Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-03-02
) cLARRsBURG, WRDNEsDAY MARCH ad. ls5s.5ss

of my reputation. gentlemen. that what /
am about to tell you. most sclemnly
proclaim TO be the truth, an. -
-" OH never mind that. go on, Mr..
-, - |" chimed the party. So.
"well. gentlemen, in 1S-. i came
down the Ohio irer, and settled at Lo-
lsanti. now called Gincinnad. 1t was All
that time but little settlement of some
twenty or thirty log and frame cabins; and
where now stands the Broadway Hotel,
and blocks of stores and dwelling houses,
was the cottage and corn-patch of old
MIR. -. tailor, who by the by. bought
that land for the making ola coat for one
lof the settlers. Well. put up my cab
in, with the aid of my neighbors. and put
in a patch of corn and potatoes. about
where the Fly Market now stands, and
set about improving my lot, house, DC.
{" Occasionally. took up my rifle. and
started off with my dog down the river
to look up little deer. or bar meat. then
very plenty along the river. The blasted
red skins were lurking about and hover
ing around the settlement, and every
once in while picked off some of our
neighbors. or stole our cattle and horses.
hated the red demons, and made no
bones of peppering the blasted sarpints
whenever l got sight at them. Intact,
the red rascals lad dread of me, and
had laid great many traps to catch my
scalp. But wasn't to be catch'd mapping.
No, no, gentlemen, was to well up TO 'em
for that"
''Well, started off one morning, pret>
ty early TO take hunt, and Travelled
lsNt,a~ 3 Tl,
toms and hills, and couldn't find no bar
nor deer. About four O'Clock in the af-
ternoon, l made tracks for the settlement
again. By and by sees a buck Just
ahead of me, walking leisurely down to
the river. L slipped up. with my faithful
old dog close in my rear, to within cle>
yer shooting distance, and just as the
buck stuck his nose to drink, l drew a
bead upon his top knot, and over he tum-
bled. and splurged and bounded awhile,
when L came up and relieved him by cut
ting his wizzen-"
" well, but what had that do with
an adventure !'' said Riley.
"Hold on Bit, if you please, gentle
men-by Jove it had great deal TO do
with it. For while was busy skinning
the hind quarters of the buck. and stow
ing away the kidney-fat in the hunting,
shirt, heard a noise like the breaking of
brush under moccasin, up the bottom.
My dog heard it, and started up to recon-
noitre. and lost no time in reloading my
rifle. had hardly got my priming out
before my dog raised howl and broke
through the brush towards me, with his
tail down, as he was not used to
doing, unless there were wolves, painters
(panthers) or injins about.
picked up my knife. and took up
my line Of march in skulking trot up the
river. The frequent gullies on the lower
bank made 1t tedious travelling there, so
scrabbled up to the upper bank which
was pretty well covered with buckeye.
sycamore. and very little underbrush.-
One peep below discovered to me three
as big and strapping red rascals, gentle
men, as you ever clapt your eyes oni-
Yes, there they came, not above six
hundred yards in my rear, shouting and
: yelling like hounds. and coming after me
: like all possessed"
, "Well," said an old woodsman sit.
e ting at the taele, "you took a tree, o.
course 90
: "Did L? No. by =. gentlemen, l
a took no tree just then, but took to my
heels like sixty, and it was just as much
as my old dog could do to keep up with
me. run until the whoops of my red
skins grew fainter aud fainter behind me,
and clean out of wind ventured to look
back, and there came one single red
l whelp. putting and blowing not three
| hundred yards in my rear. He had got
7 on piece of bottom where the trees were
: small and scarce-now, thinks 1, old feI.
low, I'll have you. SO trotted off at a
$ pace sufficient to let my follower gain on
me, and when he had got just about near
4 enough, wheeled and fred, and down
: brought him, dead as door nail at .
1 hundred and twenty yards - a4
e Then you skelp'd (scalped) him
e Immediately - said the backwoods
l man.
Very clear of it, gentlemen, for by the
time 1 got my rife loaded. here came the
other two red skins, shouting and whoOp
ing close on me. and away broke agair
like quarter horse. L was now abou
FIVE miles from the settlement. and it wa.
$ getting towards sunset; ran till my wind
i began to be pretty short, when took 4
: look back, and there they came snorting
1 like mad buffaloes one about two OF
t three hundred yards ahead of the other
so acted POssum again. until the FORE
5 most injun got pretty well mp, and ]
e wheeled and fired at the very movement
: he was drawing bead on me he fel
s head over stomach into the dirt, and NJ
1 came the last one.'' "a = .ris1
f So YOU laid for him. and gasped
D several.
; :. No. confined the member, @1 .didn'
l lay for him, hadn't time to load, so
: Iayed lerss 10 the srnr,nd . and startst