The Washington herald., 1915-08-29

woods seemed to be full Of Redskins,
for turn which way we would we
couldn't go far without finding some
Of 'em.
"By-and-by we came to a big camp.
It wer pretty well sheltered from the
rain by trees. and we could see the
Redskins lying about, sound asleep.
For some minutes we lay watchin'
them. All was silent, except for the
drippin' of the rain through the
branches Their fire had gone out. and
not a soul seemed watchin'; though
we weren't surprised at this. fer Red
skins seldom set watch same's white
men do. We were wondering if we
kegs. for we'd gone out Of our way SO
many times already that we didn't
want to lose no more time in that
way If we could help it.
I'VE decided at last to try. and ac-
cordingly went for the kegs where
we'd left 'em. about a dozen yards
back
Just as we'd come up almost Qp-
posite the camp. one of our men, as
dropped his keg. What with the
ground being wet and the leaves lying
about. not much noise was made. but
we heard one or two of the Redskins
in the camp get up and come our way.
as though to find out what was goin'
on.
We pretty nigh gave up hope then,
as you might guess. Dropping down
where we wer. we almost held our
breath for fear of being heard. The
keg that fell had rolled a few feet
along, and now lay in an open spot
between us and the camp. Well,
'tweren't half minute before the first
Injun saw the keg. 1t appeared to in
terest him highly; fer he. bent over it..
turned it round and round. and finally
lifted it off the ground and held it
a second or two, as though trying to
guess what it might weigh. There
amt nothing in this world to equal
the curiosity of a Redskin: and so
intent was this one on finding out
what that keg contained he never
stopped to inquire how it had got
there.
Well. after looking it all over, he
came across the bung. which screwed
in and out; This seemed to please him
so much that he took il out and then
screwed it in again, maybe half a
dozen times. Then taking it out. and
up the keg and turned out a hand
full of powder.
while this had been going on.
had managed to work a bit nearer to
him felt that if he went back and
told the others about the, keg, they'd
be pretty certain to run across us;
whereas If we could. without raising
a disturbance. in any way prevent him
leaving. we might still get away.
so. just as he was busy pouring
out the powder. I sprang up from be-
hind and seized him by the throat. And
once I'd got this one by the throat
1t wer all over with him.
One of our men came to help me.
and picked up this yer tomahawk.
which my Injun had dropped when
sprang on him. A third form rose up
yard to the right of. me. and I saw
a long-bladed knife. in the hand of
Redskin raised over my head.
The savage, I'll admit. wer quick:
but my friend. with this tomahawk.
were about a hundredth part of 4 sec
ond quicker. and the Injun fell to rise
no more.
I'VE lay still fer a minute or two
after that to see II any one else had
been reused by the noise we'd made,
and finding they'd not, we hastily
bound up the fellow I'd captured. One
of our men suggested that we should
knock in his head. as had been done
with the other one; but to have done
so. pressed for time though we wer.
would have seemed little short Of mur-
der; so we bound and gagged him in
stead, and then hurried on.
In less than an hour afterwards we
reached the fort. footsore. weary. ana
about half starved, but safe at last.
THE arrival of the powder saved
the fort I've kept this old tomahawk
ever since. because. but for 1t. I don't
reckon any of US would ever have got
to the fort. either with the powder or
without it."
lCosrisht. by the Associated Literary Pressl