Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-07-14
The Bear and the Indian,
FEARFUL INCIDENT OF EARLY BORDER
LIFE.

i hO DSOkk uttu tllO Ilulalls
A FEARFUL INCIDENT OF EARLY BoRpEF
LIFE.
Early on fine October morning, il
the year l7s6. two hunters who occu
pied one of the cabins in a primi,iv.
kentucky fort. passed through the ga,t
Of the enclosure, and striking rapidly
across The clearing, entered the Forest
They were clad in The woodman's Gus
tune of The day. li,,le ruder ia ma,eri.
al. but similar in its cut and fashion, Il
Ma, now in vogue among the :. hunter,
of Kentucky" They were both stou
rangers. though differing considerably in
years-'he elder being apparently sbou1
fifty, while the younger could not have
been more than twenty. five.
Yates" said the younger. address.
ing his companion. ss they strobe into
the forest, this horse hunting 10 ra,he.
= skary business, l an thinking. The
Creeks are always ON the war path more
or less at this season. and il we happen
unawsses Oh gang Of the horse stealing
reptiles. our scalps will he likely to take
seasoning in the smoke Of a Greek
lodge. The unforgiving redskins bsre
malice fur the peppering we gave them
at Boonsborough las, spring. Maybe i,
was them carried off your pony las,
night"
"Pshaw !" exclaimed The elder, who
appeared TO be of bolder and more fie
ry nature than his youthful comrade.
f." there's no danger, | tell YOU. The
boys have secuted The whole country for
miles around within week. and there $
not an outlying redskin between this and
Cumberland river. II you are ,iresome
Downing. YOU can turn in your tracks
and go back ; but. by, I'll find brown
Bnb-ihe devil take him for breaking
from his picket--in spite of all the cop
per colored varm.n,s in Kentucky 2"
M" said Downing, sulkiIy, 81
Amt afraid /; and as for taking The back
trail. il don's belong to my breed bu, [
should haze 10 loose my scalp for the
sake Of knock kneed, swiveleyed scrub
Of an Injuu pony"
Yates seemed to take these structures
on his nag in dudgeon. and was ab,ut tn
make an angry reply. when a rushing
sound in The bushes on The left. caugh,
the ears Of the hunters. and the mex, M.
ment large buck bounded out of .he
underground insu the open fores, ami
sped away like ,he wind IN an northern
direction.
|" There. by thunder - said Downing,
:" told you so. That buck wat star,ed
by lnjuns snd'-but he had no. time To
iin'sh his sentence before his inferance
was consradlc.ed by the appearance of
three gray wolves. leapiny. one after an
other. out Of the thicket from which The
deer had just emerged. Il was prim-
tive deer chase. wi,houi hun,smen or
whippers in and away wen. tho green
eyed beagles Of the ioresi. with their
mouths literally watering for their prey !.
full ti;I on the warm scent Of the s,.g-
Their speed was equal to thar Of fox-
hounds in full cry out no cry escaped
them. for they were too cunning .o waste
their wind in ho~ling. Ya,es now IN.
dulged in hearty. aud some what con
semptuous laugh a, his young friend. and
then commenced singing patriotic diuy
with more vigor OF lungs than purity Of
taste. After vainly ,ravers,ng the woods
ia every disection. all day, IN search of
The missing pony. The hunters found
themselves towards evening, in wild
valley. at the distance OF s,x or seven
miles f.om the fort. Here. giving up
the hunt IN despair, they turned their
faces hnmewsrd. They had proceeded
bu, few PAGES in ,ha; dlrec,ion, when
Downing. who was little in advance.
suddenly stopped. turned round. and
held up his fingrr depreca,iagly a, h,>
companion. "Hist!' said he, with
alarm depicted in his counlenAnce. !" 1
heard r,lcks cracking behind US. We
are pursue by lnjuns -
is,e. halted also. anG. listened a,ten
lively for few seconds. but hearing
nothing. burst into a loud laugh. sworr
Downing did not know he sound oi a
squirrels jump from an Indian f.o. fall.
aud then went ou singing as before
But all the yoane mans detiersncs fpr
the experiences OF his friend. who was a
veteran wOodsaan. could no, outweigh,
the evidence al ms own sense oi hear
Ing. which Was sharpened BY fear aud an
instructive convicio that Yates was ,r,
fling with the lives of both. Again he
b lied, he ,ehemen,ly assured his com
panion that he heard foo,s,ep. ON ,he,,
rail. Blu. Yates only jeered him abou
his extreme solitude ior his scalp. anu
offered 10 insure i.iur a sixpence. Dnw,,
ing. however. was no,so easily satisfied
he observed thai IN whatever diree eesi0r
shey turned, q sound, az VI The snapp.n,