The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1855-09-29
A Tale OF western ch,vo1ry.

| A Tale OF Western Chsvalry. :, n
About the middle of July, 17s2, seven Wyandotts
crossed the Ohio few miles. above Wheeling, and
committed great depredatibM upon the southern
shore, killing an old man and spreading terrorthrough.
out the neighborhood. Within few hours after
their retreat, eight men assembled from different
parts of the small settlement, and pursued the enemy
with great expedition. Among the most active and
efficient of the party were two brothers, Adam and
Andrew Poe, Adam was particularly popular In
strength action and hardhood, he had no equal be-
ing finely formed and Injured to all the pers of the
woods.
They had not followed the trail far, before they
became satisfied that the depredators conducted
by Big Foot, renowned chief Of the Wyandot tribe,
4 who derived his name from the immense size Of his
feet. His height considerably exceeded six feet, and
his strength was represented as Herculean. He had
also five brothers, but little inferior to himself in size
and courage, and as they generally went in company,
they were the terror of the whole country. Adam
Poe was oyerioyed at the idea of measuring his
strength with that of so celebrated chief and urged
/ the pursuit with keenness which quickly brought
him into the vicinity of the enemy For the last few
miles, the trail had led them up the southern bank Of
the Ohio where the footprints in the sand were deep
and obvious, but when within few hundred yards of
the point ut which the whites well as the Indians
were in the habit of crossing, it suddenly diverged
from the stream, and stretched along rocky ridge,
forming an obtuse angle with its former direction.
! Here Adam halted for a moment, and directed his
brother and the other young to follow the trail
with proper caution, while he himself still adhered
to the river path, which led through clusters of will
lows directly to the point where he supposed the
enemy to lie. Having examined the printing of his
gun, he ciept cautiously through the bushes until he
had view of the point of embarkaton. Here lay
two canoesrempty and apparently deserted. Being
satisfied, however, that the Indians were close at
hand, he relaxed nothing of his vigilance, and quick.
ly gained jutting cliff, which hung Immediately
/ over the canoes. Nearing low 1nnmur below, he
peored cautiously over, and behold the object of his
search. The gigantic Big Foot lay below him in the
shade of willow, and was talking in low deep tone
/ to another warrior, who seemed II mere pigmy by
his side. Adam cautiously drew back and cooked
his gun. The mark was fair, the distance did not
exceed twenty feet, and his aim was unerrng.
Raising his rife slowly and cautiously, he took a
steady aim at Big Foot's breast and drew the trig-
ger. His gun flashed. Both Indians sprung to their
feet with deep inteljcction Of surprise, and for
single second all three stared upon each other.
This inactivity, however, was soon over. Adam was
too much halnpered by the bushes to retreat, and
setting his life upon cast Of the de- he sprung
the bush which had sheltered him. and summoning
all his powers, lcaped boldly down the prccipice and
alighted upon the breast Of Big Foot with slocL
which bore him to the earth. AT the nomelt of con
| tact, Adam liad also thrown his right arm around
the neck Of the smaller INDIAN that I'LL three came
4, to the earth together.
Y" At that momcht sharp firing was heard among
the bushes abGve announcing that the other parties
were engaged, but the trio below were too busy tt
attend to any thing but themselves. Big Foot was
for an instant stunned by the violence of the shock
and Adam was enabled to keep them down. But
the cxeion necessary for that purpose was SO great
that he had no leisure to use .his knife Big Foot
quickly recovered, and without attempting to rise
wrapped his long arms around Adams body, and
pressed him to his breast with the crushing force
boa constructor. Apam, as we have already re
marked, Was powerful man, and had seldom en-
conntered his equal, but never had he yet felt EN-
brace like that OF Zig Foot. He instantly relaxed
his hold of the small lndian who sprung to his feet
Big Foot then ordered him to run for his tomalawk
Whirh lay within ten steps, ard lxl the white man
while he held him in his arms. Adam, seeing hi,
danger, struggled manfully to extrcate himself from
the folds Of the giant, but u vau The lesser Indial
approached With his tomahawk, but Adam watched
him closely, and he about to strike, gave hin
kick 50 sudden ard violent as to knock the toma
hawk from his hand, land send him staggering bacl
into the water. Big Foot uttered an exclamation il
tone of deep contempt at the failure Of his COM
panion and raising his voice to its highest pitch
| nutr IL, J,lin
which Adam could not understand, but supposed tt
be direction for second attack. The lesser In
dian now again approached, carefully shunnin!
Adams heels, and naking many motions with hi
tomahawk, in order to deceive him as to the poin
where the blow would fall. This lasted for scvera
seconds, until thnnderiug exclamation from Bi
Foot compelled his companion to strike Such wa
| Adams deXterity and vigilance, however, that h
managed to receive the tomahawk i'll glancing d
rection upon his left wrist, wounding him deeply bu
q not disabling him. He now made sudden desperat
effort to free himself from the of the giant an
:. succeeded Instantly snatchihg up rifle (for tn
Indian could not venture to shoot for fear of hurtn
his companioD he shot the lesser Indian throug
the body. But scarcely he done so when Big Foo
arose, and placing hand upon his collar and I'll
other upon his hip, pitched him ten feet in the al
k as he himself would have pitched child. Adam fe
upon his back at the edge of the water, but befo
j his Antagonist could spring upon him, he was aga
upon his feet, ard stung with rage ut the idea of
ing handled so easily, he attacked his gigantic anita
onist with fury which for a time compensated Fl
inferiority of strength. 1t was now fair fist fg
between thcm for i'll the hurry of te struggle Meth
% had leisure to draw their knives. Adams superi
u activity and experience puglist gave him gre
h advantage. The Indian struck awkwardly, and fin
ing himself rapidly dropping to leeward, he clos