Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-09-23
RAVENNA, OHIO, 1WEDN j sDAF sEPrEMBER %, 1916.

i sAfe you in earnest, Mr.. Ray?" said
] McP Phefson grayely, even sternly.. :
y - nm, sir. Givesme Wild Polly, and
! Trust TO accomplish yourtwish. y Is o..
g ou will go alone, thenl,'aer ssa,
, s, Ms Ssrson orasrsa u, bis ssofits mars l
: !. be sad oa, and III halfan HOUR Raw, viii
two bales Of tobacco before him, and armed
to theteeth, sailed forth from Spoken amid
/ the pInudits ofthe party. ,- -e-
i Mary hastily retired to the room, to find
relief for her oyerburdened heart in flood
of tears the gate was slowly swung to, as
Ethe young adventurer passed out of sight;
the sentinel was posted for the night, and
the che, seated by his fireplace, smoking,
became gradually absorbed in deep medita-
ltion. 49, g ''
T RAY rode Slowly down the valley, as he
though of:his journey of seventy miles,
among blood-thirsty Indians, who would
'3deliglt inf taking the pale-face prisoner,
with his mare and bales Of tobacco. He
Efelt his was doubtful, nay, rash enter
IIprise; but under the circumstances, and be-
thinking in whose presence he had under
taken it,She .disdained to turn back.
Half an hour brought him to the edge Of
a vast plain. He could see under the light
Iofthe moon no track of the Blackfeet, and
delighted with travelling thus, thousands of
miles from civilization, he put spurs to the
mare, which trotted swiftly inthe direction
ofthe Indian mart, By the sagaclty of
| the animal, Ray avoided an encampment
fof savages in The borders Of the forest.
sa Skirting along it for some distance, he
dashed boldly in, and had nearly passed
!. through, when the silence Of the night was
4 broken BY loud and fierce yell, and i'm
Emediately after he deserted party Of the
Blackfeet in full and eager pursuit. To
drophis merchandise he would not, and
swiftly and unAugglngly the gallant beast
4 bore him onward-so fercely and deter
lIninedIy was the pursuit kept up that an
4 hour hard riding did not increase the dis,
4 ttanas 1tNaenthe pursuers and The pursued.
Rays path now lay through a cane
bsaks, where the reeds rose ten feet high,
Idry and parched, and where he hoped to
rest himself and mare; but suddenly g
dark form stood at the very entrance to the
/ brake, mounted on stout horse. Seizing
pistol the clerk sped his course directly
towards the seeming savage, who just in
time to save himself, hastily cried out, "All
rights saucy Nick" 30. .,-
No time that for greeting, and together
they hastened on but not till the half-breed
had fred the reeds, which soon arose wall
of fame between them and their pursuers
"a magnificent spectacle-but terrible to
to the beasts and birds which it aroused from
ther slumbers, and whose cries mingled
with the roar of the dazzling fire as it
crept to the right and left in sparkling and
brilliant chains. .a ......,g..s.,.
\ "Nick, said Ray, as side BY side, they
dashed across the prarie, chow met we? |
left you at the fort" ~+ NJ. -@ q
aNo: Nick started half an hour first.
Would not let brave pale face so alone;
folAd him chased by the Blackfeet, but
dian not take Master Ray; Nick knoY a
trick worth two Of that But, hush! Black
feet in valley!'
| "A flash, and the crack of guns fired in
haste, showed the Nick was right; giving
} a volley in reply, without pausing to dis
cover its effect, the pair galloped onwards,
and once more emerged upon the plain.
) Nick led the way, and diyerging from the
, ordinary route, entered stream, the course
r Of which they kept until satisfied that pur-
suit was bafled, when they retook the Or
, dinary track. a. ,.,.
t By daylight they reached The great eahap,
where the Indians hadpitched their tents to
traffic with the rival whites. To the right
I were seen the wagons of Sublette; to the
left those of Johnson, McPherson's agent,
/ who they found in low spirits, as his oppo-
> nent expected supply Of tobacco in the
!, afternoon, whom all change for Spokan
would be over; but as Ray detailed his OBJ
iect and success, the agents eyes glistened,
and he exclaimed, 'tBravo, Mr.. Ray! I'd
lust like to be- in your shoes, for if you
) have not made old Macs fortune, my name
1 amt johnson. Such prime beavers you
never saw. By the head Of Gen. jackson,
but you're q lucky dog!' Ray, delighted,
i partook of a ''hasty plate Of soup" and the
fl days work began. First, the chiefs were
J summoned, and regaled, to Sublette's CON
t sternation, with liberal smoke, and it was
then extended to every Indian present
!! Seated around Johnson's tent, the Spokan.
Kanloops, Chaudieves, Sinaboines, and 9th
er tribes, enjoyed their luxury with unmix'
: ed satisfaction; and, when the barter com
9 menced they disposed Of their skins in ar
& equally liberal manner. Such was the
activity ofthe Spokan agents, that wher
IS Sublette's supply Of tobacco arrived not
|. beaver or a coon skin remained for O mar
h ket ~. g,.,,.s,.,;. /. .,ts,.. .s...i
. ~ Aware that the Blackfeet, when discoy
/, cred, would draw of, Ray and Nick, afte
a short repose, mounted fresh horses. an