The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1861-04-18

| ! le settlers TAXED tEG mHttcr cTes, nac -
Atwood stou.iy DENIED oil knowledge Of the
transaction, and they had no evidence a.
gainst him that was considered conclusive,
the matter was dropped; though suspicion
almost bordering on conviction, fingered in
their minds that he was guilty Of the crime.
For time, the culprit feared the vengeance
of Chocorua would be visited upon him; but
as weeks went by, and the old Indian con
fined himself closely to the mountain, the
fear wore of, and he no longer kept closcly
to the settlement, but hunted in the forest Us
before the occurrence
The old brave followed a grave beneath
the sheltering boughs Of a wide.sprcading
T hemlock, and lined the cold earth with bark
from the birch tree and then laid his son
down to rest; but before he piled the soil
above him, he breathed vow to the Great
, Manitou, away above the stars, that ere the
new moon should come and wane, his death
should be avenged.
And that vow was kept onemorning the
, little settlement was Mortified by the tragedy
that had been enacted during the night
Atwood and his wife we're both fOnnd dead
in their cabin; each had died with toma.
hawk in their brain. Naught was needed to
tell the settlers who had done the deed; for
each said, This is Chocorua's vengeance!
That day Atwood and his wife were buried;
, and preparations were made to bring the
, avenger to justice. A party was formed to
effect his capture, and it was decided that it
E could be done easier in the darkness, when
he would not be expecting their coming
The moon and stars told them that midnight
was upon the land, when they left the settle.
ment and passed into the forest that skrted
the base Of the mountain. Dark indeed was
, their path beneath the giant trees, that
, clothed the foot Of the mountain, save where
I a roy of moonlight found its way through the
4 thick foliage, and lay like band ofsilver on
, the dry leaves that covered the ground.
Up, over the steep site Of the mountain
, they picked their way, and at last arrived al
: a position where view could, in the day
time, he obtained of the lodge Of Chocorua;
but which now WAS hidden from sight in the
darkness, save one corner Of the roof, where
:, bel! of silver moonlight lay upon the moss
matched caves. Here the utmost caution
was necessary to proven, the occupant of the
cabin from being aware Of their approach
and with silent footsteps they moved upward
In vain was their precaution, for before ono
half the distance from their Stopping-place
had been passed over, they saw Chocorua
step from the shadows out upon strip Of
moonlight that lay in front of his habitation
and drawing himself up to his statcliest
height, he turned towards them, saying:
"ChOcorua has bright eyes and sharp ears
He sees his enemies in the darkness, and
y hears them afar off, Chocorua is old, but he
goes to the mountain-top where the golden
eagle build its nests, and the sun FIRST rests
whom he comes out Of the big water. If the
pale-faceS want the blood Of the old warrior
let them follow; and if the Great Manitou
wills it, they will get it"
As he ceased speaking, he disappeared in
the darkness, unscathed by the halfdozen
bullets that flew over and around him, and
uttering his loud war-cry as he did so. The
whites rc-echocdi it back with loud shouts, and
the chase for life began.
On went the pursued, followed close by
the pursuers. Up over the steep side Of the
: mountain went Chocorua, feet as the deer
: when thehunters are in chase The settlers
came close behind, but still not gaining on
the object Of their pursuit, and just as the
day was breaking in the eastern sky, they
; reached the edge of the forest Nothing but
bleak cliffs, piled one above another, lay
4 before them; and up over them went Choco.
' rua, as lightly as if fatigue was unknown to
him. Still they toilsd on, and just as the
first ray of the rising sun lay on the brow Of
the mountain, Chocorua gained the summit
: A precip,cc of thousand feet sheer descent
' was on the eastern side, and on the edge o.
i this dizzy height he passed, and raising hii
; arms above his head, on which the sunbeam.
played on his white hair, he with a shout
drew the attention Of his pursuers, and ther
these words rang out loud and clear on til,
morning air:
: "ChOcorua goes 10 the happy hunting
8 grounds beyond the blue sky. The pale-face.
i have robbed him Of his lands, and his son
who was the pride Of his heart But as he
= goes, Chocorua will leave his curse behind
It He curses their cattle, and their sheep, ant
d never shall they thrive as they have done il
all the land around the mountain, Chocorul
! goes to meet the rising sun, in the happy
hunting-grounds Of his tribe"
AS he ceased, he bounded over the face
y Of the cliff, and was dashed in pieces on the
s Jagged rocks below.
Il Such, dear reader, is the legend; and the
t curse was fulfilled. The little settlement wal
8 then called Barton (now the town of Albany,
8 and TO this day no sheep or cattle thrive well
there, owing to disease called Barton-ail
r which all ;Ae cattle are afflicted with, thai
are kept ON or around the mountain