Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1845-06-11

At length they descended into hollow: the
frozen sheet of Lake George lay not far on the
left, and a steep hill on the right. The ground
short distance before them was quite low and
swampy, and \ little brook had spread itself out
on tho path, making large frozen space, free
from trees, across which their advanced man was
now slowly tramping, crushing his boots into ice
and water at every step. He paused suddenly,
turned sharply round and gave the low whistle
appointed the signal Of alarm. He had seen
the tracks Of many moccasined feet In the fresh
snow beyond.-rhere was not time TO think; the
loud report Of a gun broke the stiffness. Tho
ranger gave shrill scream, leaped four feet into
the air and fell fiat. Instantly the Indian yell
burst from the woods the left and front, fol-
lowed by the stunning rattle of moro than nifty
guns, and not q man of the rangers but one ever
moved alive from the spot where he stood trans
fixed with surprise at the sudden death of his
comrades.
That man was our hero, whose position, far
behind the rest, saved him. He remembered the
panic felt at the ierce burst of yells and musket
ry, and tho sudden rush of tho savage swarm
from their ambush, upon his fallen comrades: and
in the next instant, that his memory could recall
he was flying back toward the fort. He heard
sharp, sudden yeps behind him, and glancng
back, saw two Indians bounding on his track
He ran a mile, no should think, without turning
or hearing single sound then turning his head
saw an Indian leaping, silent spectre, within
few rods Of him. With an admirable coolness
he turned quickly round. and raising his gun with
steady hand, fired with such good effect that the
Abenaki pitched forward to the ground, and his
shaven head pIoughcd Or, the snow for yards. by
the impulse Of his headong pursuit The young
soldier turned and fod again. and as he did SO he
heard the report of the other Indians gun, fol-
lowed by tho loud humnng of the ball. So
alert and attentive were his faculties, that he
- l..Itz Id
bough in front of him, scattering the glistening
particles Of snow.
The path now led downward with steep de-
scent: ut the bottom an ancient pine-treo had fall
len across it, whose sharp broken branches rose
up perpendicuarly from the PROSTATE trunk four
five feet from the ground, blocking up the way,
like brstling chevaux- do frise. The rangers
had previously turned aside into the woods to
avoid it. There time to do so now
The doctors limbs were small and light. but ac-
tive deer's and the Indians tomahawk was
close behind. Without hcsi,ating, he ran down
and sprang into the air. His foo, caught, that
he fell the other side; but he snatched up his
gun and ran again. In moment he heard
wild and horrid cry; and turning as he ran up the
opposite hill, he saw sight that murdered his
sleep for many night. Tho daring savage had
leapcd like him, but had not succeeded we'll !;
he had tripped, and one of tho broken branches
had caught and mpaled him on its upright point,
the starting eye-b balls, and the painted fea-
lures hideously distorted, and paused to SEQ no
moro.
About sunset the sentinels of Fort-Ann saw
him emerging from the woods, running if the
Indians bohind him still. a strong party
sent out next morning found tho bodies of tho
rangers stripped, and frozen in tho various posi-
lions in which they had died, so that they appear
ed like marble statues. On a tree close by, the
French officer who commanded tho Abenakis had
fastened piece Of birch bark, inscribed with an
insolent and triumphant message to the English.
The bodies Of the two Indians had been removed,
although the white snow around the old pine-tree
retained ineffaccable marks of the tragedy that
had been enacted there and was beaten hard by
the moccasins of crowd of savages who had
gathered bout the place.
This taste of war was enough for tho DOCTOR
ma rtal zeal. He did not take the field till twenty
years afterwards, when he camo TO Washington's
camp at Cambridge, armed with probe and bal
sam, instead Of musket and powder.
knckerbocker