Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1855-11-21


on his arm, he looked around for his comrades,
and saw ap Indian in the act Of scalping one
of them, another bearing off IN triumph the
recking trophy of the second, while, at the
same moment that he had made this discovery
the leaves parted, and third red skin war
rior. with his face sneared with his war paints,
his head decked with feathers, and bis fo:na-
hawk raised, rushed upon him. He succeeded
IN lodging the first blow, aimed at his head.
wlsiell took effect in his back, inficting a deep
WOUND The second and third were more
sure, and FIJI with crushing force upon the
f,.:e part of MS head, and he sank INTO inscn-
sbi;ir
Huw long he remained in that condition hc
Was unaile to tell, but when he awoke to
consciousness. he was suffering intensely acute
pains 81 his head, and found that his dog--a
small Scotch terrier that had accompanied
him-was licking his wounds. He'drcve him
OF, and for the sake of easing the smarting of
his wounds, be, after incredible exertion, and
fainting twice on the way, managed to crawl
10 the body of one Of his companions, upon
which he laid his head, and here he expected
to die. His faithful dog, meantime, express
ed sympathy almost human, and by whin-
ing, barking and licking his wounds, cpdeay-
ored, in his way, TO show his desire TO relieve
hio LielcI-i . 1uStSdQ Ol ILLS, uOW-
ever, he added intensity to his pain by irrita-
ting and infanling instead of soothing his
head Hoping 20 rid himself of the animal
and die IN peace, be said TO him IF you
think SO much Of Inc why don't you go for
help?" As if endowed with reason for the
occasion the dog seemed to understand him,
and started of toward the fort. at the dis
tance of mile in that direction he came up
on two men who were fishing. Running up
TO them, be caught them by their clothes with
his teeth, pulling and tugging at their gar
ments, and then running in the direction of
the woods, looking back to see if they followed
him Their first feeling was one of fear /;
thinking, perhaps. that the animal was mad,
and il was some little time before they seemed
to understand the dogs desire that they should
follow him. They did so at last, and now the
faithful brute fairly danced and capered with
JOY. Running before, he led them directly
toward the woods, now and then looking hack
to see if they we're coming
After getting some little distance into the
deep shade of the forest, they became fearful
of Indians and taking counsel of their fears
were about to turn back The excitement Of
the dog was now extreme. He danced about
them in perfect fever of anxiety pulled at
their clothes, ran before, barked, and sitting
down on his launches gave ufserance to one
of those long, mournful howls which all have
heard butwhieh nenecan describe; and final
ly, finding they were about to return, he ac-
tually jumped upon them, and endeavored to
push them in the direction he desired they
should 60 No one could behold his actions
which lacked only language to express the
intensity of his desire-without feeling that
something urgent demanded their presence in
the deep recesses of the woods, and they final
ly concluded to follow and see the end of it.
How sudden was the change in the action Of
the animal. He ran around them. danced
and capered, and licked their hands, looking
up into their faces with such a look of graft
tude as amply repaid them for the apparent
risk they run.
In this way he led them to where lay his
now insensible master, and the cerpses of his
two comrades. They Immediately recognized
them; and pereeiEing life in the Captain. they
proceeded to form litter to convey him to
the fort. This they did by cutting two long
poles, and laying boughs upon them, upon
which they carefully laid his insensate form.
and after hiding the bodies of the others by
the side Of decayed trunk until they could
return for them, they started for the fort. DR.
Thatcher, in his Journal, says: :. He was a
most frightful spectacle The whole of his
scalp was rcmoycd; in two places. on the fore
part Of his head the tomahawk had penetra-
ted his skull there was wound on his back
with the same instrument, besides wound in
his side, and another in his arm with musk
ct ball.
OF course no hopes were entertained of his
recovery, but contrary to all human expecta-
tion, he rallied, AID although, during the pc
riod of many months. while he was stretched
upon an invaIid's couch, be suffered hum
dred deaths. yet he did finally recover, and
lived convincing witness Of The bar rbarity Of
the savage red man. His dog by whose
means his life had been preserved, was ever
after his dearest and most cherished friend.