The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-10-17

IN OIucf 10 ueCeIiulil III tit t"'ahS
had really left us, and If not, Ito wipe
them out :" as soon as possible, 1t was
finally determined that | should return
to the ambush whence | had fired on
them, and watch the opposite side OF
the valley for their return, whilst my
companion would creep silently around
TO the rear of the thicket opposite,
wherein the savages had disappeared.
At sunrise we were to meet at the old
Bluff and compare notes. AS soon as
this arrangement had been agreed upon
Marston disappeared noiselessly into
the darkness, and falling oil my hands
and knees, l cautiously retraced my
steps TO the old camp, and having Sc
curely hidden myself from any outside
observation in the thick cedars, peered
through a tangled bush in my front for
signs Of life on the opposite bank.
The fire had not yet died ont, and the
red light reflected from the stream in
front lighted up the opposite shore
with weird radiance, which, with my
excited brain, kept me fully awake
watching the huge shadows that chased
each other along the margin of the
sombre woods. The minutes seemed
hours to me, as thus lay in wait, and,
as the night air curbed my bounding
pulses. / found myself wondering at
the nonchalance with which regarded
my then present occupation and the
still visible bodies of the slain-slain,
too, by my own hand!
How long l lay there / had no means
of knowing. All knew was that no
welcome beams of the wished-for sun
vet tinted even the fleecy clouds high
above in the starry sky, and that till
then must keep my wearisomc watch.
| was trying to imagine where Marston
then was, and whether he was more
successful in his vigil than myself, when
the sound of breaking twig startled
| the stiffness OF the night, and the next
| instant a loud whir of tomahawk
sounded close to my ear. l was on my
feet i'm an instant; but before | could
bring nv rifle to bear in the right dircc-
ton, | was seized in the arms OF pow
erful savage and dashed to the earth,
the rifle going off as fell. we fell to,
gether. my antagonist nppermost, ana
| half stunned beneath. / struggled
with all my strength to throw him from
me, but | might as well have tired 10
move a mountain. My right hand was
prisoner, caught by the sleeve of my
hunting shirt, together with the bosom
of that too unyielding garment. In our
fall we had cleared the clump of faith
less frees, which believed had so Sc
curelv concealed me, and in his strug-
ole TO hold me down and to reach the
weapon he had thrown at my head, we
had gradually approached the slope
leading to the water; and just as his
hand had secured the handle of the
Ratchet. and I, closing my eyes, was
cxpectine the crushing blow, the sharp
crack of a rifle broke upon my over
strained ears, and l felt my arm freed
from the vice-likc grasp of my enemy.
Openipg my eyes, expecting my as
soilant 10 fall dead at my side, (for l
knew that it must be Marston who
fred, | saw to my horror that he was
nnininred. but saw also that he was
startled by the discharge. Qnick as
Thought l threw all my strength into
one last despairing effort, and, all un-
nrenared. the savage was soon strug-
glino beside me on the dewy sward.
As We rolled swiftly down the slope,
I seized nv knife and buried it to the
bilt in his side again and again. AL
most with his last expiring groan, how
ever, he lifted me IN his arms ana
plunped into the rolling stream. My
head must have struck upon project
ing rock, for it seemed to be cleit III
twain; the bright stars danced before
my closed eyes; the yielding waves
closed over us, he above and Delow'
and-I remember no more.
When | awoke to consciousness, the
morning sun was shining brightly, and
Marston was pouring cold water over
nv head and chest from his cap. When
| was able to sit up, he told me that he
had shot the wounded Indian, who had
placed himself in a position similar to
NV own on the opposite bank, and for
n similar purpose-to shoot us down
did we incautiously approach the old
comn or the fire. The other savage,
whose gigantic body lay iammed be-
| tween two rocks in the stream, with
woodcraft equal to my friends, had
cautiously crept around to my position,
with the result / have detailed. Mars.
ton found me in the water and supposed
me dead: but on examination he found
that life had not quite fled and tanning
the feeble spark, again kindled the ex'
piring flame.
While Marston prepared breakfast,
he related his adventures in the earlier
portion of the preceding day. lie dls'
covered the Indian encampment about
three miles from our own, and while
endeayoring to spy out their numbers
had been fired upon and wounded by q
prowler. Throwing himself on the
savage, he stunned him with blow
from the butt of his rife, and escaped
TO the camp. Here he had taken the
precautions to deceive the Indians and
to warn me, with which the reader has
already been made acquainted; lie
was, however, speedily pursued by the
whole band of savages, and, amer Q
hard struggle, captured. 1t was during
this pursuit of Marston that l arrived
at the camp, and my having taken the
river course, and their entire ignorance
of even my existence, was the reason
of my being enabled to gain the Bluf
unperceived. The Indians proved to
be Blackfeet, and were no doubt on &
plundering expedition, as their packs
were filled with many articles which
belong TO whiles alone. We of course
appropriated their horses and traps
and having unearthed our concealed
! peltries, set oil Tor fort George, whers
we arrived without further adventure
! | had seen enough of a trapper's life
: and though the laurcls Marston heapet
upon my brow caused change of feel
ing on the part of his rough friends II
my favor-so much so that they declar
/ ed that would, in time, undoubtedl,
become a terror to both beaver aEt
, Injun," determined that the last In
J dian to fall by my hands had fallen, an.
that in future l would coniino mysei
to my legitimate weapon, the pen, ant
have kept my word.
From one of Marston's trips he neve
: returned, and the rough spirits aroun'
! the old fort gave 1t as their opinion tha
, my old friends prophesy regarding III
death had proved true, or, as they salt
: in their peculiar vernacular, 9Th
} blasted red skins had snu fled him on
, at last"