Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-02-17

/ as they gded from tree to tree and from rock
to rock, till their position was surrounded, ex-
cept on the west perpendicular side, and all
hope of escape was cut off. In this perilous
condition, nothing was left but to sell their
lives as dearly as possible, and this they re-
solved to do, and advised the girl to escape to
the Indians and tell them she had been taken
prisoner. She said "No; death to me, in the
presence Of my own people, is a thousand times
sweeter than captivity and slavery. Furnish
me with gun, and will show you how can
fight as well as die. This place / leave not
Here my bones shall lie, bleaching with yours;
and should either of you escape, you viii carry
the tidings of my death to my few relations"
Remonstrances proved fruitless. The two
spies quickly matured their plan Of defence,
and vigorously commenced the attack from the
'front.' where, from the very small backbone of
the mount the savages had to advance in sin
gle file, and without any covert. Beyond this
neck the warriors availed themselves of rocks
and trees in advancing, but in passing from
one to the other they must be exposed for a
short time, and moments exposure of their
swarthy forms was enough for the unerring
rifles Of the spies. The Indians being entirely
ignorant Of how many were in ambuscade, were
more cautious how they advanced.
After bravely maintaining the fight in front
and keeping the enemy in check, they dis
covered o new danger threatening them. The
tack them on the flank, which could be more
successfully done by reaching an isolated rock
living in one of the ravines on the southern
hillside. This rock once gained by the In
dans, they could bring the spies under point
blank shot Of the rife without the possibility of
escape. N Our brave spies saw the utter hope
lessness of their situation, which nothing could
avert but brave companion and an unerring
shot. These they had not, but the brave never
despair. With this impending fate resting
upon them, they continued calm and calcu-
lating, and as unwearied as the strongest desire
of life and the resistance of numerous foe
could produce.
Soon M'Cleland saw tall and swarthy figure
preparing to spring from acovert so near to the
fatal rock that bound or two would reach it,
and all hope of life then was gone. He felt
that all depended on one single advantageous
shot. Although but an inch or two of the war
rior's body was exposed, and that at a distance
Of eighty or hundred yards, he resolved to
risk all. He coolly raised his rifle to his face,
and shading the sight with his hand, he drew a
bead SO sure that he felt conscious it would do
the work. He touched the trigger with his fin
ger, the hammer came down, but, in place of
striking fire, it broke his flint into many pieces;
and although lie ielt that the Indian must reach
the rock before he could adjust another flint,
he proceeded to the task with the utmost COM
posure.
Casting his eve towards the fearful point
suddenly he saw the warrior stretching every
muscle for the leap; and with the agility of a
panther he made the spring, but instead Of
reaching the rock, he gave a yell, and his dark
body fell and rolled down the steep into the
valley below. He had evidently received
death-wound from some unknown hand. A
hundred voices re-echoed from below the terri
BILE shout 1t was evident that they had lost a
favorite warrior, as well as being disappointed
for time of the most important movement.
A very few minutes proved that the advantage
gained would be of short duration for already
the spies saw glimpse Of tall swarthy war
rior cautiously advancing to the covert SO re-
Gently occupied by his fellow.companion Now,
too the attack in front was renewed with in
creased fury so as to require the incessant fire
Of both spies to prevent the Indians from gain
ing the eminence, and in short time M'Cle-
land saw warrior making preparations to leap
to the fatal rock. The leap was made, and, the
Indian turning somerset, his corpse rolled
down the hill towards his former companion.
Again an unknown agent had interposed in
their behalf This second sacrifice cast dismay
into the ranks of their assailants and, Just as
the sun was disappearing behind the western
hills the foe withdrew to short distance, to
devise some new mode Of attack. This respite
came most seasonably to our spies, who had
kept their ground, and bravely maintained the
unequal fight from nearly the middle of the day.
Now, for the first time, was the girl missing;
and the spies thought that through terror she
had escaped to. her former captors, or that she
had been killed during the fight, but they were
not long left to conjecture. The girl was seen
emerging from behind rock and coming to
them with rife in her hand During the
fight she saw warrior fall, who had advanced
some distance before the rest; and, while some
Of them changed their positions, she resolved
at once, live or die, to possess herself of his gun
and ammunition; and, crouching down beneath
the underbrush, she crawled to the place and
succeeded in her enterprise. Her keen and
watchful eye had early noticed the fatal rock,
and here was the mysterious hand by which
the two warriors fell, the last being the most
intrepid and blood-thirsty of the Shawnee tribe,
and the leader Of the company which killed her
mother and her sisters and took her and her
brother prisoners. i
Now, in the west, arose dark clouds, which
soon overspread the whole heavens, and the
elements were rent with the peals of thunder.
Darkness, deep and gloomy, shrouded the whole
heavens. This darkness greatly embarrassed the
spies in their contemplated night escape, sup
posing that they might readily lose their way
and accidentally fall on their enemy; but a
short consultation decided the plan. 1t was
agreed that the girl should go foremost from
her intimate knowledge of the localities, and
another might be gained in case they should
fall in with any Of the parties or ontposts. From
her knowledge of the language, she might de-
ceive the sentinels; as the sequel proved for
scarcely had they descended hundred yards,
when a low whist from the girl warned them of
their danger.
The spies sunk silently on the ground,
| where, by previous arrangement they were to
remain till the signal was given by the girl to
move on. Her absence for the space of
quarter of an hour began to excite the most
serious apprehensions. Again she appeared,
and told them she had succeeded in removing
two sentinels to short distance, who were d.
rectly on their route. The descent was noise
lessly resumed, and the spies followed their in
trepid leader for half a mile in the most pro