Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-03-17

my scalp but wasn't to be, eatched nap
ping. No, no, gentlemen; | was too well
up to 'em for that
"Well, started off one morning pref
ty early, to take hunt, and travelled a
long way down the river, over the bot
toms and hills, but could not find bar nor
deer About four o'clock in the after
noon, | made tracks for the settlement
again, By and by I see buck just
ahead of me, walking leisurely down to
the river. l Islipped up, with my faith
full dog close in my rear, to within clever
shot distance; and just as the buck stuck
his nose in to drink, drew bead upon
his top-knot, and over he tumbled and
splurged and bounded awhile, when
came up. and relieved him by emitting his
| wien"
"Well but what had that to do with
al adventure ?" said Riley
"Hold on bit, if you please, gentle
meu. BY Jove, it lad great deel to do
with it j! For while l was skinning the
hind quarters of the buck. and slowing
away the kidney fatin my hunting shirt
heard noise like the breaking of a
bush under moccasin up the bottom"
My dog heard it, and started up to recon
hotter, and | lost no time in re loading
my rifle. [ had hardly got my priming
on, before my dog raised howl and
broke through the bush towards me with
tail down, as he was not used to do un-
less there were wolves, painters (panthers)
or Ingins about.
Il picked up my knife, and took up
my line OF march in a skulking trot up
the river. The frequent gullies on the
lower bank make it tedious travelling
there; SO [ scrambled up the upper bank
which was pretty we'll covered with buck
eye and sycamore, and very little under
brush. One peep below discovered to me
three as big and strapping red devils,
gentlemen, as you ever clapt your eyes
Oh Yes, there they came, not above six
hundred yards in my rear shouting and
yelling like devils, and coming after me
like h--ll broke loose p
"Well said the old woodsman sitting
at the table, "You took tree of course?"
'Dld L! No, by, gentlemen, | took
no tree just then, but took to my heels
like sixty, and it was just as much as my
dog could do 10 keep up with me. ran
until the Whoops of the red skins grew fain
ter and fainter, behind me and [ was clean
out of wind. [ veutured to look behisd,
and there came but one single red devil,
putting and blowing, not three hundred
yards in my rear. He had got on to
piece of bottom, where the trees were
thin and scarce. Now thinks [ old fell
low, I'll have you: so | trotted off at
pace sufficient to let the red devil gain
upon me; and when he got just near en-
ough, | wheeled and fired, and down
brought him, dead as a door nail, at a
hundred and twenty yards"
"Then you skelp'd (scalped) him i'm
mediately," said the old woodsman.
"D-clear of it, gentlemen, for by
the time [ got my rifle loaded there came
the other two red skins shouting and
whooping, close on me; and away | broke
again like quarter horse. | was now
about five miles from the settlement, and
it was getting toward sunset; [ ran un-
til my wind was getting pretty short,
Whan took look back and there the
red devils came snorting like mad buffa-
loes, one about two or three hundred
yards ahead of the other, SO | acted pos
sum again until the foremost Ingin got
pretty we'll up and wheeled and fired
at the very moment the red devil was
drawing bead on me; he fell head
over stomach into the dirt, and up came
the last red devil"
$50 you laid for him ,and-"gasped
several.
"No," continued the member, II did
not lay for him; hadn't time to load so
| laid legs to the ground, and stretched
again. | heard the blasted devil every
bound he made after me. [ run and run,
until the fire flew out of my eyes and the
old dogs tongue hung out Of his mouth
quarter Of a yard long"
"Phe-e-ew" whisted somebody.
"Fact, by, gentlemen Well, what
I was to do [ didn't know-rife empty,
no big trees about, and a numbering red
devil not more than three hundred yards
in my rear, and, what was worse, just
then it occurred to me that | was not
great ways from big creek, (now called
Mill Greek, and there [ was to be pin
ned at last.
"Just at this juncture [ struck my toe
against a root, and down | tumbled, and
i old dog over me; before could scramble
up"
"The devil fred y' gasped the old
woodsman.
"He did, gentlemen, aud felt the
ball strike me under the shoulder, but
that didn't seen to put any embargo up
on my locomotiou, for soon as [ got up
l took off again, quite refreshed by my
fall. | heard the redskin close behind
me coming booming on, tomahaek ready
to be dashed into my head or shoulder.
Some thing kind Of cool, began to trinkle
down my legs into my boots"
sBlood eh from the shot the varmint
gin you," said the old woodsman, in
state of excitement.
"I thought so, said the, "but what do
you think it was %
Not being blood, we we're ali puzzled
to know what the blaaes it could be, when
Riley observed.
II suppose you had
Melted the deer fat which I had
stuck in the breast of my hunting shirt,
and the grease was running down the legs