The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-11-22
luired in his younger days in a cir.

uAoWhy oISdSI VI GuS WuIuSIouS auC
willy son Of the forest, commenced
operations by severing his left ca,
from his head he himself had been
brutally mutilated in like manner on
certain occasion to which we will
refer hereafter, and in view of this
deep and inhuman wrong had regis
tered a vow before high heaven that
I while he possessed health and strength
he would avenge himself on each and
faRery-the remainder of the sentence
is scarcely fit for "ears polite
| When he had accomplished this
most righteous judgement-to which
the rascally savage demurred with a
grunt-he carefully inserted his thumb
in the eye of the Bloodstew-thate eye
which had SO lately cleaned along the
barrel of the Revolutionary fint-lock
with deadly intent; that musket
which once had, in the hands of a
civilized and refined American patriot,
done such good service in the cause
of freedom-and with deft move
ment, which evinced long and patient
practice, he plucked out the ofendind
member and cast it to- his faithful
companion, who received it with great
relish.
At this the savage screamed out in
good Bloodstew, ''Nunothetdisruyer p'
and rolled over and over, kicking and
cursing in the language of his people.
Nero, at this point, suspended an ex-
ceedingly intricate step and gave vent
to deep horse laugh, at which the
savage ceased bowling, spat out a
mouthful of his villainous blood, and
placing his bruised hand over his
sightless socket, gazed apprehensively
at the mirthfulanimal, whereupon the
noble creature snorted loudly y and
struggled violently to free himself with
! every indication of a determination to
punish the presumptuous Bloodstew.
Single Optic cast a fiery glance at the
savage, and turning to Nero, cried out
in a reproachful voice. wonderfully
musical in its deep, manly intonations,
"Hang yer, old hoss, can't yer leave
this TO me?" Nero gave a delightful
ard affectionate whinny, and COM
menced "Ole Virginny" in a spirited
and professional style.
Single Optic turned Bloodstew once
more on his back, and resuming his
former position placed the point of
his hunting-knife on the windpipe of
the now subdued savage-which fact
furnishes beautiful illustration of the
wonderful power of the civilized mind
over that of the untutored savage
and addressed him thus:
"Villainous Injun, listen to my tale
of wrong. Once, in my youth, 1 was
knowed among my fellow-creeters-
and specially 'mong the gals-as a
noble specimen O manly booty. Among
the gals, 1 loved but one" (Here,
Single Optic, at the remembrance of
that period, gave the knife a grace
full turn, which had the effect of caus-
ing the redskin to open his remaining
eye and listen with increased interest
to the tale of our hero). 81 say"
continued Single Optic, ''among all
the gals loved but one, and she was
the pootiest of 'em all, an she loved
me until"-(the beautifully carved
hiIt received gentle tap, upon which
the Bioodstew took occasion to remark,
"Letupoleboss,") "until," repeated
our hero, "thet evenin' TUX her till
circus whar a lot O painted devils war
a showin' off. In the middle o ther
doin's, one on 'em looked at my gal in
such way as made her color up like
a raddish; so in course I jumped into
the ring an gin him lick behint the
ear. At that they all set outer me,
an in course 1 drawed my toothpick
then, they tumbled me, an the var
mint wot / hit gouged out my pepper,
as yer can see, and then the dirty cuss
sawed off my ear; arter that my gal
wouldn't LUX at me, an so I've sweared
a big cuss that I'll hev revenge. They
say thet they want Injuns, but only
whites painted up; but yer see, old
boss, 1 knows better; so hang yet,
take thet!' and Single Optic drove
the knife to the hilt in the brutal throat
of the Bloodstew, who with a muttered
"Ihandinmychips," kicked spasmodi.
calIy for a moment, and all was
over.
Single Optic now led his faithful
charger to the still quivering body of
the redskin. Nero gazed at the loath-
some object for moment in silence,
then with load guffaw planted his
hoof full in the face of the now inan-
innate Bloodstew, leaving the deep i'm
press of his shoe. Single Optic then
stood upon the bloody breast of the
Indian and commenced chanting a
strangely wild and plaintive melody,
to which Nero kept time by pacing
slowly round the body. Single Optic
again went through all the movements
Of the scene SO viyidly described above;
the chant was one of his own compo-
sition and ran thus:
"The deed is did stuck him thus,
cut the throat of the pesky cuss,
put my thumb in the critters eve,
Cause twas reds wot made the muss
Betwixt my Sal and /"
After repeating this several times
in an ex9uisitely sonorous voice, he
stripped the body of its clothing, and
alter carefully asserting and securing
the same, he drew his knife once more
and cut deep cross on the breast of
the corpse, over which he executed
with amazing life-like exactness hu-
man eye and ear; then taking his
lariat, he attached one end to the left
leg of the Bloodstew, and threw the
other end over a limb of stunted
oak. Nero needed not a word but
seized the dangling end between his
teeth, and as he backed, the body of
the savage rose slowly in the air sus
pended by one leg, which indeed form !
ed a scene of truly novel and dramatic
,4,o,E