Death-Dealer, the Shawnee Scourge; or The Wizard of the Cliffs

On a sweltering summer day along the banks of the Scioto, the forest offers the only refuge from the heat. Amid the leaf‑laden shadows lies a hunched figure, half man, half beast, draped in animal skins and tangled reddish hair. His sharp, piercing eyes scan the surroundings as he readjusts a rifle that seems almost as tall as he is. The scout, known to the settlers as the Death‑Dealer, embodies the frontier itself.

Rumors among the Shawnee speak of a hunter who has taken more of their people than any other, yet his killings are driven not by bloodlust but by a grim sense of duty to the settlements. He moves through the wilderness with uncanny tracking ability, following a scent as if it were a living thread, and every failed plot against him only deepens his legend. Beneath the feral exterior lies a man who once bore the name Richard Higgins, a past now obscured by the forest’s silence. As evening cools the air, he readies his rifle, poised for the next hunt that will test his skill and conscience.