Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/349

 An Account of the Choktah Nation. 337

dread of our party ahead, who would have foon ran back to our afiiftance, had they attacked us About an hour after our company, we got to camp. The Choktah at night came down from the mountains, and creeped after us. Our camp was pitched on very convenient ground, and as they could not furprife us, they only viewed at a proper diftance, and retired. But they ufed an artful ftratagem, to draw fome of us into their treacherous fnares , for they Hole one of the bell horfes, and led it away to a place near their den, which was about a mile below us, in a thicket of reeds, where the creek formed a femi-circle. This horfe was a favourite with the gallant and active young man I had efcorted the day before to camp.

As he was of a chearful and happy temper, the people were much furprifed to find him at night peevifh and querulous, contrary to every part of his paft conducti and though he delighted in arms, and carried them con- flantly when he went from camp, yet he went out without any this night, though I prefled him to take them. In lefs than an hour, he returned fafe, but confufed and dejected. When he fat down, he drooped his head on his hands, which were placed on his knees, and faid, the enemy were lurking, and that we mould foon be attacked, and fome of us killed. As I pitied the ftate of his mind, I only told him, that yefterday, he and I knew the French favages were watching to take an advantage of us ; but for his fatisfaction I would take a fweep, on foot, while the Chik- kafah painted themfelves, according to their war-cuftom when they ex pect to engage an enemy. I went out with my gun, pouch, and belt- piftols, and within two-hundred yards of the camp, difcovered the ene mies tracks ; they had pafied over a boggy place of the creek, upon an old hurricane-tree. I proceeded with the utmoft caution, porting myfelf now and then behind large trees, and looking out lharply left I fhould fall into an ambufcade, which the Choktah are cunning artifts in forming. In this manner I marched for three quarters of an hour, and then took to high ground, a little above the enemies camp, in order to return for help to attack them. But the aforefaid brave youth, led on by his ill genius, at this time mounted a fiery horfe, which foon ran into the ambufcade, where they fhot him with a bullet in his bread, and another entered a little below the heart. The horfe wheeled round in an initant, and fprung off", but in pitching over a large fallen tree, the unfortunate rider, by reafon of his mortal wounds,

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