The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1854-11-01

cure in their isolated situation, aloof from
the war parties of that wild district, bad neg
lected all precaution against surprise, and
were buried in sleep when the whizzng Of
grenade, that terrible, but now superseded
engine of destruction, reused them from
their slumbers. The missile, to which d.
rection had been given that carried it in a
direct line through the main row of wigwatns
which formed the little street, went crashing
among their frail frames of basket work, and
kindled the dry mats stretched over them in.
to instant flames. And then, as the startled
warriors leaped all naked and unarmed from
their blazing lodges, the French pikemen,
waiting only for volley from the musket-
GERS, followed itup with charge still more
fatal. The wretched sayages were slaugh-
tered like sheep in the SHAMELESS Some
overwhelmed with dismay sank unresisting
upon the ground, and covering up their heads
after the Indian fashion when resigned to
death, awaited the fatal stroke without a
murmur; others seized with less benumbing
panic, sought safety in flight, and rushed up
on the pixies that lined the. forests paths
around them. Many there were, however,
who, schooled to scenes as dreadful, acquit-
ted themselves like warriors. Snatching
their weapons from the greedy flames, they
sprang with irresistible fury upon the brist-
ling files of pikemen. Their heavy war
clubs beat down and splintered the fragile
spears of the Europeans, whose corslets, fud-
dy with the reflected fires mid which they
fought, glinted back still brighter sparks from
the hatchets of flint which crashed against
them. The fierce veterans pealed the charg-
ing cry of many we'll fought field in other
climes; but wild and high the Indian whoop
rose shrill above the din of conflict, until
the lowering raven in mid air caught up and
answered that discordant shrek. sal
De Grais, in the meantime, surveyed the
scene OF action with eager intentness, ex-
pecting each moment to see the paler fea.
lures of the Christian captive among the
dusky females who ever and anon sprang
shrieking from the blazing lodges, and were
instantly hurled backward into the flames by,
fathers and brothers, who even thus would
save them from the hands that vainly essay
to grasp their distracted forms. The Mo
hawks began now to wage more successful
resistance, and just when the fight was rag
ing hottest, and the high spirited Frenchman,
beginning to despair of his prey, was about
launching into the midst of it, he saw tall
warrior who had hitherto been forward IN the
conflict, disengage himself from the melee,
and wheeling suddenly upon soldier, who
had likewise separated from his party, brain
him with tomahawk, before he could make
a movement in his defence. The quick eye
of the young chevalier, too, caught glance
of another figure, in pursuit of whom as she
emerged with an infant in her arms, from
lodge on the further side Of the village, the
luckless Frenchman had met his doom. 1t
was the Christian captive, the wife of XII
odago, beneath whose hand he had fallen.
That chieftan now stood over the body of
his victim, brandishing war club which he
had snatched from dying Indian near
Quick as tho't, De Grais leveled pistol at
his head, when the track of the flying girl
brought her directly in his line Of sight, and
he withheld his fire. Kiodago, in the mean
time, had been cut off from the rest of his
people by the soldiers, who closed in upon
the space which his terrible arm had mo-
ment before kept open. A cry of agony
escaped the high souled savage as he saw
how thus the last hope was lost He made
gesture, as if about to rush again into the
fray, and sacrifice his life with his tribesmen;
and then perceiving how futia must be the
act, he turned on his heel, and bounded after
his retreating wife, with arms outstretched,
to- shield her from the dropping shots Of. the
enemy. '"" ..'
The uprising sun had now lighted up the
scene, but all this passed so instantaneously
that it was impossible for De Grais tokeep
his eye upon the fugitves amid the shifting
forms that glanced continually before him;
and when, accompanied by Hanyost and sew
en- others, he had got fairly in pursuit. Kio-
dago, who still kept behind his wife, was far
in advance Of the chevalier and his party
Her forest training had made the Christian
captive as fleet of foot as an Indian maiden.
She heard, too, the cheering voice of her
loved warrior behind her, and pressing her
infant in her arms she urged her flight over
crag and dell, and soon reached the head of
q rocky pass, which it would take some mo-
ments for any but an American forester to
scale. But the indefatigable Frenchmenl
are urgin their way up the steep; the cry
Of the pursuit grows nearer as they catch a
sight Of her. husband through the. thickets,
and the agonized wife finds her onward
progress prevented by a ledge Of rock that
impends above. her. But now again KiodaT |
ga is by her side; he has lifted his wifeqto
the cliff above, and placed her infant in her
arms; and already, with renewed activity,
the Indian mother is speeding on to a cavern
among the hills, s,lwell known as a fastness of
safety. 'tigt. oI.a, 80 ! sa$ti" aa.1atfhe1
Kiodaga looked for a moment after her re.
treating figure, and then cody swung him
self to the ledge which commanded the pass |