Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-21

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| Kentucky schoolboys from settlement
a few miles up the Ohio river went out
| to have a good time, They went up the
river some distance to marshy piece or
ground, where there were number OF
ponds frequented by wild ducks. geese
and swans.
There was no school on Saturday, and
| these bows who went on this expedition,
guns in hand. had no idea that their one
DAVIS snort would mean many months or
absence from home and great anxiety to
the people whom they left in the little
settlement
/ Colonel Pope was the most important
man in this little settlement. He had two
sons. and. having employed teacher Tor
| them he generously invited other boys
| of the neighborhood to attend the school.
/ Among them were two sons OF MAJ,
named Linn, famous as scout, VINO had
| been killed by Indians some four years
| previously, and Colonel POPE hao peS"Ao
BOYS WE'RE EXPERT SHOTS.
Five OF these schoolboys were in TINS
| outing party. their ages ranging from ten
| to fourteen years. Two of them were the
Idnns. one was William Wells, another
named Brashear and the name Oh Ihe
fifth one has been forgotten.
These boys, brought up in the hardy
Uravs of the pioneers, could shoot as boys
now say, Ito beat the band" They PROD
ablv could shoot much better than most
sportsmen of today, for their weapon
was the old fashioned, long rine, sucn
weapon as Simon Kenton lovingly caheo
his rifle, "Sweetlips,''
They had a great day Of sport, and, de-
laying their return, night overlook them'
| This was a matter of little consequence.
They would camp for the night and return
| at their leisure next day. They Dullt
| bark house and spread some bushes Tor
| IA NJOfbfuo could bA more COZy and
comfortable.
During the night a light snow fell When
the boys got up early in the morning they
had a tussel in the snow and were pre-
pairing to cook for breakfast some OF the
game they had shot.
''WAoop! Whoopl Whoop! 1t was
PARTY of Indians that burst in upon them.
| Two of the boys started to run. Inc
manner of the running Of these two gave
them Indians names that they bore for
long time afterward. The older one OF
the Linn boys was fat and clumsy. pc
| sides he had some of the game that had
been shot hung over his shoulder. He
| stumbled and fell. So the indians called
him Fat Bear Brashear, another of
the boys, was 1.-the and ieet-footed. He
came near to making his escape. The In
dams called him ''Bucsk Elk" and they
| took good care that he should have no
| chance to escape.
The red men asked the boys where they
lived I'm Louisville" said Brashear, VINO
was not only feet Of foot but quick
witted.
questioning him.
But Brashear stuck to it that they were
from Louisville, and this was done to
divert the Indians from advancing on the
unprotected settlement that they called
home.
| / was under the advice Of Brashear
that the five prisoners took their capture
as coolly as did Daniel Boone under like
circumstances. They laughed and made
merry over the situation. The Indians
| started with the captives on the journey
TO their distance village. They crossed the
Ohio and moved northward, crossing many
streams. among them White river and the
| wabash through what is now the state
Of Indiana, each succeeding day taking
these brave boys farther and farther from
their homes, farther and farther from any
hope OF rescue.
Cumming THE REDMEN.
They kept up wonderful cheerfulness'
laughed and talked, ate heartily and be-
came very chummy with their red captors.
Their Journey did not end until they
reached the Indian village-on the Little
Calumet river, near the present location
Of the town of Valparaiso, Porter county.
On entering the village the Indians came
out Of their cabins to welcome the return
ing braves and incidentally to have some
entertainment with the little Kentuckians.
1t took but few minutes to improvise
the amusement known as running the
gantlet." The boys were not wholly unac-
quainted with this savage diversion. They
had been told of 1t time and again, and
doubtless by pioneers who had themselves
been star performers in this play.
| RAN THE GANTLET.
| Two rows of Indian boys were drawn
| UP facing each other The captives were
to run between. The young savages were
armed with clubs, saltstones, dirt and
here and there perhaps a tomahawf1-
though It was not the intention of the
older Indians that the white boys should
| be seriously hurt.
At a word the five Kentuckians dashed
down the line at the top of their speed.
Blows with clubs and fists were showered
upon them as they ran. Salt and dirt were
thrown into their eyes. But they lodged
skillfully and were in fair way to get
/ through with few bruises and scratches.
KNOCKED A REDSKIN DOWN.
The younger Linn was in front, three
fourths of the way down the lines. A
bowling young redskin, much larger than
himself, gave him stunning blow in the
face. Linn was furious. Gathering him
| self like a catamount for a spring, he
knocked the savage down with a left
handed blow. It seems that this young
| ster was left-handed, and he, as the other
| boys of his school, had received some
| crude instruction in the use of fists, weap-
| ons that Anglo-Saxon youth have been
encouraged to use for several centuries,
and mode of lighting in much favor
among the pioneers.
| At this clever knockout the unlocking
warriors gave a shout of approval, but
the squaws were not pleased to see their
| boys with noses bloodied by white fists.
| Young Linn who by this time had cleared
the gauntlet, ran and placed his back
against the council house like Fitz-James,
who, placing his back against the wall of
! stone, said:
| Come one come all, this rock shall fly
From its firm base as soon as IT,
MASS OF BRUISES.
| His eyes were blazing. His heavy,
| tangled hair ran over his forehead. A
brawny young Indian ran at him. Linn,
with quick left-handed blow caught him
on the side of the neck, on the Jugular
vein All the ferocity in his nature was
| aroused. AS the Indian fell he jumped
| upon him, kicked him, pinched, pounded,
bit and tore him. His foe was a mass OF
blood and bruises.
The squaws were ready to kill the little
white savage, but the warriors kept them
off, The braves shouted with delight
| This was their idea Of sport. But the
| sduaWs, reinforced by all the children or