The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-13

! 1 have read somewhere Of traveller who car
red with him brace Of pistols, a carbine, a cut
lass, dagger, and an umbrella, but was indebt-
ed for his preservation TO the umbrella it
grappled with bush when he was rolling over
precipice. In like manner, my friend W.,
though armed with sword, rifle, and hunting
knife, owed his existence--to his wig He was
specimen-hunting, (for w. is first-rate nat
uralist) somewhere in the backwoods of Amer
| lea, when happening to light upon dense covert
there sprung out upon hinl-rlot a panther or
tcatamount-but with terrible whoop and yeil, a
pwild Indian--one Of a tribe then hostile to our
settlers, W--s gun was mastered in twink
ling, himself stretched on the earth, the barbar-
GUS knife, destined to make him balder than
Grandby's celebrated Marquis, leaped eagerly,
| from its sheath Conceive the horrible weapon
,makingits preliminary fiourishes and circumgy.
rations; the savage features, made savager bv'
paint and ruddle, working themselves up to a
tdemoniacaI crisis of triumphant nalignity his
bred right hand elptching the shearing- his
left, the frizzle top-knot, and then the artificial
scalp coming oil IN the Mohawk grasp W.
says, the Indian, -eatchpole was, for some mo-.
merits, metionless. with surprises recovering,a at
last he dragged his captive along, through brake
land jungle; TO- the -cncampment.c A peculiar
lwhoop soon brought the whole horde to the spot
y Hc lHulsiH duuTcSScO VIII NcutlutUt
gestures, in the course Of which W was
again thrown down, the knife again performed
Fits circuit, and the whole transaction was pan
ttomimically described. hi-ee "a 1s.s yaAAll
| All Indian sedateness and restraint We're over.
come. The assembly made every demonstration
1'of wonder; and the wig was fitted on, rightly,
askeW, and hind part before, by a hundred pair Of
red hands, Captain Gulliyer's glove was not a
greater puzzle to the .Houhyhnms. From the
men, it passed to the squaws; and from them
down to the least of the urchns, VS. head
| in the meantime, frying ia midsummer sun. AT
length tire phenomenon returned into the hands
of the chief-a venerable greybeard; he exani-
med it afresh, very attentively, and, after long
deliberation maintained with true Indian silence
and gravity. made a speech in his own tongue;
that procured for the anxious trembling captive
very unexpected honors In fact the whole tribe
of women and warriors. danced round him with
such mfeqnivoeal marks Of homage that even
w coInpretlended that he was not intended
for sacrifice. He was then carried in triumph to-
their wigwanis, his body daubed with their body,
,colors Of the most honorable patterns and he
was given TO- understand that he might choose.
any of their marrageble maidens for a squaw.4
Awaiting himself of this privilege, and SO be-
coming, by degrees, more proficient in their
language he learned the cause Of this extraordi-
nary respect. It was considered that he had
ybeena great warrior; that he had, by lnischance
of war, been overcome and tufted; but, that,
whether by valor or stratagen,, each equally est-
amable amongst the savages, he had revoveredhis
liberty and his scalp. As long as W. kept
his own council, he was safe but trusting his
Indian Delilall with the secret Of his locks, i'll
soon got wind amongst the squaws, and from
them became known to the warriors and chiefs.
A solemn sitting was held at midnight, by the
chiefs, to consider the propriety ofknocking the
poor wig-owner on the head /; but he had received
a timely hint of their intention, and when the
tomahawks sought for him, he was far on his
way, with his life-preseryer,l towards a British
settlement a. 2, 5#. ua.t. ,HG4a saafs