The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-08-17

was the imitation of the hoot of an owl
and the crack of their guns rang out
through the woods.
Hardly had the smoke cleared away,
when the other party of redskins opened
fire upon the whites. Two of Brady's men
fell at his side, and perceiving from the
number of guns discharged that the enemy
was too strong to be successfully resisted
the wary captain instantly adopted the
motto, ''DiscTetion is the better part OF
valor." and gave his party the word to save
themselves by flight
There are emergencies when true martial
| wisdom teaches
THAT he who fights and runs away,
May live to fight another day."
Brady himself started like deer to get
out of the jaws Of his outnumbering foes.
A few steps brought him out of the thicket,
from which they had discharged their
guns, upon slope of open woods. OF
course here he would be far more exposed
to shots and pursuit from the savages.
But they were coming up i'll his rear yelling
like tiends after bis scalp, and there was no
choice for him but to take the risk and
make his best speed.
Away he went down the slope, confident
that his legs would save him from anything
but bullets, for there was not an Algonquin
sachem fleet enough to overtake him. Cast
ing back glance, he saw dozen Indians,
their guns left behind and tomahawks
drawn, rushing after him. They knew his
brawny form. and many insults and defeats
they had 20 avenge on Captain Brady. Ii
self preservation lent swiftness to his feet,
a fercer passion winged their pursuit
Their eagerness to kill the great captain in
duced them to relpquish the chase after
the other white men leaving them to escape
unmolested.
Still, as he always declared he was not
concerned as to The result, for even with the
additional burden Of his gun he knew that
he could run faster and father then they.
But they were familiar with the LAY of
the land, and he was not ) aud as they
followed him he was surprised to see them
spread out as if to surround him, although
they were losing ground.
The fact was, lie was fastening directly
toward the stream in large bend, where
for mile or more, ii flows deep and strong
through a narrow, impossible gorge. They
bad only TO enciI Gle and close in upon him
to take him prisoner. They felt sure of
their victim, while he, ignorant of his pre-
dicament felt as sure of his escape.
Suddenly he saw the channel before him,
which, with the savages behind formed
the jaws of trap merciless as fate. \
glance at n point where he could see the
nature of the chasm showed him its impas-
stability, and another glance backward con
vinced him that to wheel to either hand
would confront him with the weapons of
three or four of the Indians.
Dashed at this seemingly fatal corner, lie
paused to load his gun but the Whole
band were too near for that. When he
stopped furious yell burst from the red
skins and changing their course they ran
directly at him, brandishing their battle
axes.
But Samuel Brady was not the man to
die by the hands of those who had mur-
dered his father any fate was preferable
TO that. Away he sped again, with the
bowling crew at his heels Rather would
lie yield his fate to the Slippery Rock than
to his mortal enemies.
But as he ran, a desperate resolution
famed up in his heart, and a mighty en-
ergy coursed through his stalwart frame
He determined to leap across the stream,
and with a lifted prayer, the conviction
rushed upon his mind that he could do it.
Forward he sped to~ard the abyss, and
behind, certain of their game, came the
yelling, blood d-thirsfy savages.
Reaching the brink, he sprang into the
air, almost as if some great bird, he had
taken wings, and incredible as it may seem
to those who have seen the gorge, landed
in safety on the opposite bank.
But what was the amazement of the In
dians
Ihey were under SUCH headWay, and the
foremost one SO near, that they could bare
ly hold back from plnnging down the preci
piCe.
And now it became their turn 20 flee, for
while their guns were quarter of mile
away, Brady was rapidly loading for shot.
With the widest exclamatiOns of surprise
and alarm they whrled away at their ut
most speed, one of them saying III broken
English
''Blddy make good Jump
Brady never forgot the iuGicrous scene
they presented-a dozen Indians fleeing
from one white man. Aud such zigzag
running in order to dodge his bullet; ROW
Jumping to the right, aud now to the left +;
now on all fours, and now leaping into the
air. But it was Ill vain the fellow that
said, ''Blady make good jump" was an
swered from the iron lips of the rifle with a
leaden missile through his heart.
Captain Brady afterwards visited the
spot with some os his friends and measured
the width of the chasm-a thing which the
writer las done i'll modern years-finding
it over twenty feet from blink TO brink,
and necessitating d leap of at least twenty
two feet in order to make his footing Sc
cure at starting and aiighting. g.-N. T.
Ledger.