The Democratic advocate., 1883-07-21
Cur 09lio.,
Kenton's League With the Sun.
/. l.. Beman in Vide A,cake.


much intelligence, wonderful courage and
almost matchless muscular capacity. He
died near Bellefontaine, o., in 1886, at the
advanced age of eighty-on years
The annals of the border abound in ac-
counts of his thrilling adventures but
one incident in his life l have never seen
in print, and therefore will repeat it as it
has been told me by old hunters and Indian
fighters who knew him personally and
heard it from his own lips. Inmy telling,
however, it will lack much of Kenton's
graphic way Of putting things.
He was a great smoker, the most i'm
portant supplies, next to his weapons,
being his pipe, pouch and tobacco. Food
and clothing he could capture with his gun,
but not so his tobacco; and hence his zeal
to lay in stock of his luxury before setting
out on an expedition. But fire to light his
pipe was not SO readily obtainable, it being
no little trouble to ignite tobacco by flint
and steel. 1t will be remembered that fric-
ton matches were not in common use until
after Kenton's day.
At one time when a prisoner in the
hands of the British at Detroit, he was
particularly admired by English officers
on account of his great strength and cour-
age, and the many remarkable exploits for
which he was famous, and one of these
officers, observing his fondness for smoking
and the difficulty in lighting pipe, pre-
sented Kenton with a powerful pocket
burning-g class or lens, by which he could
easily focus the rays of the sun on the to-
bacco and set it on fire. This thing worked
charmingly, and for many years, wherever
he went held its place in the pouch with
his pipe and tobacco.
1t is an incident in which the sun g lass
acted significant part, which have re-
solved to relate A summer or two after
he became possessor Of the glass he was
again taken captive by party Of nine
Indians, who, recognizing him at once, re-
solved to torture him to death Immediately,
so as to rid themselves of so formidable an
enemy before he should have time or chance
to escape
A stake was driven into the ground, and
a quantity of dry leaves and wood piled
about it, and then the chief spoke in broken
English:
"White chief hungry; eat fire, he feel
better!''
Kenton replied by asking the privilege
of smoking his pipe before burning. Now
the Indians of certain tribes were always
singularly generous in response to such
requests, especially as toward pipe and to-
bacco they entertained sort Of religious
Difference. OF these they never robbed
prisoners or despoiled the slain; and among
the few sacred objects buried with the
dead, pipes were always included. 1t
was on account of this superstitious sane
tity that the pipe bore such an important
part in the ceremonies of a council, and was
always smoked as bond of strength be-
tween them when entering into treaty to-
gether. They never denied a captive's re-
quest for smoke, and therefore Kenton
was Immediately gratifed by a grunt of as
sent.
After securing his feet more firmly with
leathern thongs-for they knew too well
his daring and prowess to give him any ad-
vantage-they unbound his hands that he
might fill and light his pipe and enjoy his
last earthly smoke. Deliberately he pro-
ceeded to crumble up the tobacco and pack
it into the pipe bowl. This done, he placed
the long wooden stem in his mouth, and
seemed ready for flint, steel and finder,
with which to light the luxury. With an
other grunt the red man passed him the
customary implements, but to his great
surprise Kenton refused them.
Then, with dramatic gesture, he ex-
tended his right hand toward the sun in
mid-heaven. 1t being about noon, and
holding it thus with the burning 6 lass
clasped between thumb and forefnger, he
dextrously brought it to a focus on the
contents of the pipe, which in this way was
quickly ignited, and in moment he was
putting clouds of smoke from his lips.
This was beyond the wit of the savages.
The lens being of glass and transparent,
they had not observed it, and evidently be-
lieved that he had lighted his pipe by sim
ply letting the sunlight pass through the
circle formed by his thumb and finger.
All unconcerned he puffed away, while
they gathered in an excited group
few yards distant and discussed the wonder
in grunts and mutterings.
In few minutes he had exhausted the
contents of the pipe bowl and proceeded to
refill it. At this the red men became 81
lent, and watched him as if he were su-
pernatural being. While crumbling the
tobacco the glass lay unseen at his side,
and when he was ready to light up again,
with another and still more dramatic ges-
ture, he seized the lens and held it toward
the sun, and with three or four cries OF
mysterious and startling import to the In
dams, began whiting the blush smoke as
cody as before.
By this time the superstition Of the
savages was in full operation, and they
were ripe for almost any display of Ken
tons supposed supernatural power. Pro-
badly no people on the whole globe were
ever more sensitive to such influences than
the native tribes of North America. What
they could not comprehend they dreaded
with craven fear, especially if it emanated
from the sun or clouds. Seeing his ad-
vantage, Kenton stretched forth his hand
again, holding the lass SO as to kindle the
leaves near him. Then with strange, wild
cry he swung his arms above his head,
adroitly shifted the lens to his left hand,
and then quickly started smudge in
another place
Next, struggling to his feet, tied through
they were, he gave an almost superhuman
leap jumping being Kenton's special forte
and brought himself to the heap of fagg-
OTIS that had been gathered for his partic,
ular entertainment, and seating himself
near them, went through pantomime more
weird than before, whereupon fame blazed
up around the stake, as if the victim were
already fastened to it and ready for torture
His next performance was to beckon to
the chief to come and unbind his ankles.
The mystifed Indian hesitated, but finally
cautiously forward as if not dar-
ing to disobey such man, and began with
1