Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1858-02-26
CHAPTER VIII.

savages to press forward with all the speed
compatible with the safety of their horses,
upon whose endurance they relied for
escape. And this accounts for their fol-
lowing so close upon the heels of Charles
Wilmer, who rightly judged that they
would halt for the night, at no great dis
tance from the point where he first saw
them. Under this conviction, he restrained
the impatience of his horse, fresh from the
; Hermit's manger, determined to reserve
his strength for any emergency that might
arise in the course of his perilous adven-
ture
The moon shone brightly, though on
the wane, and our hero found no difficulty
in pursuing the broad trail made by the
retreating party; and he had ample leizure
TO disgest plan for the liberation of the
prisoners. Nerved by determined will,
and buoyant with hope, he had ridden
some ten miles, when his quick eye detec-
ted the feeble glare of fire, around which
were encamped the objects Of his pursuit.
Knowing the importance of concealing
himself and his designs from the ever
vigilant sayages, he turned up the bank of
the river fearing that an attempt to cross
might betray him, and getting behind a
! hill, took off his saddle and bride, and
| wrapping his blanket about him, stretched
! himself upon the grass, and was soon
asleep
At early dawn, he awoke refreshed, and
mounting his horse, rode boldly forward,
aware that the savages had preceded him,
at least an hour. After crossing the river,
he stopped awhile at the smouldering
campfire, and saw, with pleasure, the
severed thong which assured him that Ida,
: though still a captive, was no longer
7 bound. He there examined, anew the
r priming of his rifle and pistols, and felt
that the fints were firm, and assured that
all was right, renewed his journey, hoping
that in the course of the morning, one or
d two of the Indians would be sent out to
c hunt, in which event, he felt satisfied they
IS would never return to the main body.
The trail, which he followed, told him
u that the party were travelling with speed
and, giving his horse the rein, he pursused
Il his flying foes at a pace which, he thought
. would soon bring him in sight But i
II was past noon, and he had seen no human
. being, and began to fear that he would
have no opportunity to lessen the number
of the savages by cutting off any detached
L portion. Whilst pondering this question
he came to a spring, breaking out of tn,
y high bank that bordered small stream
lie and perceived, from the signs, that the
l. captors and their prisoners halted thcr'
Is to refresh themselves and their horses
- By close inspection, he was satisfied tha
II they had not been gone more than half al
!, hour, for the grass, trodden under tn
"a horses feet, could still be seen to move a
'N it struggled to regain its upright position
'e He was satisfied, too, that it was tn
character of the ground over which h
III travelled, which had prevented his gettin
a view of those he pursued,
>. Having drawn these conclusions, Whine
deemed it prudent not to press forward to
fast so taking the bit from horses moutl
and the saddle from his back, that h
- might cool, and feed freely, he drew fort
his store of provisions and satisfied hi
-. own hunger After the lapse of som
forty minutes, he was again mounted, an
=" had ridden few yards under the bank t
~ the point where it abruptly Terminated
l when the sound Of horses feet, in rapi
w motion, arrested his attention. Suddenl
" reigning up his steed, he took pistol frol
" his holster, and placing it in cOnyenier
II" position for ready use, poised his riff,
"a with his finger upon the trigger, knowing
from the demonstrations made by his hors
ca that Indians were near. All this was I'll
TO- work of an instant, but it was accomplish
IN ed none too soon, for Immediately afte
he saw, at the distance of about one hunC
lot red yards, white man making directly
to the point where he stood, and cloael
nd pursued by two savages His positic
ng was partially sheltered from view, by Il
bank, and so intent were the pursucrs a
his onthe chase that he might have escape
nd observation even in more exposed local
,b- ty When the foremost Indian was will
ed in forty yards, Wilmer fired, and Il
es savage was dead ere he reached the groun
nd The other, startled by the report of d
ith rifle, atto~pted to check his horse, al
of change his course but his headlong, spe'
IL AnnnahL him WI dim clnsa nistnl- hot Mn