The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-11-20

| beat He had hoped that the horses of bis partv
| would give him certain superiority over the In
| dians which he now saw did not exist With this
| conviction he was about to retire, when a young
Indian moved aside the trees near the fire. and ad-
| vanced into the centre Of the opening, until he
| stood before the chief, who Was smoking his red
| clay pipe with becoming gravity.
"Pae faces !" said tbe Young man. after the
| usual pause.
"Ugh replied the chief
| Three, continued the young man; Zone squaw,
| two warriors. Squaw dressed like warrior; her
voice soft and sweet like pale face girl"
| Ugh said the chef
| Another pause ensued, after which the young
man, having explained that the white party was
tired and weary, and could not go far, the chief of
the war-party ordered him to take dozen warriors
about dawn and attack them. The Howling- Wind
grunted his reply, and they sat down.
Captain Snow was now amply satisfied as to the
nature Of the Indian tribe. They were Camanche
the Arabs Of the great prairie Wilderness outlying
in the woods in the hope of cutting of volunteer
parties going to Mexico. Using all his caution he
crept from his dangerous post, departed from
his noiseess walk until half mile distant. He
then made boldly for the clump where he had ad-
vlsed his friends to retire. He found them camped
in its very centre, well concealed their horses gra-
zng with shackIed feet, and small fire.
Heap on more wood-bog, said Capt. Snow, as
he came up; " the varmints have seen us, and the
sight Of our camp may keep them in good humor.
minute" And he explained all he had heard.
4 basty meal, but an ample one was taken at
once, and then some portion Of rest was snatched.
Indeed the Rocks, with all the careless security of
the' r!sh blood slept soundly until two hours be-
tore daylight, when Snow reused them up. The
horses were saddled in silence, mouthlu of corn
cake eaten. Snow then doled out TO each a small
panekin full of brandy, half Of which they drank
while with the other half, mixed with water, they
washed the joints Of their horses, their mouths and
ears. Then they piled great quantity of wood on
the fire, and mounting their horses, rode off.
Not a word we spoken, while Snow, who
headed tie party, lOrbOre to press the horses re-
serving their strength for sudden emergencies
They soon entered a beaten trail in the forest
which they followed unit dawn. The night hs /
been dark, without moon or stars; and when the
gray morning broke, they found that their imEer-
feet knowledge Of the country had deceived them,
and they we're getting away from home. They re.
traced their steps, guided by the lofty smoke of their
own fire, not with the intention of getting 50 far
back, but of gaining another trail which led across
4 vast open prairie in the direction of their home
Presently the skirt of the wood was reached and
they were on the huge plain, II was of tine rolling
character, covered with high grass, and ex-
tended lar out of sight heavy cloud in the dis
lance, hanging over the edge oft horizon showed
that in that direction the prairie was on FIRE To
wards this the trio rode slowly, in a line which
promised to leave the vast cOnhtgration which was
being formed to their left hand
whip handsomely! suddenly exclaimed Snow;
" the vaTminls are on Us "
At the same moment the war cry of the Indians
was heard IN all its horror from hundred screech-
ing throats, and the long iances OF the Camauches
were seen waving i'll the distance The fugitives
now gave whip and spur, and the horses bounded
along at rapid pace and for short time they sue
ceeded IN heading the Camaucfes; but their long
iance7 were never out Of sight. For four honrs
they rode hard over the plain, until they Were not
more than two miles distant from the crackIing,
blazing high grass, which bore down towards them
like a fiery avalanche. To their left Law a stream
OF water, to their right Il level sward, which had
been burnt some months back, and was now COW
cred with short turly g.Lss. Near it's edge praxed
Il number Of wild horses, which presently raised
their heads as they approached for this mode of
escape they had preferred to trying for a ford
The reptiles ~ suddenly exclaimed Snow, REIN
ing In his horse. " Do you them horses ? Well,
every one OF them has an Indian devil hanging by
his side, ready to catch US l know that trick
mile off"
The Mexican Indians, by means of a thong
round the saddle, and peculiar strrup, will hang
lor hours beside horse, which will thus appear 10
be gaIloping OF its accord the plains. The
trick IS usually adopted when flying before supe-
nor forces, to guarantee their bodies from arrows
and bullets.
Capt Snow looked anxiously around him. The
PursuerS were about mile behind them the am
bushed Indians 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 a dreadful bold thing The
horses will be a little skerry like, but quick eye
and a cool head will do it. We must shoot the
prairie fire."
The Rocks had heard of such thing, but they
stood amazed at the very thought. But Snow left
them no time for reflection. The concealed In
dIans, finding themselves discovered leaped into
their saddles, and bore down upon them. But they
remained unnoticed. The three fugitves were
busily engaged. They had placed their powder
TASKS out Of the reach OF the fire. they had wrap
ped their rifles in strips of their torn-up cloaks
and then, having carefully and tightly bound their
own clothes, they tied bandages over the eyes and
nostrlIs Of the horses. They then mounted again.
the Indians being close upon them, and made for
the rampant of smoke and flame that lay between
them and life.
The line of fire was about three miles long The
prairie, composed Of weeds and grass damp with
recent rams, did not burn with that lightning. like
Iapidity which leaves no chance of escape. 1t
burned quickly but steadily, and Snow remarked
that IN some places smoke predomnated over
flame. Just before them lofty clump of bushes
burnt high and brightly, but to the left Of this a
thick black smoke seemed to Indicate a syyamnv
were moving rapidly, the Indians not two hundred
yards behind them, along the line of flame and the
Camanches were yelling with delight. They gained
ground every minute on the fugtives and saw no
Chahce OI escape Tor them.
"Close your eyes and follow" suddenly cried
Capt. Snow, seizing the bride of Mary's horse
and punging headlong into the thick smoke of the
smouderIng swamp. The atmosphere, which for
long time had become oppressive, now became
absolutely suflOcauug. The noise was Internal
Cracking reeds, kissing damp bushes, flaming grass
black vapor that Choked and backened, was ali
that they could distinguish, with sense of intense
heat and then black plain covered with clarred
wood, with smoudering heaps Of charcoal, Law be-
fore them. They had passed with the least posi-
bic amount of injury. A few burns a scorchinp
sense of thirst faces as black as negroes was all
that had ensued from their desperate and daring
act Snow pressed the hand of Mary in silence,
and then examined the horses. They were irrepa-
rably lost Their legs had suffered burns. which
would render much further iourneying impossible
but they were compelled, despite their frightful
state to urge them again at their fullest speed
A howl, that Snow knew too well, warned him
of new danger. The savage wolves of the noun
tains were upon them in vast droves. These ami
mails follow prairie fires in search of the carcasses
of deer turkeys, rabbits, hares etc. that Cerish in
the flames, and, collected in such force become
formidable. The wretched horses instinctiyely
dared away, and The fugitive band made for a
wood about five miles off, which had been spared
from the fire, the grass near the trees being too
damp and too short to burn. Az they rode, they
Ioosaned their rifles and pistols, and took their huge
po"der-h0rns from the many sWaths which had
protected them. Several times they halted and
hred AT the furious beasts, which, to the number of
hboht iour hundred, came on behind them. Their
shots told, and general halt showed that the
ca'ot" We're engaged in deyOuring their unlucky
companions. At length the wood was reached,
and While, by general discharge they for an in
stant checked the advance or tha hungrv hrutes