The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-02-28
THE FLIGHT OF THE ANTELOPE.


THE FLIGHT OF THE ANTELOPE.
An Episode in the Life OF Kit Carson.
wRIrrgs foa THE n. =. TRIBUNE ny DAVID L. pnows'
Nv,
As | was returning back TO where the women ana
children belonging TO our camp were stationed,
under charge OF some half dozen OF our men who
had participated In the afiray, forthe purpose ~
procuring something in the shape ola horse or mule
on which TO mount myself, was startled by ~
male shrek, and on looking suddenly up, had paleg
time 10 spring aside as Blacktoo whom ieS II.
nized TO be chief flew pust, the loose enus :, ~
buffalo robe on which he was riding brushing l''e ~
the face He had one of our women before NM on
his horse, who was wrthing In hs arms s anu rsss
ing vain and Intellectual endeayors 10 sse ,nn,nn
from his powerful grasp. | raised my fne ihsune-
lively TO fire. but the utter imposslbity o. sn9o'ns
the savage without at the same time pernne tne l'c
Of his captive compelled me to desist; was giving
up all hope Of sneeor ior ,e po1 s shnv far,neJ
b. n sudden urn of the river, discovered ono oil
our men dashing atfn speed, for The purpose appa,
rently OF intercepting the Backioot before he could
gain the Madison al the only available point where
Ee could cross over and join the rest Of his tribe. II
was moment of intense and even agonizng, inter
es, TO me, for this woman was, and deservedly
very great lavorite with all. She was the squaw
Of Jack Robinson Of our very best men, and had
endeared herself 10 the whole camp by her inteli-
gence, kindness of heart, and native feminine deli
cacy Of feeling, 10 say nothing of her good looks
which were nearly Of the very highest type Of Indian
beauty.
On attentiycly observing the horseman, who had
all at once become an object Of absorbing interest,
the hopes which had been fast waning within me,
sprung into instant aud vigorous lille, for IN That
figure moving with the ease and velocity oil the
wind saw one whose very name has since become
The synonym of depefae adventure, and romantic
courage. This was my bosom friend, Kit Carson,
who was mounted on superb blooded horse, which
had been presennd to him some two years previous
By Sir William Drummond Stewart, with his head
euiltless of hal--a flet being simply bound around
if-his long light-brown or auburn hair streaming
IN the wind, his slight but muscular form, swaying
and bending with inlmiable grace, TO every motion
Of the noble animal il fsic rather than dashed
over the undulaing prairie that interviewed between
him and the Indian Chief increasing at every bound
the chances Of a rescue, and being seemingly con.
scions OF the lnhnitempoance OF It's present exer-
lions. The Blackfoof, who had quickly seen the
hunter and OWNED his intention 10 cut him of from
the point above referred 10, made the most intense
exer'ions to accomplish his purpose Bui Carson
was too quick for him. They were about twenty
yards apart when the latter discharged his gun, bni
apparently with little effect, the former did not
swsrve from his course In Tho slightest degree.
They were now within hundred yards OF the spot,
where narrow and steep buffalo rack formed the
only practicable descent 10 the River Madison, when
Carson, who had hitherto carried his rifle In The hol
low of his left arm brought il suddenly round TO his
shoulder and fired. knew that the shot had taken
effect as could perceive the Indian strnighten him
self In the saddle and In the moment his knife
was cleaning alof and descended upon the form o.
his helpless captive. Both fell heavily to the earth
and the horse OF the Blackfoot Chief freed from lis
double burden bounded wildly forward, and dsap.
peared down the steep and rugged pass which It's
muster had striven in vain 10 reach.
1t was the work Of a moment for Carson TO spring
from his horse, and disengnge the woman from the
death grasp of the savage She was badly but no,
Inortally wounded, the knife of the savage having
struck upon the bone Of the ieshy part OF the arm,
from which 1t glanced and passed entirely through
tpHfr 'V hfvt dam mn, har
side. With the assistance of some of our men who
arrived Immediately alter this fortunate termination
Of the conflict Kit carried The poor girl TO the camp
where she was given in charge TO the women who
always act as surgeons on such occasions, who In
continently dressed her wounds, and made her as
comfortable as the circumstances Of the case would
admit Of
The conduct Of the Indian women on this trying
occasion was so characteristic, and at the same
time SO dissimilar to thnt which would in all proba-
bilty have been displayed In a like situation by u
civilized woman, thati Ii worthy Of remark 10 those
curious in human nature. From the time she was
snatched from her horse until she was relieved from
her perous position by the heroic and timely inter-
ference Of Kit Carson the Indian girl had given but
one scream, which was produced more by surprise
than fear, and from that instant silently submitted 70
her fate, with the quiet determination however,
avail herself Of any possible means of escape that
chance or accident might present. When Kit over
took her abductor, and for sometime hcsatcd about
firing fearful of injuring her whom he had come to
save, she rcsolutoly told him TO shoot and never to
mind her and when the Backfoot raised his knife,
i was only by quickly shifting her position lhatshe
avoided receiving the weapon in her breast whcrche
blow would have doubtless have been mortal. Her
position and conduct can only be properly appre-
ciated, when we reflect that she was nIcnaced by
fate the most terrible that can well be conceived
which was, to be given over to the Blackicct
women, and put TO death by every species OF tor
tlre that savage ingenuity could devise, backed
by long experience In the most cruel and subtle me
thods Of extracting the greatest amount Of physical