Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-07-18

and joked and broke into rollicking
songs
We had made a mile or so, when,
shooting round a sharp elbow Of the
river, we We're thunderstIuck TO find |
ourselves abreast Of large Indian
camp pitched on the bank. The mar
rowing of the stream at this point
brought US within twenty yards OF our
foes.
Uttering a howl Of rage they made
a wild rush for the waters edge, threw
themselves irto their canoes and came
after Us ir tull pursuit. And foremost
among them we recognized the tall
form of Wah-kia-na.
With a swift wave Of our paddles we
turned the nose Of our antique craft
toward the bank. reaching which We
| leaped ashore | seized the gun, and
in two seconds we We're tearing
through the thick brushwood toward
| the forest hey ond.
| That afternoon and evening l
tramped many miles. At nightfal be-
| ing utterly tagged out, threw myself
upon the turf beside small stream,
and was soon sound asleep.
I awoke a little after dawn, cold and
| stiff and desperately hungry. l was
about to move along, when | was
startled to hear cracking among
the brushwood. l set my teeth and
brought my rifle to my shoulder ready
to fire as soon as the thing should
break cover.
Presently who should stagger into
view but Jed. the poor fellow ready to
drop with fatigue and hunger.
i We started off, but soon Jed, who
was CARRYING the gun, while Chamber,
: ing over the rocks made mlsstep and
fell. The weapon flew from his hand
: and the trigger. striking hard against
a stump. a loud report followed
: among the surrounding hills.
But that was not the worst. Jed's
ankle received a very bad twist in his
: fall. and for some minutes the pool
=, fellow was agonized with pain.
Now we noticed a column of smoke
, arising nearly opposite our position
4 from the other bank Of the river.
e "A signal!'' cried Jed. ''They mus
have heard the report. What {
: clumsy idiot [ was!'
/ and see," said l, there's an an
j swering signal to the right and an
e other to the left. But we've got {
t good start of them, and before the.
strike our trail we must be mile.
e away"
T All that afternoon We toiled onward
y over our rugged course. Meantime
: however, Jed's wounded ankle grew
/ worse. until at sunset it was sWollel
to twice it's natural size, and he coult
e proceed no further.
n Twilight slowly darkened into night
b The moon rose and cast her fadln:
s light upon the scene A more welcome
:, light, | think, l shall never behold.
n Presently signal fires on the hill
: near by told us that the rest of on
enemies were close at hand. Again
e. looked to the printing of my gun ant
a otherwise prepared for action.
d For fully twenty minutes we hearN
S nothing of our foes, though we knew
l. we'll the cowardly fellows were debat
ing how best to reach US. Then, from
their ambush in the wild oats w
n heard voices as though they were en-
couraging each other to charge, anC
we realized that the crisis was a
d hand.
Suddenly l was startled by an ex
d clamation from Jed.
Its all up, Joe!'' he cried. mo u.s.
g firing. The villains have got US il
the rear"
|, Hist, boys, hist!' whispered a voic
K from the bow of the canoe.
o Good heavens, it's Wattier'
i "Aye, boys, and just in the nick 0
5 time. Catch hold of this hyar line AM
a haul us in right smart
5 'sThis was done. and all so quietl,
> and quickly that the Indians knew
e nothing of our reinforcements. I
minute later they broke cover, rushed
into the Open and, with a bloodhound
ling yell, charged pell-mell dow
upon US.
''Fire!' shouted Waite, in a voic'
y that rang loud above the uproar, ant
y instantly five spouts of fame flashed
in the faces of our foes.
il Surprised, thunderstruck, utterly dis
e comfited, the advancing body reelet
II back from the yolley they had-so lit
f tie expected.
I After 'em, boys yelled Waite
l. leaping up over the bank and givin:
chase. We sent them flying in all di
e rections, each Indian intent only OF
securing his own safety.
, Then returning to the bank W.
= sought our two fallen foes. The frs
we came up to was lying face down
ward, having pitched forward as
bullet found his heart Turning hin
over, we found he was none other thar
; the villainous Wah-kia-na.-Bosto
Globe.
A IRISH FIRE.