The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-04-09
A DESPERATE RACE.


A STORY OF THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF OHIO.
BY FALcoNBRIDGE.
Some years ago was one of a cenvivial party
that met at the principal hotel in the town of Co
lumbus, Ohio, the seat of government of the Buck
| eye State IN = -
1t was a wintry evening, when all without was
bleak and stormy, and all within were blythe and
gay; when song and story made the circuit of the
mirth and laughter.
We had met for the express purpose of making a
night of it., and the pious intention was duly and
most religiously carried out. The Legislature was
in session in that town, and not few of the worthy
| legislators were present upon this occasion.
| One of these worthless will name as he not only
took big swarth in the evenings entertainment,
but ne was man more generally known than even
our worthy President J. X. Polk. That man was
the famous Captain Riley whose narrative of suf-
ieTlng and adventures are pretty generally known
all over the civilized world. Captain Riley was a
fine, fat, goodhumored joker, who, at the period of
my story, the representative of the Dayton dis
trct and lived near that little city when at home.
| Well, Captain Riley had amused the company with
many of his far-famed and singular adventures,
which being mostly told before and read by mil.
lions of people, that have seen his book, will not
| attempt to repeat them.
Many were the stories and adventures told by the
company, when it came to the turn of well-known
gentleman, who represented the Cincinnati district
| As Mr. - is yet among the living, and perhaps
not disposed to be the subject of joke story do
| not feel at liberty to give his name. Mr.. was
slow believer of other mems adventures, and at
| the same time much disposed to magnify himself
into marvellous hero whenever the opportunity
offered. As Captain Riley wound up one of his
truthful, though really marvellous adventures, Mr..
- coolly remarked that the Captains story was
all very well, but did not beg to compare with an
adventure that he had, "once upon time,' on the
Ohio, below the present city of Cincinnati.
Let's have it.' "let's have it," resounded
from all hands.
Well, gentlemen" said the Senator, clearing
his voice for action and knocking the ashes from
his segar, Gentlemen, Pm not in the habit quite
notorious for it y of spinning yarns of marvellous
or fictitious matters, and therefore it is scarcely
necessary to affirm upon the responsibility of my
reputation, gentlemen, that what I'm about to tell
you is the Gods truth, and :
"Oh, never mind that, 60 on, MI. -" chimed
the e. party party ID. .
Ohio river, and settled at Losanti now called Gin
cinnati 1t ives at that time but little settlement
of some twenty or thirty log and frame cabins; and
where now stands the Broadway Hotel, and blocks
of stores and dwelling houses, was the cottage and
corn-patch of old Mr.. -, a tailor, who, by the
way, bought that land for the making of a coat
Well, put up my cabin with the aid Of my neigh
bors, put in patch of corn and potatoes, about
where the Fly Market now stands, and set about
improving my lot, house, etc.
Occasionally 1 took my rifle, and started off
with my dog down the river, to look up little
deer or bar meat then very plenty along the river.
The blasted red skins were lurking about, and
lowering around the settlement, and every once in
while picked off some of our neighbors or stole
our cattle and horses. hated the red devils, and
made no bones Of pePpering the blasted sarpents
rascals had a dread of me, and had laid great
many traps to get my scalp, but / wasn't to be
catched mapping. No, no, gentlemen, was too
well up to 'em for that.
Well, started off one morning, pretty early,
to take hunt; and travelled long way down the
river, over the bottoms and hills, but could not find
bar nor dear. About O'Clock in the afternoon
made tracks for the settlement, again. By and by,
sees buck just ahead of me, walking lesurely
down to the river; slipped up with my faithful
old dog close in my rear, to within clever shooting
distance, and just the buck stuck his nose in the
drink, drew a bead upon his top knot, and over
he tumbled, and splurged and bounded awhile,
when came up and relieved him by cutting his
wZen-''
Swell, but what had that to do with an adven-
ture 2" said Riley.
Hold on bit, if you please, gentlemen-by
Jove it had great deal to do with it. For while /
was busy skinning the hind quarters of the buck,
and slowing away the kidney fat in my hunting
shirt, heard noise like the breaking of brush un.
der moccasin up the bottom MY dog heard
it, and started up to reconnoitre, and lost no time
in re.loading my rife. had hardly got my printing
on, before my dog raised a howl and broke through
the brush towards me with tail down, as he was
not used to do unless there wolves, painters,
(panthers,) or ingins about. -
picked up my knife, and took my line of
march In skuking trot up the river. The frequent
gullies on the lower bank made it tedious travelling
there, so l scrambled up the upper bank, which
was pretty well covered with buckeye and syca-
more and very little under brush. One peep below
discovered to me three as big and strapping red
devils, gentlemen, as you ever clapt your eyes ON
Yes, there they came, not above six hundred yards
in my rear, shouting and yelling like devils, and
coming after me like h-ll broke loose !"
:" Well" said an old woodsman, sitting at the
table, " You took a tree, of course!''
Did !! No, by =, gentlemen / took tree
Just then, but took TO my heels like sixty, and it
just as much as my dog could do to keep up with
me. ran until the whoops of the red skins grew
fainter and fainter behind me, and clean out of
wind. ventured to look behind, and there came
one single red devil putting and blowing, not three
hundred yards in my rear. He had got on to a
piece of bottom, where the trees were small and
scarce now, thinks |, old fellow, I'll have you, so
trotted off at pace sufficient to let the red devil
gain on me, and when he had got just near enough,
l wheeled and fired, and down brought him,
dead door nail, at hundred and twenty YARDS
"Then you skelpd (scalped) him Immediately"
said the old woodsman.
Cd clear of it, gentlemen, for by the time
got my rifle loaded; here came the other two red
skins, shouting and whoopng close on me and
now about five miles from the settlement, and it
was getting towards sunset; ran until my wind
began to be pretty short, when took look back,
and there the red devils came snorting like mad
buffaloes, one about two three hundred yards
ahead of the other, so acted possum again until
the foremost Ingin got pretty well up and wheeled
and fired, at the very moment the red devil was
drawing bead' on me; he fell head over stomach
into the dirt, and up came the last red devil"
"Soyou laid for~him and" gasped several
M aorfIn uoItb o 49, :: 4 l..
for him; hadn't time to load, SO laid legs to the
ground, and started again. heard the blasted |
devil every bound he made after me- run and |
run, until the fire flew out of my eyes and the old
dogs tongue hung out of his mouth quarter Of |
yard long,
Phe-e-e-ew ~ whistled somebody.
Fact, by =, gentlemen. Well, what was to |
do, didn't Knoxville empty, no big trees about,
and numbering red devil not three hundred yards |
in my rear, and, what was worse, just then it oc-
CURED to me that ! was not great ways from |
big creek, NOW called Mill Creek,9 and there
was to be PINNED at last.