Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1848-12-26

cal but whether caused by his visits Il
the Post Office being quarterly; at which
! time he carried down IL canoe load O
] skins, or whether he was able 10 res strain
himself for three mouths at a time, ano
then was impeIled by his thirst to make
the trip to the settlement, am una bic to
say. aae" af
| Such habits as these you need not be
told would wear out the frame of a giant.
Such indeed was h;s. He was al leasl
SIX feet one inch high. and proporiiona
bly, broad shouldered and heavy Iinhed
have seen him shoulder two deer which
must have weighed over two hundred and
eighty (they were not very large ones}
and carry them through the woods as cas-.
lily as ! could have carried one. Had
you been with me that morning in the
forest you would have shrunk as | diG
from The idea that that gigantic form.
could be in so short time a handful OF
| dust. Yet so it was. and | watched the
struggle of The destroyer with the stout
man, as never watched battle before
need not tell you that The victory was
complete at last and when | took his
bIawny baud in mine there was no pres.
sure, not the ighIest touch OF recogni-
ton in the limb which had possessed the
strength Of Hercules.
Ii was a cold autumn night, three vears
| ago the fifteenth ofOctober. Black was
sitting at the hearth and heard a cali ON
The opposite bank OF the river. 1t was
repeated. and the second cry coming with
gust OF wind that made loud wall in
The branches OF the oak, woke Willis and
myself.
II proved to be neighbor f"Big Ben"
as he vas called, although believe his
real name was unknown to any one. y
lie had come down Give miles) to beg
sumo Of us to go up and see Ben, who
from his account it appeared. was labor
ing under one OF his fits Of insanity.
We went up, and found him raving in
delirium tremens. TO a;temp, any des-
"ripfon Of such fiji would be folly in me,
and only disgust you Those who have
never seen the victim of ntempe rance in
such an hour of madness, can nL,ain ON
words no idea OF The horror of the scene.
it has always seemed TO me 10 approach.
nearest of anything earthly, to the agon,
f the damned. Ben continued in rhi.
condition, with intervals of stupid silence.
until the day; alternately moaning in
low agOnizing tone, ard Then shneking
until the forest in which his cabin Stood.
rang as if with The laughter of fiends. |
slO"d outside of the door for an instant.
and | believe Twas actually scared at the
unParlhly sound that filed The air. To.
wards morning he appeared to be ex
hausted, and sank into sort of srupor or
sleep. from which it was impossible to
rouse him. f -.,..---..-s ....g.
afterwards learned that this was the
nth lay OF his madness. and was not sur
prIsed To see that he was neatly worn out.
In the course ofthe day he was almost
motIon'ess, and it was ONLY by the most
powerful exeTliuns that we could force
anything into his mouth, SO tightly were
his Jaws clenched. In the early part of
The next night, / was sleeping on the
floor not far from him, when ] fell the
grasp Of his stout hand an my arm, and
waking Instantly, found his eyes wide
open and staring 6xo5ly mot Hi
grasp frightened until it was painful, and
! confess TO momen'ary terror. but his
eye hadnO madness in it, and when not
in tie fits have spoken of. Ben was
kind hearted. and really gentle fellow.
"Tbere, Ben, there; moi quite so tight"
said mildly laying my hand on his.
Il thoughi-it was you choking
me-" said be in husky, broken voice,
speaking with great difficulty.
why should I choke you. my dear
fellow! You are dreaming. I'm glad to
see you're awake"
Il say-N-, I'm not dreaming
and-l Tell u---somelhing on my throat
-and-G Cd! how il tightens."
He tried raise himself from the floor
and svcC eeded al length. Keeling like a
drunken man he crossed the cabin TO the
water gourd and taking it up in both hands
guided it with difficulty TO his lips, ard
drank till il was more than half empty.
Then Keeling back to the bed of skins
again, and throwing himself down com
menced singing in voice which, always
good, was now uncommnnly clear, an
old mountain song, but before he had
finished the first verse he paused, with an
oath, cursing his throat. which was
again parched with the raging fever tina,
now bad possession OF him. Black who
had lain silent during all this, now came
to his side. and also fouk seat ON the
bear>kin which covered his bed.
81 ''Ben, you're sick, do you know it!"--
said Black. ~
.'Yes. yes, Black. I'm :e6up. thought
ii would come 10 this at last. Every dog
has bis day. and I've had mine." 4
keep quiet. Ben and we'll put you all
RICH, in day ai
, ''Dont you believe it, W.; don't