The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-08-24

were caught OF their swarthy foes, us
they glided from tree to tree and rock
to rock, till at length it became evil
dent that the base of the hill was sur
rounded, and every hope Of escape
cut off
Nothing was left the two pioneers
but to sell their lives as dearly as pos
sible. This they resolved to do, adj
vising the girl to lose no time in max
ing her way back to the Indians, whom
she would have no difficulty in convin-
cling that she had just escaped from
capture.
MOI she exclaimed death with
my own people is n thousand times
preferable to a longer life of captivity y
Further remonstrance was useless,
and the scouts addressed themselves
to preparations for vigorous rcsis-
lance. The only perceptible accets
to the hill was by narrow causeway
or backbone" along which the saya-
ges were compelled to advance in sin
gle file, though, for the most part, I'M
der 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 un-
erring rifles OF the scouts
For several hours the outnunlbering
foe was held in check but new and
hitherto undiscovered danger menaced
the hardy woodsfnen Their crafty
enemies were preparing to assail them
in ilank--a movement which might be
successfully accomplished by means Of
a 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 unnerved. By its
hopelessness, they felt thelrs4,4Grage
emboldened by the thouglHs HI6ss the
certainty of death was NOT Nv Mai
the certainty Of vengeafet'd ~ II h
Soon McClelland saw a'{ihSky 81 trtI
preparing to spring flom ~ tsjses IS
near the fatal rock that sim ga bosii]n
must reach it. Everything depradeH
on the accuracy of single shot, and.
though less than II half handS
breadth Of the warriors body was exA
posed, and that at distance of one
hundred yards, the undaunted scout
saw 1t was his only chance, and resoiv
ed to take it, Coolly raising his rifle,
and aiming with the carefuiness of IA
man who knew that his own no less
than his adversary Ire hing on the
result, he drew the trigger. The ham
mer fell ; but instead of striking fire,
the flint, through some inherent de
feet, was crushed TO fragments
lhovgh eonviuoad that the savage
must gam the rock before he could al
just another flint, he set about the
task with composure, resolved that his
enemy should derive no advantage
from his remissness. CHANGING from
hls work 10 the place of the warriors
concealment, he saw the stalwart saw
age, with every muscle newed, pre-
pared 10 take the leap. With the
agility OF n deer he gave a bound but
instead OF reaching the rock, his pro-
gress was midway arrested us though
by some mysterious CONFUSION of his
limbs and body, and he fell, rolling
down the rocky slope "a distance of tn
ty feet. He had evidently received a
death shot from some unknown hand
and terrible shout from below an
nOunced the loss of fayorite warrior.
A few moments suificed to prove
that the advantage SO unexpectedly
gaiiedFwould be of short duration, for
alrdady another Indian was seen APP
pioaching the cover recently occupied
by his comrade. Again the attack in
front was resumed with increased fu-
ry, SO as to engage the constant atten-
ton OF both the scouts. With this di-
version IN his favor, the second war
rior prepared to take the leap essayed
by his predecessor. With the spring
OF tiger, the fierce and wary savage
darted toward the coveted rock but
the same unseen hand intercepted lls
career and turning complete SOM
ersault i'll the air, his body rolled down
the declivity to join that of his com
panion.
This last mysterious sacrifice struck.
dismay to the hearts of the ASSISTANTS,
who, 1t beng now sunset, Withdrew
to devise new modes OF attack IA res
pite which came seasonably to the
scouts, wearied, as they were, by the
protracted and unequal conflict.
1t was now that the absence of the
girl was first discovered and the pi-
oneers supposed she had either fled
through terror to her former captors,
or had been killed in the fight. But
they were not long left in suspense
for in few moments the object of
their conjectures was seen emerging
from the cover of rock, carrying
rifle in her hand. In the heat of the
contest, she had seen a warrior fall
some fifty yards in advance of the
main body and crouching in the un-
dergrowth, she had crept TO the spot
unobserved, and secured his rifle and
ammunition. Her practiced eye had
not failed to notice the danger in
which they were exposed by the
proximity of the rock /; and hers was
the mysterious hand by which the
two warriors had fallen. The second
was the fiercest and most bloodthirsty
of the Shawnees, and it was he who
had, ten years previously, murdered
and seal ped her mother and sisters.