The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-11-01
A WILD WESTERN ADVENTURE.

Sam S. Hall, "3uckskin Sam" and old
Rip Ford were trapping in the Arkansas
river region. They were men of desperate e
c jutage, who had carried their lives in
their hands too often to care for the danger
they were exposed To. Old Rip was man
who stood five feet eleven in his mOccasins
IA man whom you would hardly care To
meet in the cluse hug of u desperate bat lie.
His hard brown face was scanned with
sears, from bullet, knife and claws Of Wild
beasts, and hiS muscular body showed ;he
marks Of many desperate struggle
'Buckskin sam was the beau ideal of y
mountaiueer ani ylainsmau, the Western
hunter that the novelist paints aud the
school boy dreams of aud wishes some day
to be. Although not SO powerful rs Old
Rip. lie was a man of great personal
strength and desperate courage. For
mauy year these two had rodmed the
trapping grounds together, fighting Iu-
diauS, grizzlies and wolves, chased by
night over the burning prairie, defending
their camp against ihe sudden attacks of
red fieIdS, or Spending Iecklessly at the
monte board the money they had earned SO
hardly on the trapping ground.
They had been ont all wiuter, aud, as
spring approached, the last cache was COW
cred, and the trappers now began 10 think
Of Te uriIing home. The camp was built
=
dian, VIII ch flowed through dismal canyo
III which the light OF day never shows. un-
der the shadow of gigantic cliffs upon
which human beings never yet sci foot, aud
only spreading out at places where the cum
ming beaver buIlt his dam. The river vas
broken by great rapids. aud abuuuded in
rare fish, upon which they bad Toasted roy
ally for many day. They had n canoe,
aud had been discussing the chance Of 90
tftfr is,n nrda tn,
Il am ready To take the chances, if you
are, Rip" said Sam.
Il don't ike 10 give myself away" said
Rip. "V hat do you know about the river
alter we get down To- The big canyon, aud
who eveG passed through it?''
"rEat's Ihe fun of the thing. Rip. We
do what no one else daIe do said Sam.
Il don't like it," replied Ford who was
by far the moIe prudent of the two. Il
-ha what in .Jshu is that ?" They seiz
ed their weapons, and ran to the door of
The hut Just in time tn see a dozen Indians
running down through the grass, blocking
up the only way Of escape. The moment
the repeating rifles began to play upon
them, they went out of sight amOug the
rocks. and began their gradual approach,
which could only end in one way-the
white trappers would be overw hplmrd
"Therc only one chance, Rip, said Sam.
"The canoe"
"Fm your man, " cried the giant trapper.
o. push the canoe into the water and
throw in the weapons while keep hose fell
lows at bay. Oh would you? Take that
An Indian had raised his tufIed head 20
get better shot at the trappers, but b-foie
he could get back the uHf1iling eyes of the
trapper had looicd thro' the d ,uble sights
and :he rifle cracked. The Indian spraug
81 L.. 4
upon his bee! and fell dead in his tracks.
I'ne next moment the canoe shot from
the bank and headed down through the
boiling food, plunging in the canyon below
50 rapidly that the Indians had scarcely
time To receive" from their amazement al
Ohe sudden exodus before the tIappers
were out of sight. One of The Indians
bounded 10 his feet and uttered Il low sig
ia! who"p, and tw" large canoes, contain
lnE ia all about fifteen men, ronuded the
point IN the river above the canyon and
came Il yng Gown under the strokes of tn. |
paddles. The Indians on the shore simply
pointed down the stream, aud the canoes
flashed by at furious speed. the wild yeIls !
Dt the padders announcing to the white
men that they were pursued The tirst
rapid passed, Ihey entered il long stretch of
water where the current was only four on
i've miles an hour, aud there he propeliug
ce IN the other canues began To tell, aud
The Indians gained rapidly
On each side of the canoe the canyon was
= wall, 200 feet in height, and The trappers
could only put all the strength in the pa6-
lies aud dash ON as fast as they could. =
Two mills further aud the pursuing canoes
Se'e scarcely hundred yards behind. the
Indians yelling like demons as they saw th,.
white men almost within their grasp Rip
ora shook his head as he looked over his
'h"uioo', when suddenly bis canoe vas