Western Fireside, The (Newspaper) - December 12, 1857, Madison, Wisconsin W R HOLT Publisher MADISON WIS DECEMBER 12 1857 Volume 43 THE WESTERN A II 1 to TDK will turo Hi it will at lliu terms Kive f i opn 10 our for family t worthy u 1 for reaching the public in never the counting will lowing one OB DUD column C Onu minimi I month vv 1 n column in a I lino or 1 six Duo nl ol 1 k tlin h wo nru ti lo III t HI to I I I JOB Ur t riming rs f A H H I T K S tin I to Imr ami 1 CITY TAKEN at pur for Hie next In tor of my Slort ft doora north of tlw Port on D 28 Mil TIME TABLE day Train r M Going K.tprtM P H P M Madison 0 57 MADISON Main Street near the Capitol K LKK M D MILLER J S WEBSTER Sign Ornamental Fainter AND Oil i ME JIN VALLEY bury me not la In that of clay Where the shadow of sorrow la heavy And tbe are crumbling anil gray i i i Where the are ragged and And Nature is clothed In Where tbe loaves are rustling ore dropping On hopoi thai aro UNtoed an they Tho wind whispers dolefully dolt fully bed And the cricket Is mournfully chanting The long of the mouldering bury mo down In tho r alley By side of moat musical rill That to the note of the robin And sighs the songster is Whore perfumes rare and supernal Clog the Bight of the tho air is Ailed with soft murmurs Tbe breathing of flowers Whore tho violet shrinks from the gaze Of early sky And the dew In its cup Like the tear in a fair eye H fair NAT ih in M r I tin I I- ROLLINS at Law Store 1 to In- will with II MAIM rii A TO over Market Main Wis ami staining dono In the li U Madison Female Seminary JOB C Pickard A H Principal hull of the will Kill M ail i son now tu anil f the The nix teachers and In Hi of Lectures nt tbe to tho young will lio will bu bolbre Ironi innu o on 1 mill TY REWARDED liar at tin I Si wnl j M 11 III i nt I iw ami In i if In 11 in w 111 ik mil s Urn K iul T n in No K li with lliu a of about to which can haYO Will the third turm and will bo 11 IH to 111 them In for their work Til li THIRD Will tho fourth of April ww CHARGES In and Department u r All iml nt M Win n I in lit Law C W II M HIM I in ir Ih ii nli 1 n 1 Hi i I jinn tin of IIH ion tuny In i OM r il In Mr M lulling hinl rn m r in nt of in Ilit Court J ij llor lit with No H III l 1 n.i> HIM II N M 1.4 r w K FOX l huh id Hi ill r in n Iron 11 il Ini li An lit -.1 nth i mi r nl tuo co 1 Ki I ul in ami Minium ouch MO to lie in A mom boon HI toil tip for that purpose n limited nt luila will bo and pill umler of u the umler the tinil run trot of sent on lo lliu TEMPLE und Store r i T r K tn STYLE is now to AND Having the ur mcnt vt u OTHER in ami taku a luuk at tho ilgn of the DIM Portrait STOKE or DAVID HOLT anil Improved Plnrkiicy 1 tho P O I1 ok I ml M ih rin million k Mn n W li HMI in Iron Ac 11 Mori I all r in Ml mill t Violin t nr n vary hirgo flock of nil kinds of Mimic kout on willi anil powerful tunod M 111 I 01 O N S American milkers nt extremely law fur ut lower rules linn at any in lliu bouks nny kind to at low lil DAVID HOLT Many years ago when a subaltern I waa stationed at Blockhouse Point at the mouth of the Green Snake river on tho north side of Lake Huron The now di- lapidated stronghold was originally ed on a sandy point stretching out into tho lako in the days of thu Indian ware aud I could fancy its slender garrison of sharp shooters watching from their holes tho clustering forms of their Indian foes as they stole along the borders of the forest The bullet holes that riddled its massive walls and its charred and ened surface suggested grim conjectures respecting its brave defenders who filled the grave around its foot But now there were no Indians to em- ploy the leisure of the unfortunate com- pany of regular troops that away their days within the humble cation that now surrounded the old house Our only were bears ant foxes which skulked about the woods and the only Indians who sought admission to the post were those from a little about seven miles up tho river where a peaceable party of had taken up their abode In this dot in the wilderness I and two brother officers lived the lives of anchor itea only less contented and by no mean forgetting the world by which we seemed very nearly forgotten Not but what let tors reached the summer by an occasional schooner up the It was during the othe half of the year when the lakes wei-i bound up by the universal fetter of ice that we lived in unblissful Twice however during each long winter great excitement prevailed Blockhouse Point It was when Indians travelling over tho snow on were expected to arrive with the express Day after day we used to walk for miles hoping to meet our bronze Mercuries and when at length they came in sight with what trembling hearts we returned to tho post to await tho opening of the sealed