Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-10-20

gether, my antagonist uppermost, and |
half stunned beneath. struggled with
all my strength to throw him from me,
but might as we'll have tried to move
mountain. My right hand was prison
er, 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 l believed had SO securely con-
cealed 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 secur-
81 eOsthhss ths mV hands %y Sf the hsteh and 1
ing blow, the sharp crack of rife broke
upon my over strained ears. and I felt
my arm freed from the vice-like grasp
of my enemy. Opening my eyes,
expecting my assailans ~ fall dead
at my side, (for I knew it must be
Marston who fred), l saw to my horror
that he was uninjured, but | saw also
that he was startled by the discharge.
Quick as thought I threw all my strength
into one last despairing effort, and, all
unprepared. the savage was soon strug-
Cling beside me on the dewy sward.
AS we rolled swiftly down the slope, |
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 plunged into
the rolling stream. My head must have
struck upon projecting rock, for it
seemed to be cleft in twain; the bright
stars danced before my closed eyes the
yielding waves closed over us, he above
and l below, and-I remember no more.
When l 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. who had
placed himself in position similar to
my own on the opposite bank. and for
similar purpose-to shoot US down did
We incautiously approach the old camp
or the fire. The other savage, whose
gigantic body lay jammed between two
rocks in the stream, with woodcraft
equal to my friends. had cautiously crept
around to my position. with the result l
have detailed. Marston found me in
thA water and .snnnosed me dead ou.
on examination 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 por-
tion of the preceding day. He discov-
cred the Indian encampment about three
miles from our own, and while endeav-
oring to spy out their numbers, had been
fired upon and wounded by prowler.
Throwing himself on the savage. he
stunned him with a blow from the butt
of his rife, and escaped to the camp
Here he had taken the precaution to de-
ceive the Indians and to warn me with
which the reader has already been made
acquainted. He was however speedily
pursued by the whole band of savages
and, after hard struggle. captured. L
was during this pursuit of Marston tha
l arrived at the camp, aud my having
; taken the river course. and their entir,
ignorance of even my existence, was the
reason of my being enabled to gain tn,
Bluff unpreceived. The Indians proved
to be Blackfeet. and were no doubt on ;
plundering expedition, as their pack
were filled with many articles which be
long to whites alone. We of course ap
propriated their horses and traps. ant
having unearthed our concealed peltries
set off for Fort George. where we arrive'
without further adventure.
| had seen enough of trapper's life
and though the laurels Marston heape
upon my brow caused a change of feel
, ing on the part of his rough friends j
my favor-so much so that they declare
that | would, In time, undoubtedly be
come terror to both .beaver and lnjun,
g | determined that the last Indian to ia
by my hands had fallen, and that i
future | would contne myself to my Il
, gitimate weapon, the pen, and | hay
b kept my word.
From one of Marston's trips he nevt
= returned, and the rough spirits aroun
: the old fort gave it as their opinion tn;
my old friends prophesy regarding h
7 death had proved true, or, as they sal
!. in their peculiar vernacular. "The bias
], ed redskins had snuffed him out at last
=
g The journey of President Hay
IL through part of the West has not bee
d without unpleasant experiences. and
has been brought into contact with son
- very uncouth people who were complet
10 ly devoid of manners. At Hanniba
= Missouri, he was grossly insulted by
q crowd of roughs, and the circumstanc
II brought out General Sherman, WI
b