Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-07-22

whelp, pufflng and blowing not three
hundred yards inmy rear. He had got
on to piece OF land where the trees
were small and scarce. Now, thinks /,
old fellow, / will have you. So .trotted
off at pace sufficient to let him gain on
me, and when he had got just about near
enough | wheeled and fired, and down
/ brought him dead as doornail, at one
hundred and twenty yards .nil
Ily.Then you scalped him, ] suppose, F"
said the woodsman. ha
"Very clear of it, gentlemen; for by
the time | got my rifle loaded, up came
the other two redskins, shouting and
whooping close on me, and away broke
again. like, a race horse. / was now
about Eve miles from the settlement,
and it was now getting towards sunset.
| ran till my wind began to get pretty
short when | looked back, and there
they came snorting like wild buffaloes,
one about two or three hundred yards
ahead of the other; so / acted possum
again until the first Injun got pretty
well up, and wheeled and fred at the
very moment he was drawing bead on
me. He, fell heels over head into the
dirt, and up came the last one.
"You laid for him?" gasped sew
eral.
mo" continued the Senator, al did
not lay for him; l had not time to load,
so ran. / heard every bound he made
after me. / ran and ran until the fire
few out Of my eyes, and the old dogs
tongue hung out of his mouth a quarter
of yard.
" "Phew" whistled somebody. .at
"A fact. gentleman. We'll, what was
/ to do? / did not know Rife empty,
no big trees about, and numbering red
Indian in my rear, and what was worse,
just then it occurred to me that / was
not great ways from a big creek, and
there I.should be pinned at last. Just
at this juncture / struck my toe against
a root; down tumbled and my old dog
over me. Before / could scrabble up
the Indian fired, and the ball struck me
under the shoulder; but that did not i'm
pede in any way my locomotion, for as
soon as I got up ! took off again, quite
refreshed by my fall. l heard the red
skin close behind me come dashing on,
and every minute | expected to have his
tomahawk dashed into my head or
shoulders. Something kind Of cool be-
gan to trickle down my legs into my
boots"
Blood, eh for the shot the varmint
gin you" said the old woodsman, in a
great state of excitement.
g | thought so,P said the Senator, "but
what do you think it was? 1t was the melt
ed deer fat which / had stuck in the breast
of my hunting shirt, and the grease was
down my legs, until my feet got
so greasy that my heavy boots flew off,
and one hitting the dog, nearly knocked
his brains out. ! hope, gentlemen, no
man here will presume to think | am
exaggerating. 4ioaA DhA
"Ohl mol go on, all chimed in. /
Well, the ground under my feet was
soft, and being relieved of my heavy
boots, | put off with double quick time,
and seeing the creek about half mile
off / venturedto look over my shoulder,
to see what kind of a chance there was
to hold up and load. The redskin was
coming jogging along pretty well blowed
out about five hundred yards in the rear.
Thinks l, here goes to load, anyhow.
So at it | went-in went the powder, and
putting on my patch, down went the ball
half way, and off snapped my ramrod.
Thunder and lightning" shouted the
old woodsman, worked up to the top
notch in the story.
Good gracious WASH t | in picklel
There was the red whelp within two
hundred yards of me, pacing along and
loading up his rifle as he camel |
jerked out the broken ramrod, dashed it
away, and started on, priming up as |
ran, determined to turn and give the
redskin a blast anyhow, as soon as |
reached the creek. was now within
hundred yards of the creek, and could
see the smoke from the settlement Chin
neys; few more jumps and ! was by
the creek. The Indian was close upon
me-he gave whoop, and raised my
rife; on he came, knowing that | had
broken my ramrod, and my load not
down; another whoopl whoopl and he
was within fifty yards of me! / pulled
my trigger, and
"And killed him2" chuckled one Of
the company.
"No, sirl missed firel
And the redskinl" shouted the
woodsman, in frenzy of excitement.
FIRED AND KILLED Me-
The screams and shouts that followed |
this finale, brought landlord, servants
and hostlers running up stairs to see if |
the house was on fire.