The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-05-10
A THRILLING STORY.
THE TWO SPIES,

AAAI wv MI lLUo
AS early rs the year 1890, the
block. house and stockade above the
mouth Of the Hockhockng river, was
frontier post for the hardy pioneers
OF the North. Western Territory
There Nature was in her undisturbed
divery Of dark an,Ethick forests, inter.
spersed with green aud Towering prai.
ries. Then the forest had not heard
the sound Of the w"odman's axe, nor
the plow Of the husbandman opened
tho bosom Of the earth Then those
beautiful prairics waved their golden
plume to tho God of Nature; :; and
among tho most luxu-:snt Of these
were those that lie along Hockhocking
valley, and especially that portion Of
it OH which the town of Lancaster now
stands.
Hero the tribes Of the North and
West :net to counsel, and from this
spot led forth the war path in different
directions. Upon one Of these occasion.
when the war spirit moved mighty
among tho sons Of Nature, and the
tomnhawk lcapcd in its scabbard, and
the spirits OF their friends who had
dicd in the field Of baltic visited the
warrior in his night visions and called
loudly for revenge, it was ascertained
by the garrison stationed above the
mouth of the Hockhocking river, that
the Indians were gathering in great
numbers for the purpose Of striking
blow OH some post Of tho fronticrs.-
10 meet this crisis, two Of tho most
skilled and indeiatigahle spies were
despatched to watch their movements
and report.
McCloland and White, two spirits
that never quailcd at danger, and as
unconquerab.c rs the Ly bian lion in
the month Of october, and on one of
the balmy days Of Indian summer,
took leave of their fellows and moved
on through the thick plum and hazel
bushes with the noiscss tread Of pan
theirs, armed with their unerriug and
trusty rifles. They continued their
march, skirting the prairics, till they
reached that most remarkable promi-
nonce, now known by the name of
Mount Pleasant, tho Wcstsrn termi
nation of which is perpendicular cliff
of rocks Of some hundreds feet high.
and whose summit, from a Western
view, towers to the clouds and over
looks the vast plains below.--Wh
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 new accession of
warrors to the company. They Wit
messed their exercises Of horse racing,
running foot races, jumping, throwing
the tomokawk and dancing; the old
sachems looking on with Indifference,
the squaws engaged in their playful
gambols. The arrival of new war
rior was greeted with terrible shouts,
which, striking the mural face of Mt.
Pleasant, were driven back in the va.
rious indentations Of the surrounding
hills, producing rcverberations and
echoes as if ten thousand iends we're
gathered at q universal levee. Such
yells would have struck terror to the
hoarts Of those unaccustomed to Indian
revelry,
To our spies this was but martial
music--strairs which walked their
watchfulness, and newly strung their
courage. From their early youth they
had always been on the frontier, and
were we'll practiced in all the subtlety,
craft, and cunning Of the Iudian war.
fare, rs we'll rs the ferocity and blood.
thirsty nature Of tho savage warriors.
They wcr', therefore, not likely to be
ensnarcd by their cunning. nor, without
q desperate conflict, to fall victims to
thoir scalping knives and tomahawks
On several occasions, small parties left
tho prairie and scendcd the mount
from the Eastern side. On these oc.
Sasfons, the spies would hide in the
deep assures Of the rocks on the West
and 9,, again leave their hiding place
when their uninvi,cd and unwclcome
y'S,s'rs hal disappeared.
Tor food, they depend, on ierked
ven!snn and; corn brccnd, with which
t, tAs'p khaPsatks were well stored
fhry darSJ not l;inl1c 'Gre, and tho