Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-09-02


body.
knowing that if his men continued to
gether there would be no hope for any o
Them, Captain Brady, in order to save a
MANY lives as possible, called out to them
to disperse in every direction, and eacl
man look out for himself. By this means
he expected TO divide the Indians into
small parties in their pursuit of single indi
viduals; and this might have been the re.
suit, had they not, unfortunately for hi:
own safety, discovered in him their mos
vindictive and troblesome foe, and at once
resolved upon his capture.
Captain Brfdy was well known to the
Indians; in former times he had hunted
with them over these very grounds; but
he had subsequently become their mos'
implacable enemy, and had done them SC
much injury as TO create in them fiendish
desire to take him alive and put him to the
torture-they well knowing that the ac-
complishment of this purpose would not
only rid them of the man they both hated
and feared, but would deprive the whites Of
their bravest and most daring Leader, AMI
would thus strike more effective blow
against the latter than would the de-
struction of dozen or twenty men of les
ser note. For this reason, therefore, the
moment it was ascertained that he was one
of the party, his capture was determined
on by all, and tdrning from the pursuit OF
the others, the whole yelling crew set after
him.
Captain Brady had something of the
start, and was one of the fieetest runners
on the border; that he could distance and
escape from a few, he was sanguine enough
to believe; but when he found himself rec
ognized, and, looking behind him, saw the
whole body IN chase of himself, his very
heart seemed to die within him. What
chance had he of escape indecd-slngle
handed and alone-afar from the refuge of
even wilderness fort-and with fifty in
furiated Indians in hot pursuit, urged on
by spirit of revenge, and resolved, above
every other earthly consideration, upon
taking him alive or dead?
But the captain was brave man, and
brave man dies but once; he was san
guine man, TOO, and would not consider his
case hopeless while the freedom of his limbs
remained and though as he afterwards ex-
pressed it, s.it was hardly one chance in
| fifty, vet he was determined to DO his best,
and have no fault to find with himself
from lack of effort
Near the point where the race first start
ed, the Cuyahoga makes bend to the
south, SO as to nearly enclose an area OF
several squaremiles the form of peninsula
the direction taken by Brady soon brought
! him within this enclosure; and the Indians,
by extending their line to the two banks OF
the stream, at the point where they most
nearly approach each other, considered him
as in a net, and announced their satisfHc-
ton by yelIs of triumph. There was now,
in fact, no chance for him to escape through
their lines or across the Cuyahoga river;
and considering that the foremost puysuers
were not fifty yards behind him, either Of
these chances was regarded by the savages
as in impossibility.
Still the hardy and gallant captain did
not despair; he had many time hunted
over this very ground, and knew every
inch of it, and all the windings, turnlngs,
and peculiarties of the river as well as the
Indians themselves; he knew, too, there
was one point where the river, compress
ed within few feet, rushed roaring and
foaming through rocky gorge; and it at
once occurred to shape his course for this
point, and make bold, desperate leap fol-
the other shore. He might fall short, and
be dashed to pieces upon the rocks beneath,
it was true but this would only be quick
and sudden death; the awful tortures OF
the stake awaited him if taken alive; and
to take him alive was unquestlonabiy the
design of his pursuers. since they had neg
lected to fire upon him from a distance
which would have made their aim fatal.
Casting away his rifle, as only an In
cumbrance which could not serve him II
this strait, he bounded forward with re-
newed energy; and with bare hope O
life before him, he fled with speed thai
few could equal slightly gaining upon the
fleetest of his foes-but not sufficiently
during the whole race, TO take him beyond
the easy reach of rifle ball.
Nearer and nearer he came to the rush
ing and foaming stream; and as he heare
the roar of the waters, and saw that few
seconds could intervene between the presen
and the awful leap which might save o
DESTROY him, his heart beat wildly, and hi
whole frame seemed to tremble with tn
intense concentration of his mind upon tn
fearful venture.
, Nearer and nearer he came, louder grey
, the roar of the waters; the awful chasn
gradually yawning before him, and th
> white spray OF the fearful torrent rising +
bis view; the Indians yelling behind, an
: his only hope here; and then contracting
= his muscles, as his feet lightly pressed tn
: precipitous rock, and throwing into ther
f ali the power of his concentrated will, h
0 leaped into the air, like a bounding bal
D and landed safely upon the other rock
g verge of the abyss, striking little belo'
the height from which he sprung, but pas
/: ing a clear distance of twenty-five feet b.
o tween the mural shores.
e Instantly grasping some bushes who
# fringed the verge of the awful chasm1.
f prevent himself from falling backward I'M
It the seething stream, the gallant caPta
:, stood for few moments, painting fro
J. his exertions, and striving to recover Ii
breath for still another fight.
,e In those few moments the Indians a
F. peared upon the opposite bluff, expec:tlr
r. to find that ba had heen dashed to plec
e. upon the rocks below; but on discoverir
O. him safalv -, ,bo ornos;ta side their q