The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1844-05-03


furnish me with a rife, and will show
you that can fight as well as die. Thi:
spot leave not here my bones shall lie
bleaching with yours and should either
Of you escape. you will carry the lidings
of my death to my remaining relatives.
Remonstrance proved iruitless, the two
scouts matured their plans for vigorous
delence-opposing craft to craft, expedi
ent to exped,ent, and an unerring fire o
the deadly rifle. The attack commenced in
front where, from the narrow backbone
of the mount, the savage had to advance
in single file. but where they could avail
themselves of the rocks and trees. In
advancing. the warrior must, however, be
momentarly exposed, and two bear inch.
es of his sworIhy form was target enough
for the unerring rifles of the scouts. AT
ter bravely maintaining the fight in front,
and Keeping the enemy in check, they
discovered new danger threatening
them. The wary foe now made every
preparation 20 attack them in flank, which
could be most successfully done and ia
tally done by reaching an isolated rock
lying in one of the ravines on the south
ern hill side. This rock once gained by
the Indians, tlley could bring the scouts
under point blank shot of the rifle, with
out the possibility of escape. Our brave
scouts saw the hopelessness Of their situa-
lion, which nothing could overt but a
brave companion and an unurrlng shot
them they had not. But the brave never
despair. With this sudden fate resting
upon them, they continued calm, and as
calculating, and as unweayied as the
strongest desire of vengeance on a ,reach.
erous foe could produce.
Soon M'ClelIand saw tall and swar-
thy figure preparing to spring from COW
er SO near the fatal rock, that single
bound must reach it. and all hope be de-
s,royed. He felt that all depended on
one advantageous shot, although but one
inch Of the warriors body was exposed,
and that at distance Of 100 yards-he
resolved to risk all--cooly he raised his
rifle to his eye, carefully shading the
sight with his hand, he drew bead so
sure, that he felt conscious IL UouM do
ne touched the hair trigger with his fin
ger--lhe hammer came down, but in place
of striking fire, il crushed his flint into a
hundred fragments Although he felt
that the savage must reach the fatal rock
before he could adjust another flint, he
proceeded to the task with the utmost
composure. casting many furIive glance
towards the fearful point. Suddenly he
saw the warrior stretching every muscle
for the leap--and with the agility of a
deer he made the spring-ins,ead of
reaching the rock lie sprung ten feet in
the air, and giving one terrific yell he fell
Upon the earth. and his dark corpse rolled
friy feet down the hill. lie had evident
~ received death sho, from some I'M
known hand. A hundred voices from be-
low re.echoed the terrible shout, and il
w.s ov;,,.,, rho, ,boy had Io., c,,nr;,o
w,rrior az yel, ,s bciuc Colcd c,ro limo
!, ,ho mos, ,m,or,o,, ,,n,omor, o.
ry few moments proved that the advan-
,nce 50 mvs,eriou.Iv gained wou,d No n,
shor, duration: for already the scents
caugh, moncn,orv c,imnses If , sw,r,bv
worr;or cou;ously adv,nc;rc towards ,,o
cover 50 recently occun;ed he = fellow
communion Now too the attack in
rro,, wos ras,uod w,h ;,crc,sol r,r,
81 ,s ,o rcoui,o tho ;pcosson, fire IF IN 4
scon,s :, nrnyer, ,ho Iod;an. r,on, oo;m
irc IN em;rence-,rl !, shor, i'm,
N'Clclland saw the wary warrior boh;n,
the cover PREPARING for - lean 70 Gain III,
fearful r,ck-,be lon, wos m,lo ,,I IL,
49, - ' ' ''' 49,