The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1889-06-01
TERRIBLE CONFLICT.
Hand-to-Hand Fight Between an
Indian and q White Man.
Gallant Conduct OF . Young Hercules In
Rescuing Beautiful White Girl from
an Awful Predicsment-An Incl
dent Of Frontier Life.


aries, and started out for this purpose
along a dim trail through the forest.
had proceeded about the fourth of a
mile when the sound of human voice
attracted my attention. With the eau
ton acquired by long residence among
tricky and dangerous people. Iquickly
stepped behind large bush and list
ened intently. The voices approached
and two figures emerged into view not
more than thirty yards from me-the
one an Indian of gigantic size, the other
the most beautiful female my eyes had
ever beheld. She was seated on a jet
black pony of fine mettle and proper
tions. Her position in the saddle was
most graceful A blonde of faultless
form, features beautiful beyond descrip-
ton. and with long, golden. wavy
tresses profusely hanking down upon
the back of her steed. As the savage
held the bride bit, with tomahawk in
hand, glance sufficed to show me
that she was not voluntary compan-
ion in the journey. Indeed, l scarce
had time to form this opinion of the
situation before all doubt was removed
by sudden and Intellectual effort on
the part of the fair rider to extricate
herself from his grasp by jerk of the
bride, which caused the pony to rear
almost erect upon his hind feet, where
upon the savage, still clinging to the
bride. raised his tomahawk, and ex-
claimed:
".Hold, white fawn, or by the Great
Spirit my tomahawk shall drink, your
blood! Me, the son Of great Chief,
must have pretty white squaw in his
wigwam.'
Here the motion of his uplifted
weapon caused violent surge by the
pony, throwing the rider, who was in
stantly grasped by the fierce savage.
"With an almost overwhelming i'm
pulse of rage and fury, my heart throb-
bling and my very breath suppressed
with the excitement of the moment,
/ sprang forward with the leap of a
panther, and with yell which so
startled the savage that he loosed his
hold upon the lady and made several
bounds from her toward the woods.
"Seeing me, she exclaimed:
go, sir, save me! Save mel
"The savage now turned and stood
at bay, not twenty steps distant.
1.-THE pony stood still, trembling near
the lady.
Mount! Mount said 1. quick, and
fyr at the same time lifting her into
the saddle.
| sAs she moved off faced the Indian.
| who had turned and stood at bay, and
recognized him as the famous and
bloodthirsty George Took. known
among the Indians as Unaka-yah-wah
(white man killer. He was an Indian
of tremendous size and strength, and
of most desperate character. He stood
motionless for a moment, staring at
me with a hideous expression of hatred
and revenge. As looked at his fiend-
ish eye, and saw large tomahawk in
his brawny hand, there flashed through
my mind, for the first time. the inn
mense disadvantage of my position.
II had, unfortunately, left the camp.
on this occasion. without my pistol.
and had no weapon except a short
hunting knife. which hung at my side.
Quick in emergencies, and accustomed
to perilous adventure, my plan was in
stantly formed. 1t was to invite pur-
suit in the direction to the camp where
aid could be procured. began to step
backward. He at once defined my OBJ
| ject and, with a terrible yell, sprang
forward, trusting to reach and dis
patch me at once. Being of swift foot
turned, bounded forward, giving, as
! started, loud, keen, whistle through
my fingers. He followed with velocity
equal to my own, and at distance oil
about ten PAGES behind me. For about
one hundred yards he put forth his ut
most energies, and then, as If despair
ing of success. or fearing might draw
him into ambush, he hurled his toma-
hawk at me with such swift and fear.
full proximity to my head that my car
was carried off, and the instrument,
passing me, buried itself in tree some
forty feet beyond.
This was contingency l had hoped
for, and ! suddenly turned upon my foe
las we came together aimed blow
at his head with my fist. He evaded
me by side motion, and. stepping two
or three PAGES backward, rushed upor
me, attempting to throw his head be
tween my legs. This was a favorit<
feat among the Indian athletes, BY
which they often upset an adversary
throwing him over upon his head and
| Gripping. or placing him at A fearfu