The herald., 1916-04-06
The Decoy
By RHLAND BELL

world have their place IN history anu
are rs well known as the large cities
of the world. The conquest of Amer
lea. which extended over several cen
turtles. is comparatively little known.
/ II was achieved almost entirely by
citizens who, 10 make new homes for
| themselves. wrcStcd a wilderness from
! the savages. None Of its many parts
. is more thrilling than IN" p">~rNHi'h
! If that region which embraces Ohio.
Indiana and Kentucky 10y the Viz
giuiaS
one day during the emigration that
! SET IN from Virginia 10 tins region IN
| the latter part Of the eighteenth cen
! fury John May, his clerk and man
named Skies embarked on natbOat-
| the parlor car of that period-and be.
! can the descent Of the Ohio river NJ
! Point Pleasant they were joined 10y one
| Finn and his two sisters. Indians in
J habitcd both banks of the river, and II
| was necessary TO keep a sharp watch
night and day. Savage warfare was
what it had always bcen-not open
| fighting. but cunning. The red men
| rarely attacked boat in the river, but
! practicCd all sorts of acts TO dccoy the
| emicrantS 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 10 be taken
| aboard. They told plausible story
| rs to how they had been captured and
| how they had escaped, stating that
| If left they would likely be retaken.
MAY, who was familiar with Indian
devices. turned 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
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
mile beyond the latter. The boat was
pulled to the bank. and Finn stepped
ashore.
Several Indians stepped out from
cover, seized him and fired 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 for
shelter. The boat lay still while the
Indians kept pouring in lead. One of
the women was killed, Skiles badly
wounded and there was nothing for
May to do but surrender When he
arose to do so he was shot dead.
The Indians now went out to the
boat, scalped the dead and made cap
tivcs of the party. They We're joined
by the two decOy white rcnegadeS, and
all spent the night on the river bank.
In the morning three fatboats made
their appearance. They were I'm charge
of Thomas Marshall and his son. The
Indians forced their prisoners to man
the oars Of the captive boat, which was
headed for the channel TO intercept
those coming down. Those in Mar
shalrs boats saw their danger and
made what preparations they could for
defense. The first two boats. though
exposed TO a heavy fire from the In
dams, passed on down and escaped.
Marshall commanded the last boat.
The Indians while attempting to reach
1t got out Of the current. Their prison.
ers rowed in such way as purposely
to make little Roadway. Taking ad
vantage Of this. the second boat al.
lowed the third to overtake it, and.
transferring the passengers. the third
was set adrift. Then, the oars and
rowers available being doubled, the
whole party made their escape.
This yielding to the pleadings of the
white decoys, taken with other cases.
resulted in some very unmerciful re- |
fusals to take aboard real ESCAPED pris- |
oners. a Colonel Downing had been
captured and marched into the Indian |
country north of the Ohio river by an |
old Indian and his son One evening
as the Indian went for water the pris |
oner picked up a tOmahawk. followed |
him and killed him. The young man
sprang upon him, but was thrown off |
wounded and escaped to the river. A
hatboat came by. and Downing begged |
to be taken aboard. Those on board |
not only turned deaf ear to his en- |
treaties, but the boat was turned TO tho |
opposite shore. Other boats came |
along. and the fugitive ran along the |
shore, pleading with them TO save him |