The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-11-14
SOME MJUNS."
THE TRAPPER'S STORY ON Si0UX'S
GRATITUDE.

EISEISSS1S ETS%rS1ETSS
- NOE in hfs life old Thad Grit
1n, the trapper did a very
J foolish thing; at least, that
was what he called the act,
when be thought Of it at all, for a long
time afterward. Two young Sioux
braves having attacked him, Thad had
killed one and wounded the other But
he took the wounded man to his cabin,
dressed the wound, nursed the Indian
back to health, and then restored his
gun and canoe, and told him to so
home to his own people.
But the Indian did not lead a scalp
ing party back to the trapper's camp
as Griffin had half expected he would
Nothing more was heard Of him. Three
years after, when Griffin left Fort
Smelling at the end Of September, and
started up the Minnesota River to be-
gin his fall hunt, the incident had al
most faded from his mind He pad
died to the headwaters Of the Pomme
de Terre, and camped few days in q
little thicket of scrub oak, while he
looked round to see what the prospect
was for furs-and for Indians. He
had kept his eyes open all the way up
river, for the Sioux were reported to
be on the warpath. This, however
was somewhat in the trapper's favor,
for they would be likely to travel in
big bands, and with care he might the
easier avoid them.
There were "slathers Of fur signs"
but no traces of Indians in this region
of rolling prairie, broken at the east
ward by belt of heavy timber. So
one day Griffin set out with his gun to
try for a saddle of venison. When the
afternoon was almost over he found
a good sized buck, and presently start
ed for camp with the hide and saddle
slung to his back.
Clear sky and bracing atmosphere
and the promise of a successful season
made the blood fairly bound through
the trappers veins, and he strobe along
feeling as though he would like tC
sing. Indians were far from his
thoughts just then. The greater was
his dismay when, just as he haC
reached the top of a low ridge hall
way between the woods and his camp
he saw a band of forty Sioux coming
up on the other side.
Griffin had had many "fuss" will
these same Indians, and he recognized
them instantly as belonging to a vii
lage that wintered in the Ottertai
woods, away off at the northeast. Evi
IDENTIFY they had been out on the Da
kota prairies for a big buffalo hunt
for they were on foot and leadin
their ponies, which were loaded wit
hides and dried meat.
Flat in the grass dropped Griffin, bu
not soon enough to escape the shar
eyes of the Indians. Raising a terrifi
whoop, they left the ponies to loo
out for themselves, and came on in
body, while Griffin slipped the veniso
from his shoulders and started at hi
best pace toward the belt of timber
The Indians were not more than tw
hundred yards away when Grifi
sighted them; but in running he ha
the advantage Of going down hill, an
he had almost doubled the distanC
before they reached the top Of Il
ridge and began to shoot at him. Nol
Of the bullets happened to hit the mo
ing target.
Griffin glanced over his shoulde
AS he expected, q dozen of the swifte
runners had thrown off their blanke
and, knives in hand, were apprOachil
at a rate that meant mischief for
man who must cling to a twelve-poul
gun. But the trapper had been
worse places than this, and he fl
that if he could once get into t
woods, with night falling, he cou
dodge the Indians.
He was still a half mile from t
timber when he looked back once mo
One Of the braves was now far in {
vance of the others, but all his pl
suers We're gaining, and Griffin beg
to fear that he might lose the ia
tired as he was from his hunt a
handicapped by the weight he carri
That foremost Indian must d
Griffin slGckencd his pace a tride Il
he might get his breath before tryi
to nike aim. The Indian put on
extra burst Of speed.
When Griffin was close to the TIM
the leading IBdian had come so n
that the trGpper could hear the pat
Of his footsteps. Thinking It must
now or never, the trapper wheeled &
was about TO pull trigger when
adversary made a movement t