The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1853-05-05
WESTERLY, r. l., THURSDAY, MAY 5, 1853

of some great man of the colony, and all
more or. less scored by the axe The
one on Which he had been seated, and
which had evidently just been hewn down
bore the name of Crowningshield, and he
recollected mighty rich man of that
name, who had vulgar display of wealth
which it was whispered he had acquired
by buccaneering.
He's just ready for burning ~ said
the black man with growl of triumph
/" You see am likely to have good
stock Of tire-wood for winter"
4" But what right have you," said Tom,
I" to cut down Deacon Peabody's tim
Der :"
"The right of prior claim" said the
other. " This woodland belonged to me
long before one OF your white faced race
put foot upon the soil
And pray who are you, if may be
so bold :" said Tom.
so, | go by various names. | am
the Wild Huntsman in some countries,
the Black Miner in others. In this
neig ighborhood | am known by the name
of the Back Woodsman. am he to
whom the red man devoted this spot,
and now and then roasted a white an
by way Of sweet smelling sacrifice. Since
the red men have been exterminated by
your white savages, | amuse myself by
presiding at the persecution of Quakers
and Anabaptists; | am the great patron
and prompter Of slave-dealers, and the
grand master Of the Salem witches"
The upshot Of all which is, that if
mistake not" said Tom, sturdiiy, "you
are commonly called 'Old Scratch. ,"
The same, at your service" replied
the black man, with half civil nod.
Such was the opening of this inter
view, according to the oil story, though
it has almost too familiar an air to be
credited One would almost think that
to meet with such singular parsonage
in this wild louely place would have
shaken any mans nerves but Tom was
IA hard-minded fellow, not easily daunted
and he had lived 50 long with Il terma-
giant wife, that he did not even tear the
devil
1t is said that after this commence
mcnt they had II long and earnest con-
versation together, as Tom returned
homewards. The blackman told him of
great sums of money which had been
buried by Kidd, the pirate, under the
oak trees on the high ridge not far from
the morass All these were under his
command, and protected by his power,
SO that none could find them except such
as propitiated his favor.
These he offered to place within Tom
Walkers reach, having conceived an
especial kindness for him, but they were
to be had only on certain conditions
What these conditions were may be easily
surmised, though Tom never disclosed
it publicly. They must have been very
hard, for he required time to think Of
them, and he Was not a man to stick at
trifles where money was in view. When
they reached the edge of the swamp,
the stranger paused
"What proof have | that all you have
said is true 7" said Tom.
"There is my signature" said the
blackman, pressing his finger on Toms
forehead. So saying, he turned off
among the thickets of the swamp, and
seemed, as Tom said, to 90 down, down
into the earth, until nothing but his
head aud shoulders could be seen, and
so until he totally disappeared
When Tom reached home, he found
the black print Of finger burnt as it
were into his forehead, which nothing
could obliterate.
The first news his wife had to tell
was the death of a Absalom Crowningshield
the rich buccaneer. 1t was announced
in the papers, with the usual flourish,
that great man had fallen in Israel
Tom recollected the tree which his
black friend had just hewn down, and
which was ready for burning.
" Let the freebooter roast, " said Tom,
+" who cares 7"
He now felt that all he had heard and
seen was no illusion
He was not prone to let bis wife into