The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1854-02-23

: and with his trusty rife in his hand, an
their two canteens strung across h
shoulders, he descended by circuito,
route, to the prairies, skirting the hill Q
the north, and under cover of the haz
: thickctS, he reached the river, and turf
ing a bold point of the hill, he found
beautiful spring within a few feet of th
river, now known by the name of Col
Spring, on the farm of D. Talmadge Est
! lie filled his canteens, and returned safe
Iy to his watchful companion. 1t wa
now determined to have fresh supply Q
water every day, and this duty was per
formed alternately.
On one of these occasions after Whit
had filed his canteens, be sat few mo
ments watching the limpid element as /
came gurgling out of the bosom of th,
earth, when the light sounds of footstep
caught his practiced ear, and upon turn
ing around he saw two squaws few fee
off him. Upon turning the iut of tn,
hill, the eldest squaw gave one of those
tar-reaching whoops peculiar to Indians
W hlte at once comprehended his pcrilous
situation. If the alarm should reach the
camp or town, he and his companion
must inevitably perish Self preserva.
ton compelled him to infict a noiseless
death on the squaws, and in such man
ner as, if possible, to leave no trace be-
hind. Ever rapid in thought, and prompt
in action, he sprang upon lis victims with
the rapidity and power of lion, and
grasping the throat of each he sprang in
to the river. He thrust the head of the
eldest under the water. Whilst making
strong efforts to submerge the younger,
who, however, powerfully resisted him,
and during the short struggle with this
young athletic, to his astonishment, she
addressed him in his own language, tho
IN almost inarticulatc sounds.
Releasing bis hold, she informed him
that she had been prisoner for ten years,
and was taken from below Wheeling. and
that the Indians had killed all the fami-
ly, and that her brother and herself were
taken prisoners, but he succeeded on the
second night, in making his escape
During this narrative, White had drowned
the elder squ9w, and had let her float of
with the current, where it would not prob
ably be found out soon. He now direct
ed the girl to follow him, and with his
usual speed and energy pushed for the
mount. They had scarcely gone half
way when they heard the alarm cry some
quarter of a mile down the stream. 1t
was supposed some party of Indians re-
turning from hunting struck the river Just
as the body Of the squaw foated past
" hltc and the girl succeeded in reaching
the mount, where M'Cleland had been no
indifferent spectator to the sudden com
motion among the Indians.
The prairie parties of warriors were
seen Immediately to strike off in every
direction, and White and the girl had
scarcely arrived before party Of twenty
warriors had reached the eastern acclivi-
ty Of the mount and were cautiously and
carefully keeping under cover. Soon the
spies saw their swarthy foes as they Gid
CO from tree to tree and rock to rock, till
their position was surrounded, except on
the west perpendicular side, and all hopes
of escape was cut Off In this pcrilous
condition nothing was left but to sell their
lives as dearly as possible, and this they
resolved to do, and advised the girl to cs-
cape 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 thousand times sweeter than
captivity and slavery. Furnish me with
a gun, and I will show you that [ can
fight as well as die. This place I will
leave not. Here my bones shall lie,
bleached with yours, and should either of
you escape, you will carry the tidings of
my death to my few relations
Remonstrance prove fruitless.
The two spies quickly matured the
plan of defence, and vigorously commen-
eed the attack, from the front, where from
the very small back bone of the mount,
the savages had to advance in single file, |
and without any covert. Beyond this
neck, the warriors availed themselves of
he rocks and trees in advancing, but in
passing from one to the other they must
be exposed for a short time, and a mo-
ment's exposure of tbeirswarthy forms was
enough for the unerring rifles of the spies
The Indians being entirely ignorant of
how many were in ambuscade, were the
more cautious how they advanced.
After bravely maintaining the fght in
'front.', and keeping the enemy in check,
hey discovered a new danger threatening
hem. The arch foe now made evident
preparations to attack them on the flank,
which could be most successfully done by
'eaching an isolated rock lying on one Of
he ravines on the southern bill side.-
fhis rock once gained by the Indians,
hey could bring the spies under point
,!ank shot of the rife without the posi-
,i!ity of escape. Our brave spies saw
be utter hopelessness Of their situation,
which nothing could avert but brave
and unerring shot. This
hey had not, but the brave never des-
II C.