Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-02-25
THE HUNTER AND THE INDIAN

march of civilization had reached the
banks of the Passaic; when its placid SUR
face was dimpled only by the light canoe
of the red man; when the forest echoed
back his war-whoop, and %perchancc the
yell of some wild Infatuated beast in his
agony.
1t was toward the close of o snltry an.
tumn day, that two men emerging from
the deep woods which then lined the Pas
sale; stood upon its banks and cast anx7
ioas and oxpcctant looks up and down
the stream. I1nll fivo inmates they thGs
stood withous uttering o syllable, when
the eldest, in a deep tone said,
He must have come down purity near
hereahouts. Plague take my luck, that's
The second deer I've lost to day. and !
feel sortcr down in the mouth bout it.
:" Yes replied the other, : It's too bad;
but he Hsay yet appcar,-hnsl! look there
he's coming now"
That's him, or my name amt Bill
Spriges," whispered the other, as they
both drew back behind the trees.
The deer had entered the stream a
short distance &ooyc, and Of coursc, struck
for tie opposite shore. The current was
quite strong and bore him rapidly down
ward. ard when about half way across.
from SOM unseen cause. he turned and
swan for the bank he had just left. II
was just at this jnncture, that he shot
around a bend In the river, and came to
view, causing the remarks We have just
given.
"Shoot me, butts queer tlathe should
turn and come this way" said Frank n
Holmes the Youngest OF the two.
Ties seen something on totler bank
which has frightened him. Good! the
current will carry him down just fur
enough to make him land here"
In anxious expectation the hunter lay.
watching the dark body rapidly nearing
Them and which was quite indistinct in
the gathering twilight. The deer swan
swiftly, and in q few seconds he was with
IN q dozen yards Of them. Just before
landing, he evidently, had seen
ted his enemies, and again changed his
course. He was too near tho Falls to
reach tic other bank, and accordingly
endeavored to land further below. AT
that instant Spriggs rose to his feet, and
bringing his rifle TO his shoulder, fred
The bullet pierced his head and stunned
it, yet It would be a strange thing to see
a deer killed instantly by one shot, and
the cousse Of this one seemed in no wise
EimpeGcd. Holmes now stepped forward.
and semi a ball at the dark form before
him. This one told the story, and in ad-
dition it told them that they now placed
him beyond their reach; fer his progress
t)ward shore had ceased, while his down
ward motion continued. and in q few mo-
ments afterwards, to their inexpressible
chargin it disappeared over the Falls
/" Well, that's rich. no mistake" grun-
ted Spriegs, leaning OF his rife, and gaz-
ing at the spot where the animal was last
seen.
a hunters luck, but"
There was a flash like the eye Of a de-
mon. beneath the dark branches which
overriding the opposite shore, a sharp
crack, and with q groan Holmes dropped
to the earth.
"Blood for blood" Kissed Spriggs as he
brought his gun to his 81 oulder, aud
qnick,as lightning discharged it. A fear
full yell and leap told its effect.
Spriggs now approached the body Of
Holmes and STOPPING down he gazed long
and mournfully in his face: but life had
departed. The eyes were fixed and glas-
sy, and the jaw had dropped.
Yes, he's gone, poor fellowp' said
spriegs to himself. "Imight have known
that there were iufernel red skins t'other
side by the deer's colsing back"
He was holding the hand OF the mani
mate form before him, in his owG: wlien
his quick car detected the sound of a toGt
step. Quick as thought he sprang be
hind the nearest tree and cautiously gaz
ed in the direction from which it came
He saw the dark body of an Indian, and
was just on the point Of firing, when it al
so darted behind a tree.
The murder of Holmes had reused
Spriggs' terrible temper, and he deter
mined to have the blood of the savage.
yet he was too old and too experienced
a hunter to raslly expose himself. He
tried various means to bring his enemy
forth. He placed his hat Oh a stick, aud
then showed it from behind the tree IN
hopes that the Indian would mistake it
for him and fire; but the savage was too
cunning and kept his position.
At last Spriggs. determined to end the
matter, fired at random. This was what
the Indian wished, and with an exhultant
veil, he sprang from behind his tree
He expected that Spriggs would remain
behind his, and cndeavor to avoid his II
ae: but on the contrary. he found himsef
before lie could, raise his gun, taco to
face with bis foe.
!. The combat, as all such necessarily are
was short but bloody. Both were men Of
mighty strength, and the most ilnplacable
hate burned in the breast of each. They
fought and struggled until they reached
the water's edge, and into this they
worked their way, until both swere com
PEELED to swim to sustain themselves
Tho savage was the best swimmer, and
now had the advantage Of the white man.;
but the ~latter's blows had told f~earfully
while on the shore. Still they fought un
til the current carried them both to the
very edge Of the Falls. just. as they
both were about plunging over, Spriggs
caught fast with his right hand to q pro-
lection, and with the other be grasped the
Indian by his hair. Gathering all the
strength OF which he VAS master, he plac
ed the hair within his teeth, and thus sus
tanning the body, he jerked his knife from
his belt, ran it around the top Of the say
M XXI - 49, "a