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

praciised in all the subilely, craft ant
cunning, as well as knowing the ferocit,
and blood thirsty perseverance of the say
age. They were therefore not likely t,
be crcumvented by the cunning of thei
foes and without desperate struggle
would not fall victims to their seal pin.
knife. On several occasions, small par
ties of warriors left the prairie, and ascen
died. the MCunti on which occasions on
scouts would hide in the assures of the
rocks, or lying on the side of some Ions
PROSTATE tree. covered themselves will
the scar and yellow leaf, and again leav,
their hiding place when their unlimited
visiters had disappeared. For food they
depended on jerked venison, and colo
corn bread with which their knapsack,
had been well stored. Fire they dare no
kindle, and the report OF one of their rifles
would bring upon them The entire force OF
the Indians. For drink they depended
on some rain water, which still stood in
excavations Of the rocks, but in a few
days this store was exhausted, and NJ
Clelland and White must abandon their
enterprise or find new supply. To ac-
complish this most hazardous affair, NJ
Clelland being the elder, resolved to make
the atlempt-wiih his trus,y rifle in his
grasp, and the two canteens strung across
his sholders, he cautiously descended the
prairie, and skiriing the bills on the north
as much as possible within the hazel
thickels, he struck course for the Hook
hooking river. lie reached its margin,
and turning an abrupt poin, of a HILL he
found a beautiful fountain Of lmpid water,
now known as the Cold Spring, within
few fee, Of the river. He filed his can.
teens and returned in safety TO his watch
full companion. 1t was now determined
to have supply Of fresh water every day
and this duty was to be performed alter.
nately. On one of these occasions after
White had filled his canleens, he sat
few moments, watching the limpid ele-
men,, as it came gursling out Of the earth
the light sound Of footsteps caught his
?rac,iced ear, and on turning round, he
saw Two squaws within few fee, of him;
these upon turning the jut of the hill had
thus suddenly come upon him. The ell
der squaw gave one of those far reaching
whoops, peculiar to the Indians. White al
once compfehended his perilous situa-
ton-for if the alarm should reach the
camp, he and his companion must newt
ably perish. Self preservation impel'ed
him to innict noiselcss death on the
squaws, and in such a manner as to leave
no trace behind. Ever rapid in thought,
and prompt in action, he sprang upon his
victims with the rapidly and power Of a
panther, garsping the throa, Of each, with
one bound sprang into the Woodworking
and rapidly thrust the head of the elder wo.
man under the water, and making 4 strong
effort to submcrgc the younger, who,
however, powerfully resisted.
During the shor, struggle, the younger
female addressed him in his own language.
though almost in inarliculale sounds
Releasing his hold, she informed him, that
ten years before, she had been mad,
a prisoner, on Grave Creek flats, and that
the Indians, i'll her presence, butchered
her mother and two sisters; and that an
only remaing brother had been captured
with her, who succeeded on the second
night, in making his escape bu, what
had become Of him, she knew not. Du.
ring this narrative, White. unohsrved by
the girl, had lie, 90 his grasp on the elder
sqnaw, whose body soon hoa,ed where
IT would not probably soon be found
He now directed the girl hastily to follow
him, and with his usual energy and speed,
pushed for the Mount. they had scarce.
Iy gone two hundred yards from the
spring before the alarm cry was heard
some quarter of mile down the stream.
II was supposed that some warriors return
ing from hunt, struck the Hockhocking,
just as the body of the drowned squaw
lloaled past. White and the girl succeed.
ed in reaching the mount, where M'Clel-
land had been no indifferent spectator to The
sudden commo,ion among the Indians. as
the prairie parties Of warriors were seen
to strike of in every direction, and before
White and the girl arrived, party of
some twenty warriors had already gained
The eastern ACTIVITY of the mount, and
were cautiously ascending, carefully keep.
ing under cover, Soon the two scouts
saw the swarthy force of the foe, as they
glided from tree 10 tree, and rock to rock
until the whole base of the Mount was
surrounded, and all hopes Of escape Gu,
Of.
In this peril nothing was left, other
| than To sell their lives as dearly rs they