New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-06-11

add could moi feed myself II bad anything 70 eat
think Of the two Captain. you're the btst on AFTER
Al for yon It least, can shoot game and 50 won't
xye,s said. 9 but how am ! to set 1t when
have shot Hfr
see, be replied, with sort Of laugh, the two
Of rs only make one decent man. You've got arms
fernal scrsps 4 eli. reckon wen have to work out
| together And il Heaven is wiling, and the red
devils r let Us alone. we'll be able to do II yat and
4 cheat the bowling imps Of two scalps anyhow y
+ Il vas q very singular and remarkable occurrence
/ that only two men should have escaped from that
scene OF slaughter; and Of these the with his
hips broken, and the other with his arms Brent like
myself had bad nothing 70 eat for more than twenty
| four hours And like myself, too, be had escaped
after being shot, BY crawling into thicket, and lying
fat upon the earth at point where the Indians had
4 passed within few feet Of him. Here he had re
manned concealed through the night and day. till the
savages bad departed when the pangs Of hunger hai
brought him forward in search OF food which be had
| little hope Of finding and he knew not by what
means he might get il into his mouth, II obtained
On hearing the report Of my rife, faint hope had
! sprung up Ia his breast that companion might be
near but whether 1t should prove to be friend OF
| an enemy, he determined to make himself known,
and risk captivity or even DEATH rather than remain
1 In bis hopeless condition.
We BOW began our singular mode OF living, which
probably has never been paralleed in the worlds his
tory. The first thing Brent did was to search for the
raccoon had shot, and push it along to me with bis
feet. ! then dressed II, and kinding fire with my
sticks, which he also pushed up TO me in the same
manner, broiled IL and on this we made our supper
| las hearty and as paatabe meal as ever ate in
| my lfe--l feeding him as he sat beside me. Our
hunger sppeased we felt more sensibly the pangs Of
! thirst and At first could devise means for OBJ
tanning the water SO near US. Necessity however, is
the mother OF invention, and luckily bethnking me
| of my hat, L placed the rim in my companions
mouth and told him to wade into the river, until be
should be able to dip the hat UNDER and them by re-
turning quickly, fancied q good portion of the
water might be retained, after allowing for the leak
age. Tbs plan succeeded, AM taking the halfilled
bat from his teeth, held j for him TO drink, and
then drank myself, the most refreshing and nvigor-
ating draught that ever passed my lips.
\ The immediate wants OF nature being now fully
supplied, we began to be more cheerful and hopeful,
though still suffering extreme pain from shatter-
ed limbs, which next proceeded to dress as well as
our circumstances would permit Making some rude
splints with my knife, took off my shirt and tore it
into strips and then putting the bones Of Brent's
arms together as well as could, bound the spnts
around them. This done. proceeded to dress my
own wounds In the same incomplete way.
Another night now set in, which we passed to-
gether, lying close in the thicket, and suffering
great deal Of pain We slept little but spent the te
dious hours in talking the dire events which had
happened, and mourning the loss Of our brave com
panions.
The second day. beginning early in the morning,
and keeping sharp lookout for game, was fortu-
nste enough TO shoot two squirrels and wild turkey
the latter being quite numerous in that region This
served us for food through the day. and on the third
succeeded in shooting couple more squirrels and
few birds, my companion always kicking the game
to me with bis feet, and pushing up stick and brush
10 the same manner, and dressing and cooking the
animals, and feeding him.
So matters went on for several days, the game
gradually becoming scarcer, and requiring great
deal more labor on Brent's part to drive within the
reach Of my rife. Days thus passed on, and even
weeks, before my wounds were so far healed as to
permit me to hobole about on clutches, and during
all this time we saw not a human soul, though
anxiousIy watching for some chance boat to pass
down the river and take of.
Our garments being thin, and our shirts torn up
for bandages, and the weather setting In cold our
future prospects locked cherries indeed and we were
much concerned lest we should be obliged to winter
where we were. To be prepared for any emergency
we, with much labor, put up kind of rude shanty
which served In some to protect us from the
almost winiry blasts which now began tosweep over
the desoIate scene
As the season grew colder and more inclement. the
game became so scarce that my companion with
dileuIty drove enough within rifle shot to give as
single meal day and with all the rest powder
was so low in the horn that could count the charges
and dared not fire except when certain Of my mark
Then IL was we began to feel the horrors of despair
and sometimes TO regret that we had outlived the
dead around u.s. Almost naked, with unshaven, bag
gard faces, hollow cheeks and sunken eyes, we now
indeed looked pitiable, even to each other every
day too our condition seemed to grow worse instead
Of better and at last, with a sinking heart in
formed Brent we had but four charges Of powder in
our horn.
God help us y was his reply.
Matters were thus at their very worst, when one
day Peter burst suddenly into shanty, where sat
eyes. exclaimed Blessed be God Captain Benhan,
above US ~
Who shall! describe my feelings them started up
and hobbled down to the bank Of the river shouting
wildly went, lest the boat, yet scarcely within
sight, should pass us ere could reach the beach |
Oh how painfully anxious watched its slow ap-
proach, continually shouting to attract the attention
Of men too far distant 70 hear us, and making every
kind Of signal we could possibly think Of for the |
same purpose.
Gradually the boat neared US, and at length we |
could see It's crew gathered together and pointing
coward u.s. But oh Heaven imagine, IL you can |
,ur horror when we saw them suddenly betake to |
heir oars, push over to the Ohio shore and then |
low past us with all their might amid our frantic |
sesticuatons and piteons prayer for helpl On they
|wept down the river, and then Brent and l. looking
It each other with silent horror sunk down together
lpon the cold beach and mentally prayed for death |
o end our sutferings.
Suddenly-oh, sight Of agonizing joy I'VE saw |
anoe put OF from the larger boat and approach u.s. |
md then got up, and fairly screamed and begged |
or assistance. When the r0wers had came near |
nough to converse with US, they stopped and told /
y they feared we were decoys put there to draw |
hem to the shore, that the Indians might fall upon
md murder them and it took no little time, and the |
most earnest asseverations and piteous appeals TO
onvnce them to the contrary At last. alter rowing |
ast US two or three times aud closely inspecting the
bore and getting Us TO come far out the sandhar
hey ventured TO take US aboard. We were kindly |
reated by these men when they came 10 hear our |
tory and being taken by them to the garrison at
he Falls (now Louisyi le, Ky.) we were placed un-
Ter the OF skilliul surgeon and soon restored
0 our usual healthfnl strength.
Reader, Is not this story remarkable for the fact
hat two men should so singularly escape from the |
ayages, and live six weeks 10 the wilderness--the