Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-08-12
aflisteuaneous.
4 TALE OF HORROR.


ward the head waters of White River. It
was then wilderness for many miles a.
round, and game was very abundant
There was no lack of bear, catamounts, VOL
YES and panthers. In fact that country was
at that date, perfect paradise for the prac-
tical hunter.
Mr.. ST. Clair had no family other than a
young wife and one infant He was fond
Of hunting, but be cultivated few acres of
corn and vegetables. At first it was fully
ten miles to his nearest neighbours, but du-
ring the ensuing Spring man named Will
liams made settlement within half mile
of St. Clair, and the two families became
intimate neighbors.
Mr. Williams was man in humble cir
cumstances and had large family, mostly
of grown daughters, and no small children.
One day in the month Of July, 1929, (the
first summer that Mr.. St. Clair lived there,
his wife was at home with the child, and
Mr.. St. Clair was off with his gun. About
ten o'clock in the morning she left her baby
asleep in the cradle, and went to the field to
gather beans for dinner On her return
the child was gone. She, however, felt no
alarm, because she supposed that her hus-
band had come home during her absence
and had hidden somewhere about the house
with the child merely for little fun; SO she
busted herself in preparing dinner. In an
hour or two her husband returned from the
woods bearing his gun and young deer
that he had killed. and on inquiry declared
that he knew nothing Of the child.
They now supposed that one Of Mr.. Will
liams' daughters had come in while Mrs.
St. Clair was out. and finding the baby, of
which she was very fond. she carried it home.
This theory was to them quite satisfactory,
for there were no other neighbors, and the
child could not 60 away unless carried
How else could ithaye happened?
Dinner being over, Mr.. St. Clair walked
over to the neighbours to bring back the
treasure which Miss Lucy had borrowed
that morning. Miss Lucy said that she had
not borrowed the baby-she had not seen
it that day. Mr.. St. Clair was hard to be
convinced that no one of the family had Ia
ken the child, but all assured him that they
knew nothing Of it.
1t was now time to be alarmed? What
has become Of the poor child?' was his ex-
clamstion, and he ran back home in great
agony. The mother, in like manner, was
almost frantic. They could not conceive
who had taken away the child.
Mr.. Williams family joined in the grief,
but could afford no aid, no consolation. -
They could invent no theory, nor devise
any plan by which the child had, with any
degree Of probability, disappeared. Who
was to take it away? Why would any one
wish to have it? They were utterly at a
loss
Finally, it was remembered that occasion
ally there were parties Of Cherokeee hun
ting through that country. It was now
surmissed that they had happened to have
come to the house while Mrs. St. Clair was
in the field; and had stolen the child and
carried it away This was at once received
as plausible and quite probable.
Early next morning Mr.. St. Clair and
Mr.. Williams set out to seek for the Indian
camp, and Mrs. St. Clair was left alone al
home. She was sitting in silence weeping
tears Of bitter anguish, such as mothers
ever shed, and wondering in her heart what
had become Of her darling baby. It was
now about the hour of the day on which she
the day previous. had gone out Ere she
was aware, large panther with q stealthy
tread, came to the door and looked towards
the cradle Mrs. G.. screamed and he ran
away. The truth was now apparent, and
no new light has ever been cast upon tn
subject.