The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1874-09-05

Uncle John, as he was fainiliarly
known, was considered one of the best
story tellers extant. His stories always
had touch OF the marvellous In them,
and his listeners generally ended his
sentences with eXclamations about as
follows: 'Indeed!' 'Strange' Wonder
full and sometimes with a prolonged
hal hal hal that rent the air with its
noisy vibration.
Once upon time a party of us were
seated around a red.hot stove, in Ger
tain State, telling jokes and relating ad.
ventures. Our conversation was begin
ming to flag, when we were suddenly
enlivened by the appearance of Uncle
John. He came forward and took a
seat, and alter being duly catechised
about his health, was requested to tell
story.
Tell us a new story, Uncle John, ,
implOred dozen voices at once.
'Hold on,all of your said Uncle John,
with assumed indignation. ALLOW NE
to say that ] am not story.teller; that
l never was a story-teller; and that, in
all probability, | never shall be story
teller. But, gentlemen said he, ask
me to relate reality, something with
foundation, something indubitably in
disputaOle, unqutstionably true. Re-
member, gentlemen, that, if tell you
anything, it will De something real,
something to be relied upon,' said
Uncle John, whose face had now as
sumed ludicrous appearance.
Tell us about something that really
occurred, Uncle John, said one of the
party.
well, boys said Uncle John, i've
an idea in my head that l don't think
I've ever told you about. 1t is a little
incident that occurred in the land of ro-
nance the Far West am going to
tell you, he continued, about scrape
that | got into among those red devils
yclept Indians. The " est had been nv
home from early childhood. My father
and mother had moved from one of the
Middle States when they were first
married. and had chosen the West as
the feld in which they would find their
veal or woe. Well, as soon as was
old enough, l was taught the use of
firearms; and often, when my father
was at work in the field, 1 would sad
die and bride one OF our powerful
horses and ride forth on the plains.
very frequently securing enough small
game to supply the family with meat.
l used to pride myself on being a first
rate shot, though the long, heavy rife
that i was taught to use would have
been burden for am ordinary youth !;
to me long practice had made it so ia
milar that l could carry it all day with
as much easeas Kentucky boy would
common shot gun.
Our life in the West had been very
prosperous and peaceable one until
was about entering my twentieth year
The Indians had never mOlested us,
thou b they used to come to our house
to beg, sometimes to trade, and not un-
frequently for no other purpose than to
steal such articles as might be convent
emily concealed among their dirty wrap.
pers. l always detected their thefts,
and sometimes would prevent them
from carrying off the coveted articles
by boldly declaring that they had stol-
EN- them aud demanding their restitu.
| tion.
We'll, as | said, all went well until
l was about entering my twentieth
year, when an incident occurred that
was destined to prove ore of the most re-.
markable episodes in my lfe's history ;
and this is how it came about:
Ny father had given me a horse for
my own Use. had spent a great deal
of time in breaking and training it, and
In all the great West there was not, per.
haps, finer or nObler animal than
Duke Wellington for that was my
horses name. Duke, as | commonly
called him, and myself were fast friends.
Indeed this spirited amin al seemed to
be as much attached to NE as was to
him; he was as dOcie as a lamb IL |
commanded, and at the same time, if |
wished it, he was off over the plains
like the wind. Perhaps his value was
enhanced, in my estimation, by the
fact that l used to spend many pleasant
hours in galloping over the plains ac-
companied by pretty Nellie Martin, the
cha rming daughter of Squire Martin,
who resided just four miles west of my
own home. One day tethered Duke
among lot of fine prairie grass in
sight Of the house. and was taking a nap
for refreshment, when my. y.mother came