Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1857-07-18


two sturdy, brave and fearless youths,
whose span of life had not reached twenty
summers. They were prepared for death
by being stripped of all their clothing ex-
cepl q cloth about their loins, and were
conducted by two warriors, while others
formed circle about them, with arms in
their hands, ready to strike them down in
case of an attempt to escape.
As they entered the circle which sur.
rounded the tree, the human wall closed
in and shut off every chance and hope of
fight or rescue, and the victims looked
around upon that assemblage in vain to
discover the least spark of feeling or sym
pathy for their fate. Howard was the first
selected for the ordeal, Feeling that no
effort of his own could save his life, and
that the only way to shorten his own suf.
fering was to submit to his fate, be allowed
no sigh to escape him, no useless pleading
or vain repining to add to his enemies
triumph; but with a stoicism that would
have done credit to an older and more
experienced warrior, he permitted the
savages to bind him with his back to the
fatal tree. His arms we're drawn behind
him, thong passed around them at the
elbow, and tied securely, while his feet
were fastened in such manner to the
roots as 10 prevent all power of motion
except to his head this was left Free
When thus prepared, the sports commenced
by the young men, who, standing at little
distance, made a mark Of bis head, at
which they threw their tomahawks, endea
voring to see how near they could strike
without hitting it, with the object of iuti.
midsting their victim, and wringing from
his tortured spirit some evidence of fear or
cowardice. Not a muscle quivered, how
ever, under this severe test Of his courage
and then came the old squaws, who stuck
his flesh full of splnters, gashed him with
knives and ad 'pted every diabolical device
which their ingenuity could invent to tor
ture without killing; and finally, to close
the scene, several Indians approached with
flaming brands to light the funeral pile.
Already had the greedy flames cuugh,
the dry faggots which surrounded the vic.
tim, and were curling upward in serpentine
wreaths, when light and graceful form
was seen to dart from the circle of dusk y
figures, throw itself upon the burning heap
and encircle with with its arms the neck ol
the young man. Twas Oonaletah, the
darling sister of the chief. Struck witt
sympathy for the sufferings she had wit
messed, and Mortified at the inhumanity
exhibited by those about her, she nobly
determined to save the prisoner or perisl
herself The chief, astonished at this un
expected interposition, and horror stickeI
at the dangerous situation Of his sister
was for the moment powerless; the mex
he was dashing the faggots right and left
extinguishing the flames which had caugh
her robes in their greedy embrace, and en-
deavoripg to tear her from her hold-bu
in vain. In the most pathetic tone, sh
begged the life of the pale faced YOUTH
She expostulated and appealed to the war
riors who surrounded her to spare the vic
tins as they would be spared. As we
might she appeal to the stern rock, or tn
spark giving steel, and it was not until sh
had offered her entire wealth of furs and
sum of money, that she induced them t
forego their savago purpose and free I'll
prisoners from their impending fate. The
were not allowed their liberty even thel
but were adopted into the families OF thos
=, who had lost relatives, and remained
y. captivity until the treaty Of Greenvil
- freed all prisoners in the hands of the Il
dians. The act is not the less worthy
j. praise, however, and her name should |
II ranked with the brightest on history's pag
5 and associated with Pocahontas and other
Q whose deeds have proved that the fine
feelings of woman's nature are sometim
! found among the forest wilds as well as
the hearts oi cities.