wallets by the proper authority in rance of what tidings the mail might contain for us On one occasion tho news I got sad enough My dearest friend waa to be tried by court-martial on a serious charge Ifc had not written to me but a mutual friend that before an- other month was past fate would bo scaled and this month's delay had on- ly occurred in consequence of an tant witness being required from the er province I saw at once that it wan in niy power to disprove the gravest of the charge although did not know it Many plans my mind Could I not write my statement and send elves tirao to cook the game we killed hen shouldering their packs and starting iff again They endeavored to beguile weariness of the way by lively sallies at which they laughed till the silent woods rang with their merriment the the younger most joyous as well aa the most active of us all and however weary he might when he stopped for the night he and jested as he cut with his tomahawk tho evergreens which were to our not uncomfortable shelter and be strewn beneath tho bearskins on which slept the was our cook and and i the rapid in he heaped en scores of dry Handles and raised a blazing pile above the always excited my admiration When we had accomplished nearly half our journey we had not overstepped the time wo allowed ourselves but the con- exertion was begining to affect our and tho perpetual glare of the suu on the snow inflamed our eyes This we by far the greater of tho I shall never forget the joy we two one morning when tho snu den beneath the heavy in tho cast Almost forgetting our swollen limbs in tho of being delivered from Ins dazzling ruys we traveled merrily on through leaflets forests of trees tracts of smaller trees thickly studded with the larch the spruce and thp fir whose dark foliage gloomed hlack the stainless snow through woods tangled with wild and grant with juniper bushes until at length wo reached the shores of a small frozen lake we Shrank into its for the first time POT hours the snow continued to fall as if inexhaustible at length it ceased and the setting sun shone out in the western sky red and angrily The Indians said that another snowstorm was at hand So we set about about making the best preparations we for the night Our friendly thicket was no bad shelter and and I set to work with our tomahawks to cut away branches until the place somewhat resembled a er and then shaking the cut branches free from snow we laid them up in soft piles to sleep upon Meantime busied himself in making a fire and col- fuel We wore short of food for during the last day or two game had been unusually scarce But we had sufficient for the night and hoped to obtain more on the having set eral snares round the camp for the small Arctic hares which abound in those for- ests Soon after dark the snow recommenced and although we were unusually well tered T never felt tho cold so intense as I did that night I have rarely felt more rejoiced than I did when I saw the early anil All work i o ami e li yi in thai work Ml lib north n-l f Unix in ami of Stom t nil of work near the Court Main O C A CO In on Mam Court 4 C Wto ever ami Wore V Practical Architect ana Ifl to mako De- tail tot ally and country all with all toe In beating Ac and the of the Mime for all work la iron wood of awl otter of No 18 9 V ft In alrni for tho Bf lo of or oilier la writing to KMti HI Stale BACONS i t THU tCully pol hl< Of the i lor thu of und all A course of An mul u onn ba In tiny in tho Tho plan in with Iho student at for thu ot tho Tho of by every an Indian Undoubtedly I could But when I come to count I found it would not arrive in time unless sonic one was ever on hand to hurry the messenger on Why should not I be of express party I was young strong more wo rejoiced that the day was dim for in crossing lakes and rivers wo always moat being deprived of the network of branches which yielded us a sometimes almost blb But our exultation was short-lived An exclamation of disappointment buist from tho Indians and looking up I a fow lurge floating through the air Let us put off our said we must halt hero the snow will blind our cycu to the path The path however was an Indian figure of speech We were traveling through an untrodden wilderness guided from point to point by some rock or bun It or quaintly tree Hut these objects vividly in tho Indians recollection They had traveled this road twice before and whatever an Indian once sees remains im- printed in his memory forever At announcement I looked over the lake longingly I could not to lose an hour far less a and I said that perhaps we might get across before violence of the snow storm came on My guides shook their heads However after a time they agreed to make the at- Accordingly off we started across the lake the