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

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and follow at safe distance in the
morning. ready to do anything in his
power TO aid his friends. IG became
necessary to be very cautious in his
movements, lest he should stumble
over the savages in the dark
About two hours after nightfall,
the hunter saw ruddy glow rising
through the trees and underground
some distance ahead, and. as be NOV.
ed onward, the light grew stronger
This was beyond doubt the glare
from the Indians camp fire, and as
| they might have their sconts out, it
was necessary to move with great
| caution. Another hour brought him
IN full view of the enemy, and by
crawling Ioiselesslv upon his hands
! and knees, he managed to approach
within fifty yards of their camp.t fire.
The savages had encamped for the
night beside a small brook which
crossed their line of march at right
angles, and, utterly unsuspicious of
pursuit, had taken none of their usual
precautions. They had no scouts or
sentinels out, but were gathering
around their fire, laughing and talk
ing. Wetzel noticed that but four of
the savages were present, and this
made him uneasy, as he feared the
others four or five in number (for
there certainly had been eight or nine
in all, engaged in the destruction and
massacre at the cabin of his unhappy
friend the settler) might be lurking
through the woods, and might STUN
bic over him at any moment In
such a case. there was very Ettle
doubt that his temerity would result
IN either his death or capture. The
four Indians were sitting in a group,
or were huddled together, and were
in high glee over something. The
hunters blood boiled as he listened to
their boisterous merriment, and he
clutched his rifle with an anger that
hoded them no good. Opposite the
savages be saw the wife of his dead
friend. The poor woman was sitting
near the fire, with her little child, a
boy about four years old, lying across
her lap, and with her eyes fixed on
tie flames with an expression of hope
less anguish. Lewis Wetzel had seen
many sad sight in the course of his
hunters career, and had done 50 with
IA caliousness that made him believe
himself hardened against all kinds of
suffering: but the expression of the
captive's face as she sat before him,
wrnng his heart with a sharp pain. If
be had had any intention of abandon
ing his attempt to rsscue the captives
the sight of that poor woman's face
would nave driven it from him Come
what might, he would save them. or
perish with them. During all the
while he lay there. the woman never
moved. The child was asleep il her
lap, and, with n mothers tenderness.
she hushed it and watched over its
sleep, even in the trying and terrible
situation in which she was placed
The time wore on, and Wetzel was
becoming stiff and chiIl"d from his
cramped position. 1t had been FULL
two hours since his arrival, and, as
yei, there were no signs Of the absent
Indians. Their companions at the
camp fire were sitting up very late,
and he at first supposed they were
awaiting the return Of their
friends but when, at length, he saw
them rise and cover up the fire prepa
ratory to going to sleep, he was con
vinced that the other Indians were not
expected TO return that night that
they had probably gone off on some
predatory expedition. Satisfied of
this, he resolved to put into instant
execution a plan upon which he had
determined while watching the sava
ges. He cooked his rifle noiselessly,
and took it in his left hand, while with
his II ght be grasped his heavy toma
hawk. Three of the Indians were
standing near the fire, which they had
just arranged for the night, and the
fourth had gone to the little stream to
get some water Wetzel rose noise
lessly to his feet, and, with the steal
thlness of cat, crept to within TWEEN
ty feet of his foes without attracting
their attention. Then balancing his
BODY firmly, he hurled his tomahawk
at the nearest Indian with ali his
force, striking him foil On the head
Tie heavy weapon crushed through
the skull of the savage, and brought
him bleeding to the ground; for Lewis
Netzel was an expert with his toma
hawk, as he was with his gun There
was yell of surprise and dismay
from the other two Indians, and the
sharp crack of Wetzel's rifle brought
one of them down corpse. The
other savage seized his rifle, and
springing behind 2 tree, tried to find
out his assailant;; but as We.zel had
already availed himself of similar
protection, the fellow could discover
nothing. The fourth Indian, hearing
the yells OF his companions and the
report of the rife, started lack to the
fire in alarm; but being without his
which he had left where he had been
sitting, he also took to tree, no doubt
thinking it best to risk as little as
possible.
Meanwhile Wetzel protected by his
tree from the bullet of his tawny foe
reloaded his weapon with that CELEBRITY
for which he, above all others, was
ia nous This done, he prepare d tx
take advantage of the first opportuni
to for shooting one of the remaining
Indians. The glow of the fire lit ~