The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1866-11-22
Indian Adventure i'm Chic.

e ~ ShC ySel -, VII Gtic " ukS vi tic
Hockhocking, a few miles above it's
junction with the Ohio, stood small
stockade, then one Of the frontier posts
of the Northwest. Its inmates had
been annoyed by repeated attacks of In
dians; but, protected by works, and ac-
tuated blythe hardy courage of their
class, they had uniformly repulsed their
assailants, and. frequently with consid-
cradle loss. ;go5 g aat IA .tah
Some time in the month of October,
intelligence reached the little garrison
that the savages were preparing an cx-
pcdition against the settlements in great
force. A council'was immediately held,
and scouts were sent out with instrue-
tions to ascertain, if possible the num-
Der of. the enemy; and the probable
point of. attack Two. of these, named
iMcClelland and White, ascended the
river as far as the picturesque prononto
ry now known as Mount Pleasant, the
summit, Of which commanded an exten-
siye view Of the surrounding country.
h Here the two scouts took their sta
ton, and were not long in discovering
the objects of their search. The smoke
of an ehcainpment rising through the
trees betrayed the presence of their
foes, at distance much more adapted
to scrutiny than to the safety of the
watchers. Every day brought fresh ac-
cessions to the warriors and every xew
arrival was greeted with. prolonged and
exultant yells. Such sounds were well
calculated to appal those to whom they
were unfamiliar, but, to. our gallant
scouts they served, like martial music,
to string the nerves and stir the spirits.
From early life they had lived on the
frontier. It was, not likely, therefore,
that they would either be circumvented
by their foes, or, without desperate
struggle fall victims to the scalping
knife. ''..'' -t''
On several occasions small parties
left the encampment. and ascended the
hill, at which times the scouts would
hide in a cleft of the rocks, or creep
among the branches of some fallen tree,
till the danger was past. For food they
depended on the supply in their KNAPP
sacks, for they dared not kindle FIRE,
and the report of one of their rifles
would have precipitated upon them, the
entire band Of savages, It had recent.
ly rained, and a pool of water among
the rocks served them for their drink
In few days, however, this disap-
peared and the alternative was pre-
sented Of finding new supply or aban-
doning their undertaking. u; -,
McClelland volunteered to make the
trial. Carrying his trusty rife in his
hand, and with two canteens strung a.
cross his shoulders, he carefully descen-
ded to the verge of the prairie, and
keeping within the thickets of hazel
which sknted the hills, directed his
course to the river, on the bank of
which he had the good fortune to find
a gushing, spring, from whose waters he
filled his canteens and returned in safe
ty. '-'' % 90
The success Of The. enterprise deter
mined the two, friends to have a fresh
supply of water daily, and the, task of
procuring it was to be, performed alter
Inately. The next day, when White
had filed his canteens, he sat few mo-
mpents watching the limpid element as
It gurgled from the earth. While thus
employed, a sound of light footsteps
Z. . lem e,ipeil