Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1863-04-17
VOL XIV.
ArATAL SHnT.

AbS OfeF lake anu cBappaF6l
AN hour like this casts spell upon my
spirit" said Cameron. love 10 see the
glare of day fade and give place to the dim,
placid twilight"
q l have similar feelings" replied Wilson,
but ike night best when advanced towards
the small hours, and the moon and stars are
brightly beaming."
Cameron made no reply, and the parties re-
maired silent. Wilson was the first 10 speak.
That's heavy rife Of yours he said.
glancing at the weapon upon which Cameron
was leaning. s. dare say it has been of ser
vice to you in lis Time"
"No money coud induce me TO part with
ii, beeanse have proved its metal on various
occasions. Did 1 ever tell you Of an adven-
ture that | once had pear the Red River ?"
You never did l should like to hear it, .
said Wilson.
Several years ago." resumed Cameron, I
was hunting near Cross Timbers, not far from
Red River. The Indians we're then trouble
some, and frequently committed their depre-
datiohs on the frontier settlements; but was
fond Of hunting, and cared little for them,
willing to trust to my own courage and inge-
nuity in any emergency that might occur. l
carried this same rife, and was called one OF
the best shots in the cOuRtry.
Many people said the piece was too heavy
for common use /; but I was used to it, and it
didn't feel burdensome to me-and when fired
it was sure 10 do the right thing. for what ami
NAL could carry of an ounce and half of
lead, skiilfully sped on IFS errand Having
discovered Indian signs one day, thought il
best 10 change my hunting ground, and so put
a considerable distance between me and the
spot, and encamped on a wide prairie, bound
ed on the cast by the Cross Timbers. Not
long after this event, was sitting on the bank
Of small stream, resting my weary limbs af-
ter long ard ia iguoing hunt when was fired
upon and slightly wounded.
Il Vas fortunate enough TO discover the
marksman, who proved to be an Indian, Of
what tribe l do not remember. 1 instantly
shot him dead, and then perceived that he was
not alone, for one of his brethren was with
him, who made good his escape. Time passed
on, and l was undisturbed in my aHlusements
for long time,
One day, not feeling very well, I returned
TO my camp sooner than usual. ] laid down 10
sleep, but could not. 1 felt uneasy and ner-
vous, and so arose and went on the prairie,
The grass was not very tall. and the hot sun OF
the season had dried it until it was crispv, aud
ratified as ! walked through it. l aseended a
gentle swell and looked around me. The
scene was a grand one On one hand were
the Cross Timbcrs dimly seen in the distance,
resembling dense wall Of wood built by hui
man hands, while in every direction the prai-
rie stretched away until lest in the distance.
The sun was getting low, and looked like a
sunset on the sea. As ny eyes wandered
from point TO point, they were suddenly fixed
on solitary figure several bHAdred yards dis
laut, at The foot of the hong swell or roll upon
winch | was standing.
He stood in an open space. and at first
wondered how that could be, as the grass was
so high in every other place; but the affair
soon explained ITSELF More careful examina-
tion showed me that the solitary object was
an Indian, and his object in packing up the
dry grass was that he was going to ere the
prairie It was doubtless The same fellow
that had escaped at the time bad been fired
on. BE had discovered my retreat, and was
about TO revenge himself ia a singular man
ner.
- The wind was fresh towards nc, and if The
grass had been set on fire, no power on earth
could have saved me- f)r the aeetest horse
could not run fsst enough to escape from lis
devouring flames A terrible dread of that
kind of death came over me. l stood Ike one
fascinated and gazed at the preparation of
the savage. He stood in the middle of the
open space he had made, with blazing torch
in his hand. Innumerable Thoughts rushed
through my mind in an instant of time.
was never so completely paralyzed and stupe-
fed il my life. The power of thought seemed
TO be the only power left me, and that was
stimulated to an unnatural degree. The past,
present and future were reviewed and specula-
ted upon in that brief and broken fragment OF
time in which the savage stood waiting for the
brand to burn more brightly before he thrust
it into tie grass. Yes ray destiny was 10 be
burned Some hunter or traveller would find
my body charred and backened and others
after time, would pass my bones bleached in
the sun.
You must remember that all these ideas
and reflections ran through my mind in the
shortest appreciable space of time ; for you
must know that the sudden prospect OF great
danger, from which there is no apparent mode
of escape, impars to the brain horrible fac
ulty of thought, of which the mind at rest car
form no possible conception. l closed my
+ eyes in prayer, and commended my soul Il
Q God but it was impossible for me TO closC
my eyes against the one great absorbing idea
= in my mind-that of being burned up like lht
vile reptile that crawls in the woods
My lips unc!osed, and as they did so m!
eyes rested upon my trusiy rife; it was tht
| E,egf bo1 oF - IL i.
was great between me and my enemy bp
a now it looked Ike an old friend the only or
' that had the power te save me.
embraced the thought that the sight o
my rife called up-a species of joy which
nearly overeoWered' by an agonizing feeling
Dr One chance still TeInained !: a small chance
was tue, but still chance; and despair can
not parayze and subdue the heart while on
,g faint hope remains. l lifted the instrumen
upon which hung my destiny. As my gl&nc
=. ran over the Intervening distance, felt hol
desperate, indeed, was my prospect of life, fc
an hundred good marksmen might tiy thei
= skill in vain IN aiming at an object so far of
Then l remembered that my weapon was
/, an uncommon caliber and weight, and woul
throw a ball farther than any had ever seel
| recolected, also, that had loaded it tbs
very day with uncommon care and for Ion
re shot
THE Indian had moved the torch, and WI
= about to apply it to the combustible matters
ais there was no time to lose. The riff
came to my shoulder quick and firm, and
braced my nerves for a steady aim with
strong effort of the will looked through Il
= double sights, and the mHz8le covered the Il
dams head. My heart seemed to stop beatir
&C neiu 10 .ne erAsp oL .nat terripie suspense-