Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1870-02-02

myself was kept at bay, and the dear little
innocent, quiveriug with dismay, said, in
childish simplicity, Naughty Indian if he
hurts Sarah ma will be angry aud punish
him
LAS she said this she burst into tears
her last forever. Tn one instant the tren
chant weapon of the inturiated Indian Glove
asunder the head of my babe; in the next
his excited comrades, of whom now there
were FIVE, had murdered the wife OF my
BOSOM | have an indistinct and horrid re
naembrance of my burning store-the red
fends yelling over the consuming roof and
wals-and my escape to the forest. The
rest was but silence and oblivion, | was a
madman.
Ten months after that found myself in
New Orleans. had reached the city no
one knew how-had been conveyed to hos
pital. kindly treated, and dircharged as cur
ed, but an eutcast and a beggar. Misfortunes
seldom come alone. | found that during
my seelasion frors the world my father had
died and as | had ALREADY received my share
of his property, the residue melted away
among several brothers and sisters My IN
heritance on this side the Atlantic beng de
stroyed by Indians, | was without home
or friend
How | subsisted | scarcely know. At
last as | was one day walking moodily along,
l saw group collected around an Indian
who was performing tricks from box with
rattlesnake. The Indian was Crouching
Wolf.
1.-The murderer of my wife and child
exclaimed, as | penetrated through the ring
and with one fierce blow felled the vile mon
ster to the earth. | seized him by the throat
and placed my knee upon his breast. In a
few moments he was distorted and ghasty
corpse beneath my feet.
my award of relribution was considered
just, and no effort was made to arrest me.
Awaiting myself of the box belonging to The
Crouching Wolf, which [ contended wa
mine as debt, soon learned the mystery
of his art as if by intuition. An upper
drawer of the box contained the real rattle
snake; an under drawer merely the skin
of one, which could be inflated by the breath
at will. The motion of the tongue, which
was dried aud had wires within, was pro
duced by the same cause Filled from the
lungs, it could readily be taken Into the
mouth, asd compressed into very small
compass, and while re pas sing outward, ln-
iated again. | bought a new snake from
the museum, which killed and prepared
according to the model before me. could
not endure the thought of even using the
same instruments employed 10y the destroyer
of all that | most loved on earth, and
turned from his trickery with feeling OF
almost positive loathing; yet in the end
did not see why should not make capita
out of 1t.
a little practice made me an adept III
the mystery of snake eating, and have since
wandered in loneliness from town to town,
attempting this curious enterprise. My pc
cuniary success has been sufficient for ml
comfort and convenience. and the danger o
the feat is only in appearance. With ;
slight exertion can turn my face into thu
colors and contortions you Witnessed this day
But these things can only temporarily diver
my thoughts, for | carry within my heart al
aching fever, which no prosperity can ALA!
or remove. The objects which have cheeret
me can cheer me no more. | stand alone
in this wilderness world. mourner and ;
pilgrim My visions are of my wife AM
child; my day dreams are of them; but
must suffer, as you see, until L meet then
in that better country where the sun de
sends not, and darkness is unknown whei,
| the wicked cease from troubling, and tn,
for her existence seems to me like misty
trance, in the fond assurance that the spark
| Ing dew drop has exhaled in heaven; bu
the cherished rose that sustained it, | CEASE
not to grieve. Alas for the wife of my bos
ON ~
With the last words the snake eater
voice failed his body was convulsed, until ;
| food of tears relieved him. He would heal
30 sympathetic words from his friend, bu
parted with him thus: You alone, hav,
my secret In few months more my bod.
must be consigned to the earth on the sacred
spot where my wife and child were murder
ed. You shall be one of the executors o
my will, and beseech you faithfully to ear
ry out my instructions.
The snake-eater YVES right; in n few
months after this interview he died anG
now, in the very centre of populouS town
en- the banks of the Mississippi, may be
seen a tombstone recording the events which
occurred on that spot and the hope of the
departed husband that he should meet hi:
wife and child in heaven.
Don't you think my son resembles me?'
inquired an apothecary, las he introduced his
greasy faced boy to the witty DR.. Ii. 'Yes,