The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-10-19


vincing that she had just escaped from
capture.
"Nol" she exclaimed; death with
my own people is thousand times
preferable to- a longer life Of captivi-
tyl"
Further remOnstrance was useless,
and the scouts addressed themselves
to preparations for "A vigorous resist
ance. The only perceptible access to
the hill was by narrow causeway or
backbone, along which the savages
were compelled to advance IN single
I file, though, for the most part, under
shelter of rocks and trees. But in
passing from cover to cover, each war
rior was Obliged to incur a moments
exposure, and two inches of his dusky
form was target sufficient for the
unerring rifles of the scouts.
For several hours the outnumbering
foe was held in check; but a new and
hitherto undieeovoreJ danger fncnaccd
the hardy woodsmen Their crafty
enemies were preparing to assail them
in flank ia movement which might be
successfully accomplished by means of
detached portion Of rock which lay
adjacent to one of the sides of the
promontory. The brave scouts fully
realized their desperate situation; but
so far from being unneryed by its
hopeleSsDess. they felt their courage
emboldened by the thought that the
certainty of death was not greater
than the certainty Of vengeance.
Soon McCleliand saw dusky figure
preparing to spring from a cover SO
near the fatal rock that single bound
must reach it. Everything depended
on the accuracy of a single shot, and.
though less than halfa hand s-breadih
OF the warriors body was exposed, and
that a distance Of one hundred yards,
the undauuted scout saw it was his
only chance, and resolved to take it.
Coolly raising his rifle, and aiming
with the carefulness of man who knew
that his own no less than bis adyer-
sary's life hung on the result, he drew
the trigger The hammer fell; but
instead of striking FIRE, the flint, through
some inherent defect was crushed to
fragments
Though convinced that the savage
must gam the rock before he could adj
Just another flint, he sat about the task
with composure, resolved that his enc
my should derive no advantage from
his remissness. CHANGING from his
work to the place of the Warriors con-
cealment he saw the stalwart savage,
with every muscle nerved, prepared to
take the leap With the agility of ii
deer be gave bound; but instead of
reaching the rock, his progress was
arrested as though by some mysterious
CONFUSION of his limbs and body, and
he fell, rolling down the rocky slope, a
distance of fifty feet He had evident
~ received death-shot from some un-
known hand; and a terrible shout
from below announced the loss OF Il ia
voute warrior
4 few moments sulliced to prove
that the advantage SO unexpectedly
gained would be OF short duration, foy
already another Indian was seen APP
proaching the cover recently occupied
p by his comnde Again the attack in
front was resumed with increased flu
ry, SO as to engage the constant atten-
OF both the scouts. With tins diver
sion in his favor, the second warrior
prepared to take the leap essayed by
his predecessor. With the spring
/ of a tiger, the fierce and wary savage
, Garted toward the coveted rock; but
the same unseen hand had intercepted
his career, and turning complete
somersault III the air, his body rolled
, down the declivity to join that OF his
! companion.
/ This last mysterious sacrifice struck
dismay to the hearts of the ASSISTANTS,
who, it being now sunset, withdrew to
> devise modes of attack a respite which
/ came seasonably to the scouts, wearied
: as they were, by the protracted and
/ unequal conflict.
1t was now that the absence of the
Q girl was first discovered: and the pic
d neers Supposed she had either hed
Y through terror to her former captors
h or been killed in the fight But they
: We're not long left in suspense; for IL
g few moments the object of their con
=, lectures was seen emerging from The
F; cover Of rock, carrying rifle in hei
= hand In the heat of the contest, she
$ had seen warrior fall some fifty yard.
5 in advance of the main body; anC
+ crouching in the underground, she hat
5 crept to the spot unobseryed, and Sc
a cured his rifle and ammunition
a Her practiced eye had not failed to no
/ tice the danger in which they were ex
0 posed by the proximity Of the rock
and hers was the mysterious hand b,
o which the two warriors had fallen. p
Y The second was the iercest and mos
e bloodi thirsty of the Shawnees
g and it was he who had, ten years pre-
d viously, murdered and scaped he
e mother and sister. The night wa
o dark and cloudy, circumstance whicl
. enabled the scouts, under the skillfu
v guidance of the intrepid girl, to elud
10 their enemies and withdraw from thel
+, perilous situation.
" After toilsome march of tire
3 days the party reached the stockad
3 in safety. Their escape deferred tn
1t Indians from their contemplated at
l. tack, the surprise they had planne'
o. being thereby rendered impracticablc