Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-03-09
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Further rprnonstrdnce was useless, and
the scouts addressed themselves to prepare
foryigorous resistance The only percepti-
bic access to the hill was by narrow
causeway, OIL. sbackb0ne," along which the
savages were compelled to pass in single
file. though, for the most part under shell
ter of rocks and trees. But in passing from
cover to cover, each warrior was Obliged to
Incur a moments exposure, and two inches
Of his dusky form was a target sufficient
for the unerrhg rifles of the scouts. - = 5
EorseWeral hours, the outnumbering foe
was held in check, but a new and undis-
covered dan ger menaced the hardy woods
meil.,, Their crafty enemies were preparing
to assaiI them in the ,flank-a movement
which might be SUCCESSFULLY accomplished
by means Of detached portion OF rock
which lay adjacent to one of the sides of
the promonLory. The brave scouts fully
realized tlieir desperate situation. but SO
far from being unnerved by its hopeless
ness, they felt theic conrage emboldened
by the idea that Il e surety OF death was not
greater than the certainty of vengeance.
Soon McClelland saw dusky figure pre-
pairing to spring from cover so near the
fatal rock that a single bound must reach
it.. Everything depended on the accuracy
of a single shot, aud, though less than half
q hands breadth of the warriors body was
exposed, and that at a distance of one hum
dred yards, the undaunted scout saw it was
Coo1ly raising his rifle, and aiming with
the scarefulness of man who knew that
his own. mo less than his adversary'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. Us e,'5 "a i3 s5faa
Though continued that the savage must
gain the Tocknb before he could adjust an
other flint, he set about the task with COM
posure, resolved that his enemy should de-
rive no advantage from his rtmissness.
Glancing from coneealment,l he saw the
StalwarL savage, with every muscle nerved,
prepared to take the leap. With the agility
of deer he, gave a bound, but instead OF
reaching the rock, his progress was arrest
ed as though by some mysterious convul-
sion of his limbs and body, and he fell roll
ing down the rocky slope, a distance of so
feet. He had evidently received a death
shot from some unknown hand; and ter
rible shout from below announced the
death of a favofite warrior. b.ll ~ u
+ A few moments sufficed to prove that the
advantage SO unexpectedly gained would
be, of short duration, for already another
Indian was seen approaching the cover re-
Gently occupied. by his comrades. Again
the attack in front was resumed with in
creased fury, SO as to engage the fixed at
tention of both the scouts With this di-
version 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 darted towards
the coveted rock but the same unseen hand
Intercepted his career, and turning a COM
plete somersarllt in the air, his body rolled
down the deciiVitY to join his companion.
This last mysterious sacrifice struck dis
may to the hearts of the asSailantS, who, it
being sunset, withdrew to devise new modes
of procedure-a respite which came season.
ably to the scouts, wearied as they were by
the prolonged and unequal conflict. . ~
1t was now that the absence of the girl
was first discovered; and the pioneers sup
posed she had either fed through terror TO
her former captors, or been killed in the
fight. But they were not long kept in suS-
pense, for in few moments the object of
their 6onjectures was seen emerging from
the cover of rock, carry ing a rifle in her
hand. In the heat of the conflict, she had
seen a, warrior fall some fifty yards in adj
vance OF the main body, and, crouching in
the undergrowth, she had crept to the spot
unobserved, and secured his rifle and ann
munition. Her practiced eye had not fail
ed to notice the danger to 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 sealped her moth
er and sister. The night was dark and
cloudy, circumstanc which enabled the
scouts, under the skilIful guidance of the
intrepid girl. to elude their enemies and
withdraw from their perilous position.
After toilsome march of three days, the
party reached the stockade in safety, Their
escape deferred the Indians from their con-
templated attack, the. surprise they had
planned being thereby rendered imprac-
ticable. ls4g51 sss-.r5 t.,.-,e -.