The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-10-16
A DEER HUNT.


A click is salt spring, so called
by hunters because wild animals resort
to it and lick the briny ground. The
writer has seen the vicinity of such
springs trodden by the beasts of the
forest as hard as cattle-yard. A sim
gular trait of many wild creatures is
never to seek drink or salt by daylight,
instinct seeming to tell them that safety
requires such visits to be made at
night. 49,,
| The incident am about to relate occur
red in Ohio, in the autumn of 1872, while
the Indians were on the war path; but
as the settlement where it happened
was not so far to the front as many
others, it was not thought to be in so
great danger. However, every family
was provided with arms, and log
fort had been built as defense in case
of need.
One day, just at dusk, Robert Page
and his son Jimmy, an athletic lad of
sixteen, posted themselves on rude
scaffolding twenty or thirty feet from
the ground, in an enormous branching
tree within short gun-shot of lick.
From this perch a clear view opened
toward the lick, while on moonlight
nights the trodden space was dis
tinctly visible. Here they had
often concealed themselves to OBJ
tain venison for the family, and, having
fixed their guns in rest, remained as
silent as the trees around until the game
appeared.
On the night in question, several
hours passed while our hunters listened
intently for noises denoting the ap-
proach of game.
At last the boys quick hearing de-
tected footsteps. Distant and faint at
first, they steadily drew nearer. but, at
the same time, they were SO heavy and
inelastic, unlike the steps of wild ami
mails, that the listeners were mystified
if not alarmed. On they came. tramp
ling through the woods, and as they
emerged into the moonlight in the va
cant spot near the spring, Mr.. Page
and Jimmy counted war party of six
teen Indians. Much to their surprise the
red men halted and building q fire on
the hard-trodden ground, proceeded to
brol venison, roast nuts and parch
corn. While eating they kept up an
incessant jabbering, enough of it being
understood by Mr.. Page to prove that
they were on the way to attack the set
Element at daybreak.
OF course, upon the discovery of this
bloody purpose, the two whites were
overwhelmed by their feelings, for the
first house in the settlement was their
own, scarcely mile distant, where
Mrs. Page and several children would
be easy victims. What should be donep
To descend from their covert and hurry
on to give the alarm seemed impossible
without being heard by the Indians.
To fire on them would avail but little,
and would not save the settlement from
attack. h. ss.7
Much smothered whispering passed
between father and son before q deci-
sion was reached. Often they sighted
their guns at the Indians, almost re-
solved to begin the fray at all hazards.
But at length Mr.. Page, himself unfit
ted by rheumatism for such an attempt,
reluctantly consented to Jimmy's ur-
gency, and the brave lad undertook the
dangerous experiment of descending
and flying to alarm the settlement.
Removing his heavy homemade boots
and leaving his gun, he began, with
the stealth of q cat. to make his way to
the ground. t- e.y Il
The savages were not sixty feet dis
tant, and the least noise would reach
their ears, arouse their suspicious, and
start them on q search. But he was
equal to the occasion and, after several
minutes of intense listening. the father
knew by faint rustling that his boy
had reached the leaf-covered earth.
But now came a greater peril; for
one can hardly walk in the woods with
out swapping twigs. and disturbing
leaves. At the foot of the slope, six or
eight rods below, ran wide, shallow
brook, and if he could reach that in
safety the rest of the trip would be less
difficult. Step by step he felt the way
with his naked feet, yet not without
several noises that caused the Indians
to grunt, significantly, and the father
to tremble for the consequences. Once
there came such q sound from the di-
rection of the brook that two or three
savages sprang to their guns, but Mr..
Page made noise like the snort of q
frightened deer, drawing their atten-
ton to q different course and cause,
and soon their suspicious subsidized.
At length Jimmy stepped into the
cool stream, and felt sure of the balance
of his task. Still he proceeded with the
greatest caution until he knew he was
beyond the hearing of the savages,
when he fed like the wind to warn the
set.iemen ;.
Arlsng a. tUs, 1Sn t.,;, :; eouS ..t Uus q .h NJ
nenS ~ aonsao a.Tuso nraa.. % Th" h .n ,snd
~, on " .oe othor - nsh;ns and ~ A. nsve The aIsrm
,,n+;1 =, 1;tt1a Ionn.s t;n,a tban -
.nt'n eu, ~ I'll '; ~ .ha sh,,a ~ s.ttIan.nt
.ras .anes .uoJ ~ eS anS ~ soo,;n S % ;n.o tha fort
Naa Mas ",m" sn.o o,aS ILL = ~ .tar. 'o tor - thc
sNh. In oo Ia.s.s " ,.;eh tha;r III randar III h.,,as
nd .h;,dron TEa trom.v Su v haaaaS and III
anu cniiurSn, i,oweyn1ausu anu na .u
eu.nTo tnuSIa ds h.S. S CO. Suoh a,arws anS n;nht %
trundle-oeds: Suc9 alarms ana nignt