snow flakes floating and playing lazily around us and more than once we congratulated ourselves that their ance had not deterred us But when we had got about half way across the storm came dashing down in our faces with a fierce gust that almost threw us off our feet and breathless we ped Near as tho brothers were T could sec 710 more than the outlines of their dark forms through the thick curtain of fell between us while ing was visible beyond but dazzling snow flakes tumbling whirling and rushing ddwn to overwhelm us We must keep the wind in our faces or we shall never reach the said ITc at once led the way his brother nnd I following and with difficulty him as he shuffled heavily on be- fore us Already the weight upon our snow shoes impeded us greatly and it in- dawn steal over the landscape and was able to rise from my cold couch and wa- keii my who rose looking as comfortless us myself especially who trembled as if in an ague fit But a little hot coffee revived him went to inspect his snares and to his grout disappointment he found that they had not disturbed so there was nothing for it but to start afresh out break fust Just as we tied on our snow shoos a few flakes of snow like ny birds came floating between us and the clear blue sky They were true bingers and within a few minutes the clouds began tu gather and the snow to darken the atmosphere Warned by the past d ly's we remained in our camp Hour after hour the snow in driving masses but we were tered from iU fury We had fire and the snow settling on tho roof and sides of our bower made it warm so we felt that we had moie CAUSO to be thankful than to complain though wo were compelled to fast Before long indisposition of the returned and as the day wore cm he continued to get worse until by it was quite evident that he was in tho first stage of a fever did tho best wo could for him by giving him hot coffee and such other trifling comforts as our slender block afforded The noit morning broke bright and beautiful but it was at evident that poor could not travel that day The fever increased and the ague so shook him that it with the ty he could take tho coffee horn our hands The weie still empty and this day was aho passed without food On the third morning was still worse No game h id been snared or shot und were becoming fierce We so that we could creep About mid-day a hare camo leaping by through the snow I shot it and we it immediately To this day I think that that was tho sweetest meat 1 ever tasted We made a part of the hare into soup for our poor tient bat he was unable to take our surprise for it seemed delicious to us beyond expression From that day we had never wanted food und were able to give all our thoughts und anxieties to whose last hour evidently drawing near lie held out his hand to his brother aad gashie forgetting the social demeanor of his race which he had tried hard to tain burst tears as he folded it to his bosom When he released it it fell cold grave und the same ception was extended to me Bwt in spite of all their I fancied I a gleam of joy in the wild ejes of the stranger No wonder poor I thought Perhaps he has passed the ter without looking on a human face Ho belonged to a of Indiana living far to the north of Jreen Snake and his dialect was a great trial to my Indian erudition As his path the nest day or two would be the same as ultra thu stranger ed to join us Though I must confess that the sight of his blanket caked with filth made inu feel a repugnance to hia company yet I was too prudent too ob- ject and afterwards when we stopped for the night and found that leaving thu fire making to he waa con- tent to hustle about to collect fuel And to assist me in forming shelter I felt more charity towards him and was more consigned to his raising his pile of branches near my own As we sat that evening round our camp five I had a better opportunity of ing our new acquaintance He was a finely formed Indian and more muscular than I had seen any of his race over thero in unusual fierceness in his demeanor and a strange fire gleamed from his eye He took tobacco that we gave him with pleasure but he was disappointed th it our was all ex- pended However he did not let that damp his spirits but talked on with more than Indian volubility stock ot news for which ho asked was soon ex- hausted Poor he had little heart to talk of anything except his beloved brother to whose story the stranger cued with a contracted brow but with few indications of sympathy In his turn he treated Sho to a number of zing and horrible stories which were rent in the woods I lost the gist of many of these thro not being able clearly to comprehend his language But was one I under- stood somewhat bettor than the It was concerning a very fierce Indian ed great