Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1882-12-30

|
aud sleepy, he undressed himself, and
tying the few light garments he wore
on his head, he walked quietly into the
sea, and swan rapidly until he rounded
a point which brought him in sight OF
the camp, and there he halted for few
moments to get his bearings, and when
these were taken he drifted slowly
downward so as not to attract any at
tentiOn from vigilant foe.
| When he reached the canoes he crawl
ed nOiselessly aboard one, and partially
dressing himself, set about his task in
the coolest and most methOdical man
ner possible. Fortune favored him as
she generally does the barve. for he
found that the tide was unusually high,
and the red men not having expected
this, had only drawn their canoes far
enough ashore to prevent their being
sweptAway by the water at the ordinary
Level. sEE
Some had anchored their boats by
means of large stones fasteded to thick
pieces of kelp, which they used for ropes,
and these ropes he cut with the hunting
knife which he always carried-a work
by no means easy, as they were very
tough and rather hard.
After he had cut away half a dozen
without being detected, he saw an Indian
approaching, evidently to look after the
canoes, and he then began to fear that
he would be seem and if caught. he
knew of course what would be the sequel.
He did not lose courage, however; and
when the painted savage drew near the
very canoe which he had just cut away,
he sank so deep in the water that. moth
ing but portion of his face was visable.
The Indian after glancing at the canoes,
and scanning the sea for few me
ments, seemed to consider everything
safe, for he returned to his bowling,
jumping companions short distance
away, who. confident in their numbers,
felt so secure from attack that they did
not take even the precautiOn to examine
their boats.
When the savage had departed, the
| young hero went to work with will,
nor did he rest till all the ropes were
cut. As the tide advanced he followed
up the the work, and pulled the beached
canoes afiOat; and, when 1t turned, he
pushed them seward, so that they
might be carried away by the ebb, and
| In this he was so Succe nj that the In
dams were left without a boat in less
than three hours from the time he had
entered the water.
When the last of the cut-away fleet
was about three hundred yards from the
shore, he scrambled into the canoe which
contained his rifle, and tying another
large one to it, he commenced padding
towards the fort; but he had scarcely
taken two strokes before wild and
fearful shout was heard on shore, and
on looking in that direction he saw by
the dim light of the dawn the whole
body of warriors on the beach, and they
We're shouting and gesticulating wildly,
and pointing seward.
Their terrOr-stricken cries moved him
to such daring that he stood up in his
canoe and gave lnsty cheer, in which
victory and defiance were equally min
gled. This was promptly answered by a
shower of arrows and few musket
Shots, but none touched the young hero,
who proudly waved his hat.
Seeing only one boy dozen In
dians rushed into the water to try and
capture some of the canoes, but young
Goodman opened such an effective fire
on them that the survivors were glad to
return, as it seemed certain death to
| go any farther.
The victor then padded as rapidly as
| possible towards the hamlet, leaving the
strong tide to take care of the canoes.
which would bring them in the same
| direction; and when he reached there
and told what he had done, he was cheer
| ed by the men, and kissed almost to
suffOcation by the women. When these
greetings were over some men jumped
into the two canoes and went out to
bring In the feet. They did not succeed
in securing all, yet they brought back
twenty large canoes, able to hold from
ten to twenty persons each. VIM +
The Indians finding their feet gone,
beat rapid retreat northward through
the woods, and did not appear again in
that section, so that the daring act of this
brave boy saved many person from an
| ignOminious death. His fame soon
spread among white and red men, and
while the former paid him all hOnOrs,
the latter could ''scarce fOrbear to
cheer."LBoys Ohm Paper, london.
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