The weekly Butte record., 1861-02-02
0NeekIg 8utte 9etor0
A New Life-Preserver.
:. Of hair-breadth escapes.H-oruEILo.

& OF hairbreadth escapes. s-OTHELLo.
have read somewhere of a traveller who
carried with him brace of pistols, a carbine
a cutlass, dagger, and an umbrella, but was
indebted for his preservation to the umbrella
it grappled to bush when he was rolling
over precipice In like manner, my friend
W, though armed with sword, rife,
and hunting knife, owed his existence-to his
wig.
He was specimenhunting flor W is
a first rate naturalist somewhere in the back
woods of America, when, happening to light
upon dense covert, there sprang out upon
him-not a panther or catamountain-but
with terrible whoop and yell, wild Indian,
one of tribe then hostile to our settlers
W-'s gun was mastered in a twinkling
himself stretched on the earth, the barbarous
by's celebrated marquis, leaped from his sheath
Conceive the horrible weapon making its
preliminary aourishes and circumgyration the
savage features, made savager by paint and
ruddle, working themselves up TO demoniaca
crisis of triumphant malignity his red right
hand clutching the shearing knife his left the
frizzled top-knot and then, the artificial scalp
coming of in the Mohawk grasp!
W says the Indian catchpole was for
some moments, motlonless with surprise re-
covering at last, he dragged his captive along
through brake and jungle, to the encampment.
A peculiar whoop soon brought the whole
horde to the spot. The Indian addressed them
with vehement gestures, in the course of which
W was again thrown down, the knife
again performed its circuits, and the whole
transaction was pantomimically described
All Indian sedateness and restraint were over
come. The assembly made every demomstra-
tion Of wonder and the wig was fitted on,
rightly, askew, and hind part before, by hun
dred pair of red hands. Captain Gulliver's
glove was not a greater puzzler to the Houhy
huns. From the men it passed to the squaws
and from them down to the least of the ur-
ehins W--s head, in the mean time,
frying in midsummer sun. AT length, the
nhenomenon returned into the hands of the
f, a venerable graybeard F.; he examined it
afresh, very attentiyely, and, after a long de-
liberation, maintained with true Indian silence
and gravity made a speech in his own tongue,
that procured for the anxious, trembling cap.
tive very unexpected honors. In fact, the
whole tribe of women and warriors danced
round him, with such unequivocal marks of
homage, that even W comprchcnded
that he was not intended for sacrifice. He
was then carried in triumph to their wigwams,
his body daubed with their body colors Of the
most honorable patterns, and he was given to
understand that he might choose any Of their
marriagable maidens for a squaw. Awaiting
himself of this privilege, and so becoming, by
degrees, more proficient in their language, he
learned the cause of this extraordinary respect
1t was considered that be had been great
warrior; that he had, by mischance of war,
been overcome and tufted but that, whether
by valor or stratagem-each equally estimablc
amongst the savages-he had recovered his
liberty and his scalp.
As long as W kept his own council,
he was safe; but trusting his Indian Delilah
with the secret Of his locks, it soon got wind
amongst the squaws. and from them became
known to the warriors and chiefs. A solemn
sitting was held at midnight, by the chiefs, to
consider the propriety of knocking the poor
wig owner in the head but he had received
timely hint Of their intention, aud when The
tomahawks sought for him, he was far on his
way, with his ilepreserver, toward British
settlement.