The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-03-18
TIE TWO SPIES.


tEOM THE Arru-EI",EtIIIY OF EIV. L.. II ;iIEl
rs early as the year 1890, the block house
and stockade above thu mouth of the Hook
ing river. was frontier post for the hardy pi
onccrs of the northwestern territory. There
Nature was in her undi>tnrbcd livery of dark
and thick forests, intcrspcrscd with green and
and towering prairics. Then the forest had
not heard the sound of the woolmans axe.
nor the plow ofthc hu>han'lman opened the
bosom Of the earth Then those beautiful
rrairies waved their golden plume to the God
of Nature: and among Tie most luxurant
were those that Law along the TIockincVallcv
which the and especially that portion of it on
town of Lancaster now stands.
Here the tribes Of the North and West met
to counsel. and from this spot led forth the
path in different directions. Upon one
of these occasions. when the war spirit moved
nightly among the sons of Nature. and the
tomahawk lcapcd in its scahI,ard and the sl,ir-
its of their friends, who had died in the field
of battle visited tn" warrior in his night Wis
ions and called loudl V for rcvcncc,it was ascer-
tanned at The garrison above the mouth of the
Hooking river, that the Indians were
gathering in crcat'numbcrs for the purpose
OF striking blow on some post ofthc frontiers
To meet this crisis, two of the most skilled
and indcfatigahle spies were despatched to
watch their movements and re ,ort
MCleland and White, two spirits that ncv-
cr Iuailcd at danger. and as unconqucrable
as the Lvbian lion. in the month of October.
and on one OF the balmv DAYS of Indian sum-
mcr, took leave of their fellows and moved
on through the thick plum and hazel bushes
with the noisless tread of the panther, armed
with their uncrrins and tru>ty rifles They
continued their march skirtinc the prairics
till they reached the most remarkable prom
lnencc, now known by the name of Mount
Pleasant, the western termination of which
is perpendicular cliff of rocks of some hun
drcl> of feet high, and whose summit. from a
western view, towers to the clouds and over
looks the vast plains below When this point
was gained, our hardy spies had position
from which they could see every movement
OF the Indians below in the valley.
Every day added a new accession of war.
riorS to the company. They witnessed their
exercises of horsc-racing, running foot-raccs.
throwing the tomahawk and dancing: the old
sachcms looking on with their Indian indficr-
ence, the squaws engaged in their usual
drud.cry, and the children engaged in their
playful gombols. The arrival of a new war;
rior was greeted with terrible shouts, which.
striking the mnral face of Mount Pleasant.
were driven back in the various indcntations
of the surrounding hills, producing rever-
bcra'lons and echoes as iftcn thousand ficnds
were gathered at universal levee. Such
yclis would have struck terror to the hearts
of those unaccustomed to Indian revelry.
To our spies this was but martial music
strains which walked their watchfulncss. and
newly stung their veteran courage. From
their early youth they had always been on
the frontier, and were well practised in all
the subtlety, craft and cunning of Indian war
fare, as well as the fcrocity and bloodthirstv
nature Of these savage warriors. They were
therefore, not likely to be ensnared by their
cunning, nor, without desperate conflict, to
tall victims to their scalping knives or toma-
hawks. On several occasions, small parties
LETT the prairie and ascended the mount from
the eastern side. On these occasions the spies
would hide III tic deep Gs; ures Of tie ro>ks