The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-08-07
Tine only hrirhl thing was the

| trilled us single song all was still, save fol
the lngubrious woodpecker, which, perch.d on
a rotting tree, hammered its hollow sides with
its beak. Tap, tap, tap lii was most un'
earthly sound
We had seen the stupendous falls in theii
lonely majesty, and Were steering homewaros
in our scow. As we neared the village again
distant only some five or six miles, the sun
was sinking behi nd the tree-horizon. a sIiGn'
bl ne haze bathed the long reaches OF the ~ ~,
with ineffa bic softness and beauty. we w
aged on a Iiu uid field of cloth or gold. Du'
ever and again marrng my intense perception
of its loneliness, came the ghasliy zap, "p va
| the voodpecker. Icould not resist u emily
sensation OF horror as ns.enta ~ ING ,,. n,e-
II sounded ii Ike a coffin maker hammering at
his dismal task. A relief suggested itself. Some
of NV companions were French Canadians
and the evening before had cheered our bivouac
with some gay re|rataS oi sunny France.
asked them for stave; but / said nothi DC
about the woodpecker, whose note / wished
them TO drown. A strong chorus soon van-
quished the bird of i'll omen, and rang up the
vaulted river. i recoilect the strain well il
was Il tayoTate C0ydgeaYS' ditty, sung to the
dash OF the oar, and began:
Mon jo~canot blanc.
Ramez, ramez, Tamez.
Suddenly, the song luiled and again shudder-
ed AS heard the reverberating tap, tap of my
ominous bird aioft on spectral fir My COM
panioDs had ceased rowing, too, and called my
attention TO a canoe, which was hoating doWn
thought it was a break loose, and stood by TO
strike a boat-hook into 1T, with tue prospect OF
a reward from the owner up at the village. IL
soon dropped down 10 us, and came, IKE the
note of that ghostly woodpecker, tapping
against our skiff. There was stiiied cry OF
horror from the settler at the bow and rs we
crowded forward to see what was the matter,
another cried out the awful tale OF blooo
Here, young fellow, see your brother-stalhed
by Olier,as sure IS there = death in rifle bull
lett'
TWAS an awful end! My poor brother lay
bent over his idle paddle in the canoe, Weiter-
ing in his hearts blood. An ayenglng bullet
had passed through his heart. Stalked by
OIIer Fiendish Indian, that was thy work,
and my brothers blood rested on thy head L
shall not now detail the agonies of that Indian
summer. Through all my grief ran the
IN ought of an DISCRIMINATING vengeance. Ven
geanee nay, scant justice. sought what mas
been law since the world began-blood for
blood. 1t was in vain in those early times OF
a judicial system III Canada, TO seek for RI
gorous pursuit from the dispensers OF legal
Justice he criminal executive might be- will
lug, but their arm was weak Retribuuen, in
the trackless wild of wood and water where
i dwell, could proceed only from my own
steady purpose and solitary endeayor.
/ could depend for but small aid on the set
tiers. Some of them indeed, cursed the foul
murder in no stinted speech; but others, agar,
impu ted little crime to the b!ood-stained red
skin, and even went so far as to justify his
sneaking code of vengeance. Oler had LETT
the district, but a certain instinct told me he
would ere long come back again. Likely
enough, he would suppose could not long re-
main in place to which such hateful memo
res chung and that he might then safely ven-
ture back waited my time. Safe he was in the
tangled thicket; but, TO the end, knew that
no covet under heaven would preserve him
harmless from my grasp.
Winter set in, hard, and white, and cold.
The river Scugog was level road of ice; the
trees were choked up with snow, and on each
f,,ra
like massive cliffs Of chalky rock. No path
could now be forced into the recesses OF the
forest below our village. Scarcely had
winter settled down for his undisturb bed reign,
than L heard whisperings that the villain
half breed was lowering on the outskirts of
the settlement. 1t was told me that he was
living in a kind of Wigwam above the village,
and also had more than once come to the very
dwellings of the settlers by night to visit his
friends, and obtain various articles for his
camp. l knew il would be i'll vain to at tempt
TO track hun to his wigwam, or, at all events,
TO surprise him; his Wood-craft was much
too deep 10 admit of such possibility. But Il
strange, wild JOY trembled through my being,
when heard he came by night To the village.
