The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1875-04-23

cutby III lOAerlDg and raising IL at Will
When drawn tsut, it hung sixty fee
above the foot of the JAM One of The
Indian drivers, named Lqhmuut, haG
teen at work weaving a "basket" o
ash strip; and a. soon as this move
carriage was finished and sluug on the
cable the project was ready for trial
While the project was being talked ovel
several of the drivers had declared
themselves willing to undertake the
feat; but now that the basket was slung,
and after seeing it drawn out over the
abyss, they were less disposed to proffer
their services. It needed strong nerves
and stout heart to gaze into that
foaming gulf and not turn dizzy.
There was among us youngster
whom the old drivers called "Young
Moll's Peevy." Young Moll was a
half-breed (French and Indian) girl, or
rather woman at this time, or thirty or
thirty three, and the mother of this
boy. Some of the drivers said that his
rightful patrouymic was Skelly; but
this was rather an obscure matter.
"The Peevy," as he was half
ously christened, must half been nearly
or quite eighteen. The name was said
to have come to him one day in boy
hood, when "peevy" was dropped off
in glut into ten or dozen feet of
water. Several of the drivers were try
ing to hook it up, but kept missing it.
They boy, then eleven or twelve wears
old, had come along unobserved. Pres
entity, and without saying a word, he
dropped eff the logs, brought up the
peevy and ran away. dripping. The
men laughed, and not knowing his
name, called him "the peevy-boy." 1"
Afterward, when they found out his
mother. they named the urchin 'fYoung
Moll's Peevy." But his mother called
him Lotte. A stranger would not easily
have believed him the child of the fresh
young person who had cared for him !:
for he was unusually stalwart and
bronzed by exposure. Seen together
they rather resembled lad and lass. I
thought so, at least, when first I saw
her, coming to fetch him dry feetlug
and clean shirt. She had walked
twenty miles to bring them, through
the woods, following our trail. And
the way she kissed the young man,
aside, was, or looked to be, rather
lover-like than maternal Afterward,
on several similar occasions, I was
much struck by the genre picture they
made F.; the youth had the great black
eyes and black curling hair of his
mother. The drivers used to chaff the
fellow increasingly about Young Moll
and the care she took of him, all of
which he bore silently, with troubled,
resentful eye; though, otherwise,
great noble hearted boy, generous and
inclined to jollity. Really, the rough
fellows thought the more of the young
woman for this motherly affection and
wealth of care for her boy. It was in
their uncultured faces, all the while
their tongues beliei them.
The "basket" was slung and ready.
The gang on the other side were gestic-
ulating, with random tugs at the line.
There was something whimsical in the
way the proposers of the project shrank
the one behind the other, with assumed
bravado and covert glances at each 9TH
er's faces.
"I shall have to go myself !' villate
exclaimed, with his characteristic
French oath. "I will go myself, as
fat as l am I" when bashfully, as if
afraid of giving ofense, young Lotte
said he would go ''if no better man
wanted the job" There were at first
muttered "sson mons" of discussion
in the crowd, but nobody claimed the
"iob, and Villate was but too glad to
get man to go. In moment the
young man had stripped to his shirt and
red drawers, taken an az and stepped
to the basket, but it was found to be in
securably attached and afterward sew
eral better modes of handling the line
were suggested, in all causing delay
of an hour or two.
And now, as if the birds of spring,
just fitting past, had carried the wor i,
or some presentment of evil had found
it's way to the Peevy's mother, she i'm
portunely made her appearance. Rad
Gates privately touched my elbow and
nodded back, up the bank. I then saw
young Poll partly in the cover of
shrub fir, q hundred yards off, intently
watching the gang and the extended
wrap.
Several of the men saw her, but did
not look or notic3 her after the first
glance. PAroleu pity she's here I"
one said, and they closed in about Lotte
to prevent his seeing her. But the
woman soon came nearer, going partly
around the crowd, keeping aloof. She
had new plaid shawl, gayly colored
pinned closely about her neck, and her
long, black, Indian like curls, showed
beneath beaded scarlet hood. There
was an intently anxious look in her
eyes, she appeared worn and tired.
"The Peevy" was much too tall
man to be shut up in the crowd. Pres
emily he espied her, and his eye fell.
After time he casually, as it were,
made his way back to her. None of US
heard what was said. The most in
stinctively kept their eyes to themselves.
The gang on the other side was starting |
across the chasm. Villate ripped out |
an oath, and saw Lotte push the girl |
aside so roughly that she caught at a |
shrub to save herself. He walked
to the brink of the cliff.
ST am here" said he. never saw
him look so manly. We knew his eye
was quick and his hand sure. I had |
little doubt that he would cut the front |
logs and come up safe. We did not |
know what the danger was till after
ward. He stood upright in the "bas-
ket. with one hand on the hawser to
steady himself, and his az in the other.
At q signal the gang on the west side
Strengthened she line. We paid it out
slowly. They drew him out from the
brink Of the ledge, till, the basket was
directly over the center rock. Then
gradually we slackened it, and lei him
down foot by foot, down under the
j. I