The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1860-02-11

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mat met q the principal hotel n Caln,rs.,
State. ''-.> = s''c Duckc!
~ was wintry cvcning when an x;tho.t :,
bleak and stormy, and ali within were hIvsi. :.
gay when song and story made tl,e ..;r..,.;. ,
inc festive board. filling up the chs,ms ~ l,
with mirfh and laughter, - = :"
We'had met for The express ,,urn,.e ~ -,
ing night Of it and the pious Intention e, :,
aal! anu most rcligiouzly carried ont sThe Ie,
ss'aturc was in session in that town. ana nat
~, shs. 2, snc worthy legislators were present
One Of these wortlys will name, a. he No
only took big swath in the evenings enterta;,
mcnt, but he was n,sn more aener.llv kro,s
- snan even our worthy President J. X. Polk. :
tnat man Vas the famous Captain Riley, who
narratives OF saffcrings and adventures are nretf
Esncraily known over the civilized worl. Cam
hney was 6ne, fat and good natared ioker
VINO, at the period of my story, was the renro
sentative Of the Dayton District, and lived nos
tAat little city when at home
" ell, Captain Riley had amused the comn.n,
with many Of his far famed and singular advcn
lures and read by millions Of people who hsy,
sen ms book, and which, being mostly told l,e
lore, will not attempt to repeat
Many were the stories aud adventure. ,o,d r.
the company, when it came to the turn Of : III
known gentleman who represented the C;nc;n
natl District As Mr.. ----- il vet AMONG ~.
hying, and perhaps not disposed to the su6iec,
- joke or story, DO not feel at liberty to give
ms name. Mr. was slow believer in
v.ner mems adventures, and at the same time
disposed TO magnify himself into marvellous
nero, whenever the opportunity offered. Al
Captaln Riley wound up with one of his truthful
snoogh really marvellous adventures, Mr.
remarked that the Captains story was all very
well, but did mot begin to compare with an nd.
venture that nc had, once upon tine,' on the
Ohio, below the present city Of Cincinnati.
all hands. ''o'''
We'll, gentlemen said the Senator cle.r;r,
ms voice for action, and knocking the ashes from
his cigar: Gentlemen, am not in the (auite NO.
torous torit) habit ofspinnng yarns ofmar ycllous
or hcticions matters and therefore il is scarcely
necessary to affirm upon the responsibility of INV
reputation, gentlemen, that what I'm about 10
tell YOU is nothing but the honest truth, and
that
oh, never mind that, go on, Mr. =
chimed the party.
We'll, gentlemen, in lS- I came down the
Ohio river and settled at Losanti, now called
Cincinnati. 1t was at that time but little set
tleinent oil some twenty or thirty log cabins, and
wncrc now stands the Broadway Hotel, and
blocks Of stores, and dwelling houses. was the
cottage and corn patch Of old Mr.. F.
tailor, who, hye-the-by, bought that for the max
ING OF coats Well, I put up my cabin with
Inc aid OF my neighbors, and put in patch of
corn aud potatoes, about where the Flv Market
now stands, and set about improving my house
lot, &c.
Occasionally took my rifle and started off
WITH my dog down the river, to look up little
ieef or bear meat, then very plenty along the
river. The blasted red skins were lurking about.
and lowering about the settlement, and eyery
once in while picked off some OF our neighbors
Or stole our cattle and horses. l hated tie red
' ana made no bones ofpeppering Che blast
"a sarPents whenever got sight of them In
act, the red rascals had dread Of me, and had
aid great many traps to get nv scslp. hut
wasn't to be catehed mapping No, mo, gentle
men, was too well up to 'em Cor that
well, started Of, pretty early one morning.
