The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1878-03-28

dams paddle glittered in the sun as he
sat in the stern, and, with quick, strong
strokes, propelled the little craft against
the current. He could see his sister
crouching in the middle of the canoe,
with her head muff1ed in some coarse
cloth.
Jase cooked his gun, and, with the
greatest caution, brought the piece to
bear on the savage, determined to fire
the instant he came near enough.
But the wary Indian either heard
some sound from the shore, or suspected
danger at this narrow point in the chan
mel, for, before he had come within
range, Jase saw him creep forward and
crouch beside his captive, in such man.
ner as to shield his own body with hers.
Jason saw the savage's sharp eyes
scanning the bushes, but he did not fire,
lest he should shoot his sister.
Though baf1ed by this trick. the bold
boy was not disheartened. Three or
four miles further up the river was a
rapid, where the channel was broken by
lodges and large powders, against
which, near the upper end of the broken
| water, were piled great heaps of drift
logs and brush. Jase had trapped there,
and knew the place we'll.
There were three piles of drift in the
stream at that polnt-one near the night
bank, another on a ledge little
further out and few rods higher up,
and third one lodged against two
enormous rocks still nearer the opposite
bank.
II was between these banks and the
shore that boats and canoes going up the
river usually passed for the current
was here neither SO strong nor SO swift,
but flowed smoothly over pebbly bot
tom.
With line canoe or boat could be
pulled up against the current, and the
water was not SO deep but that a man
could wade and draw boat after him.
To shoot at the savage when he drew his
canoe up the rapid was Jase's next
thought.
After a hot run he came out near the
rapids, and easily waded across to the
on which he was able to jump to the
second of the three. But it was only
by wading that he was able to get to the
furthest drift pile, the point he wished
to reach.
Several times he was nearly swept
away by stumbling over the slippery
rocks upon the bottom. But he got
over, and, hiding himself partly under
some of the brush, and behind an old
! tilted-up stump, he lay III wait for the
Indian.
From this lurking place he could not
see down stream; but, in about twenty
minutes, he heard the Indian wading in
the rapid, splashing his way up, pulling
| the canoe after him.
70 moro nd Taso oarChf ohf
of him-bent over, as he carefully
! planted his moccasined feet among the
slippery stones on the bottom. He had
| the line over or shoulder, and the
canoe, with Abby, was ten or twelve feet
| behind him. The girl was now sobbing
bitterly, quite despairing of escape or
rescue.
The Indian had come within thirty or
forty feet of Jase, but at that moment
| his quick ear caught some sound from
the drift-heap. He stopped and turned
sharply round.
| This was Jase's chance. Before the
savage could stir, the young backwoods-
man had fred at him. And it was a
most fortunate shot-for Abby Flint, at
| least.
Jase had hit the Indian in vital part.
Uttering dreadful cry of pain, the
savage let go the line and attempted to
reach the drift-heap; but, being go Sc
verely wounded, he lost his footing and
rolled down the rapid.
The canoe, too, caught sidewise by
the current, was upset, and Abby,
clutcbing at the gunwale, which was
wound with basket-stuff, was carried
with it into an eddy beneath the other
| bank.
"Hang on to it, ABR were the first
words she heard from her brother.
Jase had waded into the stream.
crossing over, he seized hold of til =
noe; but, stepping into deep hole ear
| the e Idly, both he and sister sank COM
/ pletely out of sight. For moment they
were near drowning. Tie boy strug-
gled out, however, and pulled his sister
| to the shore.
| Neither of them saw anything more
of the Indian. Probably he was car
ried into the deep water below the rapid
and was drowned.
! I wish [ had been able to learn more
of the subsequent career of Jase Flint;
] but [ could only hear at Duluth that he
had become scout and Indian fighter
out West.
He was certainly acool-headed steady
handed youngster-if not very good
farmers boy. I wish he could have
been both. But there is an old proverb
that cit takes all kinds of folks to make
up world" and also another, "you
cannot have everything in one boy. "
So, while we regret Jase's failings, LET
us praise his pluck and energy
| Youths CO771110y2iO1