Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-10-23


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 afrighted into the woods,
while I 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 OF 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 hurrie'i',
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;
would only bring on the destruction I
would escape. "For" said he eff them
ar redskins diskiver that they arn't
chased, they won't run fur; an the
chances ar they'd raise our har afore
we'd been asleep an hour of our first
bivouac."
In order to ascertain if the Indians
had really left us and, if not, to wipe
them out as soon as possible, it was fin
ally determined that should return to
the ambush whence [ had fired on them,
and watch the opposite side of the val
ley for their return, whilst my compan-
ion would silently creep 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 arrange
ment had been agreed upon, Marston
disappeared noiselessly into the dark
ness, and falling on NY hands and knees,
| cautiously retraced my steps to the
old camp, and having securely hidden
myself from any outside observation in
the thick cedars, peered through
tangled bush in my front for signs of
life on the opposite bank.
The fire had not yet died out. and the
red light reflected from the stream in
front lighted up the opposite shore with
reliance, 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, [ thus lay
in wait, and, as the night air curbed my
bounding pulses, | found myself Won
dering at the nonchalance with which I
regarded my then present occupation
and the still visible bodies of the slain
slain, too, by my own hand
How long [ lay there I had no means
of knowing. All [ knew was that no
welcome beams of the wished-for sun
yet tinted even the feecy clouds high
above in the starry sky, and that till
then | must keep my wearisome watch.
[ was trying to imagine where Marston
then was, and whether he was more
successful in his vigil than myself,
when the sound of a. breaking twig star
tied the stiffness of the night. and the
next instant the loud whirr of a toma-
hawk sounded close 10 my ear. | was
on my feet in an instant, but before 1
could bring my rifle to bear in the
right direction, [ was seized in the arms
of powerful savage and dashed to the
earth, the rifle going off as [ fell. We
fell together, my antagonist uppermost,
and | half stunned beneath. [ strug-
gled with all my strength to throw him
from me, but [ might as well have tried
to move a mountain. Ny right hand
was a 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 faithless trees, which [ believed had
so securely concealed me, and in his
struggle 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 [, closing my eyes, was ex-
pecting the crushing blow, the sharp
crack of q rifle broke upon my over
strained ears, and [ felt my arm freed
from the vice-like grasp of my enemy.
Opening my eyes, expecting my assail-
ant to fall dead at my side flor knew
it must be Marston who fired), I saw to
my horror that he was uninjured, but
[ saw also that no was startled by the
discharge. Quick as thought threw
all my strength into one last despairing
effort, and, all unprepared, the savage
was soon struggling beside me on
the dewy sward. AS we rolled
swiftly down the slope, I seized
my knife and buried it to the hilt in his
side again and again. Almost with his
last expiring groan, however, he lifted
me in his arms and plurged into the
rolling stream. My head must have
struck upon projecting rock Tor it
seemed to be cleft in twain; the bright
sta1s danced before my closed eyes;
the yielding waves closed over us, he
above and | below, and-I remember
ed no more.
When awoke to consciousness. the
morning sun was shining brightly, and
Marston was pouring cold water over
my head and chest from his cap.
When was able to sit up he told me
that he had shot the wounded Indian,
vino had plf ced himself in position
similar to my own on the opposite
bank, and for a similar purpose-to
shoot Us down did we incautiously ap-
proach the old camp or the fire. The
other savage, whose gigantic body lay
damned between two rocks in the
stream, with woodcraft equal to my
friends, had cautiously crept around to
my position, with the result have de-
tailed. Marston found me in the water
and supposed me dead; but, on exam
nation. he found that life had not quite
fed and, tanning the feeble spark, again
enkindled the expiring fame.
While Marston prepared breakfast,
he related his adventures in the earlier
portion of the preceding day. He dis
covered the Indian encampment bout
three miles from our own, and while