The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1892-12-17

the tall grass and went whistling over
my head. Then knew was in for it.
II saw want but o little way to
the rapids, and quick as fash made
up my mind what to do. You can bet
that old birch-bark darted down
stream for tho next mile!
1.-THE reds yelled like manincs when
they came out in the river and could
see me padding away from 'em. Icould
see there were four Of them, two In each
canoe. They couldn't be loaded much
heavier'n was, and they could catch
me anyway by running ashore an
takin' it afoot, but knew they'd stick
to the water as long as didn't land.
Il tell you, if you ever get q parcel o.
reds after you, just do something that'll
make their black eyes pop out of their
heads-something startling, you know.
They're chock full Of superstition, and
born towards, every one. where any
thing unnatural is concerned.
when they see q fellow do some
thing that they've no idee any human
being would dare to attempt, it just
strikes their weak spot every time.
''If they don't come to the conclusion
that he is an evil spirit, and let him
alone entirely, they're mighty sure to
form good opinion Of his courage;
and they know that they can't calcu-
late at all on what's going to happen
when they NEEDLE with such fellow.
That Just knocks the pluck out Of the
varmints,
$50 instead of landing an taking to
my heels, which looked to be my only
chance of saving my scalp, Just pad
died right straight on.
but didn't impress 'em very much.
for could tell by the way the Indians
yelled that they thought just didn't
know enough to land! l s'pose they
thought i was some greenhorn that
didn't know anything about fighting
Injuns, and was scared out of my wits
to boot.
"They all padded like Sam Hill, and
kept up the 'tarnalest sore eching You
ever heard. OF course they gained on
me fast, with two paddles to my one,
and wondered why they didn't shoot
1.-The two that hadn't fired at first But
it didn't take me long to see what
their game was.
"They thought I'D have to land when
l came to the rapids, and they were
holding their fire to pick me off at short
range while / was making landing.
THAT tickled me SO that l had to
laugh, and padded all the faster as /
got within hearing o. the rapids.
when 1 reached the first rifle, the
reds wern't more'n twenty rods behind
me, padding and yelling like mad. |
never let mp till / could feel the swift
current pullin' the canoe along. Then
turned round an swung my old hat at
'em. and yelled like steam-engine.
"Well, if you wouldn't "a died laugh
in to see them Sioux about that time.
They stopped padding and stared at
me like they'd seen ghost, as / went
shooting into tine big rollers. If I'D
gone down without saying anything
they'd thought it only an accident; but
when laughed and yelled at them it
made their hair stand on endI
"They could have popped me over as
easy as nothing at the distance. but
there wasn't one on them that had
sense enough left to think of shooting.
l felt kind Of ticklish myself, but
thinks I: In q case like this the bold
est course is always the safest If
can ride her through I'm all right, and
if happen to bust upon rock 'twon't
be no worse'n being hacked to pieces
and scalped.
II reckon I've steered canoe
through as rough places as any man
alive, but, tell you, ! never got into
such a roaring, whirling, mixed up
mess Of rocks and water as that was.
My canoe jumped and dipped, and was
half-fun of water in no time. But
didn't happen to hit any rock, and
soon was sailing into smooth water.
"Then ran her ashore at sharp
bend. jumped out into the river, an
threw my steel traps into deep water
beside big rock. where cd find 'em
agin. Then tipped the canoe bottom
side up, and set itdr;fting down stream.