The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-12-09


lost all traces of him. - Detroit Post.
4 sEONY UF THE FRONTIER.
The first white settlers in West VIr-
ginia experienced dark and troublesome
times in tfiecting permanent Judgement
on the banks of Ohio The Indians be-
ing subsidized by the English, were hos
tile, and conflicts were inevitable wheu~
ever culonist met native, To protect
the pioReers of this then far remote region,
"A stock ade was constructed at Wheeling
somewhere about the close of the revuIu-
tionary war, and a small garrison placed
within it, which was more than once un-
successfully besieged by tie northern tribe
of red men.
Game of various kinds, particularly of
wild turkeys, abounded in the vicinity of
the fort, and was sometimes hunted by
the soldiers of The garrison to relieve the
tedium of their munotOnous life and vary
their ordinary rations. On one occasion
the seeming call of one of these birds from
rocky ledge not far 10 the rear of the
stockade, prompted a soldier to go ou; at
early morning in search, who at the eXpi-
ration of his leave Of absence, had not
returned The autumnal sun declined
and set in the hazy forests bevond the
Ohio, and still his quarters in the fort
were vacant, nor did Ire ever again fill
them. Known to be of a restless sliSpo>
sition, il WAS surmised that, wearicd Of
his confined garrison life, he had taken
the opportunity to desert.
a day or two after, the same bird call
from the same direction invtad more
trus'y soldier to solicit pc. mission 10 60
out 10 the hunt. The report of a rife
was heard anon in the direction toward
! which lie had goae, and his comrades be
gan 10 look for his return, successful, or
otherwise Bot he, too, came not, nor
was he ever after st Ell alive These dis
appearances we're accounted very singu-
lar, and parties were sent out in search
OF the missing, but in vain. Before the
excitement thereby occasioncd had subsi-
ded, squad OF recruits 10 make good the
places Of men whose eristments had ex-
pired, arrived from Pennsylvania
Among them was one Louis Wetsel, a
veteran Indian hunter, acquainted with
all The sublleties of Indian strategy, and
boldness eqnalled only by his success
Learning IN &c, n mysterious occurren-
ces he quietly remarked that he thought
he coull solve them ii the like invitation
to hunt should happen and leave to do 50
be given him. Fortunately he had not
long to wait for il for one fogey morning
81, a. l. IL
ern forest, ana Wetzel stole forth on his
perilCus exploratiJp. An hour passed on,
sufficiently tedious 10 his intensely excited
comrades in the fort, and then the sharp
crack Of a rife broke the stiffness OF she
woods.
"Thal's Wetzel's gun :" exclaimed the
CON rs "iAe should know it among
a thousand" Shortly the long, 1.-THE fig.
urc Of It's owner stalked Out of the forest
into the clearing, and as it drew near,
bloody scalp MAS seen dangling by is
single grey lock of hair from The muzzle
of his riie. A rousing cheer welcomed
his return through the sallyport, and the
tale be told was on this wise. Ever suS-
picious of Indian subtlety, aud fertile in
his expedition TO meet it. he went out be-
leying that the omlnous birdcall issued
from wary biped without feathers, and
was Uttered to bring some unsuspeciing
victim within The reach of lis deadly tom
ahawk.
A lepeti IN of it having enabled him
10 fix more definitely IFS direction and dis
tance, he slung his gun over his shoulder
and climbed tall inc, which gave him
a view of the ledge Of rocks from which
the sound seemed to proceed. Shortly,
from between The branches of his lofty
perch, he esaied the grey scalplock Of an
old warrior, ensconced behind large
rock over which he was cautiously peer
ing to watch the result of his s'ra;egem.
Instantly covering the marx with his un-
erring rifle, Weizel drew the trigger,
when the head dropped upon the rock and
then disappeared behind IT.
He had obtained too sure an aim to dis
trust the success Of his bullet, and wait
ing only few minutes to ascertain
whether the eremy were single or nor, he
descended, and taking u circuit so as 10
bring him above the *, got an observa-
ton into a kind of cavern behind it, where
Law the wild turkey with perforated
brain. Hasteuing down he secured the
the rife and other weapons of his foe
fund attached 10 his beit the scs.lps of
III two missing hunters, TO which he i'm
melia ely adder. that of their murderer.
and returned to the fort Wetzel's snbse.
C,,ant exuIbitS In the wars along the hnr