bear who came from far beyond the Great lako and who on his return home from a hunting expedition found his squaw and children the prey of a band of cannibal Indians at the sight this hero fell upon them single-handed and took the scalps of all except That one had fled aud ever since had through the woods gnashing his teeth and seeking him where The missing Indian had ed himself in sort of disguise but all to no said the stranger agely for slays every In- dian he meets so that that villian must fall beneath his at last When I had got of the stranger's excited manner aud gleaming eye I became somewhat weary of this In- dian's hyperbole but listened to every word with breathless attention I was lounging beside the fire more asleep than awake I was aroused by the stranger abruptly demanding of my guide if he had ever seen this redoubtable brave the great bear to which the In- dian replied in the negative Liar thundered tho savage ing to his feet I am and in a moment he stabbed my compann ion iu the chest I sprang him in an instant and seized his right nrm which by a violent effort he succeeded in disengaging He aimed a deadly blow fit mo with his knife ivo ACCOUNTS Exchange unit Company anil iul on of Customs of wid I Individually nod not IB mil may enter tTw tult A can U completed In from to t to fott of Instruction OS 3 fvt nuttier of K S BACON D II i i and accustomed to Surely what Indians could do I There was not an hour to be lost At daylight I obtained leave from my com- manding mere matter of form both he and my junior rejoiced heartily at tho prospect of Two Indians were quickly ob- and everything was made ready for departure in a few hours Wo were a strange looking party Our object being each carried his own trips and as few of them as possible I w a clad in a beaver coat and fur kit consisted of a blanket a and a wallet to hold provisions The two It dians who were brothers were ly equipped With loaded for arty game that might and snow on our feet we act out In case wo succeeded in getting to headquarters at the time appointed a tuity had promised to the Indians resolved whether won ljj every moment until we The could snow scarcely them along blow in our faces sharp as icicles ing past us in wild eddies almost beating us down Aa the storm increased the wind which had hitherto blown steadily in our faces began to waver and to dash the snow down upon us in every direction It was impossible to go on The last faint lingering shadow of a hope passed away and we felt there waa nothing loft but to die Once or twice I wondered T did not feel the topor which is the precursor of death among the snow steal over my senses but we determined not to die inactive and the violence of my exertions heated me to such a degree that than once I found myself wiping the moisture from my brow as I fought the hopeless battle against the whirlwind That I am to write this is a proof of the Providence ing over all for there was no hope for when an unseen hand guided us to safety How reached the shore none of us or and they pressed OB nearly tho whole day on their scarcely giving er but length still against the blinding snow snow shoes struck a tree Close behind it was thicket of dwarf firs and aud stiffened upon the snow did not speak for hours but wept incessantly The earth waa frozen too hard to admit of us digging a We were therefore compelled to lay the lifeless Indian deep in the snow in the shady place until his brother could re- turn in the spring to bury him On the following morning we resumed our journey but it had now become a melancholy pilgrimage The day seemed long and dreary without the joyous youth whose lively jests and ringing laughter had echoed among the old Towards evening for the first time in all our vels we came on the a human be- The broad trail of a pair of shoes proceeded us along the course we had to follow My guide judging from tho tracks an- the wearer to be an Indian and not one of the white hunters who are to be met sometimes in these forests He waa right The wearer of the gaily med whom we overtook about two hours after with his dirty et rifle tomahawk and hia arms covered with bracelets trad bunches of ear rings weighing the fobes bf his ears fully attested the accuracy of The Indiana greeted each other with but I evaded it and drew my own With a at his disappointment he began to draw his tomahawk from his belt with the view of hurling it at head but I ed upon him pinioning his arms Ilia feet gave way and we both rolled er on saow A struggle for life be- tween us succeeded The Indian kept making little digs at me with his but he could not jret purchase enough to do more than penetrate my clothes and in- slight wounds upon me He rolled over hoping to get me under- most hut I always rolled farther