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Our Western Border.

little fat bear;" while Brashear, on account of his agility, received the name of the "buck elk."

The Indians, desiring to ascertain whether there was any unprotected house or settlement near that might be pillaged, asked the boys where they came from? The guarded reply was, "from Louisville." "You lie !" responded the savage; but the boys, mindful of their friends, even at a moment so distressing to themselves, kept their own counsel, and neither by word nor sign gave any indication that their assertion was not true. Their sagacity and firmness saved the family of Colonel Pope from destruction. The Indians retired with their young captives, who marched off with apparent indifference. Crossing the Ohio, they were taken to an Indian town in Northern Indiana, distant many days' journey; and on the way won the favor of their new masters by the patience with which they suffered captivity and fatigue, and the cheerful interest they appeared to take in the occurrences of the march.

At the Indian village the reception usually extended to prisoners awaited them. The women and children crowded around them with shouts of exultation, loaded them with reproaches, pelted them with dirt and stones, struck, pinched and heaped indignities upon them. But the gallant little fellows were probably prepared for these and greater cruelties, and found them no worse than they expected. For a while they submitted bravely; but at length the Linn blood became heated and the younger of the brothers, whose temper was quick, and who had frequently been cautioned by his companions to restrain his passions, losing all patience, singled out a tawny boy bigger than himself, who had struck him, and being left-handed, returned the blow in a way so unexpected that his foe, unable to parry it, was knocked down

The warriors were delighted with an exploit so much to their taste, and applauded it with loud shouts and laughter. Another champion assailed the little hero, who, springing upon the juvenile savage with the ferocity of the panther, dealt him blows, kicks and scratches, with a vigor which surprised and delighted the spectators. The whole mass of boyhood became pugnacious; his companions joined with alacrity    ki the fight   Kentucky against the field. The heroic lads fought against odds, but displayed such prowess that they soon cleared the ring, and were rescued from further annoyance by their captors, who were particularly amused by the efficiency and odd effect of the left-handed blows of the younger Linn.

Such fine boys soon became favorites. Bold and bright-eyed, muscular and healthy, equal to the Indian boys in all athletic sports and superior to them in intelligence, they were readily adopted into the