The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1856-10-09

dole him in their way. He said but little,
| but secretlygyowed to avenge his wife's
death, and well did he keep his woro. To
have seen him, no one would have supposed
that the mild looking, slender built Frank
Bates was an incarnate demon in FIGHT
witlithe Decotahs; yet within year after
his cabin vas burnt, he had twenty scalps
hanging around his girdle. .Vengeance'
seemed his only thougbt--his, life's desire.
For sometime after this outrage, the De.
cotahs kept away from the miners, but at
last a Partysof them came prowlng about,
| and tile miners determined to lfaye a brush
with them. VINO was so competent 10 head
1.-THE party as that sworn, a,enemy ofthe "red
t'skins,@ : Frank Bates?T The party engaged
two Winnekasoesa as gard n ai,faf a l'e,
fstfdek into lie forest ioiiowins asTecent
trail. The third night of their iourney,
The wary leader insisted on standing as sen .
try. and about midnight the crack of his
rifle awakened every sleeper. In an in
stant every man was an. his feet, rifle in
hand, ready to repel any lurking foe; but
u, low whisper from Frank announced that
thereswasno danger. Morning came. and
as the party crowded around the sentinel
to learn the cause of the alarm, he merely
pointed to what appeared 10 be a huge
BEAR a nearer approactto the object dis
covered to their astonishment the grim
visage Of a dead Decotal, enveloped in the
skin of a gigantic brun, who, thus disguis.
ed. had attempted TO reconnoitre the po,
sition of the frontiers men.
Frank now felt assured that thew were
near their enemy, and followed their trail
in silence on the alert for their foe. On,
reaching 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 sauaws
buslly engaged in the laborious occupa-
tions which fell to their lot Their infants,
tightly bound TO straight strips of bark.
were tied to small bent over birches. which
gentIs danced them to sleep, and the boys
OF the village, with bow and arrow, were
firing at the representation of Kansas
hunter In the centre of the village, be-
fore the towering tent of the chief, sat the
braves, smoking their tomahawk pipes
With stoicalgrayity. s.s.sa.
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 ,serris,,-,,-i mr.
whoops, they dealt destsuctiou 3 around
therp, The chief wns'fhe first slain brave,
" slefenG himsesri esi,..r i.iis
warriors, who nobiy struggled 10 ayengc
his death, but all in vain. =
Frank Bates fought like demon, but at
one time was nearly victim TO n staiwart
warrior. But glancing at his opponent
Frank recognised in gay red handkerchief
around his head his marriage gift to his
lost wife. This added new strength 10 his
body and increased activity to his fury, as
he seized his assalant 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 Decotahs, panic.s,ruck 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 field, and others grievous.
ly wounded, bit not single white man
was seriously injrred.
The women and children fled to the
woods, and the whites found an abundance
of punder, comprising blankets, rich furs,
horses. dried meats and tents. But Frank
Bates felt sad at heart, for the sight Of this
memento Of his wife made him fear she
had been tortured before perishing in the
flames. Night came on, and feeling posi-.
tive that he could not sleep, he volunteered
to keep watch. 1t was bright moon light
night, and as he was pacing his solitary
round, planning new schemes of vengeance,
he heard light step approach from the
Frank at first raised his rifle 10 shoot
down the intruder, but secret influence
led him to call out: "Who comes?"
"hre you white man!" was the reply,
in tones that produced an indescribabIe ef-
feet upon the stout-hearted pioneer.
'Yes-and youl"
"l am Frank Bates wife who was taken
prisoner over the Mississippi" and as she
spoke she advanced.
The rifle fell TO the ground, and Frank
stood as il under the influence of magic
spell His hands were convulsiyely clineh-
ed, his hair stood erect on his head, shiy-
er ran through his frame and he tottered
back several PAGES. But not so the females
who had recognised her husband as she
drew near. and now exclaimed as she threw
herself into his arms:
Prank! my own Frankl Do you mol
know your wifef'
Yes. it was his long.mourned bride, her
features stamped with sorrow, but still re-
tanning her early beauty. Mutual explana.
t'ons followed, and when the delighted wife
learned the safety of her boy, all hardships
vanished. 1t now appeared that when the
Indians had entered Bates house, thew
saw keg Of whiskey which they drank
freely, and then plundered everything, re,
moving the chest in their researches. Soon
two Of them began to quarrel about the
handkerchief Bates had seen the day preyi
ous, and drawing their scalp knives, one