Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1856-11-06
Misrrll llat,eD,ls.
A Tale of Revenge.
= =
p r A I r / E l. L f E.

80 Although mucn mas Deen Wrtten oh
prairie life, many wild adventure, and
vet many wilder scene has been left un-
described. Poor Ruxton, who died at 81.
Louis, and whose highly entertaining and
valuable work, sScenes in the Far West,"
is enriched and many a story and scene
which, no doubt, to the people of the East,
seem like tales from the Arabian Nights.
There is so much originality about the
snanner and habits of the trapper and from
tiersman, that one is struck with their pc
culiar language or mode of addressing
themselves, as well as their singular cos
tune. They are, in fact, as distinct and
marked a class as sailors, and have as ma
ny odd and quaint sayings.
= 1t is generally the commission of crime,
some disappointment in life, or native
love of adventure and peril, that makes
these men desert the comforts of civilized
society, for the wilds and haunts of the red
man. We can imagine the terrible reaction
which takes place when the storm of passion
or wreck of disappointed hopes sweep over
the sensitive soul, and leaves desolation
tunes like these which scorch and dry up
the finest feehngs-some moral wrong or
injustice committed by other toward them,
in revenging which they have been COM
PEELED to leave their homes and become ex-
lies in the far west.
A story is told of arsxtraordinary meet
ING, and an act Of revenge said TO have ta-
ken place many long years ago, on the fork
Of the Pawnee. A party of four, who had
been rowing for many years in the west, all
strangers to each other, were one day acci-
dentally thrown together, when a strange
and bloody scene ensued. These men pre-
sented striking contrast in feature. The
youngest was delicately made, with long,
light hair, and blue eyes; his exposure had
given him rich, brown complexion. He
was of medium stature, and made for
strength and agility. There was a dark
void over his features, which told with him
that the light of hope had gone out. He
was travelling on mule, with his rife Ill
his gun leather at the bow of his saddle
when. he overlook a man on foot with a
gun on his shoulder and pistols in his belt
who was over six feet, and had deep, wide
scar on his right cheek. Asday was draw
ing to close, they proposed to camp, and
brought up at the head of the fork of the
Pawnee. Shortly after they had eamped,
a man was seen accommodating them with a
rifle in his hand, and, having satisfied him.
self that The sign was friendly, he came
moodily into the camp, and, after looking
sternly at the two men, was asked by Sea-
Cheek to seome To the ground" He wa:
stout, muscular man, much older than
the other two, with deep, habitual scowl
long, black, matted hair, and very unpre-
possessing features Some commonplace
remarks were made, but no questions were
asked by either party.
1t was near twilight when the young
man, who had gathered some buffalo chips
to make fire to cook with, perceived
a man approaching them on mule; he
came steadily and fearlessly on to the camp
and casting look at the three, said, "Tool
ye for Indians" then, glancing at the deel
skin dress of the trio, he observed, ''Olt
leathers-some time out eh?" The maj
was about fifty years old, and his gray hair
contrasted strangely with his dark, bronzec
features, upon which care and misfortun,
were strongly stamped. He was only half
clad by the miserable skins he wore; and
as he dismounted, Scar Cheek asked
'sWhere fromg" "From the Kaw,n (Kan
sas, he replied, thowing down bundle q
otter skins. After unsaddling and stakip,
out his mule, he brought himself to tn
ground, and, taking his rifle looked at tn
printing and shaking the powder in tn
pan, he added few more grains to il
then placing piece of thin dry skin ov'
it 20 keep it from the damp, he shut tt
pan. The group watched the old trappe
who seemed not to notice them, while SCI
Cheek became interested and showed
certain uneasiness. He looked towards h
own rifle, and once or twice loosened IL