Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-03-08

"You fellows arc doing better than
we are" said one OF the hardy miners,
'for you are sure of deer, while we are
not sure of gold, by long mark"
The boys could noS help seeing that
this was true-for the hard-working
men, although they managed to pay for
the game they devoured, were really
having but wretched luck.
To make matters worse, there pres
emily came rumors of an Indian out
break and, although the danger was
as yet too uncertain to excite a real
panic, it nevertheless caused q consid-
erable uneasiness through tho various
camps.
The boys, OF course, shared the alarm,
but, in common with the miners, they
resolved to await some more positive
intelligence before vacating their quar-
ters.
Meanwhile, they proceeded to hunt as
usual and on the very next day went to
long distance from their camp.
After time, John Miller became so
widely separated from his companions
that he was unable to find them. Intent
upon getting a shot at large buck
which he had discovered, he had follow
ed the animal through q number of de-
vious windings, only to become com
pletely lost as to the course he ought to
pursue in returning. 3.
After wandering for awhile to no pur-
pose, he fred his rifle several times in
quick succession, but received no ans
wer. Night came on, and he knew that
= hn
kindling fire and lying down under a
tree, he concluded to make the best of
his situation till morning.
1t was getting late, and he had nearly
fallen into browse, when what was his
alarm to see, by the light of the fire, the
brown hand of an Indian reach around
the tree against which his rifle stood
and snatch the weapon from its place!
Our young hunter had barely time to
realize this, when four other savages,
two on each side, seized him in their
fierce grasp like so many panthers.
The five Indians were Immediately
Joined by twelve others, who had lin
gered little in the rear, so that young
Miller found himself the center of a cir
Gle made up of seventeen warriors.
They were bristling with weapons
and turkey quills, and had their faces
hideously disfgured by alternate daubs
of red and black paint, after the manner
of party of frolicsome boys who have
been out berrying. But there was moth
ing frolicsome here; it was stern
group, and a fearful one.
The savages marched their captive off
to considerable distance before en-
camping, and tfen. binding him hand
as helpless as log, after which one of
them, who could speak a few words of
English, gave him the consoling infor-
nation that on the morrow he was to be
''staked out" and burned in the true
style of the Sioux.
The poor boy we'll knew the meaning
of this. He was to be placed on his
back. with his wrists and ankles bound
fast to four stakes, set at proper dis
tances, when the red fiends would leis-
urely proceed to stick his body full of
sharp splinters, and, setting these on
fire, slowly roast him to death.
His feelings during that dreadful
night one can not even imagine. A sit
uation so terrible must be past the con-
ception of any person who has never
been placed in it,
In the morning the young captive was
unbound with the exception of his arms,
and then, in single file, the Indians
started off, with him in the middle of
their line, taking the precaution, how
ever, of keeping a lariat about his
waist.
They had no ponies with them, which
was a little remarkable; but, as scout
ing party, they may have chosen to
travel on foot, because less liable in
this manner to attract notice, though,
in the meantime, spare lariat or two
might be useful two them.
Presently their path was crossed by a
deep chasm, across which an active, Nm
encountered person might leap by a
powerful exertion, and this feat they
one after another began to perform with
success, springing over like so many
huge bul-frogs.
But even here the opportunity for
cruelty was too tempting to be lost, and
when number of them had accom-.
plished the leap, those behind signified
attempt it, pinioned as he was.
They even sought for the purpose a
spot where the chasm was trihe wider.
With the long lasso about his waist, and
his arms tightly bound behind him, il
seemed as if he must surely fail; and the
painted demons laughed and yelled al
the mere thought of an effort so utterly
hopeless.
But the youth did not hesitate. He
might be mangled upon the sharp rocks
but would not even this be less dreadful.
than the terrible death by fire?
With his arms still painfully bound
and stout Indian holding the lariat, he
stepped back few yards, then plunged
forward at headlong run and leapet
with all his strength.
A yell OF astonishment and savage ad
miration broke from his tormentors al
they saw his feet fairly land upon the
opposite side, although the impetus o
the sprirg threw him fiat on his face