The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-12-21

that the splinters tore my clothes and
cut me severely about the face, while a
fragment from one of them struck Patsy
on the head, and with the blood pour
ing over his face he rolled over at my
feet.
/ dragged him into little angle, and
expecting every moment to be my last,
L hoped, though still clutchedmy pis-
tolls in desperation. From my po sition
had a view down as far as the creek,
and though it was nearly dark, l could
see there was no renewal of the attempt
to attack from that quarter; still the
stones came down, and one of them
struck my left arm and it fell powerlcss
by my side. This, added TO the loss of
blood from the cuts in my head and face
made me so weak that it was only with
the greatest difficulty could remain on
my feet.
1t became dark, pitchy dark, and nev-
er for an instant did the torrent of stones
cease. l felt sick and giddy. | was
parched with thirst, but even if the foe
were to withdraw l was powerless to
leave my position. / do not know how
the time went by. Once l imagined |
heard voices outside the barricade and
up the defile, and emptied chamber
of my pistol in each direction, when the
whispering ceased and the hurino of
the rocks was renewed.
L thought Patsy was dead; but some
time during the night-the whole time
is misty like half-remembered dream
i thought heard him mutter:
"Ise dead, an Pm put in de dark,
my feller-citizens, foh my body's in do
cole, cole groun'."
| have an indstinct recollection of
firing my pistol several times after this,
then comes blank, not one incident of
which can recall till daylight.
Whom l woke, or, rather, returned to
consciousness, could not believe my
eyes nor ears. The Indians were still
yelling, and rifle was blazing away
close to me.
L looked up, and there stood Patsy
like black Hercules, guarding the pass.
He looked down at Inc, and his big eyes
grew larger and whittier as he gasped:
"Bress dc Lo'r, yeh amt done gone
yet! Yeh see, Mass Costlah, some
body had ter fight, an dar want nobody
luft'd but me, so Use peggin' away"
So saying, he raised his rifle, and let
drive like veteran.
Like myself he was covered with
blood, and the sight of it made me
stronger. l staggered to my feet and
looked up the ravine, from which now
came the sharp rattle of rifles and the
terrific yells of the Indians.
They were attacking us OH every side,
took up my rifle in my right hand, and
determined to die fighting the flends,
whom L expected to see every second.
While | was listening, heard cheers
blending with the yells, but they came
from the opposite direction, and, look
ing toward Scalp Creek, | saw Paul the
guide, with Whitcchurch and Brough-
am, running toward me.
The momentary strength that came to
me when ! supposed the end was at
hand departed, and had no recollcc-
ton till found myself in camp at the
mouth of the ravinc, to which point the
wagons had been brought.
My friends told mo they had been at
tackled the previous night, and hence
could not search for me and Patsy.
fhoy rcpulscd the Indians, aud, knuw-
ing the direction l had taken the day
before, they broke camp and started on
the search, with the result already stat
ed. Tho Indians were badly punished
aud driven of; still, ON account of my
broken arm, we turned back to Fort
Benton, where we remained all winter.
The following spring we started
again, and went through successfully;
but curious thing about the adventure
was, that Patsy, from being timid non
combatant, at once became the most
warlikc of beings, and never was SO de-
lighted as when there was n prospect of
brush with the Indians.