East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1861-10-29

retreat, and heard the terrible yell Whlcl
ell three raised, as they saw their vii,
maneuvre discovered, and that further
silence would be- useless. lorf 1sA rafs
While the main body mad continued tC
attract my attention by advancing con
spicuously towards me, these two partie,
had taken advantake of the numerous
hollows, which at times he'd concealed
them temporarily from view, TO diverge
and by wide circuit, attain my rear,
a grcenhorn that was, never dreaming
of this common Indian stratagem, while
stupidity regarding the first aud only OBJ
/ ject which attracted my gaze. The two
intercepting partieswere rapidly converg
ing towards the line of my retreat, and
were already within quarter Of a mile
of each other, while i was little more
than half the distance from the CENTER
The main body, with fearful whoop
dashed on to close me in. a
My horse was fleet and true, but he
was also travel l-worn and fatigued How
loug could he distance those wild coursers
of the desert, even if escaped the inn
mediate danger ? There was no time to
deliberate. Now or never was the chance.
Another moment would be too late.--
Grasping my rifle with frmer clutch,
and reassuring Mith caressing words the
frightened steed, who alone could save
me from horrible fate, made bold
dash for the interval which still separated
the detached parties, and upon which they
were rapidly closing.
Nobly the gallant animal responded to
the call. Shorting with terror at the wild
shouts OF ourpursuers, trembling in every
limb with the intensity of his exertions,
he flew over the ground with the fleetness
Of the wind; he dashed between the APP
preaching hordes, within hundred yards
of us on either hand. .y -. ~ ,trts
With the energy Of despair I grasped
the saddle with my knees, and bent for
ward to assist his flying course. On, on,
towards the only hope Of safety, fifty
yelling demons hard upon our tracks,
their blankets and fnery flying in the
wind, onward we sped, pursuers and pur-
sued, over the broad expanse of that
prairie ocean. .-.
: Soon the feetncss aud blood Of my
American courser began to tell on the
enduring but slow footed mustangs.-
Some Of the worst mounted were gradu-
ally dropping to the rear, and after run
ming two or three miles, they were strung
out in long line behind me- Gradually
l slackened my speed, for l well knew
that the bottom and endurance of Indian
horses, accustomed to traverse immense
distances at single stretch, is almost
without limit, and many long mile was
still before us. Again they would dimin-
ish the distance, and again was obliged
to urge my steed to his best efforts.
But was beginning to breathe freer,
the first startling alarm was over, half of
the distance was accomplished. If my
courser could but maintain his tremen-
dous exertions four miles more, 1 was
safe. Once in sight of camp, and the
prudence of my wild pursuers would
glance but once at the eighty American
rifles which would CLEAN from behind our
wagon wheels.
was descending long but gentle in
clination towards broad, level depres-
sion in the prairies, which spread out a
couple of hundred yards at its base. My
savage pursuers were moment out of
sight behind the ridge 1 had crossed. 1
reached the foot of the hill at full speed;
my steed plunged forward on what SEEM
ed hard ground-and, oh, despair sank
to his belly in soft and treacherous
swamp! Ahl can the gathering years Of
all futurity ever blot from my memory
tho despair Of that awful momentp How
far this seemingly impossible barrier ex-
tended up and down the rivulet which
divided it, could not guess. A terrible
yell burst from the exultant warriors as
they appeared over the crest of the ridge
and recognized the dilemma they had too
truly anticipated.
Terrible fears chilled my blood. In
that brief moment, as the wild savages
came charging down the hill, tumultuous
thoughts of home and friends, mingled
with the bright anticipations, so long
cherished, of a golden fortune in the land
of promise, came tbronging in wild con.
fusion through my teeming brain. There
was one hope left, desperate as it seemed;
but there was no time for deliberation, no
opportunity for choice. Resistance was
madness. l was hemmcd in on every side
but one. Straight ahead was my only
chance. / might founder through, and,
at all events, suffocation or capture in the
bog was no verse than instantaneous de-
struction where / was.
Dashing the rowcls into the trembling
animal, l madly urged him forward. The
soil, though covered with grass and appa-
rently firm, gave way at every step
Flowing his way by gigantic efforts, now
for an instant raising himself on some
harder spot, then sinking to his saddle
girths, urged by my frantic exertions,
terrified to phrcnzy by the appalling yclls
Of the rapidly approaching enemy, and
the shots which began to whistle around
us, the noble animal toiled gallantly on
and gained tho firm bank just as the
dusky forms of my pursuers, infuriated at
the possible loss of their prey, were clus-
tcring on the opposite side, seeking a fa-
vorable spot to follow. =
Their delibcralion saved me. 1t re.
quircd strong control Of reason to walk