West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1882-02-24

HiJ rifle was ,ooc loaded. lie stopped
TIL 6is pursuers could come 10 range. Blu,
they had taken the hint, aud were shy Of
exposing themselves. Every Time he
would tu.n hey would spring behind
trees, iii he took the advantage Of u
open stretch of woods and turuiuy shot
one OF them, who had taken shelter be
hind Il tree too small TO shield him Tue
remaining savage became discouraged and
gave up the chase oSclaining, mo catch
dat man, him gun always loadedl'
LxwIs wEIzEL's LONE HUST.
The next recorded campaign of Wctzel
WIS in 1850. when he was 90 years OF age.
During this year the Indians had been pi'.
laying aud mArsuling through the settle
ments about Wheeling, ADD especially ia
.1o Short Creek community, aud had muir
dcrec a man hi MiDgo Bottom. an iuya-
sion of the Indian country was strongly
urged, and q subscription OF 500 was
raised and offered 20 The man vino would
bring in the first Indian SCALP.
a force of twenty men was NJ once
raised, and headed by Major McMahau, of
Beech Bottom, crossed the Ohio on the
5th Of August, and rushed o. ward through
the Indian cOuatry. Lewis Welzel was
one of the party. They advanced b,
forced marches 10 tue M~usiingum. Here
a h.lt vac mcde; scouts explored the
country and ~recJnnoit.rei the enemy.
whom they found 10 a large cncam2meut
They satisfied themselves that The Indians
we're far more numerous than the whites,
and returning, reported.
A Councii was called 10 determine what
should be done. al who WISHED had a
voice in deciding. The re-ult was that tn
immediate .el.e3t to Wheeling was deter
mined upon. Weizol sat on q log a little
remote from The conference. aud spcmod
10 pay no attention 10 what Vas doing.
IS soon as 1t was s2ttlcd that they should
retreat, the men shoulaered their oquipgge
aud began 10 move off. Wc,zel showed
no disposition 10 join them, but sat sullen
on the log, bis rife resting across his
Enees. Noticing this, The commander
asked whether he was not going back.
He s;uttly answered that he had come out
TO hght %ludians, aud now that they we're
found, he dil not propose 60 leave them
and 20 sneakiug back with his fuger. In
his mout like a fool. The arcuiue and
%pursuasion of The party was 10 vain. lie
was unheudiDg in his determination To re-
inain. tie told them to 20 and he would
come whtn be got ready. Finding their
e~ndeayars eYa..ed nOthiog with the rpsc-
late man, they marched off, leaving lin
sitting sullen on the log; aud, as they
looked back til they lost sight of him in
the distance, they thought tI,at they had
seen Lewis Weizal for the last tine.
lie was, indeed. ia a pculous situation .
and one oi great and impending danger.
IL VAS altogether probable that the enc
my's spies were at that moment watching
the movements of the expedition. aud
should lie be discovered, thus separated
from his companions his escape. If made
at all, would be due to the fact thu, he
was Lewis Wetzel.
As so5n al his comrades bad al d!sap-
peared in the forest, he buckled his blanket
about him, shouldcred his rifle and set off
In an opposite direction. lie knew the
danger and was well prepared to meet il.
He kept a sharp lookout 10 all directions
for Indians. Ii was his hope that he
night fad a small gang, and by tracking
them 10 heir lair, fail on them while III. y
slept. lie s%tud!ousiy avoided the princ'-
pal paths and the larger streams. Keeping
on the hardest ground or in the deusest
woods he could ind. All day tut nigbt
tha' solitary man strolled through the
forests, filled by the eremy and besct with
manifold and unseen dangers. Yet be
met 40 foe. The san wcnJ down and
night abruptly Cl0sed over the wilderness.
1t vas dark, chilly and threatening rain.
When he could no longer see 10 travel he
halted for the night. To build a tire in the
very midst Of lis enemies would have been
almost certain destruction, a. lgat would
lead them directly 10 the spot. However.
By 40 ingenious cop'c'ysnce he succeeded
in getting warm with little risk. lie due
q smll pit 10 TIE ground, made q lue a
park ard ia The pit placed a few burning
co-ia, then. sitting on the ground, oncir
eiuk ihe furnace with mia legs and cover
ing himself entirely with his blanket n,
WIS spon iu q temperature, ,qusI. as h,
expressed n. 'tJ that at "a steve ,,, 10