The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-07-18

All This IL preliminary to VIM otn
going to relate of savage encounter
between two OF these settlers, and a.
illustrative of the strong and fierce
passions which seemed never to burn
out among the denizens of the Ozark
and Bloody Ground"
Among those who as q contemporary
and comrade of Boone and Simon Ken
ton found home there in those early
times, an expert with rife and compass
alike-for he was a land surveyor was
one Sam Plummer, who, after rambling
all over the State, finally settled near the
three forks of the Kentucky river-one
of the first to locate claims in the re-
gion extending from Big Sandy to
Green river. Sans adventures with
Indians and all sorts of "varmints"
were almost numberless; on one occa-
sion particularly his escape with his
scalp being almost miraculous.
He, with three or four assistants, had
been running lines in the Big Sandy
bottoms; and, their days work
done, had encamped in q dense cane
brake close to the bank of the river.
About midnight Sam, happening to
wake up, found two of his men playing
cards by the light of blazing pine
knot stuck in the ground. Raising
himself for moment on his elbow to
look at them, he with his practiced
hunters ear heard twig snap not far
off in the dense thicket; and, taking
the alarm instantly, he at once seized.a
handful of earth AID threw it on the
torch, leaving them all in darkness. A
volley of profane objurgations followed
this sudden interruption to the game,
of course; but, soon castioning his men
to gather up their traps, arms and in
struments Immediately, the whole party
quickly and silently decamped in the
deep darkness to put some ten miles
between themselves and the twig-
breakers ere daylight.
The next day, reinforced by another
surveying party at work in the vicinity,
they all returned to the place, and
found, from their tracks in the soft soil
and other signs, that about dozen
savages had been in the act of stealing
upon them when the extinguishing of
the light ended so suddenly the attempt.
Sam averred that shat was one time
when card playing did good; for if his
men had not been awake, gambling,
they would all undoubtedly have been
killed" 1 relate this, in part, to show
the decision of character possessed by
my hero, and which stood him in such
good stead upon that one eventful crisis
in his life the unique and savage COM
bat in which he figured, and to which l
shall arrive in due time.
Years sped onward with Sam Plummer,
varied with many almost equally start
ling hair-breadth escapes, from Indians,
from panthers, from rattlesnakes even ;
for Sam declared that these reptiles
were then SO numerous in his surveying
expedition that he could hardly step
over a log in the forest without hearing
one; and he had to stuff the legs of his
trousers with leaves, so that their fangs
should not reach his skin; and ye:
through all these perils Sam fourished,
although years began to tell upon his
appearance. The buffalo gradually dis
appeared, leaving only their skulls and
stamping grounds"-bare spots of
earth where they had killed the growth
under foot by stamping" to keep off
the hies-to mark where they had been /;
and other changes were fast taking
place. But here am reminded of one
Of Sans boosted exploits-no less than
that of "bridling wild buffalo bull"
The animal had been caught in the
quicksands of Big Sandy, where the
clear water ran shallowly and rapidly
over the cleaning and treacherous bot
tom, and his great weight was carrying
him snorting and struggling out of
sight, when Sam came to the spot, and,
seeing the situation, removed his
horses bride to put it upon the poor
beast, who, unable to help himself, was
obliged to submit 1t was hardly mag
nanimous; yet in those days was con.
sidered something to boast of,
because of course there are few Great
ures harder to manage under ordinary
circumstances.
With the departure of the trapper,
and with the other signs of advancing
civilization, neighbors began to plant
themselves almost within sight of Sans
home near the Three Forks. Simon
Kenton had gone off to Ohio, and was
dead; although, as Sam related, the
famous pioneer was once, within
his own knowledge, routed out of
his camp about thirty miles west of Big
Sandy, one morning, the Indians COM
ing upon him so suddenly that he didn't
have a chance to even seize upon his
gun, compelling him to run and walk -
after u hot chase by the savages-some
seventy miles that day and night, before
he fell in with party of hunters who
could furnish him food and other relief
1t was SO sudden and clean sweep CT
his entire hunting gear that the veteran
appeared quite ashamed of it; and Sam
declared that his friend never liked to
talk about a surprise so disastrous as that
Next, Sam missed Boone, who had
found home and a grave in Missouri;
while of many others who had shared
his perils and adventures, scarcely any
were left. But among these latter was
one Tom Rose, hale, hearty, rollicking
pioneer, still always ready for "a fight,
a foot-race, or horse-swap," and only
not a match for the redoubtable Sam
Plummer in wrestle.
Here let me say that it was about
this time in their history that 1 became
acquainted with these two rather re-