The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-06-19
indians had for their hostile feelings.

Indians had for their hostile feelings,
and how shamefully they are often
treated, I will narrate the circum.
stances to you: A few weeks before
this time, O. man, who had been wand.
ering about in the woods in a famishing
condition, having lost his way, cllanced
at last to find this cabin, and, being in
a suffering condition, he was obliged to
remain here till he could recover mis-
strength. Feeling, at length, able to
go on, he wished to continue his journey
down the river. But this seemed I'M
possible, alone and ignorant of the road
as he was. Besides this, his route would
take him through several Indian villages
and his unproteoteGnes would expose
him to thousand dangers. AT length
two Indians volunteered to escort him
down, and they promised again and
again that the man shonld receive no
harm. The man consented to take this
escort, being we'll armed, and on his
guard against surprise. The route, as
L have said, lies along the banks of the
river through several Indian villages.
AS he passed through these, he not only
received no ill-usage, but, by the faith
fulness Of his guides, the greatest atten-
tion-though rude enough-was shown
him. He at last came in safety to
Blackburn's Ferry, his destination, No
sooner had the red forms of these faith
full Indians been seen by Mr.. Blackburn
as they were ascending the slope from
the river to the cabin, than he leveled
his rifle and shot one of them dead,
The other would have shared the same
fate had he not ran to the river, plung-
cd into the deep stream, and escaped
among the delise bushes skirting it,
This was cold-blooded, deliberated
murder; and one cannot but ask why
did he shoot down a harmless Indian
who had just performed Il friendly,
noble act? The cause was this: On
stepping from the threshold of his cabin
one morning, he found, but a little
distance off, his own father lying on the
ground, with the fatal arrow still in
his breast. This was the first intima-
ton he had Of his father being in Cali
fornia. He vowed that he would
wreak his revenge OH every Indian who
came III his way, and this guide fell a
sacrifice to it. The other, escaping, re-
turned to his tribe, and it was he whom
we had seen upon the eminence, and
who had brought the sad news of the
death of his comrade. Upon the In
dams approaching our log cabin, they
collected together little distance from
the door to hold council Of war; and
as one after another came forward, and
with frantic gestures, with eyes Of fire
and voice Of thunder seemed urging on
the tribe to some retaliating act, we felt
our only hope Of safety lay in success
ful and we feared bloody resistance to
the expected attack. We remained
watching them, thus exciting each other
to revenge, till the ferrymen, noticed
when there was Il little pause among
them, induced one Of them to listen to
him. He asked parley Of the Indians
which was finally granted, and without
leaving the cabin he tried to reason
with them that we should not suffer for
what wrong our brethren had done;
that he himself had always treated them
we'll; there was no reason why the good
feeling that had existed between them
should be destroyed. These were new
principles to savages. They heard all
with perfect silence, but when he had
spoken they grew more excited than
ever, and the chief came forward and
said that his brother had been killed;
that he must make war upon the whites;
oii$o "SAo iAh' SolNlFCo, OuU VlltU W.
should go free if we would recover the
dead body of the Indian and lead his
tribe against the "bad notwithstanding
Mr.. Blackburn. Mr.. Durkie replied
that we promised to do 50, and that,
would they allow us TO go away and get
many men and guns, we would return
tomorrow and lead them to war. So
great was the confidence they had in his
word that they promised us free de-
parture, drove down our mules from
the neighboring hills and offered not
the slightest resistance as we came from
our cabin. But we were strongly arm
ed and ready to pour Il murderous fire
upon them should they prove treacher-
to their. word. With many misgivings
as to the sincerity Of their promises, we
saddled Ulr mules and took up our line
of march, half expecting momentary
attack; but though some Of them look
ed ready to send an arrow through lis,
we left the place in safety. You may
rest assured we did not return there on
the next day, though / doubt not a
hundred canoes were impatiently await
ing our coming to attack the ''bad
man" down the river, as they termed
him.