River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-10-23


most valuable of the peltries. Imagine
nv surprise when | found most of the
furs gone, as well as every article oil
mine, or indeed anything that would
betray the fact that two men lived in
the camp. did not quite comprehend
this maneuvre till some time after
wards. then quietly crawled through
the woods to the collection of rocks
that my friend, for some fanciful rea-
son of his OVID, had chosen to call the
Otter Bluff.
1t was late in the day when l arrived
at the bluff, and, mounting wearlly to
the top, looked around for Marston,
but he was no where to be seen. Fear
ing that he had tainted from loss OF
blood, made careful, though eau
tious search among the crags and RAJ
vines where a man might possibly have
dragged himself, but could see no sign oil
him. and concluded that, through weak
ness, he had not been able TO get there
"a soon as | had; so | sat myself down
in a little thicket of young cedars that
crowned one of the peaks, where ]
could see without being seen myself, to
await his coming. Here / crouched
till dark, but still no sign of my COM
rade. Tormenting doubts now beset
my mind, and | began to fear that
MarstOn had either been captured in
his retreat to the bluff or that he had
been unable to reach it from loss OF
blood; L even pictured him lying among
the maple leaves, stained with deeper
than their own deep dye, perishing
en- thirst and weakness.
While debating what course to pursue
l perceived bright light some miles
or more off could scarcely see how
far it might be in the gathering dark
ness; bat, es no attempt at conceal
ment was made, concluded it proceed
ed either from Marston, who had out
witted his enemies, or from those enc
mics themselves, who, III that event,
thought must have captured or killed
my poor friend, in spite of his keen
woodcraft, as otherwise they would be
too wary thus TO draw on themselves
tEe vengeance of the wounded trapper.
| Immediately descended from my
perch and cautiously crept along the
shaded edge of the river, keeping well
uIder the over-hanging branches of the
bordering cedars. In this way | must
have crept forward for a full hour, and
still the fire seemed far away. AS /
stopped at bend in the river, on the
far side of which the fire burned with
increased fury, large owl flew from
MS perch in an overhanging tree, and
silently betook himself to a safer dis
lance from his natural enemy. As the
ill-omened bird spread its soft, noiseless
wings to the night air, | bethought me
that if Marston were near, | could
communicate my presence to him by
initiating its cry, which l had often re-
peated in the hut when we lay listening
to the awakened chorus outside. Plac-
ing my hands over my mouth emit
ted three or four of those weird, dismal
cries, which were re-ecnoed by the
sombre woods until the far river bend
returned its ghostly answer.
Hastily looking to my rifle, and as
surfing myself that the printing was all
right, | hurried on silently and STEALTH
ly until within an eighth of a mile
Uf the light. When parted the
branches, behind whose shade / had
cautiously advanced. and looked in the
| direction of the blaze, l beheld a sight
that sent the cold blood and chill back
| on my heart. Before me, on the grassy
plot in front of our hut, were seated
three brawny savages, naked, and paint
| ed with black and vermilion stripes, and
two others, in similar" costume" were
dancing around young birch tree TO
which was bound, hand and foot, poor
Bill Marston
| waited to see no more. but hurrying
forward as rapidly as possible from the
nature of the ground and my desire to
remain unseen. | soon came to the
! thick growth of young trees in the midst
| of which our hut had been built. There
was of course no nut now. Everything
had been destroyed that would be use
less to our savage foes; the rest most
likely lying in full view of their misera-
BILE owner. On my hands and knees
forced my way silently through the
thick underwood until within forty
yards of the hostile circle. This move
ment had of course taken some time
for to break twig or stir a leaf would
have insured my destruction-and when
[ again parted the branches before me,
| found the two Indians busily piling
around their prisoner materials for a
fire wherewith to roast him. | plainly
saw that prompt &C ion alone would
save Marston, who was cursing the
BLASTED, sDeaking cowardly, red-skinn-
ed heathen," with every variety of oath
known to the fraternitv-and there are
some strange ones.
The three savages who looked on
were sitting upon log halfburied in
the messy earth, and the idea struck me
that as my rifle threw bullet with very
great force, if | could get them all in a
line | might kill them at one shot, or, at
all events, kill one and perhaps severely
wound the other two. therefore crept
silently back and considerably further
to the right, where, much to my joy,
found l could draw bead on the three
heads in line.
| had just got into my new position,
and was pushing my rifle before me
over log which l intended making a
rest. when | saw new light spring up
at the pile, and soon the fire formed a
bright light around my doomed friend.
At the same tine the most dis
tant of the free savages arose, and in an
other moment would doubtless have
Joined the yelling fiends around the fire;
but with a quick glance along the bar
rel of my trusty rifle | sent the bullet
forth on its errand of death. The two
painted serpents on the log fell back
ward, and the other howled with pain.
With maniacal yell-strategetically
followed by Marston-I rushed forward
and leveled one of the two bideous imps
dancing around the fire, who were tax
en- too much by surprise to know weth-
er the attack was made by one or a
score. The other, with his wounded
comrade, fled affrighted into the woods,
while | scattered the burning pile and
cut the bonds OF my friend. No sooner
was he free than he bounded to the log
behind which my two victims lay silent
in death, and Selling their rifles, dashed
into the shadows Oh the forest, shouting
to me to follow him. In few minutes
we were far beyond the betraying light
of the scattered fire, when suddenly
stopping his swift and silent advance,
Marston caught my arm and hurriedly
told me to reload my rifle, at the same
time testing the captured weapons,
which he found already charged | was
/ eager to get as great distance from our
enemies as possible. and so told Marston
but he soon convinced me that that
would only bring on the destruction
L EkY1 a L. Al.