The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-02-24


head covered with black Grape. dreamt
Of nothing but bIackheaded demonD for six
months afterwards.
a. Are you ready y? says be.
a. Yes, your worship says /.
Come along, then
And binding another silk handkerchief
round my eyes, be lad me along.
Instead Of my mule q carriage stood
near the horse block.
"'Get in,' says he, holding pistil to my
ears by way Of an argument.
IL got in. lie jumped in upon the driv-
er's seat, and we drove like the wind. In
another direction from which we come, in
course, for there was no carriage road there.
The carriage whirled along at such o rate
it made me quite giddy. At last it stopped
again. The man in the mask got down and
opened the door.
:" Where are you taking me! says |.
"'Be quiet says he, OF, and
with that he put the pistil to my cheek, Or
dered me get out, take the bandage from
my eyes, and walk before him. l did 50,
aud saw dimly that we were in part oil the
country that never was at before. We
were in dark road through thick forest.
On the left side of the road, in q clearing,
stood an old house; q dim light was burn.
ing in lower window.
$50 on in there said the villain, put.
ting the pistil to the back Of my head. As
the door stood ajar | went in TO narrow,
dark passage, the man all the while At my
back. He opened door on the left side,
and made me 30 into dark room. Just
then the unfortunate child, that had been
moving restIessIy began to wall! Well it
might, poor starved thing
What's that p says the miscreant, IN
der his breath and stopping short.
+" 1t amt nothing, sir says |, and hush.
h.h to the baby. But the poor little
wretch rased squall.
:" Whist is the meaning Of this? says he
Where did that child come from? Why
the demon don't you speak ? and with that
be seized me again by the scrua Of the neck
and shook me.
"Oh, master, for the love Of heaven
don't, says |, this is only poor, uniortu-
nate infant a. its parents wanted to get out
en- the way, and hired me to take care on
And I have had it wrapped up under my
shawl oil the time cept when | was in your
house, when | put il to sleep in the corner.
&" Humph and you had that child con.
cesled under your shawl when first stopped
you in the woOds!'
"In course, master, says /.
I" Whose is it?'
go Master says /, 'its-it's dead 80.
cret,' for haddent another lie ready.
He broke out into q rude, scornful
laugh, and seemed not hall to believe me,
and yet not to care about questioning me
too closely. He made me sit down then in
the dark, and went out and turned the key
on me. vet my finger with the paragoric
and put il to the baby's lips to quiet its
pains Of hunger. Then heard whisper.
ing in the next room. Now my eyesight
never was good, but to make up Tor It be-
lieve had the sharpest ears that ever was,
and don't think anybody could have beard
that whispering but me. | saw q little
glmmer OF light through the cbinks that
showed me where the door was, and 30
creeped up to it and put my ear to the key
hole. Still they whispered so low that no
ears could O. heard them but my sharp ones.
They was talking about selling some woman
and child. should 'av been Uneasy il they
hadn't called the woman Kate. My william
offered EN- tor fifty dollars: but tother will
lain wouldn't. give q cent. He told my will
lain, as he called Captain, that he'd take 'em
of his hands and no more. And then they
threatened each other, and went out O. my
hearn'. And in the mornin' the new viii
lain came and took me and the child of in
susy and drove down long way to the
beach, and hailed vessel on the river and
took US aboard and sold US to the captain
right afore my eyes, and then went ashore,
and we was carried of out to sea, though
cried, and spained, and spostulated all the
time.
Nov, sir, come strange providence
which the very thoughts of it might con-
vert heather, We had been to sea about
five days when dreadful storm riz. | tell
you, master. that looked like the wrath OF
God! Rugged the baby to my breast
and went to praying "a bard as ever | could
pray.
Presently felt an awful shock, as il
Heaven and earth had come together, and
then everybody screaming, She's struck
She's struck" | iel, the vessel trembling
ike live creetur, and the water a pouring
in everywhere. Rugged the babe and
scrambled up the companion way to the
deck 1t was pitch dark, and heard every
man rushing toward one side Of the wessel.
A flash Of lightning, that made every
thing as bright as day again, showed me that
they were oil taking TO the boat rushed
after. calling to them to save me and the
baby. But no one seemed 10 hear ne they
were all too. busy trying TO save Themselves
and keep Others out Of the boat, and eursing
and swearing and holering that there was
90 more room-that the boa. would be
swamped, and so on. The end was, thai all
who coald crowd into the beat did so. And
me and the baby AID . poor sailor lad and
the black cook were left behind TO perish.
But. master. As it turDed ont, We as was
lsft to die, wer, the only ones saved. We
watched after that boat with longing eyes,
though We could only se it when the light.