The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1867-01-19
An Indian Adventure in Ohio.

In the year 1892 on the banks of the
Hockhocking, II few miles above its juno
tion with the Ohio, stood small stockade,
then one of the frontier posts of the North
west. Its inmates had been annoyed by re-
peated attacks of Indians; but, protected
by works, and actuated by the hardy cour-
age of their class, they had uniformly re-
pulsed their assailants, frequently with
considerable loss.
Some time in the month of October, i'm
telligence reached the little garrison that
the savages were preparing an expedition
against the settlements in great force. A
council was Immediately held, and scouts
were sent out with instructions to ascer-
tain. if possible the number of the enemy
and the probable point of attack. Two Of
these named McCleiland and White, ascen-
ded the river rs far as the picturesque prom
Ontory now known as Mount Pleasant, the
summit of which commanded an extensive
view of the surrounding country.
Here the two scouts took their station,
and were not long in discovering the objects
of their search. The smoke of an encamp-
ment rising through the trees betrayed the
presence of their foes, at a distance much
more adapted to scrutiny than to the safe
| ty of the watches. Every day brought
fresh acCessiOns to the warriors and every
new arrival was greeted with prolonged
and eXultant yells. Such sounds were well
were unfamiigr but to our gallant scouts
they served, like martial music. 10 string
the nerves and stir the spirits. From early
life they had lived on the frontier. IL was
not likely, therefore, that they would
be circumvented by their foes, or without
q desperate struggle fall victims to the
scaping knife.
on several occasions small parties left
the encampment and ascended the hill
which times the scouts would hide in q
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 "A fire, and the report of one
of their rifles would have precipitated upon
them the entire band of sHvages. 1t had
recently rained. and n pool of water among
| the rocks served them for their drink. In
a few days, however this disappeared and
the alternative was presented of finding
a new supply or abandoning their under
taking.
McElelland volunteered TO make the
trial. Carrying his trusty rifle in his hand,
and with two canteens strung across his
shoulders. he carefully descended 10 the
verge Of the prairie, and keeping within
the thickets of hazel which skirted the hills,
directed his course to the river, on the
bank of which he had the good fortune TO
| find gushing spring from whose waters
1
The success of the enterprise determined
the two friends to have a fresh supply of
water daily and the task of procuring it
was to be performed alternately. The next
day. when White had filled his canteens,
be sat a few moments watching the limpid
element as it gurgled from the earth.
While thus employed, sound of light
footsteps caught his ear, and turning he
saw couple of squaws Indian women)
within a few feet of him, the elder of
whom Immediately gave one of those far
reaching whoops peculiar to her race.
White at once comprehended the peril Of
his situation. If the alarm should reach
the camp both he and his companion must
inevitably perish. Self preservation promp-
ted the inflietiOn of noiseless death upon
the two squaws-a proceeding to which, in
all probability, he felt but slight repug-
uance from any scruples of border gal
lantry. The purpose was no sooner formed
than acted upon. He sprang on his victims
with the strength and agility of panther
and tightly grasping their throats, leaped
with them into the river. Without diff
ticulty he succeeded In thrusting the head
of the elder beneath the water, where she
speedily became insensible, but the youn-
ger made stouter resistance, and during
the struggle, TO his great surprise, ad-
dressed him In his own language, though
IN words scarcely articulate. He quickly
released his hold when she informed him
that ten years before. she had been made a
prisoner by the Indians, who had brutally
murdered her mother and two sisters be-
fore her eyes.
| TCONCIuDED MoEpAYl