Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1902-03-14


menr deferred the exultant savages
from seiziDg htn, but Robinson saw
at a glance that further resistance
was useless and 50 he threw down
his empty gun and quietly submit
ted to his fate. Twilight was now
coming On and afterremofing the
scalps Of Wood and West the To-
dians left their dead bodies where
they had fallen aud taking the cap
tive hurried to their own camp a
few hundred yards away, while a
part Of the braves fingered to take
possession Of the, horses and wagon
of the strangers.
A great commotion followed the
return Of the hunters to the Indian
camp. The white captive, tall and
erect. walked with firm step; and
with an eye that took in all at a
glance he surveyed the scene that
met his gaze. The wigwams of the
ICherokees were situated under the
forest trees, some of which after
more than a century still remain,
and probably one hundred Indians,
warriors, squaws and pappooses,
were gathering about to see the
pale face who had fallen into their
hands.
AS twilight deepened a great
cloud was seen coming up in the
west and soon the rain was falling
in torrents. The Indians were
driven into their wigwams, their
camp fires were extlnguished and
Roblnson's life was prolonged by
the very fury of the elements. His
covered wagon had been brought
to the camp and in this he was
placed and securely tied, after it
had been drawn up within the cir
Gle of wigwams. All through the
dreary watches of the night the
rain came down in a deluge; much
of the day following it was the same
and not until past noon did the
clouds roll away and the sun show
his face.
The river was now out of its
banks and rising rapidly. The
Rock Spring vas many feet under
the surging stream. The dead !
bodies OF West and Wood had been
swept away. The little stream had
been transformed into a mighty
river, whose angry torrents rushed
in muddy flood on towards the
Cumberland thirty miles away.
AS soon as the rain ceased, the
Indians rekindled their fires and
began to cook their meal. Robinson
was brought out and permitted to
eat with his captors and as soon as
the meal was over the long delayed
council was called to decide upon
the fate of the pale face.
Robinson could see from the an
cry glances that the speakers were
almost unanimously against him.
One warrior il particular seemed |
fired with a deadly hate, for one of
the braves killed in the first en-
counter was his brother AS he /
an impassioned speech,
he brandished a knne in his hand |
and sprang upon the helpless cap
tive, evidently intending to scalp /
him while yet alive. Selling his
coon skin cap with his left hand,
the Indian tore 1t from Robinson 5 !
head and raised the glitterlDg knife /
On high. Then a strange thing
happened. The angry savage
gazed a moment at his victim as if
and the knife fell harm
less from his nerveless hand.
The pale cehad no hair. Though
young in years he was entirely
bald. Only lambrequin of hair
was visible above his coat collar,
but his head was glistening dome
the like of which the savages had
never seen before. The whole
council gazed in awe, and seeing
thar he was regarded with some
strange feeling of superstition
Robinson rose TO his feet, stretched
his arm towards the raging food
that rolled by the camp, pointed to
the sky above and then solemnly
laid his hand upon his head. The
effect was magical. The whole
councilwas flledwith consternat Oh.
They now believed that the scalp
less stranger had been protected
by the great father and that the
food was but the beginning of the