Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1889-02-28

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front the good old Winchester again
pours forth its terrible destruction,
causing the Indians to break for the
sides, where they attempt to climb up
the overhanging rocks. They fail in
this, and at the loud command of Black
Scar, surge around in front, face to
face with their desperate foe. Pats
revolver, a self-cocker, does deadly
work, fired into the yelling mass ten
feet away, but the last load is gone,
and again the Winchester at close
range covers the ground with dead
and dying. Whether the great white
brave is wounded or not no one will
ever know. The red monsters are
forced back from the death-vomiting
rock, back from a single gun, back
from one man, back from brave Pat
Hennessy.
In few moments the whole band
would have fed, when suddenly the fir
ing ceased. Pats gun had become so
dirty and hot by such constant firing
that, horrible to relate, while attempt
ing to put in a cartridge, it stuck fast
and could be forced neither in or out.
The Indians supposed he was out of
ammunition, and with savage yells
rushed into secure their great prize. Pat
met them with dubbed gun, and broken
heads and bones were plenty as they
came within sweep of his strong arms in
the death-struggle; but those behind
still pressed on, and he was soon over
powered and secured. Infuriated at
the loss of SO many of their number,
they took poor Pat. tore his scalp from
his head, bound him to one OF his own
wagon wheels, emptied sacks OF oats
around him and set them on fire. just
as they commenced their devilish
torture and dance around their victim
they heard a shot echo from the dis
tance. The alarm was raised that the
soldiers were coming and stampede
at once began. Picking up the
wounded and some of their dead, the
Indians mounted their horses and
scampered off.
The evening shades gathered darkly
and all was still as the fire burned,
and the spirit of brave Pat passed
away and found rest in the land of the
hereafter.
There he was buried the next day by
some other fighters The bodies of
thirty dead Indians were also found
and were afterwards removed by their
red brothers. Pat was known as n
brave man. His friends have erected
a headstone, simply inscribed with
his namo and date OF his death. And
thus is marked the grave of a hero
and the spot on which occurred the
most remarkable fight of one man
against so many recorded in border
annals.
And now comes, perhaps, the most
wonderful part of this thrilling drama
in real life. Although John Korison
had been shot and scalped he still lived.
When fired at by the Indians he was
hit in the left shoulder,a severe but not
extremely dangerous wound, and as
the Indians rushed forward he simu-
lated death so we'll that they believed
him to be actually dead. Even when
the keen-edged knife cut round the
crown Of his head and savage hands
tore off the bleeding scalp he neither
moved nor spoke. He became uncon-
scious, but only for a moment, and al
though suffering the extreme of agony
himself the terrible fight between Pat
and the Indians was stamped upon his
mind so vividly as never to be erased
during life. Not until the savages had
been frightened away by the report Of
the gun did he again became uncon-
scious.
Through the silent night, upon the
matted grass. under the merciful dews
of heaven, John Korison hoyered on
the border between life and death. A
burning, scorching fever ran through
body, vein and artery like molten fire,
blotting out mind and reason, while
ever before his Imagination danced
the horrible figure of a painted
savage. As the earth rolled down
from the morning sun Korison had
sunk into a stupor which was very
close to the sleep Of death. 1t was
only short time later that he wa:
discovered by the freighters, and theil
astonishment can not be described wher
they found indications of life in the
blood-stiffened body. They had heart
of men being scalped who had sur
vived the terrible ordeal. but never
had believed it.
They set to work vigorously to re
vive and call back the fleeing spirit o
Korison. They dressed the wound il
the shoulder, washed his head ant
bound it up, forced some strong
whisky down his throat, gave his bod,
a good rubbing, and in short tim,
had the satisfaction of seeing Korisor
open his eyes and stare wildly about
But to their questions he replied not
The mind still slept He saw withou
seeing; he heard without hearing. Th'
dreadful nightmare of the past wa
visioned in those staring eyeballs, aut
as the men looked they were chilled I,
the bone. With the gentle touch o
woman these rough but kind-heartet
men placed Korison in one of tn
wagons on bed of soft hay and Sc
, out for Fort Sill. where they arrive,
with their patient Korison was a
once placed in charge of the oil
army surgeon at the fort, who wa
/ much surprised that man was sho
/ and scalped and still lived. 1t was tn
, | oniniOn of the surCeon that KnriSo