Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1864-06-24

lake. He could see nothing to arouse his
fears. Should he then go at once and
strive TO procure sone food, of which he
now greatly felt the need Better thus,
he thought, than to goNo another Of the
little lslets, that arose shadowy and al
most unreal to the eye; and weaponless
save his knife, he SET at once about it.
Long association with the red men and
severe experience had taught him how to
sustain life, and even live luxuriantly,
where a city-bred man rould have starved
and the. plant roos q the white pine
(the thread with which Indians unite
bark for their canoes } furnished him with
means of making snares. A brace of
rewarded him, but still The greatest diff
Guilty remained. He was not rendered
sufficiently ravenous by hunger 10 relish
it raw, but should he light fire for the
cooking, keen eyes would speedily see it
and compass his capture. A man of
many resources, he was, however, equal
10 the task. First he found 4 hollow tree,
giant birch that had braved the storms
of countless winters. and waved its gaunt
arms over the residue of the forest Still
it reared lis head a monarch, but decay
! had found its heart, and its skeleton form
was lotteriug to its fall. A natural chin
ney this; and soon It's mouth was scanti-
ly filled with dead and perfectly dry
branches, for well he knew that they
emitted but little light and light thin, al
most colorless smoke, while wet or green
ones sent forth black clouds, staining the
sky, and to be seen for miles.
The fire built, flint, steel and dry moss
soon ign:ted it. The game was soon pre-
pared, broiled upon the glowing Goals and
eaten with a zest that long fasting alone
can give, and an appetite that all the
boasled sauces of the land of vineyards
and song could never confer.
! Hark Even while he was tearing
the succulent flesh from the slender brit
tie bones, a sound as of the sudden
swapping of dry twigs startles him, and
his fingers play nervously with the sharp
knife Long and and inissaly he listens,
but II is not renewed.
rabbit. no Indianr" be muttered to
himself, and again applies himself 10 his
meal.
1t was now rapidly finished, for the
inky clouds began 70 be streaked with
gray, and warningly fortold the time of
departure.
With the habitual recklessness of his
class-who were wont to find food wher-
ever hunger overlook them, whether on
the rocky heights of the mountain, amid
the tangled labyrinths of the larch and
cedar swamps, by the little brook side or
upon the almost falhomieSs and icy waters
of the lake-he covered the fire with
dirt, so as to extinguish it, burying al
the same time the remnants of food, SC
as to defy almost the closest scrutiny
Then once more a careful searching oi
the water.
"All clear-all still The lazy copper.
skins must have 60, drunk on the little
whiskey had in my flask, or else they
have got some other poor devil in theiI
clutches"
Standing upon little hill that sloPet
gently down to where his canoe lay idly
rocking with the waves, he had thus com
muned with himself, when turning, ht
saw, to his great surprise and horror
that dozen war-painled and fully-armeC
savages were n0iselessly advancing upor
him from the opposite shore. The bow
of some were raised, and the arrow:
drawn to the head the rifles of other
at the shoulder, and keen eyes glancins
a.ong the slender tubes, while Drawn,
fingers were playing with the locks. Al
had knife or tomahawk cluiched within
their teeth, and q hundred deaths la,
within their power.
Quick as was the discovery, SO suddeI
also was the movement of LIE Seuer, ;
: shout of defiance burst from his lips, ant
! rushing down the declivIty he threw him
, self headlOng into the canoe, which, ODE
dent to the impulse, shot far out from th
shore. The fearful war-whoop and
3 shower Of srrows and bullets answered
and the shore was lined with his enemies
g by heavens :" burst from the lips c
e the irapPer, the moment his fraiI bark ha
: leit the shore, and just when he fancie
E himself safe, ''they have cut the bOtiOr
e out of the canoe 20 And even as
] spoke the in-ruShing wafer filed the egG
9 shell-like boat. and il sank with a gurg
!. ling sound from beneath him to th
bottom.
0 As he had surmissd, SO in reality ha
q the truth been. While he had been er
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