Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1850-06-20
From the Yankee Blade.
A Scene from Life In Prairie Land.

I A Scene from Lille IN fFaAEle AuuOs
! BY FALCoNBRIDuE.
Irish are everywhere. You may find
Pat where even live Yankee is un-
known, and yet the Yankees can be found
wherever the sun rises and sets, and
grass grows. No few Of the first settlers
in Texas were Irish, at least on the coast
the American army is nearly one-fourth
Irish, and when the Texan revolution
broke out, scores of Southern Irishmen
enlisted in the Texan ranks and no braver,
and quicker soldiers, for such warfare
could be desired, than those "ready-to-
fight Irishmen.
There was bullet-headed, square built
Paddy, in the Ranger service. named Dar-
BY Kelley and an active and jolly, witty
and brave fellow who never began to
know what danger or fear looked like,
except they came at him in the shape of
copper-h heads or rattle-snakes those
reptiles were about the only living "crit-
tiers" that could ever start hair on Dar-
by's cocoa-nut. In the same company or
squad, with Darby, was another noted in
dividual named Ben Burns, but who was
more generally known as "Black Hawk"
from the fact of his having presumed to
assert that he was one of the captors of
the famous Indian chief "Black Hawk"
in the frontiers of the United States, some
wears previous. "Black Hawk" was
none oil your common men; he was tall
and straight as an Indian an immense
jumper, wrestler, horse-breaker, and all
those things, besides being an elegant
marksman, and the most dashins and fear
less equestrian you ever saw on horse
flesh Black Hawk and Darby were
mes>mates. and thrice sworn friends
Darby was not by nature, OF the force Of
art, very we'll versed in Indian manners
and customs, although he had some brush-
es with the red skins For them he en-
tertained the liveliest contempt and hate,
and he would no more have hesitated to
ride into a regiment of them, with good
shuIeiah, than he would TO have entered a
grocery" with dime in his pocket
Darby's contempt for Camanches cost him
some trouble, as the sequel will prove.
Towards sunset one clear ::.,d bracing
October day, small party Of the Rangers,
after long, toilsome scout in the Canaan
che country, halted at spring, and dis
mounting, from the pleasan,ness Of the
spot and the fatigue OF the party, they de-
term,ned to bivouac there for the night,
and preparations were made accordingly.
| Darby Kelley was one Of the party -
his friend Black Hawk was with another
} squad, who were TO join them the next
, day. After such repast as Ranger
mi ght indulge in such . place and at such
/ time, the horses being secured, the Ran
gers took a smoke, and throwing them
selves upon old Mother Earth, seven of
, the nine slept-lcaving Darby and COM
rude to keep guard. .
Nigh, had not far advanced when the
noddlng sentinels were aroused by the
, snorting Of the horses, and the manner OF
, their s'cavorting" around indicated that
there was mischief in the wind.
up, boys! up!' says Darby, arousing
his sleeping companions IN arms
} "There's game of some sa-shee or other
. about up! boys, and be wide awake.!'
And Darby's words Of warning were
, hardly from his lips when body ofthose
red, daredevil horsemen, swift as the
whrlwind, pounced upon the little camp
knocked it into "next week." stampeding
the horses, severely wounding two Of the
> Rangers, and carrying off Darby Kelley s
beautiful red Mexican blanket, which the
heroic Irishnan hurled into the face oil
+ one of the Indians horses, to keep him
! from Jumping OH to him, while be pulled
fast and strong at the trigger Of his re-
: volver, materially altered some Of the
notes of the assailants.
"Hu-u-oo-ep! Whoo-o-o o. oo-ep"
! The performance was all over, and the
assailants a mile off, before Darby could
say
> "Did ye'es, ;ver see the like O. that in
yer travels aiore ~
The wounded were attended to, and
two of the little party despatched TO GER
, tain point where the other party OF the
! Rangers-some ten mounted and well
:, equipped men-were supposed to be
camped. Darby for his fast travelling
qualities, and devotion to danger, was one
of the messengers, and about daylight he
and his comrade found the camp Of their
! friends, and then they all made break
for the scene of the disaster, where a
council of war was held, camp was de-
cided upon for the wounded and unhorsed
= and ten of the best men, including Black
. Hawk aud Darby, were started to make
reprisal upon the ,hieving Camanches.
They kept the trail of the Indians faith
fully all day, and dtowards sun-down strucl
: a tributary of the Trinity river, and the,
:. the trail ,,ivided--the stolen horses evi
! dently being taken by small portion o
, the Indians to a remote soo'' TO escap'
: re.cap,ure should pursuit be made. Ih'
Rangers were anxious to have "f'!t'
with their copper coIlored enemies, bu
Just then the capture of their horses wa.
a more important matter. The lndia'
, camp was found about midnight, under The
> brow Of small mountain, and Blacl
Hawk took reconnaissance and returned
to the party in the course Of an hour
r reporting that ten or twelve OF the red
4 skins were encamped, with over twent,,
| horses.