The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-10-27

WHeu pduulluS III HOSIlle country, al "
what did l see come poking round a
bend but the noses of pair of big
canoes.
Il know'd too well what was in 'em,
and didn't stop to get good look at
the crews, but just dug my paddle into
the water an tried to get past the
mouth of that creek and out of sight.
81 heerd the Indians give yell Just
as swept past the mouth. The next
second, crack went a couple of rifles.
The bullets came cross lots through
the tall grass and went whistling over
my head. Then l knew | was in for it.
Il saw 'twa'n't but little way to
the rapids, and quick as a flash made
up my mind what to do You can bet
that old birch-bark darted down
stream for the next mile!
"The reds yelled like maniacs when
they came out in the river and could
see me padding away from 'em. could
see there were four of them, two in each
canoe. They couldn't be loaded much
heavier'n l 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.
II tell you, if you ever get parcel O.
reds after you, just do something thatll
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 a fellow do some
| hot wa hnr a N
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 a 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 l just didn't
know enough to land! l s'pose they
thought l 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
the two that hadn't fred at first. But
it didn't take me long to see wha
their game was.
"They thought I'd have to land when
came to the rapids, and they were
holding their fire to pick me off at short
range while l was making a landing.
THAT tickled me SO that had t.
laugh, and padded all the faster as
got within hearing o the rapids.
"When l reached the first rifle, the
reds wern't more'n twenty rods behind
me, padding and yelling like mad.
never let up till l could feel the swift
current pullin' the canoe along. Their
l turned round an swung my old hat al
'em, and yelled like a steam-engine.
"Wcll, if you wouldn't "a died laugh.
in to see them Sioux about that time.
They stopped padding and stared al
me like they'd seen a ghost, as l 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 il
made their hair stand on end
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, bu,
thinks l: In a 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 a 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, l tell you, never got into
such roaring, whirling, mixed ur
mess of rocks and water as that was.
My canoe jumped and dipped, and was
half-full of water in no time. But
didn't happen to hit any rock, anG
soon | was sailing into smooth water.
"Then | ran her ashore at "a SHARP
bend, jumped out into the river, an
threw my steel traps into deep water
, beside big rock, where | cd find EN-
agin. Then Tipped the canoe bottom
side up, and set it drifting down stream