The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-05-20

Il
path along the margin of the brook and
across the lodges of the rock. This rough
shelter went by the name of Talbot's Cave
down to a very recent period, and would
still go by that name, if it were yet i'll ex-
istence. But it happened, not many years
since, that Port Deposit was awakened to
sudden notion of the value of the granite
of the cliff, and, as commerce is a most
ruthless contemner of all romance, and
never hesitates between a speculation of
profit and speculation of history, Talbot s
Cave soon began to figure conspicuously in
the Price Current, and in Il very little while
disappeared, like witch from the stage,
in blasts of sulphure fire and rumbling
thunder, under the management of those
effective scene shutters, the quarrymen. A
government contract, more potent than the
necromancy of the famed wizard Michael
Scott, lifted this massive rock from its
base, and, flying with it full two hundred
miles, buried it fathoms below the surface
of the Atlantic, at the Rip Raps, near
Hampton Roads; and thus it happens that
| cannot vouch the ocular proof of the
I Cave to certify the legend l am about to
relate.
The tradition attached to this spot had
nothing but a misty and spectral outline.
1t was indefinite in the date, uncertain as
to persons, mysterious as to the event.
just such tradition as to whet the edge of
ones curiosity and to leave it hopeless of
qualification. l may relate it in a few
words.
Once upon time, somewhere between
one and two hundred years ago, there was
a man by the name of Talbot, kinsman
of Lord Baltimore, who had committed
some crime, for which he fled and became
an outlaw and was pursued by the authori-
ties of the Province. To escape these, he
teok refuge in the wilderness on the Sus-
quehanna, where he found this cave, and
used it for concealment and defense for
some time,-how long, the tradition does
not say. This region was then inhabited
| by fierce tribe of Indians, who are de-
scribed on Captain Smiths map as the
"Sasquesahannocks,' and who were friend
ly to the outlaw and supplied him with
provisions. To these details was addt
another, which threw an additional inter
est over the story,-that Talbot had a pair
of beautiful English hawks, such as were
most priced in the sport of falconry, and
| that these were the companions of his
exile, and were trained by him to pursue
and strike the wild duck that abounded,
then as now, on this part of the river; and
he thus found amusement to beguile his
| solitude. as well as sustenance in a luxuri.
Gus article of food, which is yet the pride
of gastronomic science, and the envy OF
bon ci0ants throughout this continent.
These hawks my aged friend had often
| himself seen, in his own boyish days,
| sweeping round the cliffs and over the
broad expanse of the Susquehanna. They
were easily distinguished, he said, by the
residents of that district, by their peculiar
size and plumage, being of a breed not
known to our native ornithology, and both
being males. For many years, it was af
| tirmed, long after the outlaw had vanished
from the scene,-these gallant old rovers
of the river still pursued their accustomed
game, a solitary pair, without kindred OF
acquaintance in our woods. They had
survived their master,-no one could tell
how long,-bnt had not abandoned the
haunts of his exile. They still for many a
year saw the wilderness beneath their daily
flight giving place to arabic fields, anC
| learned to exchange their wary guard
against the Indians arrow for sharper
watch of the Anglo-Saxon rifle. Up tc
the last Of their appearance the country
people spoke of them as Tabots hawks.
This is a summary of the story, as it
was told to me. No inquiry brought me
any addition to these morsels of narrative
Who this Talbot, was,-what was his crime
how long he lived in this cave, and al
what era.-were questions upon which the
oracle of my tradition was dumb.
Such story would naturally take hold
of the fancy of lover of romance, and
kndle his zeal for an enterprise to Learn
something more about it; and may reason
ably suppose that this short sketch has
already stirred the bosoms of the novel
reading portion, at least, of my readers
with desire that should tell them what
in my later researches | have found tC
explain this legend of the Cave. Even the
outline | have given is suggestive of infer
ences to furnish quite plausible chapter
of history.
First, it is clear, from the narrative, tina
Talbot was gentleman of rank in the ole
Province, for he was kinsman to the Lore
Proprietary: and there is one of the oldes
counties of Maryland that bears the name
of his family,-perhaps called so in homo
of himself. Then he kept his hawks, which
fond of the noble sport which figures ST
gracefully in the annals of Chivalry.
Secondly, this hawking carries the periot
of the story back to the time of one of thu
not common in the eighteenth century
and yet the date could not have been mucl
earlier than that century, because thu
hawks had been seen by old persons of thu
last generation somewhere about the periot
of our Revolutions and this bird does no
live much over hundred years. So we fl,
a date not far from sixteen hundred ant
eighty for Talbot's sojourn on the river.
Thirdly, the crime for which he was out
lawed could scarcely have been meal
felony, perpetrated for gain, but more likel
some act of passion "a homicide, probably
provoked by quarrel, and enacted in no
blood. This Talbot was too well condi
toned for sordid crime; and his flight t.
the wilderness and his abode there woul
seem to infer a man of strong purpose an
self reliance.
And, lastly, as he must have had friend
and confederates on the frontier, to aid hin
in his concealment, and to screen him fror
the pursuit of the government officers, and