The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-11-27
A Might Of Torpor.
Prom The Beston OlI,s Rmneh

OF James Morelaud the settler, Tho Vlld,
mountainous region round about, and the
gathering gloom Of the near darkness, com,
bined a. chill the heart Of the lonely woman
in the wilderness cot, with strange, dread
fear
Two years before had the sun Of June
morning. Aheas upssl Ellen lIarpeT's marriage
With the mnn Of her choice Bnd the lamps la
festive hall Ia the Hue old city Of Ports-
mouth had CLEANED upon the evenings reyel-
~. Ellen was belle aud no wonder that in
honor of her peerless beauty, and her hus-
bands worth, the red wine had flowed freely,
aud the song aud jest Eparkled bright from
the lips Of youth and loVelintsS.
But young Moreland was possessed Of II
Wild spirit Of adventure, and life in that calm
quiet old city III fitted his adventurous nature
and 40 IL came about that before the moons
Of tie frat year had waNed aud waned upon
their bridal sky, the happy couple found
themselves established in log hut, far up
among the White Mountains
Ellen was very peaceful and cOutented
thore, for she possessed the undivided love
of her huAbaudi and by-and.by little blue
eyed babe came 10 cheer her forest home
Hut on this night, vague underlined sense
Of evil secmed % be about her, and she arose
frequently 20 gaze into the thickenng gloom
James was. abroad upon the mountain in
search Of yenison, and she had not heard the
port OF his rifle foF many an hour--it was
singular.l lhat he should find no game--sin.
gular that he should remain away from her
until after nightiall
There were tribes Of hostile Indians In the
vicinity there worr wild fierce animals IN
every eopsewood, aud gorgcs Of death on
either side Of Che dangerous pathway over the
mountain. Her imagination conjurcd up an
hundred phantoms OF evil centering all around
her husblnd until her brow grew cold and
clamIny with the Aweat of fear, and her heart
was ready to stop its throbbings at the faint
est sound of the Homeless wind ia the forest
depth.
Her child, the four months old little
Rachel, slept peacefully in her rough cradle
not a ripple Of doubt or apprehension dis
turbing the calm pulsation of her heart, or
troubling the smiling dimples about her rosy
mouth.
God bless the darlingr calculated Ellen
Moreland, pressing light kiSs upon the fore
head pf her child aud then taking up her
knitting she sat down in the light OF the pitch
torch in the vide stone fire. place, ard tried
TO work. IL Was ia vain. She could not EN-
ploy her hands while her mind was in such q
state Of perturbation, and rising impatiently
she opened the door aud locked forth. a
dull, gray mist lay upon the peak Of distant
Kearssrge, aud far To the West tho kingly
submits Of the White Mountains -lnanied
sombrcly through tho broOding atmosphere.
There WAS an ominous stiffness over every
thing, but Ear down in the dismal pine forest
which lay back of the cabin, there was low,
indiEtinct murmur-that unfailiug precursor
of a storm,--what il her husband mad wan
dcred far in pursuit Of game, aud at 50 great
a distance from home, that the narrow track
thithcrward had became invisible and un-
known2 What il he was destined to return
to her neyermoreP
A nervous tremor shook her frame, aud she
went back pale and trembling to the side OF
her infant
lIark was that the wind or the cry Of q
wild animal
The -gaiaal.'s heart hushcA its heating. and
she bent lew her ear TO listen. Again-fa
away-yet distinctly heard she threw open
the door, and stood breathless waiting the re-
currcnee of the sound. All but she recog-
nized il too well il VAS the war-whoop Of a
squad Of Indians their terrible cry Of victory
over a pursued foe And that foe ? She
needed no other assurance than her dread
fears to convince her that it was her husband
She offered one wild prayer for aid, and
then returning to the room she had left, she
took her infant, still in quiet sleep, and
wrapping il warmly in blanket, carried il
out into the dense thicket in the rear of the
hut; for she knew enough Of the Indian
character TO feel assured that whether they
captured her husband or not, they would be
sure to destroy the dwelling
Commenting her child to God, she left IL
there, and went back toward the cabin, hop
ng-she could not understand why-that she
might be able to do something to save her
husband.
She concealed herself in q bunch ofwortle-
berry bushes, aud had barely done SO, when
she heard the tread OF moccasined feet upon
the thick leaves and almost felt the hot pant
ing Of savage breaths on the air. In the
faint light which shone from the open door
Of her home, she saw her husband stricken
down by Il blow from q skilfully aimed tomas
hawk, and heard the deep grohn which burst
from his lips As he fell.
She partially understood the Indian dialect
from having heard it frequently spoken by
the wandering members of the different tribes
who had from time TO time called at the cabin
for food and drink and now from the hnsty
consultation among the red warriors, she
gathered that they were 10 scalp her husband,
murder his family and fire the house.
The leader of the gang raised his scalping
knife over the unconscious victim, but another
Indian detained the blow. Mrs. Moreland
plainly heard his words
"Stay, brother ! let US XIII the SquaW, ana
the young papoose, and then have the light
of the wigwam TO scalp him by"
This speech met with favor, and with one
simultaneous rush they made for the house,
leaving one Of their number to guard the cap
tive,
Instantly, with the speed Of light, Ellen
Moreland flew from her covert and springing
to the entrance of the hut, she closed noise
lossly the heavy oaken slab which served as a
door, and thrust n stout club of wood through
the great iron staple, which held it firm. The
savages were as safe as though the walls of a
Bastile shut them in-for the hut was built
of ponderous unhewn logs pinned together by
strong bolts--the only brake in the walls be-
ing the doori for in those days in that savage
region, windows were a species ofcomfort un-
known. 4.
But the Indian that had been left without
to guard the captive, saw the deed, and with