The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1851-07-02
From Arhur's Home Gazette.
W 0LV ES;
Or, THE BLACK FIDDLER.
DY c. W. wEBBER.

| AANNSN
tious of our predatory animals, is the most
active, tenacious, and difficult of extirpation.
1t is everywhere. 1t fills in the chinks of
desolaton. Its savage grinning head peers
through all the broken glooms of our stern
wildernesses-a ghoul-like presence-hid-
ious, gaunt and fierce 1t knows no SYM
pathes, and we give it none. Yet there is
one droll incident with which my boyhood
was familiar, which seems to indicate GER
tain susceptibility to the softer emotions-or
more refined sense, at least.
In the early days of the settlement of South
Kentucky, there was a great trouble with
the wolves. The large grey wolf of the
more wooded northern and middle districts
greatly abounded in the heavy forests of the
Green River Bottom, particularly in the
neighborhood of Henderson, which is situa-
ted on the Ohio, not far below the mouth of
Green River. The barn-yard suffered to a
great extent, SIN way of pigs, calves, &c,
rfrom their depredations, which frequently, in
mid-winter, were even carried to the auda-
cious extreme of attacking human beings.
Indeed, it was no unusual hing for the
belated footman, at such times, when they
were pressed by hunger, to find himself sur
rounded by herd of them in the woods.
Some striking stories Of hair breadth escapes
and desperate venture, belong to this period
and condition of things. No one of them
ever made stronger impression upon me
than the adventure of old Dick, the fiddler
He was "a good old good, for nothing
Idarkie," as the word went in henpeighbor-
Il
dling-but, by the way-singular as this
merit vast in reality constituted him by
far the most important "gemman OBJ color"
within forty miles around. The fact is,
nothing of any interest could occur without
his presence. 1t was as important-skinny
as as it was-as the very face of the man in
the moon-beneath whose auspices the corn
shuckings, the weddings, the ''break downs"
and Juba dances Of the neighborhood were
enacted.
Old Dick, who was the properly Of one of
the Hendcrsons, from whom the town and
country take their names, was esteemed by
his good natured and wealthy master as de-
|cidedly privileged character. He had his
time pretty much to himself, and no one pre-
tended to interfere with its disposal, as his
master humorously styled him necessary
nuisance" to the neighborhood, because he
kept the darkies in adgood humor by his id-
die. Now Dick had most strongly develop
ed the strongest and most marked traits of
the fiddler, the world over, namely, punctil-
Iiousness and punctuality. Upon either of
these points he was peculiarly irritable, nay,
even ferocious, With all the proverbial tim
Iidty Of the "child of genius" Old Dick
was as savage asa hyena at any improprie-
ties of etiquette which might chance to turn
'up during the sable orgies over which. he
4 }presided but nothing caused him to so far
forget "the propricties" in his own person,
as the Intervention of any unusual or acci-
dental causes of delay which prevented his
being ON hand in time! Poor Dick! But
the story have to tell of him will explain.
On the occasion of a grand wedding festi-
val among the colored gentry Of neighboring
!, plantations some six miles distant, Old Dick
twas, of course, expected to oficiate as mas
ter of the ceremonies. 1t had been an unu-
l sually severe winter, and heavy snow lay
g upon the ground on the eventful evening,
. when having donned his "long tailed blue" !"
&, with its glittcring gilt buttons and mounted
the immense shirt collar, by the aid of which
the dignity Of his official character was prop
erly maintained, the ancient Apollo sailed
, forth, fiddle in hand, to dare the pcrils OF
the distant way alone; for the younger dar-
kies had all gone to the frolic hours before,
with haste and eagerness altogether unbe-
; coming its Importance.
The moon was out, and the stars twinkled
right merrily overhead, as the spry old man
trudged away over the crisp and cracking
snow. The path, which was very narrow
one, led for the greater part of the way,
: through the dark shadows of heavy bottom
forest, which yet remained as wild as when
the Indians roamed over it, and was untrav-
! ersed by a wagon road for many miles.
f The profound and dreary solitude of the
, way could not have failed to impress any
one who was not either more or less than hui
man, except under condition of entire pre-
; occupation in one absorbing thought, such as
: now held absolutely the body and soul of the
II old man in the strained tension Of an anxious
hurry to reach The seat Of occupation in ex.
act time.
n He was goaded at every step with the
1 maddening vision of the expectant ranks o.
: sable gentility, rolling the whites Of THEN
eyes and stamping their stocking feet upon
the puncheon floor, impatient of his delay
i for the truth was, that he had fingered too
e long over the polishing of those brass but
5 tons, and the setting Of that plentitude Of
!, collar, and he now first became conscious OF
Iit, as he had come forth beneath the moon
and perceived its unexpected height above
: the horizon.
: On he dashed with unrelaxing energy,
: needless of the back shadows and bideous
night cries in the deep forest. Wolves were
bowling around him in every direction, but
: he paid no attention 10 sounds that were so
: common. However, he was soon compelled
, to give more heed to these animals than was
by any means pleasing or expected.
f He had now made nearly half Of his Jour-
. Iney, and the light opening ahead through
the trees, showed him the cold clearing"
as it was called, through which his path led
The wolves had been getting excessively
noisy for Che last mile; and to the indescri-
, bable horror of the old man, he could hear
them gathering about him in the cracking
bushes on either side, as they ran along to
keep pace with his rapid steps. The woods
very soon seemed to the old man to be liter
vlally alive with them, as they gathered in
yelling packs from far and near Ia