Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-11-29

the night. The rain poured In tor
rents, the lightning blazed from
point to point, and the thunder
seemed to crash and break against
the sides os the hills. We we're
all exposed to the fury
of the tempest. In the morning
our clothes were wet and we had
only saved onr powder BY sleeping
on it. The wind, however, had sub
sided, and we tried again TO get
oar horses over the other slde-the
creatures resisted every attempt,
aud We we're driven to the alterna-
tive of losing the horses. or course
we chose the latter, and selecting
each of as one of the best we made
for the falls.
"There was a handsome young
fellow with MS, q Kentucklan by
birth, who thought we had scarcely
had adventure enough, 80 he pro-
posed to me to let the rest 60 on
while he and | captured Two splen-
did bays. We turned back accord
ingly, and came the first thing on a
trail of revengeful Indians, who
had undoubtedly been seeking us
from the first. Ny dear child, if
you had seen them as they really
were, their faces streaked with
black and yellow, their untanned
blankets, rough legins, and demon
lac faces, you never would have
dotted upon them. Willis, the Ken
tuckian, was some ways ahead OF
me, and by some unsuccessful ma
newer fell Immediately into their
hands. Itw-s a dreadful sight to
see them each drive with his heavy
club at the head of the poor fellow.
He fell instantly, and they scalped
him, throwing the fresh bleeding
skin over their weapons and wav-
ing it in my sight.
81 was on a splendid horse
They, too, were mounted and had
feet animals, so they pursued me
at the top Of their speed. For a
time l escaped, only to fall into
their barbarOus hands, however.
Deceived by voice / thought ia.
mlliar, and the pronunciation of a
word in English, / followed a trail,
and lured on by the supposition
that ! was on the track of friends
from whom we had been separated,
and who might have come back to
the rescue, / went cautious y for
ward, but suddenly found myself
among q party of Indians, who
were SO engaged that, | suppose, if
| had bad the presence of mind, |
might have escaped, for | think
they did not see me.
"HoEever, thinking the boIdest
course the best, Immediately tired
at the foremost, and in another
moment they we're after me like a
pack of hounds. / took advantage
of some fallen timber, l tried to
dodge them, and to hide among the
underbrush, but their cunning de-
feated my purposes. They diYidod
into parties, and rode along on
either side Of the timber, beating 1t
up, driving me out at the opposite
end, where stood an enormous saw
age with q lifted tomAhawk. just
as he was about to strike me to the
earth. however, another Indian
equally powelful lifted nae as If l
had been a feather, out of the way
of the descending tonahawk. |
was a prisoner, and Obliged tt
make the best Of it. You may i'm
agine what that best was"
SO, grandfather !" cried Margery
chow did you feelp
"How did l feel Fush, how
could you feel with ten labberinl
sa, ages about you, each one look
Ing as if he could eat you witbou
pepper or salti"
"It must have been a trying mo
ment," said Margery.
"NOt half 90 trying as what fol
} lowed" replied the old man, shak
ing his white locks. "They nut
tered their outlandish jibberish IL
my face, making up hsdeou
mouths, expressive of their IN
tense disgust of me and my race
They shook the scalp of poo
Willis before my very eyes and
J don't doubt wanted to serve min
in the same way. Then ieavini
me helplessly tied, they went ou
to caIch the horses. The difficult
3 with which this feat was accomp
hshed made them wilder than eyer
r in their rage against me. I say
? them deliberate and knew by thei
/, gestures, they were reserving m
, for some fearful doom. at last
r tall Indian went without the circle
' and succeeded In leading IN one Q
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