Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-01-31

this intention ne moved StedlCully dlOuS IuIouSA
the smoke and bushes, intending when he
emerged, to retreat at full speed. But as he
left the thicket, he beheld large Indian near
him, and two others on the other side, in the
direction of the. fort, Tom cody surveyed his
foes, and began to chalk out his track, for al
though, in the confidence Of his own activity
and courage, he felt undismayed at such odds,
yet he found it necessary to act the general
Having an enemy on each flank, he determin-
cd to separate them, and fight them singly.-I
Making for ravine which was not far off, he
bounded away; but soon found that one o! his
limbs failed him, having received ball on the
first fire, which, until now, he had scarcely
noticed. The largest Indian was following
him closely Higgins turned several times to
fire, but the Indian would halt and dance
about, to prevent him from taking aim, and
Tom knew that he could not afford to fire at
random. The other two were now closing on
him; and he found that unless he could dis
pose of the first one, he must be overpowered.
He therefore halted, resolved to receive fire;
and the Indian, at few PAGES distant, raised
his rife. Higgins watched his adversary's
eye, and just as he thought his finger pressed
the trigger, he suddenly threw his side to him.
tits probable this motion saved his life; for
the ball entered his thigh, which would have
pierced his body. Tom fell, but roseagain and
ran; and the big Indian, certain of his prey,
loaded again, and then, with the two others
pursued. They soon came near Higgins, who
had again fallen; and, as he rose, they all fred,
and he received all their balls. He now fell
and rose several times, and the Indians, throw
ing away their guns, advanced on him with
spears and knives. They frequently charged
upon him, but on his presenting his gun at one
or the other, they fell back. At last the larg-
est one-thinking, probably, from his reserv-
ing his fire so long, that his gun was empty.
charged boldly up to him, and Higgins, with
a steady aim, shothim dead.
With four bullets in his body, and an empty
gun, two Indians before him, and whole tribe
but few rods of, almost any other man would
have despaired. But Tom Higgins had no
such notion; the Indian whom he had last
slain was the most dangerous Of the three, and
he felt little fear of the Others He had been
near enough to see their eyes, and he knew
human nature sufficiently to discover that he
was their superior in courage. He therefore
faced them, and began to load his rife They
raised whoop, and rushed on him. "They
kept their distance as longas my rife was load
ed" said he, 'but now when they knew it was
empty, they were better soldiers
A fierce and bloody conflict ensued The
Indians rushing upon Tom, stabbed him in
many places; but it happened fortunately,
that the shafts of their spears were thin poles,
rugged hastily for the occasion, which bent
whenever the point struck rib, or encounter
ed theopposition of one of Higgins tough mus
cles. From this cause, and the continued ex-
ertion of his hand and his rifle warding off
their thrusts, wounds thus made were not deep;
but his whole front was covered with gashes,
of which the scars yet remain in honorable
proof of his valor. At last one of them threw
his tomahawk; the edge sunk deep into Hig-
gins cheek, passed through the ear, which it
severed, laid bare his skull on the back of his
head, and stretched him on the plain. The
Indians rushed on, but Tom instantly recover
ed his selfpossession, and kept them off with
his feet and his hands until he succeeded in
grasping one of their spears, which, as the In
dians attempted to pull it from him, aided him
to rise; and clubbing his rife, he rushed upon
the nearest of his foes, and dashed his brains
out, in doing which he broke to pieces, only
retaining the barrel in his hand.
The other Indian, however warily he had
fought before, now came manfully into battle.
1t is probable that he felt bis character as
warrior at stake. To have fed from man
desperately wounded and almost disarmed, or
to suffer his victim to escape, would have tarn-
ished manhood. Uttering terrific yell, he
rushed on, and attempted to stab the exhoust-
ed ranger; while the latter, warding off the
spear with one hand, brandished his rifle bar
rel in the other. The Indian, unwounded,
was now by far the most powerful man, but the
moral courage of our hero prevailed; and che
savage, unable to bear the fierce glance of his
untamed eye, began to retreat slowly towards
the place where he had dropped his rifle. Tom
knew that if the Indian recovered his gun, his
own case was hopeless; and throwing away his
rifle barrel, he drew his hunting knife, and
rushed in upon him. A desperate strife ensu-
ed, and several deep gashes were inflicted;
but the Indian succeeded in casting Higgins
from him, and ran to the spot where he had
thrown his gun, while Tom searched for the
gun of the other Indian Thus the two, bleed
ing and out of breath, were both searching for
arms to renew the conflict
At this time the smoke that lay between the
combatants and the main body of the Indians
had passed away, and number of the latter
having passed the hazel thicket, were in full
view. 1t seemed, therefore, nothing could
save our heroic ranger But relief was at
hand.
The little garrison at the station, six or sew
en- in number, had witnessed the result of this
unparalleled combat. There was among them
heroic woman, Mrs. Pursley, who, when
she saw Higgins contending singly with the
foe, urged the men to go to his rescue. The
rangers at first considered the attempt hopeless,
as the Indians outnumbered them ten to one.
But Mrs. Pursley, declaring that so fine fel-
low as Tom should not be lost for the want of