Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1881-03-22

i
the industry and enterprise Of the pale
faced intruder. were swiftly causing to
bloom ike the rose.
1t was as though Civilization and Saw
agery directly confronted each other, with
the boiling river as the only debatable
ground between. and the great, frowning.
ovcrhanging rock looking far away, as a
black, standing menace on the part of
the rude tribes. whose wigwams and
hunting. lodges still cling with the tena-
city of despair, amid the glens and thick
cts thereabouts.
Captain Van Bibber was the soul and
hear; of the little settlement. His re-
nown as a hunter and Indian fighter was
only equalled BY his reputation for fair
dealing and worldly prudence; and from
the frs; he was looked upon BY his neigh
bors as their natural leader. No axe
more rapidly ,hinned the forest ranks
han his: no rifle was surer; no canoe
more dauntlessly breasted the perilous
waters of the mountain-cradled gorge
nursed, cataract. fr,tted stream.
Another child was born to him in the
bosom of the wilderness. His wife was
happy and contented, and his cabin-home
was the abode of frugal ,hrift and hard
earned reposc. The only member OF his
household, beside his wife and three
children. WAS great pet bear, called
Brownie. which he had captured when
cub. and tanned with such wisdom and
,horoughness, that it was accustomed to
follow him, unmuzzled, among the cabins
like a dog, and apparently with no incli-
nation to iejoin its kind among the neigh
boring hills.
Indeed. the brute displayed an excep-
,ional affection for him and his family.
The officers and soldiers Of the little fort
often came TO witness It's tricks and
pranks: and IVAN Bibber and his bear,
was the expression mos. generally used
by outsiders. in alluding TO our hero.
Trouble with the Indians arose, which
a, last, so far as one tribe was concerned
the Shawnees-broke out. into open
war. The authorities were constantly on
the alert, aud it became hazardous ex-
pertinent for any settler to proceed alone
through the rocky and thickly-,imbered
region on the unfnendly side OF the river.
This, however. did not prevent Cap
tain Van Bibber from setting out upon
lonely bunting expedition amid Its dan
gers, upon a certain April day, that was
destined to be memorable in the annals
of the settlement, and at the same time
to give his name TO the giant rock, which
had Heretofore been exclusively known
by It's Indian name, H'ah kun-gee-tdh,
sieuifying the "Far-away Lookout"
A grea, freshe, had so flushed the
Falls of the Kanawah that he did not
venture to cross the river at the point di-
rec,ly below the rapids, and jus, between
the settlement and the great rock. he
passed down the stream for a mile or
more to a lonely cabin, occupied by
hunter named Radcliffe, where he bor-
rowod canoe, effected q crossing. and
iearlessly plunged into the hear, OF the
enemys country.
lie had undertaken this expedition
against the advice OF his friends, and
even the entrea,ies of his wife.
The winter had been a hard one.
There was a shor,ness of supplies in MS
humble larder, and game was uncommon
ly scarce on his own side of the river.
These considerations were sufficient to
impel him upon his dangerous errand, IN
spite of al! the warnings and forecasts OF
misadventure tha, were held forth to
deter.him.
He had capital sport, and sho: num-
Der of deer and wild turkeys. carcasses
Of which he secre,ed, 20 await a convey
ance to his home, when the subsiding
waters Of the river and other favoring
circumstances should enable him TO make
another trip on horseback for that pur-
pose, and accompanied by his associates.
1t was toward the middle Of the after
noon when he started 10 return home.
from which be then found himself about
eight miles distant.
Up 10 this time he had not encounter
ed a single red man, or even any signs of
their being in his vicinity. But he had
no sooner quilted the belt Of timber in
which he had been hunting, and began to
make his way across the broad, rolling
and somewhat broken plateau that lay
between him and the precipitous river
bank, than shot from concealed foe
man whistled through his squirrel-skin
hunting. cap. He at once crouched close
to the ground, and prepared for fighting.
But another and yet another shot fol-
lowed the first in quick succession, and
upon peeping up from his semi-covert, he
was astonished at perceiving score or
more of savages cautiously but rapidly
approaching his position from different
points of the forest.
He was astonished, but not alarmed,
though he at once knew them to be hos
tile Shawnees, from the popularity Of
their scanty costumes, and therefore un-
ders,ood that nothing but his scalp would
satisfy their murderous intentions.
They had him almost surrounded. and
there was nothing to do but to run for it;
SO, after bringing down the foremost by a
well. directed shot, Van Bibber suddenly
sprang to his feet and sped over the open
plain like 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 runner,