Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-10-09

do xn, as if waiting for others to join
| them.
| Close beside the spring. which was sup
| piled by a small stream that dripped from
| d assure In the rock, was an opening in the
| ,lGe Of the hill, a sort of natural cave.
| which had been used by the Indians as d
cache IN which to hide their corn.
1t WAS the custom of the Indians to stake
| of portion OF the rich bottom lands for
| rich corn fields, fence it by driving sticks
into he ground and tying poles with
w.thes of ash or bark to prevent their
ponies from destroying their crops. In the
| fall they would dry their corn and bury it
! IN IL srOu d. where 1t would be ready
| for further use
After the corn was disposed of the men
| of the tribe, with the exception OF the old
and lnfrm, who were left to the care Of
the women, would disperse over the coun-
try through the belts of timber that lay
along the large creeks and rivers for the
purpose Of hunting and procuring furs
when they would sell TO the fur company,
who had established trading posts at diff
ferent points.
Mrs Fleming had often noticed this
cache or hiding place. 1t was large cav
| lty Of irregular shape, with an area of per-
haps 200 square feet; and not quite high
enough to permit person of average
| height to stand upright. The floor, rough
and uneven, was thicIly covered with
| leaves blown in by the Winds of many sea-
sons A large stone, fat and irregular in
shape, so heavy that it required the
strength of several men to move it, had
been nsed to close the aperture, and now
| lay just beside the entrance to the cave
| Lifting her pail Of water, that no trace of
her presence might be left, she crept softly
into the cave, and reaching the furthest
| corner, crawled behind spur of rock, laid
down. and covered herself with leaves
Scarcely five minutes had elapsed when
she heard voices that grew palmer every
moment, and she could tell by the sound
that the Indians were approaching the
cave. A narrow space between two points
Of rock gave her limited view Of the
mouth Of the cave, and soon, as one after
another came into view, she could count
ten brawny savages. among whom she rec
ognized Autuckee. sou Of the chief Half
Day. From association with the Indians.
she had gained some knowledge of the
different Indian dialects, and she now un-
derstOOd from the conversation that these
induce Pottawatamies to join with their
tribe and sweep over the whole state to
destroy the entire white population.
Terror at her own situation was mingled
with lear for her husband, who might re-
turn by this path to the cabin instead of
going across the prairies. She had hard
~ dared breathe least she should betrav
her hiding place. At last just as they
seemed about ready to depart, one of the
strangers pointed to the stone and askpd
what it was for. Autuckee calIed..some q
his braves, and at his command they L.,
hold Of the stone with will. As ST
pecpCd through the marrow space tina
afforded her glimpse of what was beir.
done, her heart stood still with terror
They were closing the entrance to IT,
cave.
Mr.. Fleming, accompanied by younn
Boyd, had reached the wolves den at tn
ford about three miles up the creek. He
| a steep bill Or cliff arose abruptly from II.
| side OF the water overgrown with stunte
cedar bushes and tangled vines. A cliff
III the rock wide enough to admit a man
led to a cave that had an opening farther
! down the hill near the creek bank.
You stay here, said Boyd, land watch
for the varmints and shoot them as they
come out, and the dogs and | will 90 in
and drive them out. If you can kill both
the old ones, the dogs will make short
work Of the cubs.
Fleming took position near the open
ing. He knet on his right knee and
braced his left foot against a solid rock
He rested his rife Oh his left knee and
wait d. The dogs and Boyd were already
in the cave. He could hear loose stones
rattling down as they made their way
over the uneven surface of the rocks inside.
| and expecting every moment to see wolf
come bounding out Of the cave be raised
his rife to his shoulder to be ready.
A that moment Boyd appeared at the
opening above and called out in a sup
pr, sed voice:
For Gods sake hide! the redskins are
coming over the prairie yonder WITH d
prisoner.
Fleming was Il cool, courageous young
man, who could think and act quickly in
an emergency.
He raised cautiously up, and saw a band
of Indians approaching, and even at that
distance could recognize from their pecu-
liar dress that they were Sacs ana Foxes
There were in ali about twenty or thirty.
and in their midst, apparently bound fast
to the pony she rode, was a white woman,
her long fair hair floating ont ON the wind
as she rode. Two powerful Indians, one
on each side, rode beside her. each hold
ing the bride of the pony on which she
was tied.
Its those cursed Sacs and Foxes!" he
whispered back to Boyd, ''they are riding
straight for the ford to water their ponies:
they have evidently ridden a long dis
tance.'
And they are evidently fleeing from
pursuit, replied Boyd, excitedly. Can t
you hide in ther euntil they have gone on ?
Their halt is not likely to be very long
orn'
But this was clearly impossible. Even if
| there were no danger in encountering the
wolves, that were dangerous when brought
to bay, it would be almost impossible to
enter the exposed opening without being
seen by the Indians, always alert, and keer
| Of vision.
While he hesitated, a new danger pre-
scented itself-another band Of Indians.
apparently detachment from the first,
came in sight from a point which COM
manded a view of the cliff from base to
| summit.
Not moment was to be lost Taking
his rifle III his hand he ran in a crouching
posture little way up the creek, until he
reached place where the shallow stream,
had deepened into dark, still pool,
around which was growth of tall, coarse
weeds. Laying his gun In dry place, ne
waded into the pool. breaking off reed
with hollow stalk, which he put in his
mouth. Then he sat down in the creek.
and the water being over his head. he LET
the reed project out of the water to breathe