The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1880-10-21

but rapidly appr oaching his position
from different points of the forest.
He was astonished, but not alarmed,
though he at once knew them to be
hostile Shawnees, from the popularity
of their scanty costumes, and Therefore
understood that nothing but his scalp
would satisfy their murderous inten-
tons.
They had him almost surrounded,
and there was nothing to do but to run
for it; so, after bringing down the fore
most by a well-directed shot, Van Bib
Der suddenly sprang to his feet and
sped over the open plain like a hunted
stag, escaping the numerous shots that
were sent after him as if by miracle,
and with the entire band in yelling and
blood-thirsty pursuit.
Van Bibber, who was famous run
ner, however, was under no apprehen-
sion of being overtaken by his enemies,
swift of foot as they undoubtedly
were.
1t may here be observed, in passing,
that it is a common mistake to suppose
that the Indian has, as 4 rule, ever
been able to surpass the white hunter
in woodcraft, natural cunning, or any
of the athletic exercises belonging to
his own savage condition and training
1t needs but to recall the examples
Of Boone, Kenton, Brady, the Weitzel
brothers and many others too numer-
GUS to mention, to prove the contrary.
Upon anything like an even footing,
Caucasian intelligence, allied with eau
casian strength and daring, has ever
proved the red mans superior, even
upon his native heath, and among his
chosen and hereditary employments.
Captain Van Bibber had long been
noted as the strongest ,heetest and most
formidable hunter of the Kanawhe
Valley. Nobly did he vindicate his
reputation on that eventful day.
He not only acquitted himself SO
creditably as to keep beyond the range
of the poor rifles with which his pur-
suers were armed, but was also enabled
to load and fire as he ran, thus caus-
ing several of them to bite the dust be-
fore they finally drove him to bay out
upon the furthermost point of Wah-
kun-gee-tah, the great, jutting rock
overlooking the terrible whirlpool at
the foot of the falls, and his humble
but smiling home on the far opposite
bank.
Yes, the Indians, though unable to
overtake their fugitive had neverthe-
less succeeded in battling all his at
tempts to reach the river at the point
at which he had effected crossing in
the morning
They had so managed to dictate the
direction Of his fiji ht as to bring him
at last to a final and apparently hope
tremendous abyss, with obviously no
choice left him but surrender or death
at their hands, Or an equally fatal
plunge into the boiling caldron-like
whirlpool, far, far below.
But, even in this desperate strait,
Van Bibber did not lose a jot of his cool
and collected daring.
Ensconcing himself behind small
group of stones and bushes, and load
ing and discharging his trusty rifle
with wonderful rapidity, he succeeded
in keeping the enemy at bay for more
than quarter of an hour, in full view
bank ofthe river, while the Indians,
though not venturing out upon the
open shelf, within range of his terrible
craftsmanship, clustered along its
bushy sides, and even crept down far
below in the very face of the cliff. yell
ing like demons, in the certainty Of his
speedy capture or death, and seeking
every opportunity to pick him off from
behind his little fastness in which he
had temporarily intrenched himself.
That it vas only temporarily, soon
became evident.
Captain Van Bibber suddenly ceased
firing, ard for the first time feeling of
despair must have come over MIN. He
had used the last bullet in his pouch,
and was no longer capable of defense!
The savages soon suspected as much,
and began to swarm over the top of the
rock in full view, and with revengefu]
cries.
But at this instant, when he was about
giving himself up for lost, clear, en-
couraging cry came floating to him
from far across the yawning abyss, and
making itself distinctly heard above
the roaring of the waters.
1t was q wOman's vOice-his Wife's
'Tm coming under the rock in the
cancel" she cried. leap and meet
me-"
He turned and looked in the direction
from which the summons had come
dazed and bewildered, for such a leap
had never been made nor even con,
templated before
But the heroic woman was already in
the canoe, paddle in hand, having laid
her baby on the grassy bank, and rush
ed to the rescue, in spite of the OppO-
sition of her neighbors, who looked
upon her husband as already doomed
beyond redemption, and regarded her
attempt to navigate the boiling waters
Of the whirlpool as simple madness.
But she pushed off, and Just rs she
did so, Brownie, the pet bear, Chamber
ed into the stern of the canoe, and sat
upright upon his launches, keeping his
balance perfectly, and in reality aiding
not little in trimming boat" and bal
asting it, as it We're, throughout the
wild voyage.
AS Mrs. Van Bibber succeeded in
reaching the center Of the stream, di-
rectly under the ledge Of the rock, her
husbands foes were almost upon him.
''Wife! wife!' he shouted, "drop
down a little lower. I'm coming!"
With this, and with the clutches of
the Indians almost closing upon him,
he sprang from the crag, and descend
ed like a plummet into the water, feet
foremost.
In an agony of suspense the wife rest
ed from her toll a moment, watching
for him to rise to the surface, the
canoe bobbing about like a cookie
shell upon the angry food, and the
pet bear eying his mistress affectionate-
ly, as though fully sympathizing with
her distress.
It was only a moment, but an awful
one; it seemed an age to her. Would
her husband ever rise?
Her earnest gaze seemed to pene-
trate the very depths of the turpid Wa
ter, and then, with a joyous, thankful
cry, she darted the canoe further down
Il, r,x...