TO take hunt; / Travelled hong way down the
river, over the bottoms and hills, hut coul,ln't
Ind bear nor deer. 1t was four o'clock in the
AFTERNOON when made tracks for the settlement.
ty and by see a buck just ahead of me, walking
eisurcly down to the river slipped up with nv
faithful Old dog just in my rear, to within clever
shooting distance, and just us he stuck his nose
N to drink, drew desd upon his top-knot, and
'verhc tumbled and splurged and bounded awhile,
When came up and relieved him by cuttius M,
sizzen-"
''But what has that to No with mn aJ,r,,tr,y,p
asked Riley 80
Hold on bit il You please gehtlcmen-by
lore, it had great deal to do with it, While /
vas busy skinning the hind quarter of the buck,
md slowing away the kidney fat in INV hunting
irt, heard noise like the breaking of brush
inder moccasin up the bottom. Ny DOG heard
{, and started up to reconnoi.re, and lost no
inc in loading my rife. had hardly got my
,rilnins ON, before my dog raised howl and
broke through the brush towards me- with his
all down, as he was not used to doiue, unless
here was wolves panthers VI lngins about.
Il picked mp NY knife and took up my line of
nasch in Q sks1king trot up the river. The fire.,
lucnt gullies in the lower bank made it tedious
travelling, SO scrambled Up to the upper bank
which was pretty well covered with buckeye,
and very little underbrush One peeD
below discovered to me three as big and strap
ping red devils as you ever elapt your eyes on
lcs, there they came, not above six hundred
ards in my rear, shouting and yelling like all
I'LL broke loose"
SWELL" said an old woodman, setting at the
table, ''you took y tree, Of coursef'
did 7? No, by c., gentlemen, took no
tree just then, but took to my heels like sixty,
<ecp up with me. ran until the whoops of the |
cd-sAins grew fainter and fainter behind me- and
lean out of wind, yentured to look behind, and
here came one single red devil, putting and |
lowing, not three hundred Yards in nv rear
lie had got on to piece of bottom, where thc |
rees where small and scarce--now, thinks /. old |
GLOW, I'll have you, SO trotted off at pace
efficient to let the red devil gain on me; and !
ghen he was about near enough, wheeled and |
lred, and down brought him as dead as u door |
'ail at a hundred, and twenty yards"
''Then you scaipd him Immediately" said the |
I'D woodsman
d. clear Of it, gentlemen; for by the time |
rot my rifle loaded, here come the other two red
kins, shouting and whooping close on me, and |
way broke like quarter horse. l was now |
bout five miles frOM the settlement, and it was
getting towards sunset ran until my wind be- |
gan to he pretty Short when took look back |
md there the red devils came snorting like mad |
,uffaloes, one about two or three yards ahead Of
he other so acted possum again, until the FORE
liast Indian got pretty well up, and l wheeled |
md fired, at the very moment the red devil was
drawing bead on me; he fell head over ston- |
chc into the dirt and up came the last red |
leyil-"
$50 you laid for him, and" gasped several.
"No," continued the member, II didn't lay |,
or him; hadn't time to lead, SO laid legs to |
round, ard started again. / heard the blasted |
evil, every bound he made after me. run aud |
i'm until the fire flew out of my eyes, and the |
Id dogs tongue hung out Of his mouth quarter |
4 yard long"
"Phc-c-e-cw," whistled somebody
Fact by -, gentlemen. Well, what was I
o do, didn't know-rifie empty, no big trees
bout, and numbering red devil not three hun
red yards in my rear, and what was worse, just |
hen it occurred to me that was not great |
ray from big creek, (now called Mill Creek, J and
here should he pinned at last.
'Just at this juncture, struck my toe against
root, and down tumbled and my old Coz oyer
NC. Before could scramble up"
"Tlc rcd devil fired :" gasped the old woods
nan.
Gle did, gentlemen, and felt the ball strike |,
nc under the shoulder; but ths. didn't seem 20
ut an embargo upon my lccomotion, for, as
oon as !! got up. look on again, quite re-
resacd by my fall | heard the red skia close
ehind me coming booming on, and every mo-
aeat expected to have bis I'D tomahawk
ashed into my head or shoulders. Something
ind o cool began to trickle down my legs into
ny boots
.11t.,l oh 9 from, tho chat the vafrnink Gin