Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-15
A LONELY IRA M P.
Following . Rivers Course for Days
on the Frontier.
Alone Without Food or weapons I'm {
Strange Country-Fscing
Indiana.
Written for The Evening Star.

BY the Wreck1ng OF his canoe and the drown
ing of his companions Porter Donley was left
alone without food and without weapons in a
country whose trails were travelled only
by hostile Indians II was forty miles to his
cabin in one direction and . hundred to the
nearest town In the other, with inhospitabls
woods between. He would not 60 back to
civilization penniless. He must work his way
back to his cabin.
He turned his back to the river and climbed
tne steep slope Of the banks, keeping well within
sight OF the stream, and made his way slowly,
now creeping along the rivers edge, now cross
Ing point where the underbrush gave him OPP
portunity. His first serious check was stream.
He could not wade il and he already felt
enough danger Of the cold waters to make
swimming distasteful were he able to swim. He
went up stream until finding some drift he
crossed on il. So every cross stream sdded .
mile or more. The forty miles len.thened into
hundred before him. He was tempted 10
continue his journey inland, crossing the neck
OF great bend, but the sometimes mountainous
character Of the country and the possibility of
losing his way determined him to adhere TO
the river bank ct whatever cost. days de-
lay might mean death by starvation. Some
times tree leaning across o stream gave op-
portunity for the New England boy to try a
drop. Sometimes . promising bridge dropped
him into the swift current, whence he would
crawl. still further exhausted by the energy his
terror had called up, for. like many frontiers
men, he could not swim. He struggled on as
long as twilight lasted, and sank down on the
rocks 20 rest when he could no longer keep his
direction, even with the wash Of the river
sounding in his ears.
Sometimes he would hear the cat calls OF the
cougar In the depth of the woods. sometimes
the crnckliu0 NJ tho hrush Wauld tall thu r,as-
sage Of the ruder bear. The second day was
more wearisome than the first, but with less
hunger. After that hunger became more unde-
fined and in consequence Donley's fatigue and
aches became less marked
On the third day he saw an opening in the
woods and bent his course toward It. Hestepped
out from the trees into the clearing Of some
Indian patriarch in full view Of its half dozen
braves, who sat on their launches listening to
Q gesticulated story Of hunt His decision
was instantly taken. To turn was TO confess
fear and to invite attack. With his ewes on the
woods beyond Donley picked out his course.
Never had his foot been SO light, but he did
not know II. Every nerve in bis body was alive
to the slightest sensation and each sensation was
magnifed to the utmost The cracking OF o
twig became the fall Of arrow. A child's
playful scream became the slogan Of 9 hostile
clan. Nearer and nearer came the wood, but
still he felt the Indians had not stirred. He
could even hear the gutturals Of the story teller
whose story had been suspended but for an in
slant. After an age of suspense the timber
closed around him. The instant he felt its
shield between him and his enemy his careless
march became the widest flight Stumbling
over stones, falling over logs, scratched by the
brush and bruised by the limb and rock until
fear had subsidized in absolute exhaustion he
sank down on the edge Of q creek and, dipping
his hand In the water, carried il trembling TO
his parched lips. What had he not thought in
that fearful interval?
As he Law painting on the ground he thought
Of his fearful peril and attributed his safety to
the Indians surprise. They could not conceive
II possible for one man to venture out without
the secret support Of his party. They did not
dare TO tempt the vengeance Of . hidden foe.
So they had sat stolidly observing him, each
really thoroughly afraid Of the other.
After that one incident Donleys route seemed
tame even to him Once moro he met the
enemy, but this time on equal terms, man to
man. The miner never feared the Indian.
though victims Of that pride Of race are not
wanting in the annals Of the gold hunt
As the fourth morning dawned Donley began
to suspect, ss CYRUS father il said TO have
done. the coming Of death But food plants
are not confined to one part Of the earth's sur
face. Like Roche. king OF Pitt Island, Donley
began to experiment with natare. and the
rootstocks Of the fern answered about as well
as husks that the swine did eat As the day
wore to q close he saw the far-of cabins Of the
settlement camp and with renewed energy
passed on TIL he was opposite sthe lowest OF
them. Here he found that the silence Of the
forest had had Its effect upon him. he could
not make himself heard. Exhaustion had re-
duced him to the voicelsss condition OF the
elements around HIM. But incidents are not
numerous enough on the frontier to let q trav-
eler stand long unnoticed in view Of the miner.
He looked up presently, gave . reassuring
shout, took up his rife and his paddle and
loosening his canoe backed out from shore.
Heading well up the stream he slowly crossed
the rapid current II needed no words to tell
Doniey's plight. He was soon across the river.
Declining his friends hospitality, beyond the
acceptance of a mouthfui of whisky, he went
quietly to his cabin and getting out his stores
had the regulation cup Of coffee, slice Of bacon
and fapjack dished up, and moderating the
fierce demon OF hunger within HIM he turned
into his bunk for the longest sleep man ever
had without the aid Of the physician or the un-
dertaker.