The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1848-09-16

covered with brush as to defy detection.
Trees lay aero IS the outlet Of the basin
whose dense leaves wholly concealed
it, and the only egress and entrance
was by swimming through a narrow
opening. From This opening every
night more or less Of the guard issued,
swan OUT into the stream, down the
creek into the river, and up or down
the river half mile before they touch.
ed land: thus defying all skill 10 find a
trail to their concealment.
A Wyandotte, sitting one night on
the bank Of the river, saw something
in the water which did not look like any
animal he had ever before seen. He
watched it closely, as j turned in.
to the creek, and followed stealthy till
he saw a mans hand grasp the limb Of
a tree that lay across the water. The
next night as the FIRST man issued from
the retreat, a hatchet hurled with uner-
ring force entered his brain and with a
yell that woke the whipporwil that
slept on the dead tree over him, he
sprang from the water, fell back, and
his body floated down the bloody
stream. An instant after dark object
entered the same opening from which
the slain man had issued. The chief Of
a few staut guardsman saw the red
feathers in the tuft Of the Wyandotte |,
and waited till he reached an eddy in
the current, then struck swift blow.
and springing into the water grasped
his scalp lock, and drew his stone knife
around his skull. Qt's marvellous what
a passion Indians have always had for
those scalp locksD Another, and an
other, and another, followed their lead
er into the basin, and followed him to
his fate. The yelIs Of the combatants
rang in the forest, but the cry Of the at
tackled far surpassed the cries OF the in
vader, and the latter shrank from the
fietceness of the wolf in his den.
But the sequel was fearful. No mode
of attack avalled, and the Wyandoltes
sat to besiege and starve our gallant lit.
tie band. One by one they yielded to
the grim death that was inevitable
Their mournful death songs were heard
day and night in the dim forest arches,
and one by one their giant bodies were
floating down the stream. They met
Jaatb hravelv in those old days.
At length the maiden and her betroth-
ed remained with but ten warriors,
gaunt and famine-s stricken. yet lion like
in their hunger. They then devised a
plan Of escape. The girl was a bold
5 winner as are all Indian girls, and was
to being long under water.
1t was supposed that the beseIgers
would n OF trouble themselves 10 regard
the dead body Of a warrior floating by;
SO while the ten old warriors cllanted a
death song, the young chief lay on the
water, and the girl grasping his hand
with one Of hers, swan under him as his
bodv hoated out at the opening and
DO wn the river. A Wyandotte with
ow grunt Of contempt, threw stone
which struck his breast, but he was firm,
and SO that faithful two foated away in
lhe solemn night and fed to lodge a.
nong their distant kindred. One by
,ne the remaining adopted a similar
,lan, and when the silence OF the hold
was 50 profound that the watchers con-
.luded death had done its work, they
and finding no bodies on the
ground, knew at once the cheat, and
heir yells Of rage and disappointment
,gain scared the birds that were fatch-
no their second brood in The branches
If the trees above the fall. fa2'