Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1854-08-24


biIity of escape. Our brave spies saw
the utter hopelessness of their situation
which nothing could avert but brave
companions. These they had not, but
the brave never despair. With this m
pending fate resting upon them, they
continued calm and calculating and as
uuwearied as the strongest of life and
the resistance of a numerous foe could
produce.
Soon M'Cleland saw a tall end swar.
thy figure preparing TO spring from Il
covert so near the fatal rock ;hat a bound
or two would reach it, and all hope OF
! life was gone. He felt that all depended
OH one single advantageous shot, and al
though but All inch or two of the warTi
or5 body was exposed. and that at the
distance of eighty or d hundred yards, he
resolved to risk ALL coolly raised the ri
lie to his face and shading the sight with
his hands. lie drew a bead SO sure that he
felt conscious that it would do the deed.
lie touched tile trigger. the hammer
came down but in place Of striking fire.
| it broke into many pieces. AMI although
/ he felt sure that the Indian must reach
the rock before he could adjust another
flint, he proceeded 20 the task with the
utmost composuTe.
Casting his eye towards the fearful
point. suddenly he saw The warrior
stretching every muscle for the leap. and
with the ogility Of a panther. he made
the spring, but instead of reaching the
rock, lie gave ID yell AMI his dark body
fell and rolled down The steep into the
valley below.
| lie had evidently received a death
wound from some unknown hand. a
hundred voices re echoed from below. 1t
was evident that they had lost favor
tie warrior, as well as being disappuint-
ed for time, Of the most important
movement.
A very few minutes proved that the
advantage gained would be of short du-
ration, for already the spies saw tall
swarthv warrior cautiously advancing to
the covert SO recently occupied by his
fellow companion.
Again an unknown agent had inter.
posed in their behalf This secoud sac
rilice cast dismay into the ranks oi the II
assalan,s, aud just as the sun was DIS
appearing behind the western hitis. the
foe drew 10 short distance. to devise
some new mode of attack. This respite
came most seasonably to our spies, WHO
had kept their ground and braveiy man
tanned the unequal fight from nearly the
middle of the dav.
Now for the first ime was the gir
missing and the spies thought that lhfo
terror she escaped TO her former captors
or that she had been killed during The
fight; but they were not long left To con
lecture The girl was seem emerging
from behind a rock and coming To then
with a rifle in her baud.
During the fight she saw a warrior fal
who had advanced some distance before
the rest, and while some Of them changed
their position. she resolved at once. live
or die to possess herself of his rifle anC
ammunition, and crouching down beneath
the underbrush. she crawed to the place
and succeeded in the enterprise.
Her keen and watchlul eye had earl,
noticed the fatal rock. and here was th'
MYSTERIOUS hand by which the two war
riors fell, the last the most intrepid an'
bloed thirsty of the Shawree tribe. an,
leader Of the company which killed he
mother and sisters and took her brot he
prisoner.
Now, in she west. arose dark cloud
which soon overspread the whole heav
ems. and the elements were rent wit
reals of thunder Darkness. deep an
gloomy. shrouded the ". i; heavens. thi
darkness greatly emlr frassed the spie
in their contemplated night escape, sup
) posing they might redily lose their wa
and accidentally fall on their enemy;
short consultation decided the plan; i
: was agreed that the girl was to go fore
5 most, from her intimate knowledge of tn
localities, and another might be game
in case they should fall in with any o
Y their outposts
. From her knowledge Of the language
e she might deceive the sentinels. as tn
n sequal proved. for scarcely had they de
scended hundred yards. when 10,
r whistle from the girl warned them G
> their danger. The spies sank silentl
on the ground where by previous arraus,
: ment. they were to remain until the sig
ral was given by the girl to move on.
h Her absence for the space OF quartz
OF All hour, began to excite the most Sc
rious apprehensions. Again she appear
ed: and told them she had succeeded i
removing two sentinels to short dis
rance, who were directly on their route
The descent was noiselrssly resumed
and the spies followed their intrepe
leader for half mile in silence when tn
barking of dog at short distance az
: prised them of a new danger.
The almost simultaneous click of tn
I SPIES rifle was heard by the girl. who sta
ted that they were now in the midst {
G the Indian cam ps. and their lives deper
t ded on the profound silence. and impli
r city following her footsteps. A me
: ment afterward. the girl was sccosted b
squaw from an opening in her wigwaI
r she replied in the Indian language. all
without stopping passed on.
In a short time she stopped and assu
n ed the spies tina. the village was cleare
and that they had passed the greater da
o ger. She knew that every leading pa.