The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-10-09

he could not dives, himself Of regret q,
not par.aking Of the dangers ofihc expe.
di,ion, and 10 divert his mind, proposed
to the brother and sister a.week s hunt
ing in tho buffalo regions higher up the
country. Both frankly acquicsccd, and
one morning at dawn Of day they start
ed.
This time all the hunters rode horses,
the very best which Snow could pick
from his lot. Each had rifle, pow
der horn, bundle Of corn cakes, a
flask Of native whiskcy, and hunting
knife. Mary, on this occasion, was
dressed almost in as masculine cos
tune as her companions. and never was
happier, more sprighlly, or filled with
Their journey was up deep gullies,
along heaving plains. by cool streams,
and beneath the shadow Of thick woods.
They rode along in the morning until
they found n place fiji for sport, and then
haltng, ii. fire, sl,acklcd their horses,
and started on foo, in search of game,
sometimes together, sometimes scpa-
rate. When success crowned their ef-
forts, or when night approached, they
returned ,o their camp and supped. AZ
ter this operation, which In the prairics
is very serious one, they made So.
bcr attack on their whiskcy gourds and
tobacco pouches, anl after little gos.
sip, were glad 10 find rest. Mary had
n little hut always formed Of boughs
and their cloaks, the brother and tie af-
fisnced husband keeping guard OH enci,
side.
Thus they wandered for more than
n week, nn' none thought Of turning
back. When the wild passions Of rap
inc, and slaughter, and murder, almos,
nscpnrnb!c from savage liic-wiich
has generally all the fault OF civilized
life, with scarcely my of its virtues
are KEEP, in the bnck ground, wander.
ing existence in the yirgin woods and
fields OF Amcrica has al incxprcssible,
charm. They pll Tcl' it, 20 camp q,
night beneath Trees, hundreds Of miles
from houses and men, is il Thing " hicl
cxcilcs romantic feelings in The rudesl,
and none Of the trio belonged quite to
the rough cast. Capt. Snow had re.
ceiveh some education, aud Mary Rock
bad learned 10 read before Left the
country. They had thus some com.
mon topic Of conversation, md their c1-
cursion gained rcdoublcd charms.
"Whip handsomely" suddenly cx-
claimed Snow; ''lhe varmin,s are on
us?'
Al the same moment the war.crv Of
the Indians was heard in all ils horrors
from hundred scrcecliing .hroals, and
the long lhnccs oflhe Comanchces were
seen waving in the distance The IN.
gilives now gave whip and spur, and the
horses bounded along nt rapid pace,
and for Shor, time they succeeded
in lcaiing the Coinnnchees, but their
long lanccs were never out Of sight.
For four hours thew rode IN Ri over the
two miles distant from the cruckling,
smoking, blazing high grass, which bore
down towards .hcrn Ike fiery uvalan-
che. TO their Iei: lay stream Of wa
!c:, to their right level swurd, which
had been burnt some months back, und
was now covered with short turiv grass.
Near lis edge grazrd n number Of wild
horses, which presently raised their
heads as they approached; for this mode
Of escape they had preferred to trying
Tor ford.
"rIc repliles' suddenly exclaimed
IL; al
see them horses? Wen, every one oi
them has an Indian devil hanging hy
his side, ready 10 catch us | know
that trick mile oil.
The Mexican Indians, by means Of a
thong round the saddle, and peculiar
stirrnp, will hang for hours beside u
horse, which will thus appear to be gal
Looping Of its own accord over The plains
The trick is usually adopted when nv-
ing before superior forces, to guaranty
their bodies from arrows and bullets.
Captain Snow looked unxiouslv
around him. The pursucrs we're about
mile behind them the ambushcd In.
dians about half mile to their right,
while at about an equal distance before
them was the fire.
"We have little choice, said he
calmly. "My friends we must do n
dreadful bold thing! The horses will
be lillle skeary like, bu, quick eve
md a cool head will do it. We mus,
shoe, the pruiric.irc.'
The Rocks had heard such thing,
but they stood amazed at the very
thought. But Snow left them no time
for reflection. The concealed Indians,
finding themselves discovered, lcaped
into their saddles, and bore down upon
them. But they remained unnoiiced.
The three iugilves were busily en-.
gagged. They had placed their powder.
TASKS ont Of reach Of the fire; they had
wrapped their rifles in stripe oflhe torn.
up cIoaks; and then, having carefully
and tightly bound their own clothes,
they tied bandagcs over tho eyes and
nostrils Of tho horses Then they
mounted again, Tho Indians being close
upon them, and made for the rampant of