The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1890-03-28

'HR ana seeing fires shininl
"m'a me trees on an island some hair
mic on We made toward them. Az n,
urew IN nearer tho shore va could ~,
many isnrcs squatting around the fire.
winch M up the bare tree trunks 81 IA,
forest background and revealed seycra
little grass huts scattered on Tho edo,
81 the clearing. As our approaeh NJ
came known the gathering round III.
nrcs broke up Wild yclls arose from
score of lusty throats. and voices II
thc honki dialect shouted 10 Us NOT Il
dare 70 land and that we should llbavs
our Threats cut II we put foot on shore
Spears and knives were hrandishcd
guns seized and pointed at rs lold f,int
lock muskets from far down tho rivc,
which had passed through dozen
tribes In reaching their present ownersl
ana an indcscribabla hnb-bub ensued.
N"callcd out that We only wished I.
rest for few hours. that We wor.
friends and would do no harm. but /,
was all in vain.
| The fires were scattered and onlv .
few red ashes remained. and ~ could
see That any attempt 10 land on our
part would mean fight. So, calling
out that We were going away. We showed
on and commenced padding out into
| the stream
As we got about thirty yards from
land bang went gun in among the
trees and charge Of Shot whizzcd mast
US. followed almost Immediately by an
other report. and this time one Of our
men was wounded in the thigh. Glave
and were in the same canoe, and. with
our hcadmen l;ionclo and Ealunn. two
Naugatta natives who carried extra
rifles o. ours. we replied with our En-
press and Martini-IIcnry rifles. while the
other canoe. Of which Mongessi took
command. poured in dropping fire
from four or five flint-locks. We we're
Out In the full light Of the moon. while
our foes were completely hidden in the
darkness Of the forest bank. Loud
cries OF derision and shouts from the
shore greeted our fusillade and. pad
ding slowly upstream, We gave another
broadsidc in the direction Of the smol-
dering fires. which this time was re-
ceived in silence.
Feeling we could do nothing that
night. while II we remained near We
offered capital aim to our hidden foes.
We determined &c make for the opposite
bank Of the channel. about three hun
dred yards across A thick, floating
mass Of ipterlacing scdgc grass clineing
70 the bank prevented Us reaching the
shore. Accordingly. fastening our canoes
70 this. we stepped out on 10 the grass.
which bore our weight although il rose
and fell beneath each movement We
promptly stretched ourselves out on
this grassy couch. and although a leg
would sometimes break through and
reach the river flowing beneath we man
aged 70 keep afoat and get some sort OF
rest In spite Of mosquitoes and d |
drilling shower Of rain. had an india
rubber ground sheet with me. useful for |
stretching on the floor of ones tent or
sleeping on at pinch. and this now
endeavored 70 rig into a shelter from
rain and mosquitoes by throwing ii over
my head and budding my knees up to
my chin. while | could feel myself |
slowly making deeper impression in |
the grass raft and gradually settling
Town in the scdgc until expected |
'vcry moment to go through altogether
md take plunge in the river
My comfort was OF short duration. for
Mongessi objected to rain and mos
luitoes as much as diG-and observing
hat II was an unpleasant night for an
n .fresc0 entertainment on a floating /
sland. he, followed BY his wife and two
y three OF the men. promptly crawled
lnder my extempore tent and huddlcd
Up close around me. ! was banked in
~ solid mass OF warm flesh and could
carcely move finger. and although
he mosquitoes were now eiYcctually ex-
luded from every square inch OF MY
crson, l soon became aware OF the
act that there are things worse even
han mosquito bites in this world OF
urs. and amongst them | was COM
clled 70 reckon the atmosphere under
hat ground sheet | delic2tely limited ;
3 Mongessi, In broken tones. that l | (
bought his wife very nice woman at
distance, and that should b. de- (
GIFTED 70 see more Of her and his COM
anions on fine day on shore when the y
ind was in the right direction and I
lcy were bearing well 10 leeward Of I
&c, but he only replied BY digging me I
! the ribs and asking me for some to-
acco and match tolightup his pipe and
noke. abandoned the ground sheet r
this happy family and slowly the \
Ight wore away. while Glavc and 1 4
,zcd or chattcd alternately. Our j
onki friends across the water having v
lit their fires on our departure under r
Ie shelter Of one OF the huts were now i
lncing round them and singing wild x
ar-songs, brandishing spears and e
lives as they hurled defiance at US =
ross the intervening channel. y
With the earliest dawn We re-entered q
y canoes. loaded every gun and rife y
ID commenced padding across to re- y
w the fight. determined 70 punish q
Q Ronkis for their unprovoked attack b
the previous night. They saw us Z
ming. and renewed their Wild dance s.
d song, but as we came within one "
inbred yards or so Of the shore they =,
e by one sidlcd of behind the tree II
inks and into the forest. SO that by bl
time our canoes grounded on their n
ach we could not see single foe. We al
NJ vollcy in among the .rccs and cl
ru landed 0ur patf~nu t.~.t,. t,f1 | "a,