Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-07-15
A WILD ADVENTURE.

Sam Tully and Caleb White were
trapping in the Snake river region.
They were men of desperate courage,
who had taken their lives in their
hands too often to care for the dangers
of the life they led. Caleb-or Gale
White was man who stood six feet two
in his moccasins; a man whom you
would hardly care to meet in the close
tug of desperate battle. His hard
brown face was scanned with scars
from bullet, knife and claws of wild
beasts; and his muscular body showed
the marks of many desperate struggle.
Sam Tully was the beau ideal of
mountaineer. Although not SO power
full as Gale, he was man of great per-
sonal strength and desperate courage.
For many year these two had roam
ed the trapping grounds together,
fighting Indians, grizzlies and wolves;
chased by night over the burning
prairie; defending their camp against
the Sudden attack of red fends, or
spending recklessly at the stations, the
money which they had earned so hardly
on the trapping ground.
They had been out all winter, and as
spring approached the last cache was
covered, and the trappers begun to
think of returning home.
The camp was built up near the
river, tributary of the Snake, which
flowed through dismal canyons, in which
the light of day never shone; under the
shadow of giant cliffs upon which
human beings never yet set foot, and
only spreading out at places where the
cunning beaver had built his dam. The
river was broken by great rapids and
abouuded in rare fish, upon which they
had feasted royalty for many days.
There was not particle of ice in the
channel now, for the rushing torrent had
swept it down to the great river. They
had a canoe, and had been discussing
the chances of going down the stream in
that, in order to save time.
"I'm ready to take the chances, if you
are, Gale"
81 don't like to give myself away"
said Caleb White. "What do we know
about the river, after we get down to the
big canyon, and who ever passed through
it?"
"That's the fun OF the thing, Gale;
we do what no one else ever dared to
do"
81 don't like it, replied White, who
was by far the most prudent of the two.
cha what is that 2"
They seized their weapons and ran to
the door of the hut, just in time to see
dozen Indians running down through
the grass, blocking up the only way of
In kho
1ifes began to play upon them they
went out of sight among The rocks and
begun their gradual approach, which
could only end in one way-the white
trappers would be overwhelmed.
"There is only one chance, Gale, u
cried Sam Tully.
"And that?"
"The canoe"
"I'm your man," cried the giant
trapper. "You push the canoe into the
water, and throw in the weapons, while
keep these fellows in play. All would
you2 Take that!''
An Indian had raised his tufted head
to get better shot at the trappers, but
before he could get back the unfailing
eyes of the trapper had looked through
the double sights and the rife cracked
The Indian sprung suddenly to his feet
spun sharp round upon his heel, and
fell dead in his tracks.
The next moment the canoe shot ou
from the bank, and headed down through
the boiling food, plunging in the can
yon below so rapidly that the Indians hai
scarcely time to recover from theil
amazement at the sudden exodus befor,
they were out of sight. One Of the In.
dians bounded to his feet, and uttered {
low signal whoop, and two large canoes
containing in all about fifteen men
rounded point in the river above anC
came flying down under the strokes o
the paddles.
The Indians on the shore simpl,
pointed down the stream, and the canoe
dashed by at furious speed, the will
yell of the paddlers announcing to th
white men that they were pursued.
The first rapid passed, they entered
long stretch of water, where the curren
was only four Or five miles an hour; an
here the propelling force in the othe
canoes begun to tell, and they game
rapidly.
On each side of the canoes the canyo
rose like wall, two hundred feet i
height, and they could only put all thei
strength in the paddles and dash on g
fast as they could. Two miles further
and the canoes were scarcely hundre
yards behind, the Indians yelling lik
demons, as they saw the foe almost
their grasp.
Gale White shook his head, as he lool
ed over his shoulder, when his cane
was suddenly seized by mighty fort
and hurled downward, like bull
from rifle. They had struck anoth'
rapid, more powerful than the first, an
the rocks absolutely seemed to fly pa
them.
"This is something like IT," erie
the daring Sam Tully. "How we