The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1833-07-03

| reference Of familiar spirits with the af-
fairs of men has greatly subsidized; and IN
proportion as the credence of the people
was Withdrawn from the supernatural "a
gencies, the recurrence of such cases Of
supposed interference became less COM
mon. Whether faith in the people is ne
cessary to keep alive those supernatural
visitants, or whether they have found
some new aud more profitable harvest to
compensate their labors, is question
nm not entirely incompetent of determi-
ming. Be this as il may, our wives and
daughters at this day, see fewer "ghosts
aud witches than their grandmothers
| did.
heard the following story related a
bout twenty-five years ago, by an old
hunter. give it AS nearly as possible in
his own words. The narrator was prob
ably at that time nearing his allotted
"three score and ten"-stood fair among
his neighbors as man Of veracity-and
looked very serious while he was telling
it. All can say is, If he did not stick
close TO the truth, it was his fault not of
mine.
"My brother Ned and I"-said nv in.
formant when we were chunks of boys,
or nearly men, were "the greatest hun
ters in all the parts where we lived.
There was deep, rocky ravine, about
two miles where we lived, on the edges
of which grew low, bushy trees, of plum
and other small growth, overrun with
immense quantities of mountain grape
vines. Large flocks Of turkies sometimes
roasted there, and we used to kill num-
bers of them. After while, Ned took
to going there lone after night, for.I had
II lame ancle and was not able to accom-
pany him. He came home several times
and told me he saw lots of turkies, but
they always few before he could get shot
at them. sold him it was strange; "but
Ned" says J, 'as soon as Pam able to
walk I'll go along with you, and see if
cant get "a shot. We'll, in a few days
go, well enough to go. We went straight
to :he turkey roost; and, sure enough,
there was monstrous large turkey, per-
ched upon grape vine, not more than a
hundred feet or SO from where we stood.
The moon was shining as bright as day,
so could see plumb through the sights
Of my rifle, and she was as good piece
as ever was bored. Well, pulled the
trigger and she snapped-never snapped
before since got her didn't guess the
reason-s'posed the frizzen was vet
rubbed it with my hat brim, and cooked
her again 81 looked, and behold ye -
the turkey was ten times as large as it
was when first raised my gun. was
not easy scared in them days; but mind,
l tell ye, my hair bristled at it. why
says Ned, that turkeys big as cow
Well, thinks ], big or no big, I'll fire at
it--so | drawed bead on it a second
time and pulled trigger-inyegun snapped
again threw out the powder from the
pau, picked the flint, and primed afresh.
Now; thinks |, if you don't go of, it must
be strange. looked again for the tur-
key-and my name isn't Haines ifit was
not as large as n common barn. Let us
GO says Ned-'there is witchcraft in it!'
But l was not born in the woods to be
scared at trifes. took aim, and pulled
trigger third lime. At that instant,
whether it was the gun that fred, or what
could not tell, and had no time to think
but the whole forest seemed to be. on
fire, and something like a heavy clap of
thunder instantly followed, that shook
the ground under my feet, and tumbled
a great pile of rocks from the steep pre-
cipices headlong down to the bed of The
rayine below. tho't of it when the can
nonading commenced at the battle of
Brandywine!-Ah! that was as bloody a
day as ever! saw!-General Washington
behaved like II hero, and so did La Lay
ette-but we could not stand a regular
engagement with the British regulars
That same day my rifle sent more than
one British officer to his long home So
and would shoulder my rifle again any
day in such causc.-But forgot to
tell you about the turkey; it spread out it's
wings and flew; and we could see it fly
ing along through the long valley to the
east of us, for 5 or 6 miles, till it went
out of sight and as if great hurricane
was rising. As soon as the turkey was
gone out Of sight, turned to look for
Ned and before could find him, it be-
came Pitch dark. The whole woods then
seemed to be alive, and swarming with
cats that squalled around us in every di-
rection. We had travelled every foot of
the ground over thousand times, or l
don't think we should have found our way
home that night.
Next morning l examined my gun
the same bullet that ! put in her was
there still; the patching was scortched
| little. and the Dowder. both i'm the oan