Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-06-26
Nj | sc ELL 4 n Y
POc's Leap.

About the middle of July, 1882, Wyan-
dots crossed the Ohio few miles above
Wheeling, and committed great depredations
upOu the southern shore killed an old
man whom they found alone in his cabin,
and spread terror throughout the neghbor-
hood. Within few hours after their
retreat, eight men assembled from different
parts Of ths settlement, AMI pursued the
enemy with great expedition. Among the
most active and efficient of the party were
Two brothers, Adam and Andrew Poe.
Adam was particularly popular. In
strength, action and hardihood, he had no
equal-being finely formed, and Injured to
all tho peris of the woods. They mad not
followed the trail far, before they became
satisfe ilthat the depredltors were conducted
by Big Foot "a renowned chief of the
Wyandot tribe, who derived his name from
The immense size of his feet. His height
considerably exceeded six feet, and his
strength was represented as llerculean.
lie had also five brothers but little inferior
to himself, in company. They were the
terror of the whole country. Adam was
'overjoyed at the idea of measuring his
strength with that of so celebrated a chief,
and urged the pursuit with a keonness
which quickly brought him into the vicinity
of the enemy. For the last few miles the
trail had led them up the southern bank
of the Ohio, where the footprints in the
sand were deep and obvious, but when
within a few hundred yards Of the point at
which the whites as well as the Indians
were in the habit of crossing, it suddenly
diverged from the stream and stretched
slong rocky ridge, forming an obtuse
angle with its former direction. Here Adam
halted for moment, and directed ms
brother and the other young men to follow
the trail with proper caution, while he
himself still adhered to the river path
which led through clusters of willows,
directly to the point where he supposed
them to lie Having examined the prim-
ing of his gun, he crept cautiously through
the bushes, until he had n view Of the
point of embarkation. Here lay two canoes
empty and apparently deserted. Being
ssatisfed, however, that the Indians were
close at hand, he relaxed nothing of his
vigilance, and quickly gained jutting cliff
which hung Immediately over the canoes.
Hearing low murmur below, he peercd
cautiously over the bank and beheld the
object of his search.
The gigantic Big Foot lay below HIM in
She shade ofa willow, and was talking in
low, deep tone to another warrior, who
seemed a mere pigmy by his side. Adam
cautiously drew back and cooked his gun,
The marx was fair-the distance did not
exceed twenty feet, and his aim was unerr
ing. Raising his rifle slowly and cautious
", he took steady aim at Big Foot's breast,
and drew the trigger. His gun flashed
Both Indians sprung to their feet with
deep interiection of surprise, and for Il sin
gle second they all three stared upon each
other This inactivity, however was soon
over. Adam was too much hampered by
the bushes to retreat, and setting his life
upon the cast OF a die. he sprung over the
bush which sheltered him; and summoninr
all his power leaped boldly down the preci-
pice; and alighted upon the breast Of Big
Foot with shock that bore him to the
earth. At the moment of contact Adam
had also thrown his right arm around the
smaller Indian, so all three came to the
earth together. At that moment a sharp
firing was heard among the bushes, above,
announcing that the other parties were
engaged, but the trio below were too
busy to attend to any thing but them
selves.
Big Foot was for an instant stunned
by the violence of the shock, and Adam
was enabled to keep them both down But
the exertion necessary for the purpose
was so great that he had no leisure to
use his knife.
Big Foot quickly recovered, and, with
out attempting to rise, wrapped his long
arms around Adams body, and pressed
him to his breast with the crushing force
of Boa Constructor Adam, as we have
already remarked, was powerful man,
and had seldom encountered his equal,
but never had he felt an embrace like
that of Big Foot. lie instantly relaxed
his hold of the small Indian, who sprung
to his feet. Big Foot then ordered hin
to run for his tomahawk, which lay with
in ten steps, and kill the white mar
while he held him in his arms. Adam
seeing his danger, struggled manfully t
extricate himself from the folds of tho
giant, but in vain. The lesser Indian an
preached with his uplilted tomahawk, bn
Adam watched him closely as he wa
about to strike and gave him a kick s
sudden and violent as to knock the toIna
hawk from his hand and send hmstag
gering back INTO the river Big Foot ut
tered an exclamationin tone of deep con
tempt at the failure Of his companion
and raising his voice to the highest pitch
thundered out several words in the lndial
langue which Adam could not understand
but supposed to be direction for sec
ond attack.
The lesser Indian now again approached
carefully stunning Adams heels, and max
ing many motions with his tomahawk, il
order to deceive him as to the point wher
the blow would fall. This lasted for seyera
seconds, until laundering exclamation
from Big Foot compelled his companion t
strike such was Adams dexterity, how
ever, that he managed to receive the toma
hawk in glanclng direction upon his LEI
wrist, wounding him deeply but not disabl
ing him. lie now made sudden and DEF
perate effort to free himself from the arm
of the giant, and succeeded. Instant
snatching up a rifle, (for the Indian coul
not venture to shoot for fear of hitting hi
companion) he shot the lesser India
through the body But scarcely had b
done so when Big Foot arose and placin
one hand upon his collar, and the 9th,
hand upon his hip, pitched him into IL
air, as he himself would have pitched
child. Adam fell upon his back at the edl
OF the water, but before his antagoni
could spring upon him, was again on h
feet, and sturg with rage at the idea of b.
ing handled so easily, he attacked his @
gantic antagonist with fury which for
time compensated for inleriority of strength
1t was now fair fist fight between then
for in the hurry of the struggle neither ha
leisure to draw their knives. Adams sup
rior activity as pugilist gave him gre
advantage The Indian struck awkward!