Year: 1866

sible. This they had resolved to do,
advising the girl to lose no time in
making her way back to the Indians,
with whom she would have no difficult
ty in convincing that she had just es-
capped from capture.


"NoW she exclaimed, death with
my own people is a thousand times
more preferable to a longer life of cap
tivity p


Further remonstrance was useless,
and the scouts addressed themselves
to preparations for vigorous resist
ance. The only perceptible access to
the hill was by narrow causeway or
backbone" along which the savages
were compelled to advance in single
file, though for the most part under
shelter of rocks and trees. But in
passing from cover to cover each war
rior was obliged to incur moments
exposure, and two inches of his dusky
form was target sufficient for the
orring rifles OF the scouts.


For several hours the outnumbering
foe was held in check; but a new and
hitherto undiscovered danger menaced
the hardy woodsmen. Their crafty
enemies were preparing to assail them
in f1ank-a movement which might be
successfully accomplished by means of
a detached portion Of rock which lay
adjacent to one of the sides of the
promontOry: The brave scouts fully
realized their desperate situation, but
so far from being unnerved by its hope
lessness, they felt their courage en-
boldened by the idea that the surety
OF death was not greater than the GER
tainty Of vengeance.


Soon MeClelland saw a dusky fig
ure preparing to spring from cover
so near the fatal rock that a single
bound must reach it. Everything de-
pended on the accuracy of single
shot, and though less than half a hand S
breadth of the warriors body was ex-
posed, and that at a distance of one
hundred yards, the undaunted scout
saw it was his only chance, and resolv-
ed to take it. Coolly raising his rife
and aiming with the carefulness of a
man who knew that his swn no less


than his adverSary's life hung on the
result, he drew the trigger. The ham.


mer fell; but instead of striking fire,
the flint, through some inherent defect,


was crushed to fragments.


Though convinced that the savage


must gain the rock before he could adj


Just another flint, he sat about the task


with composure, resolved that his enc


my should derive no advantage from


his remissness. Glancing from his


work to the place of the warriors con-


cealment, he saw the stalwart savage,


with every muscle nerved, prepared to


take the leap. With the agility of a


deer he gave a bound but instead OF


,.oaohinss tho ,-ooir hi. oe-e7o


rested as though by some mysterious


convulsion Of his limbs and body, and


he fell, rolling down the rocky slope, q


distance Of fifty feet. He had evident
ly received death shot from some un
known hand; and a terrible shout from


below announced the loss of a fayorit(


warrior.


A few moments suficed to prove


that the advantage so Unexpectedly


gained would be of short duration. fOl


already another Indian was seen ap


preaching the cover recently occupied
! by his cOmrade. Again the attack il


front was resumed with increased fury


so as to engage the fixed attention o
both the scouts. With this diversion
!, in his favor, the second warrior pre-
pared to take the leap essayed by hi
predecessor. With the spring Of
tiger, the fierce and wary savag
. darted towards the coveted rock; bu
: the same unseen hand had iHtercepte,
! his career, and turning a complet
| somerSault in the air, his body role,
down the declivity to join that Of hi
= companion.


, This last mysterious sacrifice struc
/, dismay to the hearts of the a8sailant:
: who, it being now sunset, withdrew t
r devise modes Of procedure-a respit
: which came Seasonably to the scout
: wearied as they were by the prolonge
j and unequal conflict.


= 1t was now that the absence Of til
+ girl was first discovered; and the p
e oneers supposed she had either fle
e through terror to her former captor
e or been killed in the fight. But the
e were not long left in suspense; for
d a few moments the object of their co
: lectures was seen emerging from tt
l. cover of a rock, carrying rife in h,
, hand. In the heat Of the conflict. 81
/, had seen a warrior fall some fif
5 yards IN advance of the main bod,
II and, crouching in the undergrowt
r she had crept to the spot unobserve
E. and secured his rifle and ammunitio


Her practiced eye had not failed
% notice the danger to which they we
Iy exposed by the proximity of the roc
De and hers was the mysterious hand
10 which the two warriors had fallen
ID The second was the fiercest and me
le bloodthirsty of the Shawnees, and
70 was he who had ten years previous
re murdered and seal lped her mother a
W. sister. The night was dark and Gle
be dy, a circumstance which enabled t
er scouts, under the skilful guidance
Nv the intrepid girl, to elude their ell
lc- mics and withdraw from their pei
[c- GUS position.


mt After a toilsome march of TIN
ID days, the party reached the stocka
m in safety. Their escape deferred
IN, Indians, from tLeir contemplated
gi- tack, the surprise they had planr
NJ being thereby rendered impractical
ng