Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1861-12-25

was the dark mountains whose huge boul-
ders and tall pines seemed to look with
scorn upon the poor fisherman. There was
the deep, dismal gorge or gap, named after
Mrs. Bixler, the witch woman who once
had her abode there, and whose wierd laugh
was often heard in concert with the ear
piercing cry Of the wolf andpanther. On
the other side mile or more distant Law
the beautiful village of In with here
and there farm house He heard the
distant Growing of chanticleer in the barn
yard, the lowing of the herd as they were
winding DER the lea He screamed and
yelled, but in vain; no ear heard, no eve
saw him. AS if to mock at his hunger the
fish wo1ld leap from the water and laugh
at him. The swapping turtles would rise
to the surface, cast withering glance, and
disappear; they knew he was their mortal
enemy. 1t was more than flesh and blood
could bear; he was becoming mad; hunger,
thirst, and fatigue were making fearful in
roads upon his reason. His 'squinter' was
protruding from its socket. He had wild
light in his good eye that made him indeed
an object of pity. But stop, an idea struck
him: he bethinks Of another cxpedient-
Benhamed had heard of castaway mariners
raising their underclothing as signals of
distress, and he determined to do likewise;
so he doffs his crimson kued shirt, a gar
ment that the fair hands of his charming
inamorati had bejeweled with oriental splen-
dors, lashcs it to bush, and awaits an an.
swer to his emblem of distress. The
shades Of night were closing around him
The frogs all along the margin Of the river
were singing their evening songs; the
whippoorwill few above his head utteringits
queer, quaint noise. There was however
no music in it for him; he was not to be
moved by a concord Of sweet sounds -
But he starts: S'death, he hears the dis
tant dipping of oars. He stretches his
obese form to its full height, strains his
eye to It's utmost tension-(even the de-
caycd optic seems to have regained its
sight-the green patch assumes a horizon
tai position: in the dim distance he per
ceives a dark object. 1t is getting nearer
and more distinct; glorious sight, it is a
boat, and in it dusky form. lie seizes
his flag, waves it above his head, and in
clear, wild accents, cries for deliverance
The dark gondolier' hears him, and pulls
for the island. The boat had scarcely
touched the sand when Benhamed and his
bottle were aboard. He dropped the bot
tie, embraced his deiverer, and told him
for the love of heaven to pull for the shore.
He then 'catterpillcred, or swoouel away,
perfectly overcome with JOY. The proprie-
tor of the boat proved to be dusky de
scendant of Ham, who lived few miles
down the river, and was on his return to
his old cabin hone to Dinah and the Iic-
aninies He landed Bcnhamcd safely on
the tow path of the canal and after anoth-
er embrace the rescued and rcscucr part
forever. Benhamcd had no leathern purse,
filed with doubloons, to offer his preservcr,
but he said he would give him a first rate
drink of five sin S if he had it. The
sable mantle of night hung DER the scene
black as the dunnest smoke OF Hades,'
when this destitute, mud bespattered, rain
drcnchcd fisherman started on his winding
way for home, which placed he reached
just as the bawdy hand of the dial was on
the point of ten
Dear reader, little more remains to be
told Benhamed never followed the life
of fisherman afterwards. He lived about
two years after the occurrence Of the events
narrated in the preceding tale, and then
shufled off his mortal COLL victim of
bad rum. The Daring Turtle Catcher of
the Juniata,' is no more. May the turf
rest lightly upon him.