Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-02-17

By her signal the bard matched, lead
4 ing their prisoners. q ashort distance into the
torests and stopping upon an open space,
requested their yictimsto sformysnto q sfine.
land geaIsth ellss|Xes bpoh atlIe grasssp 81.
The prisoners s5mplied. Judging. It some
fantastic ceremony, harmless in its devel-
i opement. But no sooner seated, than their
most earnest distrust was awakened; for
behind each an Indian placed himself sim
Iultaneonsly, and grasping shoulder in
each hand, with his -brawny arms COM
pressed, pinioned the victim to the earth.
1t was a strange, dreadful sight to wit
/ ness-fourteen men in the prime of man.
hood, and a lad of fifteen years, awaiting
the dread action Of that conclave of execu-
TONERS. Not sound disturbed the death
like silence for some moments, and they
sat staring into each others faces through
he gloomy darkness as though they had
suddenly been converted into statues of
senseless stone.
T Shortly a rustling, like the motion of
snake, ensued, and the fierce eyes of the
Indian hag cleaned upon the doomed cir
Gle. She bore in her hand club fgreat
strength and solidity, knotted Up and down,
and combining in itself an unwieldly weap-
on by ugliness Of shape. But she swept
it along with comparative ease and alacri-
ty. Creeping close to the circle, she
noiselessly raised the club over prison
er's head. The unwonted ferocity dis
played in her contorted v;sage, evineing
the most gloating passion for cruelty, would
have made the soul of the most brutal re-
coil, and chill the blood in its channels.
With the quickness of dart, she dashed
the club into the poor beings skull, sprink-
ling in every direction the sufferers brains
A single groan escaped the wretched man,
and he fell back, and was dead.
Again and again that horrid blow was
struck in quick succession, sweeping, at
+ each stroke, q human being into eternity.
j What more revolving sight could be brought
, before the eye than this? Yet with every
l hollow gronn, this female murderer gave
7 vent to her demoniacal sneer AS she felt
s the hot blood spirit forth, her iendish laugh
rent the air, -..
: The lad, William Buck, though seated
: in the death-circle, was not, like the others,
a held down by an iron grasp. lie sat, with
5 his eyes starting from his head, in terror at
:, what he heard and knew was transacting.
i As the person beside him fell at his feet a
lfeless corpse, he felt his blood CONCEAL.
But awakening anew to the peril Of his
o situation, with one bound, and maniaca
; Shrek, lie cleared the circle. With the
: speed ofan arrow he darted into the woods
II as an antelope chased to the death. The
n swift huntsmen Of the forest sprang afte
d him, and drew upon his flying form al
l. every step. Yet he sped on, hopeless:
6 though he conceived it, with the flight o
+ despair. He felt soon, the harsh grasp 0
10 the savage closing upon him, and he fel
6 resistless to await the blow.
r But soothing words were pronounced BY
i. the conquering Indian. "The white war
ID rior shall de-" said he, "for he has offend
4. ed the red men of the forest-they know
,r their right and will be revenged. But th
te .w6ite-haired pappoose Of the pale face shall
ut not fear, for the proud warrior spurns t.
es harm him. The pale child shall becom
le the child of the forest, and learn to hat
to- his origin, and the red man will love him
a He coaxingly led the boy to the seen
TX of death. The hopes Of the young NAL
q revived within his breast, but he shut hi
IS eyes to the horrilying spectacle before him
it, and leaned upon his savage guardian to
. support. A warrior stealt behind the lat
he and with fell blow, buried the blade
he his hatchet in his brains. A wrathfi
C. ejaculation issued from the pretended qua
lat dian, but he showed no regret at the tram
st. action, and the dead body was laid in j
RS place in the circle, where it had sat a fe
ID, moments before in life.
on Two, only, now remained of the filteel
en- One Of these, Likens Hammond, was mo
ny of extraordinary strength and activity.
,u- solitary man remained between him al
4 DEATH Though late, he resolved to strut
Ut gle for life; could he not gain its sweete
lr4 boon, he would die, and sell his life with
sk- dearness worthy Of remembrance. II
(ul forms of his wife and little ones at hon
he came before him, and nerved his stout hea
&C. to desperation. With an effort almost $
edlperhuman he leaped from the hands Of Y
M Indian who held him, and dealing him
zee powerful blow with his fist, laid him prt
Ter tate at some distance. Springing ov
ler him him with the velocity Of afrightened buffa
rth ne shot into the thick woods, combining
ate his powers to aid in this eventful crs
ted Two Indians set off In pursuit, and gain
ler rapidly upon. him. a stratagem alo
i've could save him. Running strait forws
en-, with his utmost speed, until at a moment
her felt they would make a desperate effort
an capture him, he turned suddenly at rie
i'm. angles with his former course, never