The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1904-10-06
IOWA
PIONEERS
A Hunting Adventure.
NJ. HEDGE.


4 -
Adam Wymer came to Iowa in 1907.
locating in Keokuk county. In the
latter part of the sos he went west
with the great tide of emigration that
was moving in that direction in those
years. Becoming a scout and hunter
and prospector he roamed the western
wilderness for number of years. On
one of these hunting escapades, after
companion and himself had been on
the trail for number of days, with
no success, they came one afternoon
to an Indian cabin in one OF the
mountain valleys and determined to
visit it and ask for something to eat
AS they approached they saw nothing
about the premises that looked for
bidding and setting their rifles by the
side of the door, they both stepped in.
While they were making their wants
known to two Indian squaws VINO
were the only inmates, they heard
whoop on the outside and darted Tor
their guns, but they were gone. A
savage foe confronted them and de-
manded surrender. They refused and
fusillade began. Wymer and his
companion barricaded the door of the
cabin with the two squaws and them
selves on the inside. Their two mel
ancholy companions seated them
selves in one corner Of the hut and
kept up a weird grooming noise while
the firing ragged around the cabin
The two men noticed that no shots
were fired in That part of the room
and made it convenient to spend most
of their time in that particular corner.
Night came on and with it darkness
and gloom for the two hunters The
outside buster had subsidized. After
refreshing themselves with whatever,
they could find to eat in the cabin,
Mr.. Wymer and his companion vigor-
ously set about planning a bold es-
cape from the trap into which they
had fallen. Climbing to the roof they
secured two clapboards and with their
bowie knives they each Whitfield out
for themselves what might in the
darkness or at long range be taken
for q gun. The two Indian squaWs
were taking note OF every move. IL
they left them to give the alarm as
soon as they were out in the darkness
escape. For several hours they could
not get the consent Of their own
minds to kill them Finally the rough
ruling of the wilderness dominated
and both agreed that the two sQuaws
must be put out of the way. They
cast lots as to who should deal the
fatal blow, and the lot fell on Mr..
Wymers companion. He quickly
took blanket and threw it over them
as they We're sitting, then gave each a
blow on the head with an AK In a
few moments more they had removed
the barricade from the door and were
stealthily creeping into the darkness
to the nearest woods. They were
both resolute and in the prime of life,
and when they had gotten a safe dis
lance from LhelF WHY lOeS Lney moved
at rapid rate, not stopping until
they had left the Inflated cabin more
than hundred miles in the rear
Mr.. Wymer is still living at the age
Of seventy-two years, on a fruit farm
in Montana. The passion for hunting
and prospecting is still very strong
and he never allows the fall months
to pass without an annual round up
in search for the secrets of nature in
the grand old mountains which al.
ways lift their peaks in full view, of
the valley which ne has chosen for
his home.