Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-11-03

Slllokc. lldTuiN lldu 1 risen IFOUl
the ground when in the direction
Of the woods on the other side OF
the clearing ! heard clashine
noise, mingled gnashing and
hoarse barking which l instantly
recognized as that Of wolves, and ]
scarcely had time to snatch uI
Louis and run behind . magnificent
pine tree whose trunk was at lcas,
six feet in diameter, before l heard
them scrambling up the side Of the
hill and felt them rush by me.
looked out and could sec their eyes
coming toward me like the wind
They did not stop for an instant
and when they passed there cam.
in their track a herd of deer, utter
ing cries almost human in thci,
intense agony. They ran blindly
for something more terrible than
wolves was behind them; they
struck the tree and were hurled
back by the shock, some of them
falling back upon those below. The
stampede seemed to last for full ten
minutes, and when it was over, and
l, trembling. with fear, dared once
more to emerge from my refuge and
look across the clearing, saw tho
woods at its edge already burning
saw it lurid through the smoke, and
felt its terrible heat upon my face
| turned and fled in the wake of the
deer and the wolves. My shoes
were stripped from my feet, and my
ankles were tom and bloody. Fall
en- trees lay in my way, but l clam,
bored over and crawlcd under them
in my desperate flight. l was ago
nized with terror and despair. and
finally sank to the ground with my
boy in my arms.
| must have tainted for knew
nothing of what passed till l was
rudely shaken by the shoulder and
heard wild, gibbering laugh,
opened my eyes, and above me stood
my mother with drawn knife in
her hand. The woods seemed all
ablazc, although the air was not sc
intolerably hot as it had been. The
forest beyond the clearing must
have burning at its edge and the
strong wind carrying the smoke up
ward and over our heads. M,
mother looked down upon me with
eyes blazing with that hated light
Of insanity.
"IIo, ho.' said she, "fine time OF
night for a mother and child to be
running through the woods! Fine
night this! Night-it is day! Look
at the red light-'tis the light OF
dawn! La ojour! Ia jour M .iudye.
nent est orrire! And the rocks are
Turning! Call on them to fall upon
you! The clouds of thunder and the
day of doom. The Lord is coming,
and the wheels Of his chariot burn
with his mighty driving. Let us
go up to meet him in mid-air! Let
us ride on the smoke and thunder
and sweep the stars from the heav-
ems! Come, you shall 90 with me!'
and size seized Louis who had
thrown himself upon me and was
clinging in terror to my breast.
l sprang to my feet and cried,
"Mothcr, mother! what would YOU
do-would yon kill me and LOUISE
"Kill YOU? yes! why wait? The
Lord calls and the devil drives. He
has let loose his imps against the
world. The trees fall crashing in
the forest; for all hcll's demons pull
them down with hooks of fire. |
have seen them as l followed you.
| have seen you all the way. | rode
over on wolf; twas a lo"p-garo",
an old friend Of mine, brought me
over safely, and kept me from the
deer. will kill you; would you
burn to death? You shall go up
up higher than the moon, and be-
yond the fire. Come, let us go."
and again she seized Louis while
the knife cleaned in the air.
l sprang at her, and with the
strength of ten mothers in my arms
| struggled with her. Torn, worn
and bleeding, as | was, the thought
of my child and my husband gave
me the strength of a giant. l over
powered the mad woman, and for
getting that she was my mother
that she WAS anything but the would
be-murdress of my boy-I seized
her by the throat when she was
down rolling on the ground, and l
would have stranglcd her. Her in
sanity had almost made me mad. l
felt then what q murderous maniac
feels.
But then thought my mother
was lying almost dead, and power
less, and the fire would soon advance
and perhaps overwhclm us all. My
hand was stayed, and when my
mother rose to her feet all her wild
ness was gone, and in its place had
returned that calmness-almost i'm
becility-which had characterized
her for the last few years. She
was ready and willing to do every
thing that | told her, but kept the
knife fast in my hand.
The wind had fallen and a slight
rain was dropping among the leaves
overhead as we went on for an hour
or two longer,and then, n,overpowered
with exhaustion, and no longer
greatly dreading the fire, we lay
down in a hollow and fell asleep
When we awoke it was morning. l
was sick and completely exhausted,
and hardly knew that there were
men around us. Yet there were,
and good, kind men, too, who gave
us food and drove us to y place Of
shelter, whence, as soon rs we were
able, we went to Green Bay, where
| soon recovered from the sickness
and terror of that dreadful night
My mother continues in that same
state of imbccility which the doctor
says will soon become complete de-
mcntia. Louis was not long in re-
covering, but as yet have heard
nothing from my husband.
LUCILLE MECHAND.
Rev. Peter Cartwright relates the
following:
"On one occasion | was engaged