The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-02-25
First Steel skates on the susquchanna.

York State, near the Pennsylvania border
One OF the old men of the tribe was visited
by reporter not long ago, and in telling Of
the extremely cold winters experienced by
him he related = very old and interesting
story Of the Susquehanna river According
to the old Senecas narrative there once
lived in Seneca village on the upper Sus-
quehanna tall, bright lad named Swiftfoot
One autumn Swiftfoot accompanied mum
Der Of chiefs to Philadelphia. the object Of
the visit Oeing to trade as well as 10 see the
sights. While in Philadelphia Swiftfoot,
who at that time was twelve years old, was
given pair of skates-the first skates with
steel runners he had ever seen. He priced
them very highly aud, strappiug them to-
gether, hid them III the folds Of his blankets.
so that the envy Of other Indian lads might
not be stirred. But it so happened that
some boys Of the Nanticoke tribe which had
just migrated from the Chesapeake Bay up
tue Susquehanna 10 point near where Har-
Tisburg now stands, learned about Swift
foot's prize, and on the night Of the depart
ure Of the NanticOkes SwlftfoOt missed his
skates. Without saying word to his elders
SwiftfoOt slipped away with the expectation
Of Overtaking the Nauticoke lads before
morning In this he was disappointed. for
the Nanticoke boys learning that they were
pursued, left their elders and pushed on
ahead across the country now traversed by
the Pennsylvania Railroad. SwiftfoCt pass
ed the NanticOke chiefs and kept on The
trail Of the boys until about noon the next
day. Then he was so faint ana hungry that
he had to rest and find food. He gathered
enough berries to satisfy his appetite. and.
chewing bits Of sweet roots as he ran. he
kept on the trail until sundown. Then he
saw the waters Of the Susquehanna and
knew that the NanticOke bows soon would
reach their homes. SpUrred by this. Swift
foot dashed along the river for an hour OF
more, when he suddenly came upon the
Nantico6e boys sitting az the roots Of a riv-
erside tree. SwlftfoCt tapped the soles of
his moccasins to tell the Nanticol-es what lie
wanted, but they laughed and tapped their
foreheads To indicate that lie must be crazy.
The Seneca and Nanticoke tongues were so
different that SwifU0Ot tried to address the
boys in English, of which he had a bare
smattering. He told them that the Senecas
and Nanticokes were at peace and that the
latter shouldn't bring on a winter war, over
such q small matter as a pair OF skates lie
demanded that the skates should be return
ed at once and that the Nanticoke bows
should give him the broken head OF an ar
row as an Acknowledgement Of their sub
mission. SWifttoot's speech provoked still
louder laughter and almost before he knew
it Swiftfoot was overpowered and bound
He was taken to the Nanticoke village lust
above and there kept a prisoner until far in
December. The Seuacas in Philadelphia
lad missed SWiftf0Dt on the morning after
his departure. and after a long search had
made complaint to the governor, but no one
suspected the cause of his disaupearace or
his real whereabouts. In November they
FASTENED to return to their village, fifty miles
above tie present city Of WnIiamspolt, Civ
ing SwiffOUt up as lost to The tribe forever.
As prisoner Swiftfoot was made to work
on arrows, moccasins and pelts, and indeed
TO do dTudgery that no Nanticoke lad would
think Of doing He waited for an ouportu-
nifty to escape, but the Nanticoke bows
watched him so closely, night and CAV. that
cold weather came and he was still kept in
tent with old SqUaus. When ice covered
the SusQuehanna the Nanticoke bows bound
him ard led him to the river bank that he
might see them use his skates. Swiftfoot
not only was disgusted with his unhappy
situation, but it made him doubiy miserable
to see the poor skating of tine Nanticokcs.-
The latter had never been accustomed to
skates, because they had come from a uilLer
climate, while Swiftfoot had used skates
with wooden runners ever since he could
walk.
One day when tie ice was in fine co1di-
ton the Nanticokes took Swiftfoot to the
river to torment him. They bound his LEGS
together with thongs and for the first time
strapped the skates TO his feet. Svviftloot
couldn't stand, of course and his ridic uIous
tumblcs and rolls caused all the bcFs. yyar-
rioTs, women and children in the village to
gather around him ON the ice and shout with
laughter. As the fun continued it grew
more and more barbarous, and at last two
strong warriors began TO play 'shinuy with
poor SNififout, tossing him here and there
on the Zee, i'm the midst Of the most uproari-
Gus merriment But the Seneca boy was
patient under the bUdetinE. lie felt better
with the skates under his moccasius than he
had felt at any time during his imprisonment.
Indeed, ne Thought he saw how a bold stroke
to be be uncoucerned, he kept his purpose
Of escape well i'm hand The merry-uakinc
Nanticokes completely surrounded him.
leaving circle cu the ice Just large ezourh
for the two warriors to send him sliding
and spTawling from one 10 the other. The
warriors had tossed him so many times tha,
both were almost out Of breath Swiftfoof
saw this and noticed, too, that il took longer
for him to pass between the warriors than a'
first. Could lie get a knife Yes lie
thought be saw the point oil one sticking be
meath the belt Of one of his tosssrs. Coult
he cut the thong and gain his feet Will,
passing between the warriors Yes; D.,
thought lie could. Anyhow, he would try
So when be was seized for perhaps thi
twentieth time Swiftfoot slipped his han,
f into the tosser's belt and In twiuzling Sc
cured the knife. The hundred tystander
saw the movement and yelled to the tosse
/ to hold to him, but the toss had been given
and while the whole crowd was rushing for
/ ward SwiftfoOt was slashing the thongs tha
bound him and gaining his feet Oh, hoy
streng he felt when freed from the thongs
lie darted here and there between the veil
ing Nanticokes lodging blows, and striking
with his knife until in a few seconds D.
cleared the crowd and shot away up tn
Susquehanna. Arrows sped after the flynn
Swittfoot but he escaped them. Every ma
and boy in the village ran after him, but il
an hour he left them out of sight and leis
urely skated toward the camp Of the Sene
cas-, near the hesdwaters. When he reaches
the camp, two days later, Swiftfoot told th