than he wished and got on the upper side again At length I lost patience and still ing his right arm tightly down I ed the hand which held my knife But quick as thought ed his knife into his left hand also commenced another rolling tearing glc more like that of tigers than of men for my foe assailed ine with Wo stabbed at each other wildly and many a wound I gave and At length the Indian relaxed hid hold fell back and I arose victorious My first thought now alter a fervent prayer for my deliverance waa fof tny poor guide I found that though ately wounded and bleeding to was not dead I bound up Ida best I could and placed him on his bed My own wounds though thd fire sank down beside ft to tmj poor the next morning was w wekk from OM of Mood thai each I expected to ape him and leave mej atone in the woods to die in my Ura I now bitterly regretted that I had ever on disastrous wever there I was aud had foe it but to make the best of it so I aet to Work burled my dead enemy in a snow bank collected wood shot a hare it and returned to my sad task of ing my Wounded guide the end of ten despite every adverse circumstance waa a great deal yet it was evident to both of us that U would be a long time fork he could travel The poor fellow carneM Iy entreated me not to atay with him but to teave hint to hia fide and he directed me in way to pursue my journey I would not have an enemy thus much leak one with whom I had faced sorrow danger and death Yet powder rapidly failing After much tion I took all the spare snow shoes and aid of a bearskin succeeded in making a sleigh capable of holding very comfortably as well as alt our belongings I rose proudly the nest ing and placing ray in the sleigh recommenced ray journey It was weary work to drag that clumsy sleigh the wasted Indian looking cmt now and then to direct me on our way I was often obliged to make long detours to avoid thickets and places where the trees grew too close to admit my sleigh them When day was dono I had the fuel to collect the fire to make shelter to prepare to move his wounds to and then the game to cook which I had killed during the day Man? a time I thought I should be obliged to give up the struggle I lay down to rest I was sometimes so tired that I could not haVe resisted another had he conic to end the work the first one be- gun and when morning I recommenced my tugging and dragging with anus BO weary that I did not care if another came and sent us to sleep till the great day of awakening Neither Indian nor and I was compelled to go from day to day enacting bj turns the parts of horse forager cook builder and nurse At length I became exhausted that one morning though it was mid-day I began to look about me for a suitable place to encamp for the der of the day and night hoping after such a rest to start fresher on the ing morning Suddenly a thin column of smoke ascending from the trees at a short distance caught my eye and turning off from our route I made the of ny way to it It arose from the hut of a settler The ntau gave us a hearty welcome and we slept beneath a roof for the first time for considerably more than a month The next day he put his horse to his und in two days more brought us to head I believe for tho reward I promised than from pity for our worn and miserable condition The time appointed for the trial was now nearly three weeks past and I did not doubt that it was over But the vere illness of the accused had again de- ferred it The proceedings were now on- ly coming to a close So far they left on the minds of all who witnessed them but one my poor friend's career was ended Suddenly I en the court attired in worn-out my face haggard my eyes inflamed my swollen feet hobbling awkwardly floor Order restored my waa re- with the greatest and Low t her was acquitted with honor Poor when the spring ed he left sue and and returned by er to Snake river whence by his relatives he travelled down to the scene of bis only brother's death They dug a deep grave for and laid hint in it oa the spot where hia life departed Bat never re- turned to hia native village Parting with his relatives at the grave ho returned to me and remained with gentle mi- obtrusive faithful tion the bane his race took him from me a few yean marvellously slight more cuts and oyen those in rnt thick preheated from doing muck damage rl them and heaping wood or other day while traveling on the railroad the can had made a halt and a quiet looking young man popped his head out of tha windows to of tho stoppage when train was suddenly put in motion and in hurriedly feg hia head the hat that covered it fell off and WM SOM lost to Tke teas then his empty tot DOX and threw it His fellow passengers looked upon this M u of passion Bat mistaken WM on toti ww enough toth tot ted