A terrible scheme of vengeance swept across
my soul; and l felt, no matter how fiendsh
the spirit that the doom of the half breed was
fixed, ana that l was TO be his unrelenting exc
cutioner.
have said that the river, below our SETTLE
ment, was bordered by an impenetrable forest,
man. The drifted snow, lying in deep masses
on each side of the river up even to the tops
of the trees, rendered this impenetrability still
more appalling and stubborn. The forest
which lined the ice bound Scugog supported
the solid wall OF frozen snow. For twenty
miles. the river with its wooded banks was
nothing more or less than funnel Of ice and
snow.
Night after night, / lay concealed At the
bluff, awaiting the murderer; l was armed
with pistols, aud wore skates. Skating was
an amusement which had excelled in when
ST hool-boy, and facility in the art was OF the
last importance 10 my scheme OF retr1bution.
A length he came. 1t was an xGuisite night;
the wIite expanSe around sparkled i'll the
sheen of young Canadian moon, which sail
ed calmly through a cloudless sky. L could
have shot the villain as he skated by me with
in fifty yards, but would not risk the chance,
and besides my vengeance cried for sterner
fate than death by the pistol. No sooner was
he past my hiding place, than, win shout OF
exnltation, l started on his track. Olier
sWeryed a moment, 10 see who his pursuer
was, then, quick as lightning, tried to double
up the river again. But l had anticipated
this, and with cooked pistol in either hand,
barred his passage. With curse, he turned,
and sped swiftly down the Ice.
Ard now the race for life began. Mile after
mile we swept along in silence. An awful
portentous silence ii was, through which
nothing broke save the hollow boom of the
swift steel cutting its way over the imprisoned
Seugog. The moon lit me nobly TO my ven-
geance. He could not escape me, Tor i found
with savage glee that l was a match for the
swift-footed Indian. Olier soon became aware
of this, too, for, now and again, he would
skate close to the woods, looking i'll vain for an
aperture. But, no; there was but one outlet
from this wailed-in river. and that was orer
the fats
Faster and faster yet we skated towards the
cataract. 1t could not be far Off l pictured
to myself what Oilers thoughts might be. Did
he know whittier he was Fastening CT had
that awful light yet TO flash on his guilty mind!
The half breed made answer 10 my thought
/ saw him in the pale simmer start convul-
sively, and throw his arms in the air; but he
dared moi stop, and on he darted again with
yell OF despair, which echoed WeIrd-lIke up
the frozen channel. Another sound came 10
my ear, and knew what had caused that cry
OF agony to burst from Olier il was the dull
thunder of the falls We were nearing them
fast. Still the walls of snow shut in my VIC
tim, and every moment lessened his frail hopes
of escape. One chance was left hm-to dis
lance me, and hide somewhere in the snow
from my scrutiny. Vain hope, the wings OF the
bird could scarce have saved him
Hoarser and louder. grew the noise of the
waters. Ii l thanked the Almighty in frantic
prayer that the murderer was delivered in to
my hand, L humby trust that it is forgiven
me now. From the time that had first start
ed on Oilers track, we had main tanned exactly
the same distance between us-perhaps about
a hundred or a hundred and fifty yards. l
still grasped my loaded pistols, ready for any
stratagem on the part OF The murderer.
Aud now the crash of the falls came loud
aud ominous on the ear. Another five minutes
would decide the hunt. Suddenly, Olier turn
ed and stood at bay. He was not armed; /
felt certain of that all along, for otherwise he
would have measured strength with me be-
fore. Without batting my pace, l skated down
upon him, holding Il levelled pistol in each
hand Still, my purpose was as fixed as ever
only 10 shoot the villain as last resource
When l was within twenty yards of him, the
coward taltered, and again turned swiftly
sued him, pressing still more hotly on his
track.
Deafening was the roar of the cataract :;
high into the pale sky assembled the mist of
its spray, through which the splintered lines