Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1852-01-08
in Iniian Story.



1t was a sultry evening towards the las
I of June, 1922, that Captain Hermon anC
his eastern rangers urged their canoes up
+ on the kennebeo river, in pursuit of then
savage enemies
/ -Four hours they toiled diligently at tb,
oar, the last trace Of civilization was left
behind, and the long shadows of the skir
ting forest met and blended in the mid
die Of the broad stream, that wound dark
ly through them
At every sound from the adjacent shores
the rustling wings Of some night-bird
or the quick footsteps of some wild beast
the dash Of the oar was suspended. and
the rangers grasp tightened on his rife
All knew the peril Of the enterprise
and that silence which is so natural to men
who feel themselves in the extreme of
moral jeopardy, settled Ike cloud upon
the midnight adyenturers.
Hush-softly, men said the watch
ful Hermon, in a voice which scarcely rose
above hoarse whisper, as his canoe swept
around rugged promontory, there is &
light ahead 2
All eyes were bent toward the shore. -
4 tall Indian fire cleaned up against the
great oaks, casting a red and strong light
upon the dark waters.
For single and breatlless moment the
operation of the oar was suspended. aud
every one listened with painful eagerness
to catch the well known sounds which sell
dom fail to indicate the proximity of the
.savages. But now all was silent
81 e. -
oar, the canoes gradually approached the
suspected spot The landing was effected
in silence.
After moving cautiously in the dark
shadow the party at length yentured with
in the broad circle of light which at first
attracted their attention
Hermon was al their head, with an eve
and hand as quick as those of the saw
age wiom he sought
The body Of a fallen tree lay across the
path. As the rangers were on the point
Of leaping over it. the hoarse whisper OF
Hermon again broke the silence.
God Of Heaven ? he exclaimed. point
ing to the tree see here It's tie work
Of the cursed redskins
\ smothe-ed curse growled on the lips
of the rangers as they bent grimly for
ward in the direction pointed out by their
commander
Blood was sprinkled on the long grass,
and human hand-the hand Of white
man-lay on the bloody log.
There was not a word spoken but eve
.ry c0untenance worked with terrible emo
ton.
Had the rangers followed their own des-
perate inclination, they would have hurri-
ed recklessly on to the work Of yengance,
but the example Of their leader, who had
.regained his usual calmness and self com
mand, prepared them for less speedy
but more certain triumph
Cautiously passing over the fearful OBJ
stacle IN the pathway, and closely follow
ed by bis companions, he advanced steal
thily with his party as much as posi- bic,
behind the thick trees
In a few moments, they obtained full
view of the objects Of their search
Stretched at their length around huge
FIRE, but at convenient distance from it
lay the painted and half naked savages
1t was evident, from their appearance,
that they had passed the day In one Of
their horrid rcvels; and they were now
suffering under the effects of intoxication.
Occasionally a grim warrior among
them started half upright, grasping his
tOmahawk, as If to combat some vision Of
his disorderod brain but unable to shake
off the stupor from his senses. uniformly
fell back into his former position.
The rangers crept nearer. As they
bent their keen eyes along their well tri-
ed rifles each felt perfectly sure Of their
aim. They waited for the signal Of Her
mon, who was endeaYoring to bring his
Ion musket to bear upon the heads Of the
savaces.
Fire 2 be at length exclaimed, as the
sight of his piece iuterposed full and dis
tinct between bis eye and the wild scalp
lock of the Indian fire and rush on
The sharp voice Of thirty rifles thrilled
through the heart of the forest.
There was I ErOan--a smotherod cry
wild and convulsive movement among
the sleeping Indians, and ali again was 81
lent
The rangers sprung forward with their
dubbed rifles and hunting knives bat
their work was done The red men had
gone to their last audit before the Great
. PIX anu no S8Aa0 " dG ECdI "a dittbti--
them save the gurgling Of the hot blood
from their lifeIess bosoms
THE Nilsson or BEArTY-Wc clip the
following truthful and eloquent passages
from letter of Harriet NJ Tracy, pub
lished in the Saturday Evening Visitor
Men no where succeed IN attracting to
them the low and DEGRADED as women do,
and the sweeter the voice. the more beau
tiful the countenance, if it beams with
love. SO much greater IS the power over an
uncultivatcd nature. Would that women
knew the power Of this endowment foT
good It would be regarded as a sacred
talent that has high, a most glorious mis-
sion 70 perform used to be thankful
that 7 vas not endowed with So dangerous
a gift now I regret that its holy power
IS not mine in a higher degree, that over
the half tutored heart I might exercise