Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-05-19

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that when one is very near death, q cold,
unearlhly, and heart-sckening shudder
passes over the entire system; now wheth-
er this be the fact or otherwise, it is not for
me to decide; but no person will convince
me that | did not experience sensation
analogous to what | have described. /
struggled manfully to Danish my melan-
choly prosentiments. attempted to con-
verse with Nick, but he was silent and
moody, while his countenance grew more
sinister and forbldding.
I think We had better 60 ashore said
Vanburton, in exceedingly ban French, ad-
dressing himself to me.
| understood French, perfectly, but the
thought occurred TO me on the instant, that
it would be better for me to affect to be en-
tirely ignorant Of that language; accord.
ingly shook my head and made no answer.
would Monsieur like venison for his
dinner? he asked after short interval, in
the same tongue.
| shook my head as before, and made
no reply. This seemed TO convince him
that | knew nothing Of French, and in that
language he and his companion commenc
ed conversation which never shall for
get, should / live to the venerable age of
the Oldest patriarch. Each wed with the
other in the enormity OF his rehearsals.-
They told Of frauds, rapine and murder,
which they had committed at different
times upon trappers, adventurers, white
settlers, and Indians. Plunder, and ON in>
ordinate love Of the excitement of crime.
were the motives that had urged them on
in their Infamous career.
After they had proceeded awhile in this
strain, they changed the subject somewhat,
and deliberately and diaboIically planned
my own destruction. They even made
division Of my effects, and se:teled all TO
their mutual satisfaction.
My emotions during this time feel it
would be useless to attempt 10 describe
Horror indignation, dread, were tire ss-
visitants of my soul.
When these preliminaries had been sat-
isfactorialy settled, Vanburton went on as
follows. / shall not give his exact words,
but merely The substance ofthem.
But this is not all, "a he added 4 have
other business TO attend to as soon as this
is dispatched, and shall want your help
There is Pawnee village nsur Council
Bluffs. a white trapper lives there with
his family. That white trapper married
French woman, who, in her younger DAYS.
was very pretty. Well, to be brief about
the matter, they have daughter about
seventeen years Of age. ns handsome q
eretare as ever saw w,and have seen many
of that sex in my time.
In my travels among the numerous In
dian tribes, have seen good looking
squaws and half-breeds, but none Of them
would compare with the trapper's daughter.
'Her complexion is clear and beautiful,
and such eyes you never saw in human
head; for they are full fife and fire, and
all that you could expect to find in the eye
of woman. Her hair continues the ruff
fan, though in Language much less refined,
which she allows 10 fall loose reaches to
her knees, and is blacker than anything
you can conceive Of.
Wh hen she sports on the prairies, it floats
out like dark streamers. Her figure wont
speak about, because | haven't the power
to describe it as it is. She's neither too
large nor too small and its impossible to
say where there should, or could be, any
in her person.
4Her fathers name is Willet, and her
name is Janet the Indians call her the
sWest Wind because she is gentle. like
and sweet in temper. like this Janet, and
4'm resolved to make her mistress of my
lodge. '1s a..f Il
stBut does the gal like you5' asked Nick,
with n significant wink Of the eye.
I There's the rub; there was never one
person disliked another more than that girl
dislikes me. And it is just so with the
whole family. The old man looks upon
me with suspicion; and his wife shudders
whenever cross her path, or look OF Janet.
But lha! makes no difference; it's neither
here nor there. My minds made up;
Janet goes into my lodge, wherever it may
be, as its lawful mistress, willing or an
willing
How can that Beg growled Nick, with
scowl.
.Mow can it be? why, 4 shall watch my
chance, and carry her away. Am | 9
child. to give up in despair, or to sit down
and cry?'
sYou forget that her father is trupper,
and can follow trail as well as any man
between here and the Rocky Mountains,
replied Nick
4 care nothing about that; rifle bal
will settle his account, and send him on G
longer trail than ever ne went on yet.'
then there'shis wife, regular French
woman, she'll stir up all the Indians or
the prairies 10 hunt you up
Let her do ii; I'll settle her account:
also. All I want is the girl; | care moth
ing for having father-in-law, or mother
in:law; | want wife, or whatever yol
1 please to call her. Don't you see what IN
driving at7'
i Yes. / see plain enough, and it's my
opinion precious wife yeu' have. Viii
she care anything about you? No! VIII
she rear your lodge when you move from
i place to place? No! Will she gaihe
sticks to make the fre2 No! Will sh,