The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-06-03

the woods Sufflcently for him to dis
cover the first movement of the savage
who was only few yards in front Of
him. The Indian. however, was quite
as wary as his antagonist, and took
good care not to expose himself in the
slightest degree. and for some time
the two men stood thus. watching
each other, and prepared to fire at the
instant either could detect the other
ID exposing himself
The woman, aroused from her re
verle by the firing aud shouts, had
started to her feet at the fiji st, and had
involuntarily caught up one of the
rifles which the Indians had left by
the fire. At first Wetzel was appre-
henslve that the savage who had Sc
cured his gun would shoot her, but he
reflected th4t, by doing this, the In.
dian would throw away his shot and
place himself at his mercy, and he
knew the redsk;n was too we'll trained
warrior to do this. This satisfied
HIM that the woman's life was safe for
the present, and he called to her that
aid was near, and told her to make
sure OF the Indian he had struck with
the tomahawk. by shooting him in the
head. This the woman did in kind
OF mechanical way, which showed
that she bad not yet ly realized her
situation The surviving Indians greet
ep the act with howl of rage, but,
as Wetzel supposed, the armed savage
did not fire. The greatest danger OF
all was that the unarmed Indian would
rush out from his cohcealment and
possess himself of one of the rifles by
the fire; and, should he do this,
the hunters doom would be sure: or,
should Wetzel shoot him. he would in
this way lose his shot. and place him
self at the mercy of the other Indian.
lie avert this. he called to the woman
who was standing near the fire to take
one of the rifles and shoot the Indian
II lie tried to leave his tree. He told
her who he was. and begged her to
lose no time. At the mention of his
name the woman's manner changed
She knew that Lewis Wetzel rarely
failed IN his undertakings, and her
despair vanished. She seized the rifle
quickly, her border life having taught
her how to use it. She was not a mo
ment too soon; for the unarmed lndi-
an, IN accordance with the result of
conversation which had been going on
between himself and his companion,
sprang from behind his tree AMI dash
ed towards the fire, intending to seize
one of the guns. The woman now
aroused TO her danger, and eager to
averge herself upon one of the muir
deIers of her husband and child, rails
ed the rifle quickly and fired The
savage threw up his arms, srrang into
the air, and fell upon his face, shot
through the heart. The other Indian
remained motionless, making no eff
fort to avenge his companions death.
In few minutes his ingenious brain
co'strived plan which he determined
to put into execution, and he bade the
woman take her child and withdraw
to one side so as to be out of range of
shot from either direction.
This done, he drew his ramrod from
his gun, and taking of nis bear skin
cap, laced it to the top of the rod. and
held it out cautiously little way be
yond the tree. The ruse had the de
sired effect. Wetzel had hardly ex-
posed the cap when the savage fired,
and ball struck the b6ar-skin in the
centre. With yell of triumph the
Indian sprang from behind the tree,
and rushed forU ard to secure the
scalp of his supposed victim, but the
next moment Wetzel fired in his turn,
and sent the fellow to join his com
rades IN the happy hunting grounds.
The hunter and his friends were
now out OF danger, but Wetzel had no
idea o. remaining where he was.
They travelled all that night and the
next morning, and by noon, when
thouronghly worn out. reached the
Ohio River, little above Wheeling,
and IN short while they were safe
within the walls of Fort Henry, where
the hunter related his story to the
wondering and admiring pioneers.
The woman and child he had res
cued found friends in the garrison.
She never forgot Lewis Wetzel, and
to this day the hunters memory is
cherished by none with greater reve-
renee than by her descendants.