Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-12-30

$50 PAGES of, walking backward 80 rs &c
make his footmarks in the snow appear
to be leading TO the tent, instead OF away
from il. Arriving on the ice, off which
the high winds had dritted the snow up
on the banks, he took of his shoes FOR
fear the nails in them might betray him
by scratches on the smoothly frozen sur
face, and then followed the stream over
the ice till he reached the winding which
brought its course nearer TO his tent. Here
he climbed up the bank, between two
snow-drifts, and hid himself among
some withered bushes where the twigs
and stalks gave him sight of the te1t and
just room enough beside for the use OF
several weapons.
In this situation he watched and
listened. Although the frost was so in
tense that his breath froze ON his beard
and his lett hand felt glued TO the barrel
of his leyeled rifle, the fever of expecta-
ton in his mind prevented his feeling the
cold. He watched for what seemed TO be
an interminable time; and at last the heads
of the two men rose in sight over the brow
of a neighboring hill. All doubts were
ended now-the last day in this world had
dawned for him or for them-the men
were Pawnees
After holding counsel together on the
hill the sayages threw back their buffalo
skins, drew .heir full quivers before
them, and strung their bows. They then
separated. One walked to the top OF the
hill from which the deserted traveller mad
first caught sight of them, to trace the
direction Of his footsteps; the other exam
ined the track between the water and tent.
Both seemed to be satisfied with their in
vestigations; both met again before the
tent and communicated with one another
by gestures, which expressed their con-
viction that the victim was asleep by his
fire inside. In another minute they drew
their how-strings, placing themselves SO
that their double fire OF arrows should
meet at right angles in the tent.
The man whose life they were seeking
never felt life so dear 10 him a. at the mo-
ment when he saw them shoot five arrows
into the place where he slept. Still he
watched and waited, for his existence now
depended on his cunning and patience
on his not miscalculating, by an instant
the time to fire. He saw the savages pause
and listen before they ventured into the
tent One of them dropped his bow,
grasped his tomahawk ana knelt TO creep
other stood over him with his arrow in
the string ready 10 shoot In this posi-
ton the skull of the kneeling Indian was
brought within the white mans line of
sight, and he cooked his rifle. Faint as
the click was, he saw that il had caught
their ears, for they both started and turned
round. Observing that this movement
made the kneeling man less likely TO es-
cape his eye in the tent, he shifted his aim
and fired al the naked breast OF the man
with the bow. The sharp eye of the saw
age discovered his hidden enemy at the
same instant and he sprang aside. But 1t
was too late; he was hit, and he fell with
a scream that went through every nerve of
Mr.. Mollhausen's body. The other saw
age jumped TO his feet, but the white mans
weapon was the quicker of the two, and a
discharge of buckshot hit him full In the
face and neck. He dropped dead on the
spot, by the side OF the other man, who
was still groaning.
Although he knew that he had justifia-
bly, shot, in self-defense, two sayages
whose murderous design on his own life
had been before his eyes--although he
was absolutely certain that if either one
of the Pawnees had been permitted to
escape the whole tribe would have been
at the tent by the next day--the brave
travellers nerve deserted him when he saw
his two enemies on the ground, and when
he thought of the terrible after necessity
of hiding what he had done. With IA
feeling Of unutterable despair he mechan-
ically reloaded his rifle and approached
the place. The groans of the Indian who
had been shot in the breast moved his
pity so strongly that they seemed 10 recall
him to himself. First turning the dead
Indian face downward TO escape the hor-
rifying sight of the mangled features, he
his wounded enemy and made
signs that he would forgive him. help
him, cover him with buffalo skins, take
him into the tent, and there do all that
was in the power Of man 10 gain his good
will by preserving his life.
The savage lay writhing and bleeding,
with his teeth elenched, and his eyes glar-
ing in deadly hatred through the long,
black hair that almost covered his face.
But, after "A while, the merciful white
man saw that his gestures were under.
stood. A sense Of relief, even OF JOY,
overlooked his heart at the prospect OF
saving the Indian and securing com
panion In his fearful solitude. The
wounded man signed 10 him to come
nearer, and pointed with his left hand to
his right hand and arm, which lay twisted
under him. Without the slightest stis-
picion Mr.. Mollhausen knelt over him
To place his arm in an easier position
At the same moment the wretch's right
hand flashed out from beneath him. armed
with a knife, and struck twice at the un.
protected breast Of the man who was try.
ing to save him. MIR Mollhausen parted
the blows with his right arm, drew his
own knife with his lett hand, and inflicted
on the vindictive savage the death he had
twice deserved. The rattle sounded In
the throat and the muscles of the naked
figure stretched themselves in the last
The lost traveller was alone
in the frozen wilderness with the bodies
of the dead men.
The night was at hand--the night came
"a night never TO be forgotten, never in
any mortal language TO be described.
Down with the gathering darkness came
wolves; and round the two
corpses in front Of the tent they circled
and howled. All through that awful night
the lost man lay listening 10 them in the
pitch darkness-now cooling his wounded
arm with snow, now firing his pistol To
scare the wolves from their human prey.
With the first CLEAN of daylight heross
to rid himself of the horrible companion.
ship of the bodies and oi all that be.
trayed their fate before the next wander.
ing Indians came near the spot and be-
A. "a. al. al A