Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-10-23


nerve to reach the stockade around his faith
er's cabin. But ere he had gone many pa
ces gigantic Indian overlook him. Turning
like stag at bay, he faced his antagonist
knocked him down with the butt of his rife
and then sped on his way. But now, to his
horror, he saw large body of Decotahs
around his fathers dwelling as he approach,
ed, firing over on to the roofs of the cabins
with arrows to which burning tow was at
tached.
He paused-but the cries of his boy a.
reused him to sense of his own danger and
his wife's perilous situation. Directing his
steps towards the river, where he found his
''dugout" safely moored, he soon was pad
ding across the river to a settlement where
there were large number of whites.
Day had scarcely dawned on the succeed
ing morning, before twenty miners, good men
and true, were ready to accompany him
across the river They cared no more for
the Decotahs than for prairie dogs, and acted
upon the spur of the moment, regardless of
consequences. Crossing above his residence,
young Bates led them towards his clearing,
but on arriving there nothing remained but
mouldsring pile of ashes. His beloved wife
had evidently perished in the flames, for a.
mong the ashes and charred beams in the Gel
lar they found some backened bones. Just
then they were joined by old Joe Bates and
two of his younger sons armed to the teeth.
They were delighted to find Frank alive, for
they had feared that the column of smoke
that had arisen from his cabin was his smonu-
ment; but now they did their best to con-
dole him in their way. He said but little,
but secretly vowed to avenge his wife's death,
and we'll did he keep his word, TO have
seen him, NC one would have supposed that
the mild-lookiug, slender built Frank Bates
was an incarnate demon in fight with the
Decotahs; yet within year after his cabin
was burnt, he had twenty scalps hanging
around his girdle. "Vengeancc" seemed
his only thought-his life's desire,
For sometime after this outrage, the De-
cotahs kept away from the miners, but a.
last a party of them came prowling about,
and the miners determined to have brush
with them. Who was so competent to head
the party as that sworn enemy of the red
skins, Frank Bates! The party engaged
two Winnebagoes as guides, and then struck
into the forest following recent trail. The
third night of their journey, the wary leader
insisted on standing as sentry, and about
midnight the crack of his rifle awakened
every sleeper. In an instant every man was
on his feet, rife in hand, ready to repell any
lurking foe; but a low whisper from Frank
announced that there was no danger. Morn
ing came, and as the party crowded around
the sentinel to learn the cause of the alarm,
he merely pointed to what appeared to be
huge bear; nearer approach to the object
discovered to their astonishment the grim
visage of dead Decotah, enveloped in the
skin of gigantic bruin, who, thus disguis-
ed, had attempted to reconnoitre the posi-
tion of the frontiers-men.
Frank now felt assured that they were
near their enemy, and followed their trail in
silence on the alert for their fee. On reach
ing the summit of knoll, they saw their
village before them--a collection of high,
conical tents, made of dressed buffalo-skins
sewed together and ornamented with rude
representations of the battle or the chase
On the outskirts were the squaws busily en-
gagged in the laborious occupations which
fell to their lot. Their infants, tightly bound
to straight strips of bark, were tied to small
beut-over birches, which gently danced them
to sleep, and the boys of the village, with
bow and arrow, were firing at the represen-
tation of a ansashunter. In the centre of
the village, before the towering tent of the
chief, sat the braves, smoking thoir tcmahawk
pipes with stoical gravity.
The white men looked at the priming of
their rifles, put their sharp hunting knives
between their teeth, and with deafening
yell rushed down through the frightened
squaws, ere the Decotahs could comprehend
what caused the alarm. Dashing into the
startled group of warriors with fierce war
whoops, they dealt destruction around them.
The chief was the first slain, bravely defend
ing himself and encouraging his warriors,
who nobly struggled to avenge his death,
but all in vain.
Frank Bates fought like demon, but at
one time was nearly victim to a stalwart
warrior. But glancing at his opponent,
Frank recognised in gay red handkerchief
around his haed his marriage gift to his lost
wife This added new strength to his body
and increased activity to his fury, as he sei-
zed his assailant with his left arm, lifted him
from the ground, and at the same time with
nervous force thrust his knife to his heart.
This decided the battle, for the surviving
Dccotahs, panic struck at the sudden attack,
rushed to the spot where their horses were
tethered and escaped into the forest. Up
wards of fifty dead warriors remained on the
field, and others grievously wounded, but
not single white man was seriously lnjur-
ed.
The women and children fed to the woods,
and the whites found an abundance of plum
der, comprising blankets, rich furs, horses,
dried meats and tents. But Frank Bates
felt sad at heart, for the sight of this mo-
monte of his wife made him fear she had
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