The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1863-06-10
CHAPTER Ill.
THE CHASE RNpEp.


No more than the frs. gray strcaks Of
dawn had shot up from the eastern horizon,
when the disappointed rangers were astir.
Their horses-which had been pickoted
upon the prairie, each with long rope,
after the ranger fashion of feeding
first taken to = little stream to drink, and
then moved TO fresh place, to grazo until
their riders were prepared to mount. Such
provision as they had made against their
own hunger, was then dispatched without
delay, and with little preparation Fortu-
nately, however, the wedding feast had
furnished viands enough for more than ten
times their number and with the readi-
ness of the women of those days, each had
been provided 10y wife, sister or sweetheart.
with supplies, ample and well selected.
1t was now plain that the chase before
them was long one and it was no equiv
ocal augury of their resolution to follow il
to the end, that they thus set out with sys-
tcmatic prudence.
BY the time they had finished a hasty
breakfast, and each taken deep draught
from the stream where they had watered
their horses, the gray of dawn had deep
ened into red, and the dew drops upon the
bending grass were sparkling like diamonds
in the opening light. The birds within the
grove were lluttering, full of matin songs,
from branch to branch, or floating olf-in
long and graceful flights-far over the ver-
dant plain the grouse came out upon the
knolls, where the herbage was short and
green, and strutting pompously from side
to side, clumsily plumed themselves in the
morning beams; on the ridges, farther off,
the deer stalked out from sheltering hol-
lows, and stamping daintily upon tho
ground, or, tossing proudly up their ant
Tered heads, snuffed vainly at the rising
wind. A low, faint sigh, rs of u passing
spirit, tioatcd-scarcely audible-along the
jeweled grass, and shook the jewels gently
from the blades. The stars went slowly
out, or blended in the Frightening hue Of
heaven the shadows---that still fingered
round the groves-were fading rapidly, or
deepening into shade tho red in tho east
grew yellow, and an arc of white announced
tho suns approach. The day had taken
full possession of the earth and skv
There is light enough now, boys" said
Edgar, rising to his feet, Ito begin the
search for the trail. Let us saddle up and
be off,"
Time was never wasted by these men :;
within five minutes all were in the saddle,
and extended along the northern skies of
the grove, in search of indications, left by
the enemy. A signal was given by one
at the extreme north-the trail was found
snd the whole company at once gallopcd
to the place. Edgar sprang to the ground,
and examined the track.
Just as | suspected boys" said he, re-
mounting, "There has been but ono red
skin here, and he has been sent this way, to
attract lis frOm the pursuit ~
" lndan-like," said White; they have
used our own vigilance to crcumycnt us.
But We'll never give II up so, Captain"
Never" was Edgar's decided answer
But we have lost the trail, and must re-
cover 1t. We must separate into small par
ties, and continue the chase. We arc
pretty nearly duo east from the Portage,
tor which, think, they are making-at all
events, they will not so south of it, We
VIII meet--ln the evening. there or, if the
tran should turn northward, we may como
together sooner. Let no one liuger on the
way--We have lost too much time already"
The company was soon divided into
squads of two and three; Edgar took with
HIM White and George Fielding ; andre
peating the injunction not to linger--rode
away to the northwest. The three other
divisions set out at the same time, upon
dlvergng lines, put all maintaining tho
same general direction.
For an hour, those in the center kept all
the rest III view, but, at the end of that
time the undulations of the prairie, and the
rapidlty with which they travelled, had
completely separated them. Edgar, and
the two companions, whom he had chosen
as we'll for the excellence Af their harBes,
as for their well-known courage and cool
ness-were upon the extreme right, or
northern--a post which the young Captain
had selected, both on account Of its danger,
and tor tho advantage it gave him, should
the Indians turn to the north. 1t is with
him that we must continue the chase.
Several hours passed away, during which
they had crossed the belts of timber which
grow upon the banks of two or three prai-
RE streams when, approaching one of the
Cahokia, they suddenly found themselves
upon the trail of o single horseman, Keep
ing away from the timber, it stretched to-
ward the north, parallel with the course
of the stream, disdaining the concealment
which might have been found in the wood.
The three drew up and Edgar dismounted
1t is the same Indian who kindled tho
fire" he said, after short scrutiny of the
track. What think you?"
That if we fellow him." White replied,
e we shall be led away from tho chase,
He takes too much pains to show us which
way he has gone.
You are right" said Edgar; for he
has passed here since sunrise, and his horse
was as fresh as when he left the grove
The Water ia all brushed from his tracks,
but is not disturbed between. Wen not
follow him."
And with further consultation, he sprang
again to the saddle, and resumed his orig
inal direction-verging indeed rather from
than towar.i, the solitary trail Those lit
tie indications-like circumstantial evi.
dence-more convincing than positive de-
claratlons or more apparent signs, satisfied
him that this EsR al atterapt 70 dFGW him
off. He smiled at the ahallowness Of the
deceit, and rode away His companions
his reasoning almost instinc-
lively. The fact that the grass was dry
in the tracks, proved that they had been
made since gunriee; because the dew must
have ceased to drip from one blade to- an
other, and its being undisturbed between,
established the freshness of the Indians
horse, because every bound was clear
spring from the ground. Fifteen minutes
brought them to the outskirts ST the Chokia
timber gnd, after rigid examination of
this, they issued again upon the prairie
toward the west, maintaining the Same
course.
They were now approaching more
densely wooded country. The prairie grew
more narrow, and was broken, here and
there, by groves and strips of timber, along
the banks of numerous little streams. The
4 l. IL