Graham's Magazine, Vol. XIX, No. 6, December 1841Various
General
Graham's Magazine, Vol. XIX, No. 6, December 1841
Various
Literature -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals
“The spirit of revenge grew strong in me as I beheld those whom I had
labored all day to see; and that wish which troubled me now was, that I
had not brought along with me a party sufficiently formidable to have
taken them all prisoners, and thus revenge would be gratified by
piece-meal. I was not long in deciding what to do. Observing the officer
who commanded the party sitting among the rest, I singled him out as the
first victim to be offered upon the altar of my vengeance. I cautiously
cocked my gun, and taking a deliberate aim at his breast, I pulled the
trigger—but the sparks missed the pan, and the gun did not go off. The
men heard the noise, and several saw the sparks fly, and in a moment
every man was on his feet, and gazing intently at the spot where I
stood; but in a second of time I had re-cocked my gun, and taking
another aim, I fired. The officer sprang up, screamed, and fell upon his
face. With curses, several of the soldiers rushed forward towards the
spot where I lay, but with superior woodsmanship I evaded them and fled
into the depths of the woods, and taking a circuitous route, I came to
the fire again at the other side. Every man had left in pursuit of me
but two, who were busily stripping off the coat of the officer. I again
fired and one of the soldiers fell. With a yell and a fearful oath, I
was met as I turned to flee, by one of the soldiers who had been
pursuing me.
“I drew a knife, the soldier drew his bayonet, and we engaged in a
desperate encounter. Knowing that the noise we made would soon guide
others to the spot, and that I would assuredly be captured, I commenced
a retrograde movement for the purpose of effecting my escape, when I was
clinched by an iron hand from behind, and the person missing at the same
time a firm foot-hold, he fell to the earth, bearing me with him.
“Oh, how I struggled! how fearfully I wielded my knife! but it was not
that I feared dying—what was life to me then? It was that I feared
being foiled in my revenge, and with this fear uppermost in my mind, I
hurled my knife about me with giant energy; with the maddened and
thoughtless desperation of the panther, when she struggles for her
screaming young, did I battle for my revenge; but now they rushed up
upon every side—they threw themselves upon me—they bore me again to
the earth, but this time senseless, and when I became conscious, I was
lying on my back, and bound hands and feet.
“The soldier whom I had shot, died a few moments after receiving his
wound; but the officer still survived, although mortally wounded—the
ball having broke, in its course, the sternum and ribs, and passed
directly through his lungs.
“The soldiers soon gathered around the spot where I lay—their eyes
gleaming hate, and their rough features expressing all the atrocity of
their nature.
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