Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1870-02-26
tia for the .Chronlclo.t ,rtf q i,
THE BURIAL 4 AT MIDNIGHT.
ny JOHN SYLVESTER.


left the Choctaw camp about 8
o'clock In the afternoon, and had pro-
!cccded on the trail about two hum
dred yards west of the Sentinel, |"
when all of a sudden, two Indians,
whom Immediately recognized as
Red Foot, and Wiho,) sprang from
the tall grass into the trail, about
twenty feet before me. Now Jack
always had great antipathy to In
dians, and this sudden dcmonstra-
ton so frightened him, that he wheel
ed suddenly and threw me to the
ground. This was just as Red Foot and
Who desired, aud just what they ex-
pected. ,, In moment, they had pin
Toned me TO the ground, and bound
me securely with the plant bark OF
the birch. Jack in the meanwhile
making good his escape. They now
took me little north of west, in the
direction Of the mouth of Wehala, at
which point wo soon arrived; here
We found a canoe into which we got,
and. began drifting slowly down
stream; whenever Opportunity pre-
sented, they would land on the way
down and pick up thin fat stones,
| tMcINe
by eighteen, These they put into the
canoe; welandeda little before sunset
on the Warioto, where 1t receives the
waters of Red River; We, landed on
the point of land at the junction
which divides these two streams.- -,
They then took me up the first bank
and led me about forty yards from the
canoe, and equi-distant from each
stream seating me (still bound
under a large elm they not neglect-
ing to bring up their oars and fat
rocks. did not as yet know what
they intended to do with me; they soon
set to work, however, with their
hatchets and, oars, and while they are
at work, win attempt a portrayal
of the general appearance of that
evening. According to White Owls
prophetic Vision, tile sun indeed look
de like one vast ball of fire, while the
air was still, hot, and arid. The nee
die OF nature pointed unerringly to
the index, that ere many hours had
elapsed, the elements would assert
their indefcasible rights. 1t was
about 8 o'clock at night before / had
the faintest conceptions of what my
tOrmentors intended to do with me.
The moon wanted only two days 10
its full, and it was at this hourulready
shedding her soft melancholy RAYS
upon weird, ghoul-like, tragic group.
now believed that ! could divine
their purposes; they intended to bury
me, for they were actually digging O
GRAVE. Butthen who ever heard of
an Indian burying an enemy their
mode Is to kill and scalp. Inow
heard the distant thunders of the
storm-king, aud could see the herald OF
his power flash athart the bosom ofhis
chariot. Andyet they labored, finally
they ceased having dug a grave
about three feet IN depth, then laid q
layer OF fiat stones on the bottom,
then set up rocks In vertical position
Mt the foot, head, and sides, they then
came out, took me in their arms, os 1
thought, tony FINAL NARROW HOME.
THE thought now for the first time
flashed across my mind, that they in
tended to BURYME ALIVE. They laid
me fiat on my back In the bottom of
this grave. ] struggled in vain and
plead In agony. The only words ut
tered during this tragic scene, by these
fiends incarnate, Were those uttered
by Red Foot, 1t was in answer to one
Of my appeals for life, they were these:
Red Foot will dance when the pale
face will weep" They then COM
menced to lay the fiat rocks over my
feet first, having thus laid them
up as high as my hips, they shoveled
IN dirt, and Thus secured mylower
extcrmities; they then, took their
knives, reached under the rocks, and
cut the 1birchen bRrk with which
my legs were bound they then laid
another layer Of stones over my body
m high as my chin, cutting the bark
az they progressed with their devil
ish work then they shoveletlin az
before a sufficiency OF earth To secure
me permanently the next thing In
order was to get a hollow elm stump D,
about thirty inches In length, and
about four or five inches in diameter,
this they q t ID Immediately over my
face, reaching to the surface of the
ground, thus giving me free respira-
ton; they then came came out and
filled the grave with earth, packing
1t well with their feet There was so
much devlish ingenuity displayed,
that filled to a nicely my rock bound
coffin, and Of course, could not even
get my hands higher up towards my
place than the position In which they
left them, and that was lying across
my breast. When they were DONE
they scattered dead leaves over my
grave, thereby leaving no visible sign
of their hellish work. Finally, when
they were done, Red Foot came to the
narrow tubing at my head, peered
into Its depths, and whispered, fred
Foot will dance when the pale face
will weep" Then a long, loud, fiehd.
ish yell, echoed DER the silence of
midnight, and felt the tremble of
theirretreating footsteps. WAS now
ALONE AND BURIED. Buried too, be-
yond the hope Of q resurrection -un-
Ill the time allotted in the apocalyp.
tic vision. oh how the rec0llec-
tons Of misspent life crowded them
selves upon my phrenzied mind yet,
even amid my thralddom, woe, and
misery, ] had hallowed, inspiring
hope Of that true life, which exists
only In the spirit land. What was II
that thus sustained me? Probably n
mothers prayers something sooth-
ing, something consoling, something
soul-inspiring, will, in the darkest
hour Of adversely, still Irvine its ten
drills around the crumbling affairs Of
the desolate temples Of tho human
heart ! A brightsheen from thepale-
faced moon now struggled within the
hollow conduit, to cheer, II possible,
the loneliness of my narrow home.
The melancholy chirp OF the wood
cricket, and the saddening wall Of the
midnight cicado, were but requiems
to departed hopes. Presently the,
moon refused to shed her light, and
OWNED the cause. The storm-king
now spread abroad his misty pinions,
and stalked forth In anger, andin fury,
shrieking for his prey. The gloomy
midnight settled down upon the bos-
ON Of the dark Warioto, and a dark
pail over-spread earth and sky. The
thunders echoed To bold confusion,