Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-11-09
Indian Adventure in Ohio.

ier posts of the northwest. Its in
mates had been annoyed by repeated
attacks Of Indians; but, protected by
works, and actuated by the hardy
courage of their class, they had uni
formly repulsed their assailants, and
frequently with considerable loss.
Sometime in the month of October,
intelligence reached the little garri-
son that the savages were preparing
an expedition against the settlements
in great force. A council was imme-
diately held, and scouts were sent out
to ascertain if possible the number of
the enemy, and the probable point of
attack. Two of these, named Nc
Clelland and White, ascended the riv-
er as far as the picturesque promon-
tory now known as Mount Pleasant,
the summit of which commanded an
extensive view Of the surrounding
country.
Here the two scouts took their sta
tion and were not long in discovering
| the objects of their search. The smoke
of an encampment rising through the
trees betrayed the presence of their
foes, at a distance much more adapted
to scrutiny than to the safety Of the
watchers. Every day brought fresh
accessions to the warriors; and every
new arrival was greeted with prolong.
ed 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. 1t was not
likely, therefore, that they would ell
ther be circumvented by their foes, or,
without desperate struggle fall vic
tins to the seal ping knife,
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 knapsacks, for they dared not
kindle fire, and the report Of one OF
their rifles would have precipitated
upon them the entire band of savages
1t had recently rained, and a pool Of
{ water among the rocks served then
for their drink. In a few days, how
: ever, this disappeared; and the alter
: native was presented Of finding a new
e supply or abandoning their underta
D king.
/ McClelland volunteered to make the
l. trial. Carrying his trusty rifle in bis
; hand, and with two canteenS strung
o a-,~na, hiS ehnnlAa"a. hn na,.of"lly do
e scended to the verge Of the prairie
+ and keeping within the thickets Of ha
n eel which skirted the hills, directed
e his course to the river, on the bank OF
F; which he had the good fortune to fine
= a gushing spring, from whose waters
L he filled his canteens and returned il
e safety.
7, The success Of this enterprise de
+ termined the two friends to have {;
y fresh supply of water daily, and th'
e task of procuring it was to be perform
II ed alternately. The next day, whel
I White had filled his canteens, he sat
1 few moments watching the limpid ele
g. ment as it gurgled from the earth
IS While thus employed sound of ligh
u footsteps caught the ear, and turnin
n he saw a couple Of squaws within
e few feet of him, the elder Of Whor
d Immediately gave one Of those fal
j. reaching whoops peculiar to her race
lie White at once comprehended tn
|; peril of his situation. If the alarI
n should reach the camp, both he an
IL his companion must inevitably peris
a -selfpreservation prompted the il
e, Fiction of noiselsss death upon tn
3; two squawS-a proceeding to whicl
Ill in all probability, he felt but slight II
" pugnance from any scruples of borde
gallantry. The purpose was no sool
er formed than acted upon. He spran
;s on his victims with the strength an
- agility of panther, and tightly gras
" ing their throats, leaped with them i
Is to the river. Without difficulty
succeeded in thrusting the head of tt
in elder beneath the water, where 81
We speedily became insensible, but Il
ly, younger made a stout resistance, al
we during the struggle to his great su
th prise addressed him in his own la
dy guage, though in words scarcely art
ok ulate. He quickly released his hol
al when she informed him that ten yea
to before, she had been made a prison
ras by the Indians, who had brutally mt
er- dered her mother and two sisters /
ire fore her eyes.
er- During the narrative White let
ing his grasp upon the squaw, whose bo
hly hoated where it was not likely to
np- discovered, and then hastily directi
hat the girl to follow him, with wont
re- speed and energy he pushed for t
ace hill. They had scarcely gone t.
ich yards, when shouts of alarm we
de heard about quarter of mile belC
gin Some warriors on their way to
to- camp, had probably reached the ri7
as the body Of the drowned SOU
foated past. White and the girl S
'. ceeded in reaching the hill, where \
- III Clelland had remained no indiffer,
@ie' 1' spectator to the conmotion so S
nas - denly excited. The Indians had
.I u mediately struck off in every directi
'iio and a number of them before the fl
'ooo ~ tives could reach the summit had ct
a";o aso menced to ascend the activity, pick
ond $50 their way with caution and keep
and I constantly under cover. From t
ont ~ to time glimpses were caught of tt
' swarthy faces as they glided from t
fa fraa apd pOok to rOak fill If hnoa