The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-08-19

i pulled up my dncnOr stone. ana put
that big rock into one of my bundles of
bulrushes. | did not take the anchor
rope of the rock. but just tied the bull
rushes firmly round the stone.
Next l took off my buckskin coat
and buttoned it round the bundle.
Then propped it up solidly in the mid
die of the canoe. just where had been
sitting, and l clapped my old hat on
top of it.
Finally stuck the butt of my fish
ing pole among the other bundles of
bulrushes, and set il slanting out ever
the water in front of the dummy | had
pressed up.
"In my pocket l had a heavy two
hundred-feet line that used for trolling
with live frogs. ! tied one end of this
to the dummy, and took the other end
in my teeth. My intention was to
swim ashore, but Just as I was about
to do so / reflected that the boat was
not now anchored, and might as well
paddle the distance, because the Indians
certainly could not see me from where
they must have reached by that time.
80 padded to the island. Then
took out my old double barrel and my
powder-horn, and gave the canoe a
shove outward. The trolling line paid
out nicely. When the canoe, with the
dummy in it, had gone out to where it
hal been with me, stopped it by hold
ing the line.
There was a gentle breeze from the
island, which kept the canoe pretty
steadily in place in the little channel
between the island and the point the
Indians were making for.
when / saw that the dummy and
fish-pole looked all right. I lodged
back among the willows out of sight.
Then looked out again at my dummy.
"Well, Bob, I just had to lie down
and roll and laugh when squinted at
that image. IL sat up-facing meas
straight as judge, and held that pole
as natural as life.
Il Law in the bushes long time, look
ing at the opposite shore, before saw
another sign of the two Indians. The
breath of wind kept the canoe well out
at the end of the trolling-line. The
dummy was about fifty yards from me,
bushes, to which expected the Indians
to crawl
by and by saw one of them put
out his head from behind a tree good
way back from the lake. They knew
who they were after, and that made
them so cautious they were a good half
hour in working their way to the point.
Now and then I'd see them lodging
from tree to tree. At last they reached
the edge, and could see them peeping
out from among the bushes.
Pretty soon | saw both of them
poke out their rifles and take steady
| aim. Just when their guns cracked
gave such pull with my line that the
| canoe capsized, and out tumbled
the dummy head first on the side
of the canoe that had swung round
nearest to me. As the bowline was tied
to the stone in the dummy, the canoe
was now anchored. 1t sort of hid the
tumble from the two shooters.
| i've seen some comical things in my
time, but / never wanted TO laugh more
than when l saw that old hat go diving
for the bottom. But kept as still as a
mouse, and 80 did those Sioux for a
spell.
THE weight of that rock kept the
dummy at the bottom, but my old hat
came off and rose to the top, where it
fioated with the fishing pole.
Still the two Sioux made no move.
You see the rascals weren't sure they
had killed me. They didn't know but
I'd jumped overheard, and was hiding
| behind the canoe. But when they had
waited long enough for me to be
drowned If hadn't come up, the wind
turned the canoe rcund so that they
could see both sides of il.
That satisfied them, and they both
| came jumping out of the bushes to the
edge of the water. Such screeching
and yelling with delight you never
| heard.
They were both young fellows, and
the idea that they had succeeded in kill
| ing the man that all their old braves
half believed was protected by some
magic, just tickled them half to death.
white mans scalp and gan,
ana that scalp my scalp, and my old
double barrel, to carry back to their
village-why, thsy thought they felt
| the biggest kind of feathers in their
caps already!
when they got tired of yelling and
dancing they took off their powder
horns and bullet pouches about all
they had on except their paint and
observation-disclosures laid them on the
beach with their rifles. Then they
jumped in and swan for the canoe.
AS soon as they reached it both of
EN- climbed into it, and began to ioek
round for their victim. The water was
clear as crystal, but just at that place
the bottom was covered with water
moss two feet deep; that's why it's such
good place for bass.
The weight of that rock sunk the
dummy SO deep into the moss that the
Indians could see no sign of it. They
looked and looked, and at the same
time inspected and jabbered about my
Ratchet and knife, which | had left
aboard when landed.
After peering down into the water
for long time, and chattering away in
Sioux, one of them took hold of the
rope and began TO pull up the anchor
| | kapf my tr,,n ON fba,n oil 1ba @,,,,o