Young Briton, No. 422 — page 7: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

August 4, 1877. ber of Indiaus ascended to the summits of the cliffs on either side. Their object in doing so at Once became apparent, for in a short time they began to hurl the detached rocks and logs of ge down onthe spot where we were supposed to be, So close did these thundering, giant missiles come, that the splintera tore my clothing and cat me severely about the face, while a fragment from one of them struck Patsy on the head, and with the blood pouring over hig face he rolled over af my feet. I dragged him into a little angle, and expecting every moment to be my last, I waited without Hope, though I clutched my pistolsin desperation. rom my position I had a view down asa far as the creek, and though it was nearly dark, I could see there Was Do renewal of the attempt ‘o attack from that quarter; atill the stones came down, and one of them struck my left arm, and it fell poretos by my side. This, added to the loss of lood from the ents in my head and face, made me 20 Weak that {6 was only: With the greatest . difficalty I could remain on my feot. I became dark, pitcby dark, and never for an instant did the torrent of stones cease. I felt sick and giddy. I. was parched with thirst, but even if the foe were to withdraw I was powerless to leave my position. Ido not know how the time went by. Once I imagined I heard low voices outside the barricade and up the defile, and I emptied a cham- ber of my pistol in each direction, when the whispering ceased, and the hurling of the rocks was renewed, I thought Patey was dead; bunt sometime during the night—the whole time is misty like a half-remembered dream—I thought I heard bim mutter— **T’se dead, an’ I’m put in de dark, my feller- citizens, fo’ my body’s in de cole’, cole groun’,”’ I have an indistinct recollection of firing my pistol several times after this, then comes a blank, ks one incident of which can I recall till day- ight, When I awoke, or, rather, returned to con- Sciousness, I could not believe my ey2s or ears. The Indiaus were still yelling, and a rifle was blazing away close to me.. I looked up, and there stood Patsy, like a black Hercules, guardiag the pass: He looked down at me, and his big eyes grew larger and whiter as he gasped— ‘* Breas de Lor’ ; yeh ain’t done gone yit! Yeh see, Mauss Costlah, somebody had ter fight» and dar wan’t nobody luffed but me. So I’se pegging away !’’ So saying, ho raised his rifle, and let drive like @ veteran, Like myself, he was coveréd with blood, and the sight of it made hius stronger. I staggered to my feet and looked up the ravine, from which now came the sharp ratile of rifles. and the terrific yells of the Indians. They were attacking us om every side. I took up my rifle in my right hand, and de- termined to die fighting the fiends, whom I ex- pected to see every second. While I was listening, I heard cheers blending with the yells, but they came from the opposite direction, and, lookiag toward Scalp Oreek, I fav Paul, the guide, with Whitchurch and Brougham, running toward moe. The momentary strength that came fo me when I supposed tbe oid was at hand departed, and I had no recollection till I found myself in camp at the mouth of the ravine, to which point the waggons had been brought. My friends told me they bad been attacked the previous night, and hence could .ot eearch for me and Patsy. They repulsed the Indians, and knowing the direction I had taken the day be- fore, they broke camp and staried on the search, with the result already stated. . The ladians were badly punished and driven off; still, on account of my broken arm, we turned back to Fort Benton, where we remained all winter. , The following Spring we started again, and went through successfully ; buta curious thing about the adventure was, that Patsy, from being a timid non-combatant, at once became the most warlike of beings, and never was so delighted as when there was a prospect of a brush with the Indians. 2 A YOUNG GENTLEMAN’S JOURNAL. at theleading bost, as it tarned out into the ‘what had been done, 87 They headed towards shore, which was but a short distance off, paddling with such vigour ce touched land with a few powerful strokes, Glimpses of the Mohawk contd be caught as he skilfully fought his way over the tree, where it was a difficult matter to move with the burden in his arms, on account of thé Llnxuriance of the hac and vegetation which enveloped the runk, At the same time thet Colonel Batlor uttered bis words of alarm, his Iroquois companton mut- tered an exclamation of anger, struck the paddle deep into the waser, and headed toward shoré, as if with the purpose of cutting off the Mohawk before he could reach it, “Why don’é you shoot him?” demanded the Tory, who was beside himself and in danger of capsizing the little vessel. “ Ho is close by, and you Cannot miss; him.’ . The warrior backed water instantly, so as to hold the canoe stationary, ad to parmit him to make his aim sure. AS Then he quickly raised his gim, and aimed straight at the figare hurrying over the log. Only for an instant, thongh, for hé lowered it again. ‘« What's the matter ?’’ shrieked the infuriated Tory. ‘* Why don’t you fire ?”’ « Hit girl—not kill Mohawk.” ‘Who cares if you do hit her? I would rather she should be shot than get away. Let mo have your gun.’’ And reaching forward, he snatehed the weapon from the grasp of the Indian and pointed it at the couple, who were not twenty yards distant. All this took place in a few seconds from the time the maiden was lifted bodily from the canoe and carried off. The distance from this point to where the woods were sufhciently dense to afford shelter was so short that, in spite of the undergrowth, it took the Mohawk but the briefest space to reach it, so that it was necessary that things should be made to move lively. Colonel Butler had but a flish of time in which to aim at the couple who were struggling for the cover of the forest. He would as lief shoot the maiden as not; and, indeed, much rather so than see her escape. Aiming directly atthe fugitive and his burden, and caring not whether he killed the maid or the man, or both, he pulled the trigger. THE YOUNG SCOUTS. A Tale of the American Revolution. a a CHAPTER XCVI. THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT. HEN the canoes started, that of Colonel Butler was last of all. Unly a few etrokes were taken when the war- rior injured his haud in some way, and stopped paddling for a moment while he examined it. It was only fora second or two that he did this, when hoe dipped his paddle again, and re- sumed the progress of the boat. But brief as was the period, it resulted in placing his canoe a rod further behind the others. Heading down stream in this manner, the other boats were in plain view of Rosa Minturn, who, perched in the stern, watched their progress ahead of her, . She had noticed the tree elsewhere deseribed, and she saw the first boat pass beneath it, where the trunk was so low that the warriors were com- pelled to incline their heads to prevent their touching. A few seconds after, the gecond hoat did the a aud sbe watched the approach of their own ora Before her own canoe reached the point, the first boat was opposite the rock, and headed out in the river for the other shore. Colonel Butler had not spoken after his grow] at the warrior, but sat looking down the current atthe other two boat, while he occasionally glanced back at the maiden near him, while s he in turn studiously svoided mecting his eye. Ox oneef the Occasions, when he was gazing stream, the warrior inclined himself toward her, a8 he thrust his paddle into the stream, so that his face was brought close to that of the cap- tive. Tho latter noticed the singular action looked questioningly at him. For justone second he fixed hie black eyes on her, and mutiered, in a low, quick voice— ‘Watch tree!’ T’:en he dipped his paddle as before, and did not look af her again. Rosa was quick-witted, and knowing, as she did, the peculiar celations betweeen this Iroquois and Lena-Wingo, she was half-expecting some- thing of the kind, and she divined his meanisg on the instant. The words were no more than fairly spoken, when Batler furned hig head and looked back, as if his suspicion was awakened. But he saw nothing to justify any mis- givings. « r . . A second after he was compelled to bow his head, to escape being grez2d by thetree of which mention has been made several times, Then came the Indian’s turn, and then Rosa’s. Jast as she was in the act of leaning forward, something like 2 homaa hand was thrust down from the thick vegetation of the tree. As she was expecting it, she partly rose, so as to allow the dusky arm to be thrust beneath her own, when she was lifted out of the canoe as though she were but an infant. Colonel Butler felt the swaying of the boat, caueed by the sudden withdrawal of her weight, and he turned, wondering what the cause could be. He was jast in time to catch sight of the figure of Lena Wingo, the Mohawk, hurrying along the bushy trunk of the over-hanging tree, bearing the form of Rosa Minturn in his arms. a¢ : and CHAPTER XCVII. CONCLUSION. A SEOOND rifle flashed in the pan that day. Following the rressure upon the trigger by Colonel Butler came the hissing puff which told the story of the fizzle, and, realising the escape of the daring Mohawk scout with hia burden, the Tory ‘fairly howled with rege, flung the useless weapon from him far out into the river, cursing himself that he had failed to bring another gun into the canos with him. Had any one been looking into the face of the Iroquois at that instant, he would have detected a strange expression which fi tted over it like the flash of supshise which somctimes darts through a passing «loud, Through the paint it had the sappearance of a sort of self-satisfied grin. And the whole thing added confirmation to the suspicion that there was an understanding between the Mohawk and this Iroquois, brought about during that interview in the wood already referred to. But events were moving along with bewilder- ing rapidity. , Searcely bad Colonel Batler in his blind rage hurled the rifla into the Sarquehanna when the canoe touched shore, the Iroquois sprang out and with an exclamation of anger started. in pursuit of the flying fugitives. Only a few seconds behind him were the other redskins, so that in a twinkling the whole party was ashore, and in full chase. Ned Clinton and —1!’’ he screeched, leaping to hia feet. “Look there! Don’t you see that Mohawk running off with the woman? Quick! Shoot him! Run the canoeinto shore! There ain’t a second to be lost! Hello, yonder!’’ he added, gesticulating desperately.to the other canoes that had stopped, as though the occupants did not understand the cause of the excitement. ‘‘ Back with you! He'll be in Wilkesbarre before you get ashore.” At this instant those in advance comprehended ENN DOOKS (E(0)