The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-05-09


 his muskes, Sam discharged it at care lessly exposed brave, and had the sats- faction of knowing that their enemies were reduced to seven in number. Re turning the weapon, he bade Mike re- load and was instantly on the watch for another chance, but the savages did not seem disposed to afford him another op- portunity. firing a sew harmless shots each one proving, however, that a miss was as good as a mile, while Mike be- coming weary of his tiresc=ae position declared in whisper that he must stretch his legs bit or he'd drop"
 "Thes's true," drily replied the scout, you'd drop mighty quick. Consarn him p he continued, to himself wasn't he jowin' while ago about his tired legs, now he's restin' lem. There's no pleasing soldier, nohow."
 After several feints on both sides the savages, who knew well they had but one veteran to contend with, contrary to their usual custom made a sudden dash at the white men. The foremost fell by a shot from the scout, Mike discharged his musket in the headdress of a brave about ten yards distant and brought his piece to a charge, when a tomahawk stretched him bleeding to the ground. Sam, after felling another of the enemy with his clubbed rife was at length over come, ard both men were quickly se- cured. the object of the savages appear ing to keep them for while as prison CTS, but after proceeding few miles from the scene of the encounter halt was made, the Indians manifesting consider able anxiety, examining the ground as if for sign and talking and gesticulating in an unusually excited manner. By Sam's knowledge of their language he soon learned that the excitement was caused by the supposed presence in the vicinity of strange, unknown being, believed in and greatly feared by the Indians, and known as Spirit RiHe," whose victims bore no outward sign of how they met their deaths, and whose person even had never yet been seen, that he was friendly to the whites was we'll known to them, as several hunters had been rescued by his intervention the existence of the person or spirit was however disbelieved in by most of the intelligent portion of the community, who regarded it merely as an Indian superstition. The being was known by the names of "Splrit" or "Magic Rife, "Medicine Gun," ol "Ghost of the Forest" and seemed to be sort of Nick of the Woods, or Jibbion- sary as depicted by a novelist of the day After hurried consultation the savages appeared to have agreed to kill theil prisoners at once to avoid rescue.
 Throwing the helpless men on the ground huge warrior was about to give them their coup de grace when his weapon dropped from his hand and he fell corpse on the body of his intended victim.
 With yell ofteror and cries of Spiri, Rifle p the remaining Indians turned and fled, but not before another had fallen by the hands of the mysterious marksman.
 After considerable effort Sam suc- ceeded in loosening his bonds and re- leasing his companion. Gathering up their weapons which had been left be- hind by the savages in their flight, they set out again for the fort.
 "Blessed Saint Peter be praised J piously ejaculated Mike, "but didn't the haythen run ?"
 "Peter be blowed," was the irreverent reply ;" if it hadn't been for Spirit Rife ye would have seen Pete afore this"
 "An' whe is Spirit Rihe,' and who made the red nagurs run if 1t wasn't Sain, Pet:ror the blessid mother herself2" de- manded Mike.
 "l It's more than can tell who Spirit Rife is" replied Sam. "All can say it's queer sort of critter that's never been seen, but who kills injuns and makes no noise about it; the reds call him Spirit RiAe,' or Medicine Gun,' and the whites hey no better name for him He is friendly to the whites as we know, but take it he don't want to be seen, so I hurried away to give him a chance to mark his meat he allus puts a crop on the forehead of every red he kills and when an injun finds dead one with it, there's bowling, kin tell yer"
 Faith, he must be good Catholic, i" replied the soldier.
 "Like as no., but you see injuns are alwavs afraid of what they can't under