The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1865-01-26
LEWIS wETzEL.

ali the varieties Of forest adventure, from
that ofbuntinp the beaver aud the beat
10 that Of the willy Indian, he became
one of the most celebrated marksmcn oi
the duy. His form was erect, aud to that
hieht beet adapted to activity, being very
muscular and possessed Of great bodily
strength. From constant exercise, he
could without fatigue, bear prolonged
and violent excriion, especially that ol
erunniuu aud walking; aud he had, by
= practice, acquired the art Of loading his
ride when running at null speed ,hrou Il
the forest; and, wheeling on the instant
he could discharge Il with unerring aim.
At the distance Of eighty or enc hundred
yards, into mark not larger than dol
lar. This art he has been known more
: than once TO practice with fatal success
!, on his savage foes.
q. Wciscl's fame had spread TOT
Ind wide, as the most expert shot OF
!. tho day. II chanccd that young man, n
few wears younger thsn Wetxcl, who
lived on Dankafd's Creek, tributary Of
'the Monongahola River, heard OF bis
fame; and, ss he also was fret rate shot
the best In his settlement--hc becsme
very desirous Of an opportunity Tor tral
of skill. SO great was his desire. that he
one DIV shouldered his rife, and whist.
linz his faithful dog to his side, started
for The heiphborhood Of WeiEol, who, at
that time, lived on Wheeling Creek, dis
tant about twenty miles from the scrlc.
nent on Dsnkard's Creek. When about
hallway on his journey, fine buck
spranR up Just before him. He lcvelcd
,' his run with his usual precision, but the
deer, though badly wounded, did not fall
. dend in his tracks. His faithful dog soon
seized him aud brought him to the ground
hut while In the act Of doing this, auoth.
ct dog sprang from tho forest upon tine
same deer, aud his mastcr making his
appearance al the samc time from behind
tree, with loud voice claimed the
tuck rs his property, because lac had
been wounded by his shot and seized by
his dog. II so happened that they had
both fred ut once at this deer, a fuct
which muy very well happen where two
artive men are hunting on the same
ground, although one may hrc at the dis
lance Of fi1y yards, and the other at one
hundred. The dugs felt the same spirit
of rivalry with their masters, and quit
ting the deer, which was already dead,
fell to worrying and tearing each other.
In separating the dogs, the stranger hap
pened To strike that of the young man.
The old udagc, "Srike my dog, strike
myself," arose in full force, and, without
further ceremony, except few ungry
words, he fell upon the hunter and hurled
him TO the ground. This " as no sooner
done then be lpurd himself turrcd, and
L.. mi
tsgonis'. Discovering that he was no
match at this play, the young man np'
pealed to the trial by rifles, saying Il
was to much like dogs for men aud hun.
tiers to fight in this way. The stranger
asscnted to the trial, but told his antOg
onist that, before he put il fairly to the
test, no had better witness what he was
as much superior, he thought, with thui
weapon, as he was in bodily strength. -
lie had him place mark the size of n
shilling ON the side OF huge poplar that
stood beside them, frcm which he would
start with his rifle unloadcd, and, run
ming hdndred yards at full speed, he !
would load it us he ran, ard wheeling,l
would discharge IL instantly to the center
Of the mark. The feat was no sooner
proposed than performed; the ball enter
I'd the center OF the dimiuuiiyo target
Astonshcd at has activity and skill, his
antagonist instantly inquired his name.
"Lewis Wetzel, at your servicc," an
swcred the stranger.
The young hunter seized him by the
hand with all the ardor Of youthful nd.
miration, and at once acknowledged his
own inferlorily. So charmed was no
with Wetztl's irankness, skill, aud fine
personal appearance, that he insisted
upon his returning with bin to tho set
. tlemcnt on Dankarks Creek, that he
might exhibit his talents to his own ismi
", aid to the hardy backw oodsmen, his
neighbors.
Nothing 10th to such an exhibition, and
pleased with the energy of his new ae-
quaihtance, Weizcl consented to accom-
pnny him-shorlening the way with their
mutual tales OF hunting excursions aud
hazardous contests with the common enc.
mics of tho country. Amongst other
= things, Welxel stated his manner of dis
unguIshiug the footsteps ofo white man
from th sc of an Indian, although cover
cd with moccasins and in,ormxcd with
the tracks al sayagcs. He had acquired
Il. this tact from closely examining the
manner Of placing the feet--the Indian
slepping with his feet in parallel lines,
and first bringing the toe to the ground
while the white man almost in
varisbly places his feet at an angle with
the line Of march.
An opportunity they little expected,
soon gavo room to put We,rers skill To
the uail. On reaching the young mans
home, which they did that day. they
found the dwelling a smoking ruin, and
all the family lying murdered and scalp.
ed, except young woman who had been
brought up in The family, and TO whom
the young man was ordently altached.-I
She had been taken away alive. us was
aseertained by examining the trail OF the
ssvages. WeIzel soon discovered that
tho party consisted of three Indians and
q renegade white mun--a fact not un.
common in those early days, when, for
crime or the love OF revenge, the white
outlaw iied TO the savagcs, aud was
adopt d. on u al. into their tribe.
Asit was past the middle Of the day
and the nearest assistance still at some
considerable distance, and there were
ONLY fosr to contend with, .hey decided
on instant pursuit. As the deed had
very recently been done, they hoped to
oversize them in their camp that night,
aud perhaps before they could cross the
Ohio River, TO which the indians always
reueutcd after q successful incursion,
considering themselves in manner safe
when they had crossed TO its right bank,
al that lime occupied wholly By the
Indian tribes.
Ardent and unweuried was the pursuit
BY tire youthful hunlsmen--the one es
cited to recover his lost mistress, the
other to assist his Lew friend and to take
revenge for the slaughter OF his country.
men. wetzel followed. the trail with
the raerriny ssgsei'y Of a bloodhound,