Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1863-08-11
a SETTLERS EXPLOIT.

noon, about bali mile from bis dwelling.
to look after some cattle, lie heard Il stick
snap lehind him, and turning quick
ly around, found himsel! conf 0nted by
huge savage, in al the hideousness Of his
war paint, and with his rifle CT musket
levelIed at his head, the muzzle not more
than four feet from him. Bowditeh him.
self had rifle in his hand but he knew
the Indian could shoot him before he could
raise it and fire, and he did not make the
attempt, but Immediately dropped it to the
ground and held up his palms, in token Of
submission.
On seeing this, the savage walked up
AMI said:
Give Iriur gunD
Il see you're big chief and hope we
may be good friends
Where live 2 asked the savage, as he
produced a stout throng Of deer-skin, and
proceeded to bind the hands Of his captive,
who, being a small man, saw he was no
match for The other, even without weapons
on either side, and so submitted quietly,
! though agOnized at the thought of his p' or
helpless wife and children, in their bnely
cabin over the hill.
i live Ont youdor not a great way from
/ here replied the captive, nJdding his head
/ in the proper direction.
How many gotY queried the savage.
/ The settler hesitated about telling cor
/ rectly. lie first thought he would name a
! number large enough to deter the Indian
I from going thither, and thus, perhaps,
/ save his wife and children from fate like
/ his OWL; but after a moments reflection, it
| occurred to him that, should TIE savage
! take him there, chance might arise for
! him to regain his liberty, and he decided
/ upon speaking the truth.
! Why DO L0ng-knife teli?' demanded
( the Indian, with an impatient frown. No
! make lie :.
No, chief; III tell you the truth. There
/ are only three persons in my cabin
my wife and two chiIdreu-Sut
/ know big, brave chief like you won't
! hurt EN-
Me go see'emr returned the savage,
/ with fierce CLEAN Of triumph, which the
/ other did not fail to notice.
/ Having tightly bound the hands Of his
captive behind his hack, the savage felt
about his dress for arv other weapons.
took away his ammunition and Iulting
( both weapons over his shoulder. told the
white man to lead the way. This the lat
ter did, foil Of hope, fear and general anx-
iety, til he came in Pleasant valley,
/ through which II wed pretty little stream.
I branch OF the Green river, when the Ia
dian ordered him to st.p aud proceeded
to make him fast to tree by means Of
another derr-skln thong secured t. that
around the wrists.
Amt you going to let me 90 down to
/ the house with you ?? inquired the captive
now beginning to feel much alarm for the
safety Of his family.
( Me 90 q me " returned the savage grufi-
fly. Me tig chief-want scalpu
oh, for Gods sake, don't Kill nv moor.
innocent wife ard chi!drenn r1eaded
I B'wditch, fairly agouizei at the thought
\ ou are great chief, | know, and you II
remember that they never did you any
| harm =
! 'Long-knife scalp much good y rcioined
/ the Indian sullcnlv, as he finished birding
/ the other to 4 tree, and strobe away down
! the hill. carrying the two weapons with
. hun. B'wdtch watched him, step by step,
! as he glided away under cover Of trees.
keeping some rSCk, stump, or -clump Of
( bushes between him and the inmates Of
/ the dwelling so they might not " any
/ chance perceive his approach and take the
! alarm;
AT any rate l can holler yet g." muttered
the captive, 'and may be they'll hear mo
/ and forthwith he set up series Of wells
that went echcing and re echoing far away
! through the forest.
The settler saw his wife and children
/ come in haste to the door, and look up the
ill IN alarm. At this, be shouted at ii e
top Of his lungs.
Quick, Esther,-go back into the house
and bar 1t up tight! The Iriuns are arter
YOU, and Pm prisoner! Quick ! Quick |!
or you're lost. and the children stood as If
paralyZed with establishment aud terror.
and then, to his great relief, he saw his
little boy point in the direction Of the
s6uIklng savage, and all three retreated
and closed the door.
The Indian now uttered a fierce veil.
and stepped out into plain view, fired both
pieces, one after the other, at the dwelling.
as If he had impulsively adopted tbs
means to vent his rage at being discover
ed and fojled of his murderous purpose
Then locking around at lis captive, he
threw down the rife belonging to the latter
and drawing his tomahawk, started toward
him on a run. BowGitch. who had watch.
cd every motion, and knew that the savage
would brain and scalp him, now gathered
all his strength, and made one desperate
effort to free himself acting rather from
the instinct of sef-preseryation than from
any hope of success.
But to his great joy, his uuspoakable
Joy, he felt his bonds strain, crack and
snap, and Suddenly found himself free and
his arms at liberty. lie looked quickly
and wildly around, almost disposed ia
doubt his seuses-tO discredit his good
fOrtune-for any fortune seemed good
which gave him even bare chance for
his life where. he expected oply certain
death. The Indian was at least a hundred
and fifty yards from him. and his rifle nm.
loaded; and with Z start in q race for life
"a race that involved not only his OWL
life but that of his wife and children-wbc
so swift Of foot as to Overtoke him.
With loud yell of mingled Joy and de.
fance, away he vert over the hill and
with louder yell of rage at his unerpect.
ed escape, the fierce savage came bonndipa
after him. Bcwdtch knew everv irch a
ground in that vicinity, and he haa al.
ready regained sufficient presence of mind
to shape his course so as TO rake advantage
of all the chances in his favor. The hill
about the summit was a succession of rock,
and bushes, with ca7ea. chasms and pre-.
cIpices, and oSer, through, and al NO these
natural distractions the fugitive believed
ne could make his way with any man liv'
ing, either red or white, and so took the
most troublesome route for his larger and
more unwieldy pursuer, resolved. should he
BY chance find the latter gaining on him
at certain cave not more than halls mile
distant, where he could enter, by following
one of the labyrlnthian passages within
and could come out on the same side into
thicket not more than fifty feet from the
main opening.
Looking back occasionally, as he fec
along his rocky way with the ease of 6
mountain goat, Bowditch soon discovered
that however superior to him his adversary
might be in mere physical strength, h,
was no match for him in speed in that par