The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-09-12

sald as amnef, though by no mean
npologetically.
) We live by whntwe shoot or fish, Mat
: and i. Mats my brother. It's no
2 much; but You choose to throw u lin,
Al with us, II Will make YOU easy nbou
) staying as long as yOu please"
There was q straigh ghtforwnrd delicacS
y in this that / liked. remained witt
the Steadmans, therefore. We wen
over to see tho mound in the evening
which proved to be much smaller thar
, that MT Elizabet thtown, thirty miles far.
: Y ther down the river, in which wnstfounC
the famous "mound stonep that SO plz
] Zled French Swans. Our mound was
} covered with thick underground, ,wheI
We first saw IT; was oval in shape, and
about twelve feet iii height. The next
morning il was opened by the farm.
owner, (NYho wanted 1t out of the way tC
r plant potatoes, Abel and 1 ASSISTING
and digging with the best of them, Al.
ter half n days work we came to an In
crustntlon of clay, baked hard, us byin.
ternul'heat. After this had been pene.
trnted and carefully removed we discoy.
cred n stone block or altar, immedinteIy
IN front of which lay n Skeleton. nnS
the ornaments, tomNhawk, etc, OF d
chief. Forming complete hnlf-circlc
with this, and in front of the altar,
We're thirteen other. skeletons, their
heads towards the chief, the bones OF
the arms crossed rs in obeisance. The
plth of our discovery lay in the flct
that about these inferior bones was
heaPed lightish, oily, brown dust
Durnt human flesh, in n worCl-proying
that these skeletons belonged to crimi2
mails or prisoners sacrificed al the death
of the chief. - i'1
Abel SteadmHn kicked the bent skull
and folded arms of one OF them aside.
Even those snvages made masters
and slaves of each other" he said, pet
| tishly. .'The costliest wnmpum made
the chief then, as now-a-days, / sun
| pose" li 81 laslT . - TT
remember looked Mt him, think
ing 1t an odd train of thought for a cart
er's son. II =
loitered away several weeks with
the Stcadmans, having induced the old
woman 10 take me rs boarder, The
house was but large hut, with n wide
kltchen below, and Two lofts over it, in
one of which the boys slept and in the
other their mother and cousin Jane. n
young woman of Abel's age. L had n
bunk fitted up In n closet of the kitcL-
en-. Perceiving that Abel took notes
OF our researches, making drawings
with me of the painted rocks, etc.
wondered to find IL day lnbOrer with a
taste for such pursuits, unusual even
among educated men. When our sup
per of Hitch aid molnsses was over one
evening, therefore, asked him how he
meant to use his papers. Abel ran his
fingers through his thin, red whiskers.
| Material for future reyvork,-materi-
fire. ,5,'-l5- --''N '-''
saw that Mrs. Steadman, n thin.
hollow-chested woman, looked ur to
hear his answer, and Matt gavt, n Keen
glnnce round from his work. Matt was
n stout, clenn-skinned lad, with n firm,
decisive way of shutting his Inns. and
pair of shrewd, kindly blue ewes that
liked: He was trying to be Il carpen-
ter without learning the trade; hnd put
up II shed outside, and wns up by div
light every morning hewing away with
his one plane and saw. Boy-like, he
Ind made chum of me already. NV
question had curiouSly disduieieI
Abel. He rose and left the room. Matt
drew his bench up.
That hurt Abe, you See?"
do not see why"
True for you. But" Gn n whisper,)
'.he can I help doing them things; and
then then seem they don't help, he worries
"Help?"
"Ges"-then was silent, his mouth
dyeing his facc,) "iook yonder.r Jerk
ing his head back sat mother. Don't
you think it is time something was
done?" III -
had noticed TINT the woman Tvns
rtlw-poned and stoop-shouldered, with
W LtI1t I., etlolnted yellow flesh that comes
OF long soNerwork. i might have heard
her cough, but had pnid no attention 10
II until now, when IL fit came on dry
and hollow. ~ : ''fIf7 ~
:How long has she had that2" 1
| skedgraVely.
Nigh on to n year. Itnew it would
come some day. She's slnved niyht
and day to keep us goin', since could
remember. It's time Abel am me Wns
dOin' somethin', beside diggin' and
eaEtln. we never could raise enough
to learn q trade" sisF..4
He dropped his chin on his hand,
and sat looking fiXedly, but not gloom
lily into the fire. His mother could not
Overhear him, but thought Jane did,
she put SO much Vigor into her rubs
on the wnshbonrd, and spoke more ten
derlySto oldANIrs! Steadmnn. Jane was
Dustllng, pleasant, lOw-spOken girl; /
think L mentioned her before.
"TAhe truth is, snid Matt, presentlv
jerking out nervous laugh, Twelve all
our lives kept draggin' on, Waitin' for
n great stroke of luck. My father did;
he allays thought another year would
bring II, and another. He's dead now:
he dug and carted to the last; and here
- his sons-men without learnin', in
the old rags they wore when they was
boys-diggin' nn' cartin' just the same.
See mother there2 That old gowns her
best. Often think there's not lady in
the land would look like mother, IL
| shed laces an silks to wear; an She
shall have them, by'i--with a tre-
! mendous oath. "There's Jane,H-after
a long silence, the color fading out of
his face Jane and 1 are like other
people. We"-stopping short.
YES, nodded, graveIy.
Wen, could help it2 I couldn't
see her, and But we never can
stand from under, and clear a way for
myself. I'm trying to be carpenter,
and havestuel1 to il pretty steady these
two years, gettin' II job now and then
from the farmers. They like to help Il
fellow through," with smile. FIn
she ought to be-" -
tThat'sthetrne talk, Ianyhow. Matt.
He flushed again.
"Well," getting up and taking down
the stnble-lantern from the wall, 'it is
been the curse of the Steadman's wait!
in for dead mems shoes. That's so!'
An hour later Abel came in, and amer
lounging about awkNvardly touched inc
on the arm.
''I'd like you to come up loft, Mr.,
| 4 4 Scrambled up the ladder into their
| garrett, and sat down on an old hnir
trunk, which he pulled up to table.
Ihere wns nothing in the room but tho
bed and this table, which was strewed
| with papers, covered closely with writ
ing. Abel stood beside them, shuflling
them with great embarrassment.
TITS ngood deal to ask of II stranger y
he said; "but you spoke about my