Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-03-16
THE BEAR AND THE INDIAN.
A Fearful incident of Early Border
Life.

Life.
Early on a fine October morning, in
the year 1886, two hunters who occupied
one of the cabins in primitive Kentucky
fort, passed through the gate of the en-
closure, and striking rapidly across the
clearing, and entered the forest. They
were clad in the woodsman's costume OF
the day, II little ruder in material, but 81
mIIar in its cut and fashion, to that now
in vonue among the hunters of Kentucky
They were both stout rangers, though
differing considerably in years-the ell
der being apparently about ttty' while
the Younger could not have been more
than twenty-five.
"Yates," said the younger. addressing
his companion, rs they strobe into the To-
rest, this horse hunting is rather IA ska
nv business, I'm thinking The Greeks
are always on the war path more or less
ut this season, and ii We happen unawares
on a a,ang of the horse-steaAnS reptiles
our scaIps will be likely 10 take season.
ing in the smoke of a Greek lodge. The
unlorgiying red skins bear malice for the
peppering we gave them at Boonsborough
last spring. Maybe it was them carried
of your pony last night"
..P'shaw," exclaimed the elder, who
appeared to be of bolder and more fiery
nature than his youthful comrade,
there's no danger, [ IL you. The
bows have secuted the whole country for
miles around within week, and there's
not an outlying red-skip between this and
the Cumberland river. If you are til
morsome, Downing, you can turn in your
tracks and go back; but, by -, III lind
brown Bob-the devil take him for
breaking from his picket-ln spite OF all
the copper colored varmints IN Kentucky
No" said Downing, sulklly, - L amt
afraid; and as for taking the back track 1t
don't belong to my breed; but L should
hate to lose my scalp for the sake of Il
knOck-kneed, swivel-eyed scrub OF an In
jun pony"
Yates seemed to take these structures
on his nag in high dudgeon, and was
about to make an angry reply, when a
rushing sound i'll the bushes ON the lett
caught the ears of the hunters and the
next moment IL large buck bounded out OF
tie underground into the open forest and
sped away like the wind in nertherly
direction.
There, by thunder y said Downing.
- told you so. That buck was started
bv InIuns, and'-but he had not time to
finish his sentence before his inference
was contradicted, by the appearance OF
three gray wolves, leaplny one ater
another, out of the thicket from which
the deer had just emerged. 1t was prl-
mitive deer chase, without huntsmen or
whippers in aud away Went the green
eyed beagles of the forest, with their no.
ses to the ground. and their mouths lite
rally watering for their prey, full tilt on
the warm scent of the stag. Their speed
was equal to that of fox hounds in full
cry; but no cry escaped them, for they
were too cunning TO waste their wind IN
hoTling. Yates now INDUCED in hear
ty and somewhat contemptuous laugh at
his Young friend, and then commenced
singing "a patriotic ditty with more vlgor
of lungs than purity OF taste. After vain
ly traversing the woods in every direc-
ton, all day, in search of the missing po-
nv, the hunters found themselves towards
evening, in Il wild valley, at the distance
ofsix or seven miles from the fort. Here
giyinr up the hunt in despair they turned
their faces homeward. They had pro
eeeded but few PAGES in that direction
when Downing, who was a little in ad
vance, suddenly stopped, turned round,
and held up his finger deprecatingly a
his companion. &C Hist!' said he with
alarm depicted in his countenance. 81
heard sticks cracking behind US. We are
pursued by injuns."
Yates halted also, and listened atteu'
lively for a few seconds, but hearing no
thing, burst into loud laugh, swore
Downing did not know the sound of !
squirrels jump from an Indian football
aud then went on singing as before Blu
all the young mans Difference for the ex
perience of his friend, who was a. veteran
woodsman, could not outweigh the evi
dence of his own sense of hearing, which
was sharpened by fear. and AN instructive
conviction that y Iates was trifiin. with the
lives of both. Again he halted, and We
hemently assured his companion that he
heard footsteps on their trail Yates on.
ly jeered him about his extreme solicit dc
for his scalp, and offered to insure it FOL
a sixpence. Downing, however, wa
not so easily satisfied. He observed tha
in whatever direction they turned,
sound as of the swapping of dry twigs un
der the foot, continued to haunt them
and as his fellow woodsman persisted il
treating his appeals with indifference o
contempt, he determined on taking mea
sures to ascertain the truth or falsehoo(
of his suspicious. Gradually slackenins
his speed, he dropped some forty pace
behind Yates, and starting down into :