The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-08-26

C4uoIJ O1NA0Ou gu tihO POiho Ol oSPesf -
ton, as was evident from one trail be.
ing much larger than the other. They
soon satisfied themselves that the girl
had been taken with the smaller party,
and this was a pleasing discovery, as it
gave them hope of being successful in
her rescue.
This decided, they pushed on rapidly
till night, and then encamped ; and at
the close of the third day, just as the
night was setting in, they came in sight
of the camp fires of their foes. Wait
ing two or three hours, until the dark
ness favored them, they carefully pro-
ceeded to reconoitre the Indian camp,
which was in pleasant, heavily wood
ed valley, through which flowed a
tributary of the Wabash. Advancing
stealthily under the cover of the bushes,
they beheld six Indians carelessly dis
posed around the fire; three of them
apparently asleep, and the others con-
versing in very low tones, but occa-
sionally laughing, and totally unsus-
picious of danger. A little apart, and
tied to tree was the captive-a young
and beautiful woman-whose now pale
and detected features spoke the despair
of her heart, and combined with her
disheveled hair and torn and disar-
ranged garments, rendered her an
object of pity even to men hardened to
almost every sense of suffering and
distress.
Having fully ascertained the number
and position of the enemy, and the
fact that the prisoner they had come to
rescue was still alive, the scouts drew
back to a safe distance and held a
whispering consultation as to the man.
ner of their future procedure.
II don't exactly like any of your
plans," said Mcclellan, who quietly
listened to the propositions of the 9th
ers. "It's our business to get the gal
away, that's the Gineral's orders; and
the way we can do that best is this
way. Now, instead of tryin' to steal
their guns, one of you must creep up
and cut the gals cords, and start her
off towards us as easy as you kin; but
if there's an alarm tell her to break for
the nearest thicket, and we'll stand be-
tween her and harm. / don't think
there will be any trouble about us
coming out all right, for we've fought
bigger odds before to-day, without ad-
vantage of surprise, and we've whip
ped 'em too" q.
After some further discussion the
plan of Mcclellan was adopted as the
best, and Hart was selected to enter
the camp and release the girl-the
others to pour in their fire in case of
| alarm, which would lbe- likely to throw
the Indians into confusion and give our
friends so much the advantage-while
the girl would be most likely to make
her escape, and her escape was what
they now sought, rather than the lives
of the savages.
Having thus arranged the matter,
they kept perfectly quiet and silent for
some two or three hours longer, and
then began the execution of their
scheme. The fire which the Indians
had fed while astir, had now gone to
mere embers; but this only the better
served McClellan's idea, as it would
render Hart less liable to be seen on
his approach to the prisoner.
Some quarter of an hour more was
spent in arranging everything for per-
feet action, and getting into a position,
which they finally did in that sfealthy
and quiet manner peculiar to men of
their profession. Then leaving his two
companions where their fire would be
sure to be effective, Hart cautiously
and stealthily drew back and glided
round to the captive. He reached her
without causing any alarm, but found
her fast asleep sitting on the ground,
her back braced against the tree to
which she was bound. To wake her,
and warn her, and assure her that de-
liverance was at hand without causing
her to start or cry out, and SO arouse
her captors, was delicate. task. He
began, however, by whispering in her
ear, and so continued until she gradual
ly awoke, and heard and comprehended
his words, when her rare presence of
mind came to his aid, and he was re-
joiced at her reply
81 understand you-I thank you
God bless you whoever you are! Have
no fear, / win do as you bid me-"
"Then come as soon as 1 cut the
Cords" whispered Hart in reply, "get
up and follow me but don't make bit
Of noise; and if the Indians happen to
rouse, don't get skeered, but run for the
nearest thicket and leave me and my
comrades to settle 'em."
He then cut her bands, and quietly
but with trembling eagerness, she arose
to comply with his directions; but on
the very first step forward, her long
corded and benumbed limbs partially
giving way under her, she stumbled
upon dry branch, which snapped be-
meath her feet.
Instantly one of the Indians nearest
the tree sprung up in sitting posture,
when Hart feeling himself called upon
to act, suddenly presented his rife at
the breast of his foe and lodged the con-
tents in his body. As he fell back, the
scout with a yell of triumph and def
ance, bounded over him to attack the
next, the whole party now being fully
alarmed and surprised. Swapping his
pistol at the breast of the second, and
finding it to miss fire, Hart struck out
with his tomahawk, but stumblad at
the same moment, and missing the
warrior who was in the act of rising,
fell heavily against him. The latter