Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1876-02-15
NUMBER 5.


sparkled with CLEANS of satisfaction and
undissembled hatred Each man sprang
for his tree, not more than sixty PAGES
spart; and various were the devices
employed to draw each others fire. Not
a word had been spoken; and, since the
tirst discovery, not hairs breadth of
either person had been exposed. And
thus, hour after hour whiled away, no
advantage being secured by either party.
The sun had gone TO bis western home;
and 1t was needful that il anything DO
done to day, it be quickly done. Foster
finally adopted this expedient. as he
stood behind his large bodied teech.
Placing his sealskin cap over the muzzIe
OF his rife, attaching bis coat TO the
barrel,he projected this efigy sufficiently
beyond the body Of Tho tree 70 attract
the Indians attention, aud afford him ut
the same time, tempting marx. The
ruse was successful. Wau1h leveled
his rifle. and sent a bullet right through
the centre OF that sealskin, which az
peared to acknowledge tho compliment
by striving to cling 10 the tree Tor awhile,
and then sinking slowly TO the ground
Waugh was delighted, and started from
bis hiding place with bound and
whoop, and brsndishing his scalping-
knife. But he had no further use for
that knife. Tossing sealskin cap and
coat from the nde, Foster now stepped
from behind the ,ree,and sent his furious
death messenger tearing through the
brains OF the astonished Indian.
Just how many Indians Foster had
slain in The prosecution of his"lile work.
we could never learn. 10 was bis habit
to cut notch in his life stock every
time he brought "his man." this being
his only method OF preserving the bloody
record. The last time we examined
these "notches. they scored seventeen;
but the number was probably increased
subsequently.
We do not think that Foster was
naturally bloodthirsty or cruel. On the
contrary, he was very considerate of
other peoples feelings; never inflicted
wanion injury upon dumb animals;
would not kill wild game for the mere
sport; could not bear to take the beauti-
ful specked trout from q brook, unles to
return it to its native element; was
passionately fond OF children, almost
always having some little present to
bestow upon them, such rs beechnuts
and spruce gum, which he was also eX.
ceedingly fond, and would sometimes
live many consecutive days upon nothing
but these little nuts and cold water But
towards the Indians he entertained an
entirely different class OF feelings. He
could not forgive them for numbering his
fathers family, and could only vindicate
the family honor by Staying the Indians
in return.
Foster was several times arrested
by the legal authorities OF HerIim
county. charged with Indian murder
but he could not be convicted He
would either step up and establish the
plea of. selfdefense or make manifest
the tact that the evidence against
him was inconclusive; and so would
escape it all, when the evidence in
certain cases would have hung any
other man.
When last we saw Foster he was
grayheaded, and bent with the weight
of accumulated years. But his eye had
lost none OF its youthful brightness, and
his nervous system remained undis-
turbed. He was widely known and
loved, and died regretted by all save the
Mohawks.