North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1865-10-11

who gave cry Of exultation, aud as the echo
died away, several more of the animals came
ont of a ravine and joined the one in sight.
Several bows were already unstrung, and
two or three Of the Younger warriors were
just springing forward towards them, when
an aged hunter, who had been carefully scan.
ming the game, uttered an exclamation
which arrested the fiery youths, and brought
them hastily 10 his SIDE. r...- .... a..a r.
"They are rot buffaloes, they are Siour
brares !" exclaimed the old man sternly -
"and they have disguised themselves to draw
US in a snare"
A fearful howl escaped the lips Of the
Mandana, as the warrior spoke and all eyes
were fixed with an eager gaze upon the ami
mails in the distance. Suddenly one Of them
reared alOft and as he came down, the hide
which had disguised HIM fell Fl, and a Sioux
warrior, completely equipped for battle, stood
before them. The others followed the exam
pie and as the astonished hum ers gazed up
on the appalling spectacle hundred dark
"dtliio PdIh'eu S''ln'J ioi 'io Stl'ei anu
waving the cleaning tomahawk in the air,
came with deafening yell over the brow OF
he hill, and bore down upon the Mandans.
VIII" numbered rot over twenty ren, and
then the voice of the old hunter rose far
above The yells OF the c. ming enemy. ''
"Away, they are too many for us-to the
village" and setting spur to his horse, he
wheeled around aud fed Tor the town, fol-
lowed by the feeble band. .-H rsa.-r ..
Exciting and fearful was the lace which
ensued US each party dashed wildly over the
plain, the one flying for the precious boon OF
life, and the other pursuing like raging de
mons hirsting for the blood of the foe. -
Many of the Msndans were soon overIaken
and slain: and but few survived the horrors
Of that bluody morn. .t....... -... .. ..
In the meantime the inhabitants Of the
village were feas,ing in the excess of joy and
a great festival was going on IN every house.
Famine was to be known no more. The
dread demon Of hunger was about TO be ban
l>htd from their midst, and plenty reign in
The place Of ptnury and want. The old
warri"r worn dnwa by years of service and
and7hard>hip, tottered forth from his lodge
into the balmy air, and thanked the. Great
Spirit that he had sent food once more TO his
>'aI wing children. ga Women who had been
confined 6y sickness to their huts flom the,
fleets of bn ger, came forth from their
dwelrgiand jnlned their feeble voices to,
those already raised in honor of the occasion
Merrrmenf and j'y were the or Ter of the
day, and all were happy upon the jubilee.
But suddenly solitary horseman is seen
in the distance, with dishevelled dress and
dIs"rdered mem, squirting down upon the
village as fast as the speed of has horse can
bring him, and all know at a glance that he
is one of the hunters who went forth in the
morn. A dread silence falls at once upon
the heretofore noisy group for there is some
thing in the appearances of that warrior, as
he comes laundering forward: which speaks
OF disaster to his tribe. On he comes, and
as he nears the anxious crowd who are await
ing his arrival, they see his head is bandaged,
and that he is covered with blood. He dash
es up beside them, reins in his trembling
sreed, and cxclaims in breathless tones:
"The Sioux"
A yell followed the terrible announcement,
for all had cumprehended the fatal catastro-
phe, the instant the words were spoken, and
a fearful scene was enacted upln the spot
The squaws filed the air with howl of grief
and madly tore their hair in shreds from
their heads, and rolled in all tho agony of
barbarian grief upon the earth. Where but
moment before all was joy and merriment
was now rnef-horror-dlsmay; The, old
men tottered with deep groap to their
lodges, and endeavnred in vain to put ON the
stole Indifference of the Indian. The blow
had come too suddenly, the unexpected sor-
row was too great to be borne and the feel
ings Of nature, bursting all the bonds of hu-,
lid brow and distorted countenance of each
inhabtant Of the Mandan town. One after
another the few survivors of the ambuscadp
came hurrying into the village. and conster-
nation was. most deplorably depicted upon
every feature, as the expectation arose that
the V'ctorS would attack the town, and mas
Sacre the remnant Of the tribe at blow
But the Sioux seemed satisfied With the
work they had. accomplished, and after fol-
lowing the flying warriors within sight of
the place, they desisted from the pursuit,
and left the vicinity of the Mandans. But
the tribe never recovered from the effects Of
that dire morning, aud from that hour they.
began to dwinde down, until a few years
afterwards the small pox, swept the remnant
Of the devated tribe away;r but to the last
Of their existence, they remembered the ney-
er 10 be forgotten morn Of the FATAL CHASE.