot then or
dered him to run for his tomahawk, which
Law within ten steps, and kill the white
man while he held him in his arms. Adam,
seeing his danger, struggled manfully to
extricate himself from the folds of the gi-
ant. but in vain. The lesser Indian APP
preached with his upifted tomahawk, but
Adam watched him closely, and as he was
about to strike, gave him a kick so sudden
and violent, as to knock the tomahawk from
his hand, and send him staggering back
into the water. Big Foot uttered an eX-
clamation in tone Of deep contempt at
he failure of his companion, and raising