The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-06-21


A TALE OF HoRRoR.-About thirty years ago,
Mr.. Joseph St. Clair built cabin in Arkansas,
far up toward the head waters of White River.
1t was then all wilderness country for many
miles around, and game was very abundant
There was no lack of bear. catanounts wolves
and panthers. In fact, that country was, at that
date, perfect paradise for the prac;iced hunter.
Mr. St. Clair had no family other than young
wife and one infant. He was fond of bunting,
but he cultivated few acres in corn and yege-
tables. At first it was fully ten miles to his
nearest neighbors, but during the ensuing
Spring man named Williams made settlement
within half mile of ST. Glars ard the two
families became neighbors and quite intimate.
Mr.. Williams was a man in humble circum-
stances, 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 10 O'Clock in the morning she
LETT her babe 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 husband
had come home during her absence and had
hidden somewhere ab0u. the house with the
child merely for little fun; SO she busted her.
self in preparing diRner. 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.. Williams
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 90
iaA - bar
happenedy
Dinner being over, Mr.. St. Clair walked over
to the neighbours, to bring back his treasure OF
baby that Miss Lucy had borrowed that morn
ing. 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 taken the child, but all as
sured him that they knew nothing of it.
1t was now time to be alarmed. "What has
become of the poor cEiId?" was his exclama-
ton, and he ran back bone in great agony
The mother, in like manner, vas almost frantic I!
They could not conceive who had taken away
their child.
Mr.. Wiams's 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 degreee Of probability,
disappeared. Who was to take it away? Why
Az
terry at Q loss.
Finally, it was remembered that occasionally
there were parties Of Cherokees hunting
through that country. 1t was now surmised
that they had happened to 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 at home. She
was sitting in silence, weeping tears of bitter
anguish, such as none but mothers ever shed,
and wondering in her heart what had become Of
her darling babe. 1t was now about the hour
Of the day on which she, the day previous, had
gone out. Ere she was aware, large panther,
with stealthy tread, came to the door and
looked in toward the cradle. Mrs. St. Clair
screamed and he ran away. The fearful truth
was now apparent, and no new light has ever
been cast upon the subject Memphis APP
peal