Connecticut western news., 1895-07-11
INDIAN REVENGE.

Jed Wilson and were neither of us much over 90 when, in the reckless spirit of adventure, we joined com pany of threescore hardy fellows who were on the point of starting of up the Ump-qua river.
 After many days of the most difficult travel we came at length in sight of an Indian village, and approaching this village to within quarter of mile we pitched our permanent camp We had been there 8 very few min utes before our redskin DeiShbors be- came aware of our presence, and imms- diately they swarmed down upon us, displaying the most hostile intentions. The sight of our weapons cowed them. and they saw it would be best to leave us alone.
 The chief of the tribe was one Wah- kia-na. tall, muscular Indian of per- haps 45. As the days went by Wah-kia- ma became quite frequent visitor. His favorite lounging place was the log cabin in which Jed and did the cook ing.
 One morning Jed discovered Wah-kla- na in the act of jahbing long, sharD pointed piece of iron he invariably car ried in his belt into the soup kettle, hoping no doubt to fish cut nice hot chunk of beef. This was more than nay companion could sta4d. Knocking the iron out of the redskins hand with quick blow, Jed grabbed the fellow by the scruH and the slack and rushed him out of the cabin. quit ting him with Q push that seait him sprawGng upon the ground. After that Wah-kia-ta came to the | cookhouse no more, and in month or SO the incident had dropped completely | from our minds But not from the In- | dian's. In his heart he nurtured ven- 1 geance.
 One day we learned that there emp | tied into the Ump-qua a certain stream, the exploration of which promised con | siderable sport. This tributary was known as Smith river, after an unfW tunate trapper who had been killed by the Indians many years before When we had arranged our plans, we made them known to Wattie Linn, sturdy old backwoodsman, who had talk en quite fancy to us youngsters and had more than once proved himself | true friend
 Don't ye go, boys, said Wattie.
 "Why not?' asked Jed "We can manage the canoe all right.
 '' 'Tain't that. "
 | "What is it, then? Are you afraid of the Indians cutting us off?''
 "Waal, yes, that's about it., replied Wattie.
 Just as we were pushing of along came Wattie.
 "So yer bound to go, boysf" he said half responsibility. "Waal, good luck to ye But look hyar, want ye to promise me a something. Guess it'll take ye three days to get up to Smiths, thar bein freshet in the river, but day ought to fetch ye back slick as grease. Now, give mo yer word, boys, to be back hyar by five days at the latest shat is, if ye kin"
 We promised the old fellow and dip ped our paddles, impatient to be of.
 "Good, lads, and now look hyaY. If 30 be as you meet trouble and hev to quit the canoe and tramp home mako tracks down tho right bank of the river the right bank. do you heerr'
 Nothing particular happened until the afternoon of the third day. We were ripping along very quietly when sud denly Jed reached over the side of the canoe and fished something out of the water. It proved to be a small closely woven Indian basket.
 "That's bad, Jed," I exclaimed. "Sure as guns ther's redskins ahead od us ''
 "We'd have met the beggars if they had come down stream; so they must have gone up," said L ''What's to be done, Jed?' "Donel Go ahead and trust in Provi dence," replied Jed. "They may bt friendly or they may not. Anyhow we've got our rifles /" "What's that yonder?" cried Jed pointing to hill little distance ahead Its sloping side was dotted with wha looked to be huts. We rested on oul paddles and gazed upon the scene witt silent anxiety.
 We found the cause of our wonder tt be an old Indian burying ground. Tn | | earth, each of which marked the restin, place of warrior.
 Padding mile or two farther along we camped for the night.
 As soon as it was light enough VI started to mount to the top of what VI ! meant to be our long toboggan slid back to Ump-qua It was the wors rapid we had yet encountered Afte
 trying it several ways without succes
 we had to resort to the towing line.
 We dragged our little craft up throug
 the boiling current yard by yard
 may have been within dozen feet C
 us when crack the stout hide line sud
 denly snapped, and away went the eano
 with all our stores and Jed's rife, dash
 ing madly down the falls.
 "What fools to worry" cried Jed
 "when we can get all the canoes "
 wantl"
 Q "Where?"
 "Down in the burial ground (
 course. It's only mile or so. Com
 along.
 Fortunately we were on the same sid
 of the river, and an hours hard stru, gling through the dense woods brougl q us to the cemetery. We found th' IT most of the canoes were in very be , condition, but finally came across or a that seemed seaworthy. Our good fo )t tune mended our spirits, and as we spt
 onward we laughed and joleed and brol
 into rolicling songs.
 We had made milo or 30 whel
 shooting round a sharp elbow of u
 river, we were shunderstruck to fir
 ourselves abreast of large Indian can