The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-03-23

heAdS OmlnOuSly, ana O0de0 no gOoO 10
my impulsive brother. However, two
days passed harmlesSly, during which
Jack and fshed and shot together; Olier
had not rcappeared, and began to breathe
more freely. Doubtless he had left the
district. lie was on unsettled fellow at
any rate, and had no property or tic in the
village to tempt his stay.
Twenty miles below the village the dark
Scugog widens Into rapids, and is hurled
with gigantic power over lofty prccipice.
had often wished to see the falls, but 1t
had been hitherto impossible to accom-
plSh the distance by my single arm. At
last my wish was to be gratificd. A shoot
ing party was made up by some Of the
villagers, and, at my urgent request, was
included. The arrangement was to spend
q night Mt the falls, camping out en- the
bank, and returning the following day.
Instead Of canoes, we we're to sail down
in large hatbottomcd boat, termed, in
Canadian parlancc, scOT. Strange to
say, Jack did not care about going, snying
that lie would enjoy himself more in his
own canoe; and ms we were already crowd
cd for room, we did not press him to
change his resolution.
OUr expedition had little in it notcwor-
thy. Tho river, for over twenty miles
ancholy Scugog, never varying for the
space Of hand. Not vestige Of clear
ancc was there between our village and the
falls, not glimpse Of bank. The trees
lined the waters like wall, ard save the
wild game, no one ever tried TO force
way through their close knit ranks, woof
cd at It's base by tangle of unwhOl,Somc
vcrdure. This aspect had stern reason
for remembering. The only bright thing
was the patch Of cloudlrss blue sky seen
at the next extremity of this long reach Of
wood and water. Over all brOoded the
intenscst silence. No bird trilled US n sin
gle song; and still, save for the lugubrious
woodpcckcr, which, pcrched on a rotten
tree, hammered its hollow sides with its
beak, tap, tap, tap; it was most uncarth'
ly sound.
We had seen the stupcndous falls in
their lonely majesty, and were steering
homcward in our Sc0w. As We ncarcd
the village again, distant only some five or
six miles. the sun was sinking behind the
tree horizon. A slight blue haze bathcd
the long reaches Of the river with inriia-
BILE soitnesS and beauty. We voynged on
n liquid field Of cloth and gold. But ever
and again marrng my intense perception
Of its lovelincSs, came the ghastly tap, tap
of the woodpecker. could not resist a
chilly sensation of horror as ! listened TO
the measured cadence, cchoing through
the solitude. 1t sounded like coffin ma.
, kcr hammcring at his dismal task. a re-
lief suggested itself. Some Of my com
panions were French Canadians, and the
evening before had chcered our bvouac
with some gay refrains Of sunny France.
I asked them for q stave, but said moth
ing about the woodpccker, whose note
wished them to drown. A strong chorus
soon vanQuiShcd the bird of i'll omen and
rang up the vaultcd river.
Suddenly, the song lullcd, and ngain
shud,lered US | heard the rcvcrberating
tap, tap, of my ominonS bird nloft on
spectral fir. My companions had ceased
rowing, too, and called my attention to a
canoe, which was floating down the river
u few yards ahca1 Of us. They thought
it was break. loose, and stood by to strike
bont- hook into it, with the prospect OF
reward from the owner, up at the vii
lage. 1t soon dropped down to us, and
caNe, like the note Of that ghastly wood
peckcr, tapping against our skif. There
was a stifled cry Of horror from the set
tier Mt the bow; and as we crowded for
ward to see what was the matter, another
cried out the tale Of blood: "Herc, young
fellow, see your Stalked by
Olier, MS sure as there's death in rifle
bullet"
1t was an awful end My poor broth
er lay bent over his idle paddle in the
canoe, weltcring in his hearts blood. An
avcnging bullet had passed through hi.
heart. Stalkcd by Olier! FicndiSh In
dian, that was thy work, and INV brothers
blood rested on thy head. l shall not
now detail the agonies Of that lndiaT
summer. Through all my grief ran thu
thought of an cxterminating vengeance
Vengeance ? nay, scant justice. lsough
what has been tho law since the world be
gan-blood for blood. 1t was in vain, il
those early times Of a judicial system thu
dispensers Of legal justice; the crimina
executive might be willing. but their arm
was weak. Rctribution, in the trackles
wild Of wood and water where | dwelt
could proceed only from my own STEADY
purpose and solitary endeavor.
! could depend for but small aid on til,
settlers. Some Of them, indeed, cursc'
the foul murder in no stintrd speech; bu
others, again. imputed little crime to tn
blood stained red skin, and even went 81
far as to justify his sneaking code Of ven
geance. Olirr had left the district, bu
certain instinct told me, he would, err
long, come back again. Likely enough
he would suppose could not long remai
in a place TO which hateful mcmoric
chung, and that hc might then safely ven
tnre back. l waited my time. Safe h
was in the tangled thicket, but to the end
knew that no cover under Heaven woult
preserve him harmless from my grasp.
Winter SETH hard, and white and cold
The river Scugog was level road Of ice
the trees were chokcd up with snow, ant
on each side Of the ice bound river, tn
fnrests lowered like massive cliffs Of chal
rock No path could now be forced int
the rcccSSes Of the forest below our vii
lngc. Sarccly had winter settled down 70
his undisturbcd reign, than | heard whis
pcrings that the villain half breed wa
lowering on the outskirts Of the settle
ment. 1t was told to me TINT he wa
living in kind Of wigwam above tn
village, and also hnd more than once com
to the very dwelling Of the settlers b,
night to visit his friends and obtain vaIi
Gus articles for his camp. ] knew
would be in vain to attempt to track hiI
to his wigwam. or, at all events, to SUI
prise him; his woodcraGt was much to
deep to admit of such possibility. But
strange, wild joy trembled through m
being, when I heard he came by night
the village. A terrible scheme Of ven
geance swept across my soul; and fell
no matter how fiendiSh the spirit, thO
the doom Of the half breed was fixed, an
that l was TO be his unrelenting execu