Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-08-27

the moment, regardless of conseuuences.-
Crossing above his residence young Bates led
them towards his clearing, but on arriving
there, nothing remained of his house but
mouldcring pile of ashes. His beloved wife
had evidently perished in the flames, for a.
mong the ashes and charred beams in the eel
lar they found some blackened bones. Just
then they were joined by old Joe Bates and
two of his younger sons, armed to the teeth.
They were delighted to see Frank alive, for
they feared that the column of smoke that had
risen from his cabin was his monument, but
now they did their best to condole with him in
their rough way. He said but little, but Sc
cretly vowed to avenge his wife's death, and
well did he keep his word. To have seen him,
no one would have supposed that the mild
looking, slender-built Frank Bates was an in
carnate demon in fight with the Dacotahs, yet
within year after his cabin was burl., he had
twenty scalps hanging at his girdle. even
geance" seemed his only thought-his life's
desire.
For some time after this outrage, the Daco-
tabs kept away from the mines, but at 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 s'red-skins,'' Frank
Bates? The party engaged two Winnebagoes
as guides, and then struck into the forest, fol-
lowing recent trail. The third night Of their
journey the weary leader insisted on standing
sentry, and about midnight the clear crack of
his rife awakened every sleeper. In an in
slant every man was on his feet, rife in hand,
ready to repcl any lurking foe, but low whis-
tie from Frank announced there was no dan
ger. Morning came. and as the party crowd
ed around the sentinel to learn the cause of
the alarm, he merely pointed to what appeared
to be huge bear; a nearer approach to the
object discovered TO their astonishment the
grim vsage Of dead Dacotah, enveloped in
the skin of gigantic bruin, who, thus dis
guised, had attempted to reconnoitre the po-
siton of the frontiers-men.
Frank now felt assured they were near their
enemy, and followed the trail in silence, on
the alert FOR their foe. On reaching the sum-
nit of knoll, they saw the 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 out skirts
were the squaws, engaged in the laborious oc
cupations which fall to their lot. Their in
fants, tightly bound to straight strips Of bark,
were tied to small, bent-over birches, which
gently danced them to sleep, and the boys of
the village, with bow and arrow, were firing at
the representation of a Kansas hunter. In
the centre of the village, before the towering
tent of the chief sat the braves, smoking their
tomahawk pipes with stoical gravity.
The white men looked at the priming Of
their rifles, put their sharp huntng-knives be-
tween their teeth, and with deafening yell
rushed down through the frightened squaws,
ere the Dacotahs could comprehend what caus-
ed 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 defending himself and en-
couraging his warriors, who nobly struggled
to avenge his death, but all in vain.
Frank Bates fought like demon, but at one
time was nearly a victim to a stalwart warrior.
But on glancing at his opponent, Frank recog-
nized. in gay red handkerchief around his
head, his marriage gift to his lost wife. This
added renewed strength to his body and in
creased activity to his fury, as he seized his
assailant with his left arm, lifted him from the
ground, and at the same time with nervous
force thrust his knife into his heart. This de-
cided the battle, for the surviving Decotahs,
panic-struck at the sudden attack, rushed to
the spot where their horses were tethered and
escaped into the forest. Upwards of fifty dead
warriors remained on the bloody field and 9TH
ers grievou,ly wounded, but not single white
man was seriously injured.
The women and children fed to the woods
and the whites found an abundance of plunder.
comprising blankets, rich furs, horses, dried
meat and tents. But Frank Bates felt sad al
| heart, for the sight of his memento of his wife
made him fear she had been tortured before
perishing in the flames. Night came on, and
feeling positive that he could not sleep, he
volunteered to keep watch. 1t was bright
moonlight night, and as he was pacing his sol
itary round, planning new schemes of ven
geance, he heard light step approach from
the thicket.
Frank, at first, raised his rife to shoot dow
the intruder, but secret influence led him t.
call out ssWho comes ?''
care you q white man 20 was the reply, il
tones that produced an indescribable effect up
on the stout hearted pioneer.
eyes, and you l''
ssI am Frank Bates wife, who was takei
prisoner over on the Mississippi and as sh
spoke she advanced.
The rife fell to the ground, and Frank stoo,
as if under the influence of magic SPELL
, | NJ. L...a- ,,,orn cnny1,IsiYeIv clenched hi