Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-01-31
R4VETrA OHIO WEDNls IAN 81 BIO

So e 81 -.
president, James K. Polk, That man wa.
the famous Captain Riley whose nara
tive of suffering and adventures are pretty
generally known all over the. civilized
world. Captain Riley, was fine, fat
good humored joker, who, at the period oi
my story, was the representative of the
Dayton district 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 mill
ions of people, that have ever seen his book,
7 will not attempt to repeat them.
Many were the stories and adYentHEes
ftold tsthe sssnip Il Int " TIE
turn of well known gentleman who rep
resented the Cincinnati district. Ar Mr..
-, is yetamong the living and perhaps
not disposed to be the subject of joke or
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
a mavellous hero whenever the opportuni-
ty offered. AS Captain Riley, wound up
one of his truthful though really marvellous
adventures, Mr.. - cody remarked, that
the captains's story was all very aveU, but
it did not begin to compare with an ad-
venture that he had saonce upon time" on
the Ohio, below the present city of Cincin-
natl
aLet's have itp' aLefs have it," re-
sounded from all hands.
@Well gentlemen" said the senator
clearing his voice for action and knocking
the ashes from his cigar against the arm of
his chair, "Gentlemen, I'm not in the habit
(quite notorious for itD of spinning yarns
of marvellous or ictition matters, and
therefore it is scarcely necessary to affirm
upon the responsibility of my reputation,
gentlemen, that what Pm about to tell you,
| is the Gods truth, and"
ooh! never mind that, go on Mr.. -" :"
chimed the party.
@Well, gentlemen, in l8-I came down
the Ohio river, and settled at Losanti, now
called Cincinnati. 1t was 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 cot
tage and corn patch of old Mr.. -, a
tailor, who by the by, bought that land for
the makingof a coat, for one of the settlers
Well, put up my cabin, with the aid of
my neighbors, and put in patch of corn
and potaties, and where the fly market now
stands, set about improving my lot, house,
&c. - e- -
sOccasionly, took up my rifle, and
started off with my dog down the river to
lock up a, little deer, or bar meat, then very
plenty along the river. The blasted red
skins, were lurking about, and lowering
around the settlement, andevery eonce ina
while picked off some of our neighbors, OF
stole our cattle or horses. hated the red
devils, and made no bones of peppering the
blasted sarpents whenever got sight at
thcm.' In fact the red rascals had dread
of me, and had laid great many traps to
get my scalp, but I wasn't to be catcn't
mapping. No, no, gentlemen, I 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, bat couldn't find bar nor deer. About
four o'clock in the afternoon, made track
for the settlement again. By and by, l
sees buck Just ahead of me walking leis-
urely down the river, slipped up, with my
faithful dog close in my rear, to within
clever shooting distance, and just as the
buck stuck his nose in the drink, drew a
bead upon his top-not and over he tumbled,
and splurged and bounded awhile, when l
came up and relieved him by cutting his
wizen-"
sWell, but what had that to do with an
aduenture?" said Riley.
"Hold on bit, if you please gentlemen
by Jove it had great deal to do with it..
For while I was busy skinning the hind
quarters of the buck, and slowing away
the kidney fat in my hunting shirt, heard
noise like the break king of brush under a
moccasin up 'the bottom My dog heard
it, and started up to reconnoitre, and l lost
no time in reloading my rifle. I had hardly
got my printing on, before my dog raised a
howl and broke through the brush towards
me with his tail down as he was not used
to do unless there was wolves, painters
| (panthers) or lngins about.
Il picked up my knife, and took up my
line Of march in skulking trot up the river.
The frequent gullies, on the lower bank,
made it tedious travelling there, so scrab-
bled up to the upper bank, which was
pretty well covered with buckeye and syc-
amore and very little underbrush. 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 all h broke loose! !
@Well," said an old woodsman sitting al
| tba t,blo aVou took a free of course2"