The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-11-01

Il
jumped down and ran back into Inc f;,.Ih
some two or three hundred yards and
leaned against an old tree, alive to the
slightest noise. believed that | was
near the Indian encampment, and feared
That had been seen. And must now
be discovered, after escaping from them
IN broad daylight Heaven forbid y
while leaning against the tree and drawn
close up to 1t, | heard n rustling in the
corn, and soon saw man with a gun
brought forward in his hand, advancing
straight to me. silently raised, pointed
and cooked my gun, determined would
kill him if could, then run apain for nv
life. My good angel, know not what
else, caused me to hail him. Judge of
my JOY, my astonishment, at hearing in
the English voice, the word. "a friend :"
Almost doubling ny senses / said, "come
nearer and give me your name" Ship"
was his answer. All doubt and hesta-
ton was gone, as sprang forward and
c'asped his hand, for recognized him as
one OF our company.
BuU he was perfectly bewildered, and
could not hardly believe that was even
a whte man, muddy as was, and in
state of complete nudity. After l had
told him again and again my name, he
yet seemed to doubt. Yes, yes know
that you are white, but surely your name
cant be = for saw him lying with
his head split open. After | hal convin.
ced HIM that 1t was no one but myself, he
| dropped his head forward and seemed to
0e IN deep thought, then looking up he
said sadly, "Ah it was poor Tate, then, |
saw"
| now tod him of the fires | had seen
IN the swamp, and he thought Of them as
had done, that they were the fires of
the Indian encampment. After we had
vowed TO live or die together, we left the
he d and entered the swamp some half
mile lower than we had seen the lights.
After wo had gone some distance in the
swamp, We came to a small, dry hillock,
and concluded We would rest awhile.
saw pool of muddy, stagnant water,
LAID down end strained it through nv
teeth. How cooling and refreshing It
was to my parched tongue when got
up. Ship gave me his drawers, tied his
pocket handkerchief over my bIistered
and sore shoulders, and put his socks on
my worn aud bleeding feet. Now, he
said, lie down and sleep. No, | replied,
not until you have tod me Of your es-
cape.
Well, will tell it to you, then YOU
must sleep. Soon after VIZ had cot over
the fence, on our first starring / got sepa-
rated from you all. At first, several Ia.
dlsns started after me, but very soou they
aII left me with the exception OF the two
nearest ones. They got pretty close, when
they both fired at me; and see here, he
said, III IN" sleeve, where the bullet of one
passed through, and here in my pants,
the ball of the other one. As soon rs
they had fired, | raised my gun and fired
AT them, AMI rs the smoke cleared away
| saw that had one foe the less to con
tend with. But my hopes fell, too, as
the hint OF my gun fell TO the ground
broken. But never give up, shall be my
motto, | said and ran int small c!us.
ter OF bushes and succeeded in getting
another flint from my cartridge box, and
just loaded as the other Indian ran up
and fired on me. | now quickly raised
my gun and fired, for lie was turning to
lice, "nd succeeded in wonnding him So
that he could follow no further. All, he
SAID, n-ver expected to escape but
thanK God, am alive and not wounded
or hurt as yet. Now | have finished {;
Tor | was wandering first this way and
that, until Providence threw you in my
path. You must sleep now, for cannot
afford to lose you after meeting thus.
see that you cannot travel as you are. |
will watch for Indians and wild brutes.
Tor we had heard the growing of some
wild animal and judged it to be a bear,
tracking Us by the blood left by my-feet
at every step took. How sweet was
that sleep to me ! But soon-too soon
Ship awoke me TO the stern realities Of
life.
We must leave this place, he said, for
| do rot like the signs I see about here.
We wandered aboutGin the swamp an
hour or so before We found an outlet, tho
II seemed 10 me we were in there an age.
Soon after we got out Of the swamp,
we stumbled on small trail, which we
thought would lead IL to Fort Jones
that place was then our destination. The
trail soon led US to the ford Of small
creek. We thought now we would soon
be at the fort, almost confident that it Law
on the same side Of the creek we were ON.
We took a half beaten road, but soon got
out OF it and wandered about some time.
thinking we were in the right direction,
when 10! we found ourselves at the same
ford and creek again. We almost be-
licved ourselves lost, but it would not do
TO sit Gown with folded hands-,we must
be up and going if we ever expected 10
see our friends and homes again. We
started, hailing every black stump we
sa@. Our tramping did us no good-for
again we found ourselves at the same place
We had before started from. This time
we gave np--we were doomed never To
return to the happy scenes If our youth
any moro but as the darkest hour is
just before day, so it was with MS for in
J the midst Of our deepest despair, VIC