The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1859-06-15

u1 'D' lJt! Hl" luNS ilJ ticLe qult'lJ
One after another began to writhc and
groan and ere long their agony was lear
ful to behold. Elmonds and his wife can
not to this day, though thirty years have
passed, speak Of il without shuddering.
They shut their eye against i, theu, but
their hands were bound and they could
not close their ears 10 the horrid yells OF
pain which issued from each whitening
lip.
1t did not last long though One by
one they staggered out into the open air
and tell down upon the snow aud died
The silence which followed their de-
partme was awful TO the eapti7es It was
the weird hour Of night, and to their ex.
cited brains every Pickering shadow which
the freight threw upon the wall, seemed
phantom from the lance Of death.
Ny God" cried Edmonds, at last,
wnlle great drops stood upon his brow,
"must we bear this o, if I could only
loosen my hands"
Don't fret yourself, Nick. Ill soon
free you
"Who speaks 2 he exclaimed, while
the PRECIPITATION started anew, and trickled
down his face in heavy beads.
/ should think you were considerably
frightened, Nick, not to know old grand
mother Smiths voice" said the old lady,
gently, as she emerged from the cellar.
Those red skins are all dead, reckon BY
this time l thought would send them
to their heavenly hunting grounds, if I
tried pretty hard. owed them a grudge
the blood thirsty hcatheus, I've never
forgotten how they used my FIRST pretty
baby, l can remember as well as an H.
dian.
While she was thus talking, she was at
the same time busy 10 severing the hands
of the three captives, and when that was
finished she bade Nick go into the cellar
and lit out the half dead Mary.
White and trembling as though in the
hour Of death, lay the poor creature in his
arms, while her resolute mother, undis-
mayed by the destruction about her, went
harriedly to work to fix up bed. Luckily
their soft snow white blankets, with their
bright ribbon bindings, and their gay
chintz quilts had struck the fancy of the
Indians and been laid aside From these
Mrs. Smith soon formed neat and coin
Portable couch, and placing the fainting
woman upon it, she made her drink the
rest Of the wine, and then put on the tea
kettle and soon had cup Of hot coffee for
them all.
They've done u the Job for you,
haven they ~ she said, addressing Nick
as they gathered about the hearth
Eyes Grandmother. Ny little home
is gone, and my barn, and my stacks of
bay and wheat, and my crib-all," and
be bowed his head and covered his face
with his hands.
Yes" said bis wife piteously, and
all that we had IL the house-the linen
sheets and towels, pillow-cases and table
cloths, that I took so much pride spinning
and weaving, and my beds and pillows
and bedding, g,"-but here her voice failed
her and she burst into tears.
Don't take Oh so, child" said the old
woman, kindly. 1t might have been
worse than it was. You have your hus.
yet, and your child, too o, if you'd seen
him scalped before your eyes, as did my
little one, and then been carried off to au
Indian wigwam as l was, and kept there
year, too, and every day Of that year
see the little brown curls Of my boy hang
ing at my captors waist,--youd have
something to cry for then. 1t isn't in
your case so bad, but it can be helDed.
Hay, wheat and corn will grow again
next season. and you have pleanty of wood
land and can get out barn and house.
The neighbors will all lend helping hand.
And you've sheep and can make blankets
again after while, and your geese will
soon flI your beds and pillows. The linen
was the worst to lose, but you're both
young and healthy, and can look forward
to many years work, and in time you'll be
as well off as ever. But this little fellow"
and she teaderly caressed their child
their little bue.eyed first born, "if he had
been scalped there'd been a sorrow in your
hearts till you lay down to die. Nothing
could have made his place good
You said they brought off your horse,
Nick" she continued, after a pause, in
which she seemed TO be in deem tbouobt