The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1852-06-03

at once observed TO be an lndlln, ad-
dressing the hunter as they seated them
selves by the fire. o
"' Yes was the reply, 'and have
you far to walk this cold night ?"
"' | have come said the Indian, 'to
fulfil my promise, made to you a long,
long time since. You will recollect.'
GO What; my son and does he
liver asked the old man with much
emotion. @ ".i
&C He lives! behold him there, be-
fore you = |a ~" d.I f -1I
" Without waiting for the answer the
aged parent, recognizing in the, till then,
supposed Indian, his own son, had en-
braced him, neither being able, so over
whelmed with JOY were they, to utter
syllable and the mother, feeble, at
witnessing so unexpected an event, had
tainted and fallen on the floor. She
soon, however, revived, and was per-
mitted once more to clasp in her arms
the son whom she had long believed
dead, and soon expected to meet in
heaven. 1t was 2 scene indeed, which
can much better be imagined than de-
scribed.
:" You will judge what were the feel
ings of Charles on learning the death of
his sister.
/" But the cause of this long delay in
the return of the Indian was now to be
explained 1t may be done in few
words. n1
{" He overlook his party in short
time, after recovering from his wounds,
and found them mourning and almost
distracted with grief, for in their contest
with the hunter they had lost their chief
and several others of their most daring
warriors and they were just preparing
to feed their revenge by torturing to
death with every cruel means which
their savage and blood thirsty hearts
could invent, their captive boy. But
happily he had arrived in time to save
him, though it had been utterly out of
his power to return him to his parents
before. They continued their march
nto the western wilderness, where they
were finally forced to remain on ac-
count Of war which soon broke out
between their own and several other
hostile tribes of Indians, and lasted for
nearly the whole time that had elapsed
since they had left the banks of the An
droscoggin. h3 lt
"Charles had not forgotten his pa
rents, though he had become habituatcd
to the usages, customs, and hardships of
his savage comrades, and wore, indeed,
the resemblance OF an Indian. He now,
with his preserver, whom he would not
permit to leave him, lived with his
parents and supported them until, worn
out with age and sorrow, they both in
the course OF two years were laid in the |
grave nearly at the same time.
T" Charles Eaton, (for that was his
name, had now but one friend in the
world his Indian protector and pre-
server. They lived and wandered to-
gether for many years, obtaining their
living, as they were taught to do, in the
wilderness, until at length the poor
Indian was tax n i'll and died, leaving
Charles entirely friendless, and without
a home.
" Charles lived now, not because it
was his own pleasure, but because it
was the will of heaven that be should
live. lie for time sought to make
himself happy in society; but the noisy
and cold-hearted world possessed no
charms for him. He sought the noun
tains, when he discovered cave, in
which he entered, and at once declared
it his home while life remained. He
has thus far kept his word, and" said
the old man springing from his seat with
the activity of boy, "Charlcs Eaton
IS the man who has just saved you, my
young friend, from the awful pangs Of
ieath ="
1 cannot describe. my surprise on
hearing this announcement, coming upon
ne as it did, so suddenly. l bad in
act become SO interested in the old
mans story that had forgotten the
situation in which l was placed.
We now sought rest from sleep, but
little did 1 obtain. I however, by the
found myself sufficiently re-
cruited to venture to return TO the
dwelling at the foot Of the mountain
and from thence home, which l did after !
first having been directed to the right {
path by my own kind prcscrver--the
INDIAN CAPTIVE