Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1873-12-25

a iOTtS, outfn spite OK MS best strength
the young warrior kept him hard
e pressed, and, carrying loaded rife,
made the chances of the white man
d not the most encouraging.
Down thrpugh the forest they sped
the pursued and the pursued. one
$ running to ave life, and the other to
take it. Lie the hound and hare,
the two mel leaped log and stream,
the distance between them varying a
: trifle now aid then, but not enough
to pronounce either OF them the bet
ter runner. The Indian occasionally
lifted his rife as if to shoot, but
| Kerr watched the motions of the saw
age by cos~sant glances over his
shoulder, hoping by zigzag course
to be able to prevent the enemy from
; getting fair sight on him.
They had run full a mile when
Kerr reached the body of large
log, and just as he was about to lesp
upon it, he saw the Indian lift his
gun to his shoulder; jumping to one
side as quick as lightning and then
ahead, he cleared the log, but before
alighting on the other side, heard the
crack of the redskin' rife Although
unharmed, be threw up his arm and
dropped 10 the earth. Instantly pick
Ing up q stick he placed his coon
skin capupon it, and so placing the
rod on end that the cap would show
on the right side of the log as soon
as the Indian came within few feet
of it, the artful hunter crept steathily
around the roots of the upturned |
tree and watched the movements of |
the enemy.
After firing, the savage drew his
tomahaWk and bounded forward like
a tiger Reaching the log with the
instrument ready for the blow, should
he not find the pale face already
dead, he saw the cap, and, with a
whoop, clutched the furry object,
lifted it, and stood gazing at the spot
whence it came. Had he not have
been so chagrined, he doubtless
would have noticed an object dart
out from its hiding place, and have
put himself on guard before the
heavy knife of the hunter was com
ing down upon him; but, he was out
witted, and, before hardly aware of
the sudden movement, received
the broad blade to the handle in his
dusBy form
The Indian plunged forward with
such force as to roll entirely off the
log, carrying the knife in his body
Kerr believing his victory complete,
stood painting, bare headed and alone
contemplating the scene. How long
be stood thus, he could not tell, but
probably not many minutes, when be
was starrfeu- Uy JiIe cf1Uk of Hinr
upon the hsmmer-pan of a gun.
Glancing in the direction from {
whence the noise proceeded, he saw
the Indian in the act of re cooking
his rifle. The hunter had not time ,
to recover his knife, and entirely un- {
armed made for thicket lying be f
tween himself and the river By S
zIgzag course he reached the bank of :
the Muskingum, but the water was q
too high to make an attempt to ford i
it safely, and too rapid to allow him L
to reach the opposite bank by swim e
ming No time could be lost by dis ;
cussing plans for further action, for n
the savage, although following s
the underbrush by trail alone r
would put in an appearance Kerr, "
never lacking for stratagem, picked v
up bowlder and putting it into the i
slack of his hunting shirt above the II
belt, ascended tree that stood close
upon the brink of the bank, but sew
eral feet above the waters edge, and
took position upon limb at least h
ten feet from the earth. o
Not long after the borderer had " "
taken his position, he saw through h
the foliage of the trees the head of a
The savage darting among the bushes. v
In a moment the Indian came out, L
and following the track of the hunt T.
er by sight as accurately as the m
hound will scent the fox, he reached il
\ spot exactly beneath his enemy, at
and stood, gazing right and left, for " v,
he object of his search. NJ NJ
Kerr believing his most favorable ST
lime had come to act in self defense. S,
himself for the work. 1t re
would not do to keep silent. for. by a; al
30 doing, he would. in all probability ~ ~
De shot, for the Indian would dis II
,over that the pale face had never hi
eft the spot. Holding the rock as h'
nearly over the head of the savage :,
,s he could, Kerr let the stone drop, n.
md watched its downward course O,
The aim was good, and would have di
inished the foe had he not turned in
ust as the weight was to crush his III ~
skull. The borderer saw the change 10 :,
If position, and the rock light on W
he savage's shoulder, and bring him p
o his knees Throwing himself al
rom the limb, Kerr followed the eo
boulder, and striking astride the stal tb t6
vart Indian, clutched him by the
leck, and both went at length on the
Earth. u
The struggle that followed was IL, IN
iefce, and desperate. Kerr held the ns r.a
avage too tightly to allow him to re
ret at his knife or tomahawk, nor tic
.ouId the hunter loosen his hold to W.
,bta;n any weapon from the belt of 81, 81
lis foe, ard the two, graphing like an
igers in the jungle, rolled over, and of
,ver again, until they reached the WI
'erge of the bank, nor did they stop les
here, but went splashing into the Tn Tn
liver below. tb
The water into which they fell was W, WI
lot more than ten or twelve inches he
leep, but fortunately Kerr came on in
op as they landed, and kept the ad tn
,antsge. Setting a vice like grip M, M,
lpon the sayage's throat, he forced TT