The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-17
Stories Told by an Old Resident and
Pioneer of Clark County, Now
Gone to His Reward.
LIVELY SKATING ADVENTURE
INCIDENTS RECALLED OF THE Bat
TIE OF TIPPECANOE.
A Hot Engagement I'm which White
Men and Indians Were Good shots
Prices of Farm Products.

Alien Iaylor, now gone TOMS reward, was
one of Clark county's great pioneer hunt
ers. and in his time had many exciting ad-
ventures in pursuit of wild game. He
lived in the shadow of Round Top Knob,
a prominent cone-shaped elevation rising
500 feet above the surrounding country,
eight miles northwest of this place. During
the Mexican war he gained the sobriquet
OF General Taylor, by reason of his
prowess as a hunter. and the unerring aim
of his rife, as well as from the popularity
OF the commander Of the American armies
in that conflict. Gen. Zachary Taylor, who
later became President of the United
States.
he used TO relate with great earnestness
a thrilling adventure he had with a wild
cat about the time of the Mexican war.
Taylor. with a party of Iumbermen. were
camped on the Ohio river a short distance
below Jacksonville. near the mouth of
Silver creek. The latter stream then ex-
tended enthusiastically for many miles
through an almost unbroken forest. 1t was
midwinter. and the ice on it very smooth
and entirely free from snow. One evening
Taylor left camp for a skate up this frozen
stream. The moon was bright and full. the
sky was clear. and it was bitter cold, but a
few strokes over the smooth and hard sur
faced ice soon set his blood to tingling. and
then he was as warm as though snugly
covered up and asleep in their log and can
vas-covered cabin. AS he skated deeper
into the forest he would stop and listen,
and the stiffness was SO profound he could
almost hear the blood coursing through his
veins, ana the beatings of his heart sound
ed to him like the marching of infantry.
In his hand he carried a small stick which
he used as a sort of balance as his body
swayed with each stroke taken. In thirty
minutes he had gone five miles or over. and
stopped to rest. Some birds huttered over
his head and he heard the cry of a distant
screech-owI. Then came another cry-one
that almost caused him to cease breathing.
INCENTIVE TO SPEED.
1t was a harsh, unearthly scream, and so
close that il rang in his ears like the beat
ing of a gong. With a sudden impulse he
dashed forward. There was a rushing,
~scrambling sound behind and then a wicked
snarl. Taylor gave a frightened glance
over his shoulder and saw an animal about
the size of a Newfoundland dog. and it had
eyes that cleaned like glowing Goals. From
descriptions Taylor had heard and read he
recognized it as a wildcat, but did not stop
TO make any critical examination. His only
thought was of escape, for with exception
of a little stick in his hand he had no
weapon of defense. Silver creek wound in
a sinuous fashion through the forest. but
before IL had been frozen IL had overfowed
its banks, for the ice extended on all sides
as far as he could see through the woods.
The bed OF the stream was clear of trees
and brush. and down this sort of lane
through the forest Taylor dashed at his
best speed toward the lumbermen's camp
ing ground. Jacksonville and Clarksville,
or Ohio Falls. were then small towns. and
what was then known as I'VE Woods ex-
tended several miles into their northern
suburbs. The wildcat gave an angry snarl
of disappointed rage as it saw him glide
away. Without as much as a pocket knife
about him he knew that he would not be
able TO wage any sort OF successful combat
with the hungry brute behind him.
Exerting his best speed Taylor saw the
cat gained on him easily. Then he tried
lodging tactics. and with great success.
As he glided away down the stream the
animal stood glaring at him with amaze
ment. But this was for an instant only.
Realizing that its prey was fast getting
beyond its reach it came after him like a
shot from a gun. At every bound 1t took its
sharp claws cut the ice. and he could tell
by this how much greater was its speed
than his own. When he thought that in
about one more bound the animal would be
upon him he gave a sharp turn to the
left and the cat went on. ~clawing. snarling,
biting and scratching over the smooth ice.
Taylor started back at a slower rate of
speed. so as to be able TO regain control Of
his breathing. The cat was soon again in
close pursuit. but with apparently renewed
effort and snarling and splitting much the
same as an angry house cat would do at a
dog.
a DODGING GAME TRIED.
Again Taylor lodged with ease, and his
catship slid up stream. while he went down
as fast as he could. He could hardly help
laughing at the discontinue Of the bafied
wildcat as it would slide past him when
he lodged. wholly unable 10 help itself.
but the lodging business was pretty hot
work and Taylor soon began to find him
self getting winded. How long this odd
chase was kept up ne does not know. but
II seemed 10 him like a decade. lie fancied
he must have gone about two miles down
the stream toward camp. but To gain this
ne must have skated about ten miles. By
this time he was ready 10 drop from cx-
haustion. and had he done so he would
have been an easy victim for the hungry
animal. whose unsuccessful attempts To
overtake him seemed only to stimulate II
TO greater effort.
click! Whizz," went one of Taylor's
skates as he struck a small tree limb. and
over ne sprawled. The cat was close be-
hind and went over his PROSTATE form.
lie was on his feet again in an instant.
but had lost valuable time. lie began TO
feel weak. The veins stood out on his
forehead and felt as though they would
burst. He made another dodge success
fully and started down stream again. The
moon was directly ia trent Of him and
about half way in the heavens. and from
II seemed 10 stream a silver path that
came down from the sky 10 the ice some
distance in front OF him and then TO his
feet. The perspiratiOn oozed from his eyes.
and this silyery ribbon OF light was all he