The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1854-02-15
THE SILENT HUNTER.


The nsrrative ensuing is strictly histor..
ical and truthful. We are indebted to the
pen Of the hunter natura alist- Weber.
Tor il:
Shortly before the American War Of In.
dependence, there arrived in New En-.
gland an orphan boy called Bill Smith.
Some friends Of his parents took an inter-
est ia him, and apprenticcd hi1sa--though
only eight years of age-to an old farmer
in North Carolina. The indentures stip-
ulated that he was to have, besides suffi.
cient food and clothing, reasonable oppor.
sunities for education; but Saunders, the
yeoman. thought this folly. and all Bill
learned was in spite Of his preludices.
There was little daughter Of the old farm.
er's, Matte, a blue-eyed child
with golden ringlets and dimpled face
who took fancy to instruct the alien that
had come under her fathers roof. tie
learned to read and to write, and soon be-
came so. proficient in both, that he began,
in turn, to teach his tutor.
This pleasant exchange Of mutual kind
ness went on till the children grew up. and
Mattie was blooming girl, unconscioasly
6e:rothed in the spring time Of her life to
the orphan youth who had been perpetual
" byIher side. The farmer discovered
this, and Immediately began to punish
Smith by aseries Of petty and abomin able
prosecutions. He made him sleep in. Q
barn, on . pile Of hay, with only one tat
tered blanket to cover him, and cut him
off from all the consolation of little Mat
ties love. He was rich, and hated any
one who appeared to aim al being the
ieir 10 his fortune. He jealousy watched
his daughter and tortured poor Bill by ev
ery kind Of cruelty till his behavior becamt
notorious, and some humane persons re
solved 10 summon him before a court o
Justice for barbarity and neglect of duty
Before this was known, however, the or
phan boy had formed a plan of runnin,
away, He made up his little bundle, an
ono night, creeping into Mattie's room
through the window, bade her q gentl
GOOD bye. He embraced her and kisse'
ker, and told her he would come back
preat man, and make her his wife; and sh
said, ..Pll wait for you" Heran all nigh
along the highway. and came next morn
ing to the settlement of Raleigh. Their
helived for some time. He prowled abor
the kitchen Of the gentry by day. subsis
ing on the scraps which some kind hear
ed slaves bestowed on him.. and when
was dark crawled into some shed to sleeI
Il happened that Judge Campbell
yssyshumane man-then was presiding
The. ,oircuit court. He found Bill Smit
80. morning among his horses and cattle
Z hdf dead wiih hunger and cold. He too
him into his house, ted him, learned h
Story, and began TO consider how his il
,human master might be punished. Grea
therefore. was his delight when lookin
over the list Of causes to be tried befol
him in ,ihat circuit, the very first wi
uCommon xeslth rs. Samuel Saunders, &
abdncting, numbering or otherwise unla,
fully making away with male Chill
,known as William Smith. !"
The trial came on. Judge Campb'
compelled the striotest scrutiny into .
facts. His counsel was startled, cove
almost hopeless The winding up W
near. Anfelt,he verdict must be equity
Suddenly there was a commo:ion
Court. Carriage wheels were heard ra
idly nearing the place. The sheriff car
IN, and with him was the boy, still atte
mated from suffering, but neatly cloth
with the bloom of lie reviving on his chez
Old Saundsrs vass carried from the do
in conyulsions--his shrieks being hea
ill the prison doors were closed upon hi
He was acquitted, but compelled to 81
seca5ity, for the maintenance and educ
ton Of Bill Smith till the age Of eightee