Year: 1871




in the principal hotel Of the Capital Of
the old Buckley State (Ohio). Many
were the stories and adventures told by
the company. One man in particular
had just finished narrative which was
regarded by his auditors as being little
more than marvellous, when a Senator,
who happened to be one Of the party,
cocily remarked that the story Just told
was all very well, but it did not begin to
compare with an adventure he himself
had few years before. OF course, all
were eager to hear the story, more es-
peclally because it was true, and the
Sssassor sr,rafacad his remarks with saying
thai what he was about TO relate be
wotd most solemnly proclaim to be
trua, except, Of course, those matters
theein stated on information and belief.
The company, however, interrupted him,
andinsisted that he should go on.


well, gentlemen, many years ago, [
cane down the Ohio river, and settled
near the present site of Cincinnati 1t
was very wild in that region then, for
Cincinnati was only small settlement,
audthe blasted redskins were as thick
as .rees in the forest. Well, to come at
once to my adventure: l started off one
moping pretty early to take hunt, aud
travelled a long way down the river over
the hills. but could not find bear or deer
About four o'clock in the afternoon l
made tracks for home. BY and by !
saw buck Just ahead of me walking
leisurely down TO the river. slipped up
with my faithful old dog close in my
rear. to within clever shooting distance,
and lust as the buck stuck his nose down
to drink. | drew a bead on his top knot,
and over he tumbled and splurged and
kicked awhile, when l relieved him by
coming up and cutting his throat"


'Well, but what had that to do with
the adventure, they asked.


"a great deal, by Jove For while
was busy skinning the hind quarters
of the buck, and slowing away the kid
ney fat In my hunting shirt, | heard a
noise made, no doubt, by moccasin !;
my dog also heard it; and started out TO
reconnoitre, and lost no time in re-
loading nv rife. | had hardly got my
priming cut before my dog raised howl
and broke through the brush with his
tail down. as he was not used to doing
unless wolves or Indians were around.
[ picked my knife and took my line of
march ND the river. The frequent gull
lies on the lower bank made it tedious
travelling there, so scrambled up to the
upper bank, which was pretty well cover
ed with trees, without much underbrush.
One peep below satisfied me, for l saw
th-sa--zs big red rascals as you ever clap
ped your eyes on. Yes, they were not
above six hundred yards in my rear"


"Well, said an old woodsman, sitting
at the table, "you took tree, of course ?"


"Did /? No, gentlemen l took no
tree then, but | took to my heels like
sixty and twas Just as much as my old
dog could do to keep up with me. l
ran until the whoops of the redskins
grew fainter and fainter behind me, and,
clean out of wind, l ventured to look
behind me, and there chne one single
red whelp, putting and blowing, not
three hundred yards in my rear. He
had got on TO piece of land where the
trees were small and scarce Now, thinks
L, old fellow, 1 will have you. So l
trotted off at pace sufficient to let him
gain on me, and when he had got about
near enough 1 wheeled around and fired,
and down [ brought him dead as a door
nail at one hundred and twenty yards. "


"Then you scalped him l suppose
said the woodsman.


every clear of it, gentlemen, for by
the time l got my rifle loaded, up came
the other two redskins, shouting and
whooping, close on me, and away l broke
again like race horse. l was now
about FIVE miles from the settlement, and
it was getting toward sunset. | ran till
my wind began to get pretty short, and
there they came snorting like wild buffa-
loes, one about two or three hundred
yards ahead of the other so I acted
possum again until the first Iniun got
pretty well up, and l wheeled and fred
at the very moment he was drawing q
bead on me; he fell head over heels in
the dirt, and up cane the last one.