Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1857-01-15
The Hunters Ruse.

= Plains. Our company was compo.
a ed of nine persons; among the nun
Der was Bill Johnson, formerly hul
e ter and trapper of the West.
At the close of a beautiful day i
e May, we found ourselves seated a
round. a blazing campfire upon th
banks Of the Little Blue River, SOM
two hundred miles from St. Joseph
Missouri. Some of the COMPANY
had spread blanket upon the grass
while myself ard Bill johnson were
eagerly discussing the propriety o.
having an antelope hunt on the sue.
ceeding day. We soon came to the
conclusion that We would spend the
day in hunting, as our train was 60
ing to stop here several days to re-
cruit our animals. / cannot say that
II enjoyed a sound slumber at night,
because was anxious that morning
should arrive, fer | expected rare
sport on the coming day. The much
wished for morning came at last,
and after dispatching a hasty break
fast, and informing our comrades
that we would return by sunset, we
departed with our rifles on our shoul-
ders.
For three hours We travelled in
southerly direction from the camp,
without seeing any game at all, and
being somewhat tired and disappOint-
ed, we concluded to seek shelter from
the rays Of the burning sun, and
take short rest. Following up
ravine short distance, we came to
sink, or hole, some twenty feet deep,
the sides of which were of solid rock
and almost perpendicular. Carefully
examining this curious spot, We at
length discovered an excavation in
the wall, just large enough TO admit
a man with ease. This was soon ac.
complished, and we found ourselves
in an apartment about nine feet
square, with walls Of solid rock
This we thought would afford us the
desired shelter, and we were just
comfortably seated, when my COM
panion hastily sprung to his feet,
saying:
BE silent; I hear rustling in
the grass which is probably caused
by an elk or antelope. You stay
here" And seizing bis rifle he
stole cautiously down the raviBe.
He WAS soon lost to view among !
the shrubbery which skirted the ra-
vine, leaving me alone to mediate
upon the probable cause of the noise
we had just heard. But I was soon
startled aud surprised by seeing my !
companion running towards the cave,
with anxiety and alarm plainly de,
picted upon his counteaauce.
"InjIns, by G. Dr. he exclaimed
as he rushed into the cave.
Then he commenced blocking up
the entrance with loose stones and !
of rock which lay scattered
around. This awakened me to a |
of the danger We were in, as
at that time the Pawnee Indians |
were known to be hostile to the |
whites, butchering all who fell in their
hands. To my inquiries of how
many there were of our enemies, my
companion replied:
"There are two, mounted on feet
horses, armed with rifles, and most
bideously painted"
Oureuemies we're probably aware of
our refuge, for, instead of coming up
in front of the cave, they crept eau
tiously around to the edge of the
S; nix, and stationed themselves cut
of the reach of our rifles, but so as
to command the entrance TO our sub
terranean retreat. Their persons
were out of our view, but by their
shadows upon the opposite wall we
could note their manGuyres.
They evidently thought there was
but one Of Us, but at that they did
not deem it prudent to make a bold
attack in front, for by so doing they
would expose their persons to danger;
therefore they chose the less dam
gerous plan of starving us to death,
compelling US TO surrender, or tol
shoot US if we attempted to escape.
Thus in manner We were complete
~ in the power Of these savages,
unless by some stratagem We could
manage to escape. Batssoen night
set in and spread her mantle Of dark