The Plymouth Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1878-1901, 1901-09-12

THE FIGHT AT THE RIVER.

curdling whOOps broke upon the still
evening air and dozen naked saw
ages burst into the path upon the
burdened men bent on capturing
them alive and putting them tc he
torture. They had chosen to e
the attack at the end of the portage
because their victims would then be
tired and less on their guard. But
startling as the onslaught was the
little company was prepared for just
such an emergency. The three carry
ing packs bore them in a manner so
contriv ed that they could be instantly
dropped and these were engaged With
their assaflants in flash, while the
fourth was temporarily protected by
the canoe under which he was thrown.
1t was not the intention of the at
lacking party TO use knives and they
had left their guns in the brush. The
first man to reach Angus went down
under a swinging blow in the face,
the second, at almost the same in
slant, was doubled up with an unex-
pected kick in the pit of the stomach
and a third fiinched from the sight of
the sergeant's glittering knife. which
was instantly drawn, but sprang at
him and dealt him a thrust in the
breast before he could draw his own
knife By this time the first savage
was on his feet again, with his knife
uplifted. and ferociOus duel seemed
imminent when the ScOtchman seized
the Indians wrist as the blow was
falling and stabbed him in the side
He jumped with both feet upon the
PROSTATE form of the man he had
kicked and bounded to the assistance
of Pierre. who was nearest to him and
was still free but fighting desperately
with two opponents, third lying face
down in the grass. OF four Indians
who were clinging to the struggling
ranger two went to the assistance OF
their comrades against Pierre and An
gus and a fOur-handed encounter last
ing some minutes ensued resulting in
the death of one of the aSSailants. a
deep cash in the right arm of another,
the downfall of the third with another
of the sergeant's kicks and the pre-
cipitate flight of the fonrth with
Pierre in hot pursuit to prevent him
from getting rifle.
By this time Angus was badly wind
ed. but his Scotch blood was up and
he was full of fight. Seeing that the
ranger was keeping his two captors
busy he ran toward the canoe, which
was held down by three Indians with
Totega helpless under it. They were
fresh and had their knives ready but
the undaunted soldier picked up the
rangers gun where it had fallen and
as two of them leaped toward him.
the third still holding the boat, b
fired without bringing the piece to his
shoulder. The discharge was at such
close quarters that it burned the skin
of the savage it mortally wounded and
the recoil was so heavy that before
he could regain himself Angus was
down with a knife in his should
er and an Infatuated devil kneeling on
him.
The tide of battle had now turned.
Pierre was gone, TOtega was under
the boat, the ranger was helpless in
the clutches of the two men and An
GUS was down and wounded. The
Green mountain boy felt that he had
been a non-combatant long enough.
His arms were pinioned behind him.
each in the grasp of two naked arms,
and his shoulders were bent back in a
painful tension. Suddenly drawing a
full breath he exerted all the energy
his desperate situation could lend and
turned in the double grip that was
upon him, facing one of the Indians
and drawing the other half around so
Unexpectedly that they lost their
steadiness upon their feet and one
more terrific burst of strength hurled
them from him. Before they could
recover themselves he launched him.
self fall against the Indian who was
in the act of striking Angus a second
and better aimed blow and passed on
like battering-ram to the man at the
canoe. The two went down together
and Totega emerged from his prison
to take his part in the combat.
A swift glance discovered Angus ly-S
ing PROSTATE with one Indian across
him and another approaching, knife in
hand. Totega with wild yell bound
ed to the assistance of his benefactor
and dealt two swift stabs that disabled
both opponents. At the same mo-
ment rife cracked sharply and the
savage rushing to attack the ranger
fell in his tracks. Pierre had spoken;
returning from the pursuit he had
found one of the guns in the bush.