The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1916-01-27
The Decoy
By RYLAND BELL
By RYLAND BELL


world have their place In history and |
are as well known as the large cities
of the world. The conquest Of Amer
lea. which extended over several CEN
1t was achieved almost entirely by
citizens who. to make new homes for
themselves, wrested a wilderness from
the savages. None Of its many parts
of that region which embraces Ohio.
Indiana and Kentucky by tho Viz
ginias.
One day during the emigration that
set In from Virginia to this region In
the latter part Of the eighteenth cen
fury John May. his clerk and a man
named Skies embarked on a datboat-
the parlor car Of that period-and be-
gan the descent Of the Ohio river. At
Point Pleasant they were Joined by one
Finn and his two sisters. Indians In
habited both banks OF the river, and It
was necessary to keep a sharp watch
night and day. Savage warfare was
what 1t had always been-not open
fighting, but cunning. The red men
rarely attacked boat I'm the river, but
practiced all sorts Of acts to decoy the
emigrants to the shore, where an am
bush was set. One of the devices was
to compel captive whites to call out to
the travellers that they had escaped
from Indians and beg to be taken
aboard.
One morning at daylight the watch
awakened the crew with the informa-
ton that there were fires below. At
the same time two white men came
down to the river bank on the side
of the fires and begged to be taken
aboard They told a plausible story
as to how they had been captured and
how they had escaped. stating that
II left they would likely be retaken.
May. who was familiar with Indian
devices. turned a deaf ear to their en-
treaties. He asked them what had
caused the fires below, and they pro-
fessed ignorance Of them. May was
by this convinced that the men were
decoys and kept the middle Of the
stream. While they were talking the
men were running on the shore to keep
pace with the boat pleading in despair
ing tones TO be saved from torture and
death
This was too much for the women.
who were in favor of landing and TAX
ing the fugitives aboard. Finn was
soon won over: May held firm for
J awhile, but was at last persuaded. He
consented to run near enough to the
bank to permit Finn to wade ashore
and have a nearer view of and ques-
ton the two men. By the time this
was decided on the boat had drifted a
mile beyond the latter. The boat was
pulled to the bank. and Finn stepped
ashore.
Several Indians stepped out from
cover, seized him and fred on the boat.
Two of the men sprang to their guns,
the third, May, to an oar. His only
hope was to get the boat again into the
; current. He called to the others to drop
, their rifles and help him, but the fire
, was so hot that they sank down fol-
a shelter. The boat lay still while the
. Indians kept pouring In lead. One OF
;. the women was killed, Skies badly
wounded. and there was nothing for
. May to do but surrender. When be
q arose to do SO he was shot dead.
, The Indians now went out to the
4 boat, scalped the dead and made cap
:, tives of the party. They were Joined
g by the two decoy white renegades, and
n all spent the night on the river bank.
r In the morning three aatboats made
= their appearance. They were in charge
Of Thomas Marshall and his son. The
= Indians forced their prisoners to mar
4 the oars of the captive boat, which wa
u headed for the channel to intercept
n those coming down. Those In Mar
y shall's boats saw their danger ant
It made what preparations they could fo
d defense. The first two boats. though
V exposed to a heavy fire from the In
q dams. passed on down and escaped.
. Marshall commanded the last boat
- The Indians while attempting to reacl
, 1t got out of the current. Their prison
It ers rowed In such way as purposel
to make little Roadway. Taking ad
| vantage of this, the second boat a.
L. lowed the third to overtake 1t. and
IT transferring the passengers. the thir
a was set adrift- Then, the oars an
e. rowers available being doubled. tn
r. whole party made their escape.
Y. This yielding to the pleadings OF tn
II white decoys. taken with other case.
m resulted In some very unmerciful N
\ fusals to take aboard real escaped pris
N oners. A Colonel Downing had bee
4. captured and marched into the India
a country north of the Ohio river by a
old Indian and his son. One evenin
as the Indian went for water the prii
- oner picked up a tomahawk. followe
him and killed him. The young ma
. sprang upon him. but was thrown o
:. wounded and escaped to the river.
fatboat came by. and Downing begge
to be taken aboard Those on boar
= not only turned deaf ear to his el