The Democratic pioneer. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1845-1853, 1847-01-08


eagerness, and clung to them with a ten,
aclty founded on absolute fear for con
Jectured, aud rightly, that the seeds of the
dread malady which carr;ad off our half
bread companion were making themselves
manifest in Verbonceur. Ia crossing a
small branch which empti ed into the
Laramie, again watched his features,
and all the symptoms h. hydrophohia burst
forth IN aparoxysm, unmistakable in its
character. He instantly rushed upon me,
when with the heavy barrel of my rifle
fei'ed him enseless--my fears had made
me Hercules in streng,h--and then leap
ing upon his insensible body ! bound him
with farset rope SO tightly that in vain
he struggled for freedom. satd down be.
side him with my teeth clenched, and lis
tened unmoyed TO his rawlings and prayers
for death-he, like Alexandra, besought
me to despatch hlm-but finding his sup
plications move me not he broke into hor.
rid imprecations and threats, in which he
swore that he would k i'll me--that he woulI
tear me with his teeth, and bound as he
was, lie rolled his body toward me l held
him down to the earth aud he again re
lapseG into dreadful commissions. Ny de-
SPAR had now no lower depth. ] looked
upon my remaining comrade aud shared
in his agony for expected tha, inevitable
ia o nIt
with this belief prey ing at IN, heart, some
unknown power Of the human will hold
back my hand when would have yielded
to my comrades entreaties for death.
AT times the resolution to despatch him,
and follow il up with my own death, was
on tie very eve Of being consummated,
when whisper ofhope would bid me firm.
ly to suffer on. Worn cut nature could
he ar up no longer without repose, and SO
wearled was in mind and body, that al
most unconsciously sunk into sInmber.
While the fire AT my feet grew more and
more dim, my senses wandered away in
delightful dream to the FIRE side ofmy old
home, and the wildness ofthe rsrper life,
its many perils- and hardships, melted
away in the soft sunlight OF an autumn sky ,
which appeared TO throw its golden beams
over my far.oh home. There the settler
smok ed his nina in sacn rt ~ .l.iel. u sr, 4 1
.tumoered in peace, aud the morning sun
awoke him to enjoyment instead Of her
My dream had taken the hue of my hopes
and wishes.
While my senses were thus wrapt, the
report Of fire arms dispelled the vision,
and not knowing for moment whether
it, was dream or reality, | sprung 10
my feet and felt for my pistol-it was gone,
| stood for moment collecting my
thoughts aud partly waiting to feel the
effects Of a wound, but no sensation of
pain manifested itself, seized brand
from the smoulderng fire and held it oyer
my bound companion; all was solved at
glance--he had in his struggles released
one arm, and lucid fit intervening, poor
Verboncenr had drawn the pistol from my
belt, while slept, and ended his agony
by his own hand.
was now alone--far in the wilderness
"a dreadful apprehension Of the poison
being in my veins ever present to my
thoughts-and thus seated in darkness by
my dead companion, my heart bowed
down, and my mind cherries as the gloom
surrounding me, yielded to the feeliags
which were preying upon my manhood.
and wept like child. Morning at length
dawned, and folding my dead comp anion
ur, as W G together had previously bestow
ed the first victim, l mounted mule, and
with the pack animals pursued my oliary
way. My march was now one of indlffer-
ence, and with kind of foolish daring I
plunged through every stream impeding
my progress, and drank freely of their wa
ters, Inviting, as it were, the madness
was sure would come. Ny progress was
tedious, difficult, laborious and full Of
bardships, but at length, almost worn
down, arrived at our trading post on the
North Fork OF the Platte. When I pre-
sented m, self 10 the commander OF the
post. he did not recognize my gaunt form
and scared visage. Suffering, both of body
and mind, had so stamped my features,
that | looked like some escaped maniac.
and the uneasy appearance of my sunken
eye made old friends look upon me with
suspicion-they thought | was crazed.
When told my story, and showed the
wounds upon my hands, inflicted by the
rabid wolf, and related the death of my
comorades, they shook their heads with
doubt, and could hea il whispered among
them that some dreadful ARRAY had occur
red between US, resulting 10 their death.
Othe RS suggested that the saYages had slain |
my companions, and that through suffering |
alone in the wilderness, / had become in,
sane. All these doubts worked upon my |
troubled mind until reason did indeed be-