The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-02-08
NO.4O.

du3c " IedIlIc ltioS us Cullu Was xDut
from him for ever; but when ne did h,
grief WAS dreadful. Throwing up hi,
great arms he staggered about the rocu
like one ina frenzy. He seemed unable
70 give atterance to his anguish, and hi,
ers<s.sre as dry Is ever. At last he
picked up Jacks little body and sat hold
ing it in hi, arms the livelong night, mol
could | perceive the slightest motion in
him during that long dreary watch
When morning came 1 spoke to him
He answered me gently, and let me take
the body from his arms and lay it bach
again on the bed. sat down by him
and said that however hard this was or
us, it WAS best for our Jack: that, be be
ing such a good little fellow, God had
taken him away to shield him from the
care and trouble he would have to en-
counter in this world; and that there
could be no doubt Of his being much
happier now than he had ever been. By
such ialk succeeded at last in rousing
him from his stupor.
/ made MIN come with me to point
out the place where he wished to have
the child buried. He seemed hard to
please about uhe spot, but finally selected
the hillOck under the cedar which had
been our favorite seat of evenings. ami
VIII re | now heard for the first time
Jacks mo;her had been buried. There
l dug Jacks grave, while Nose walked
about restlessly, often going into the
cabin to look at the corpse, and anon
looking for the tracks Of the bear.
made the best coffin could of some obi
boards found about the premises.
At evening everything WAS ready to
lay the child IN lis hast resting place. We
washed him and laid him in his coffin. |
arranged such wild flowers and green
twigs about him as | could find in the
neighborhOod; and Nose brought his
bow and arrows in order that they nigh,
be buried with him. We kissed the pale
face and closed the coffin. Nose carried
it to the grave and deposited it there :;
then he knelt down, his head bent 20 the
ground, and asked me to read some Of
Them rhymes" Jack had so loved to hear.
Having brought Mary's prsyer-book
with me, read such parts of the burial
service as | thought best adapted to his
comprehension. When the grave was
ill ed up Nose lay down upon it, and
nndlng that I could not persuade him to
leave. 1 went 70 the cabin 70 take the
rest 1 felt SO much in need Of
When woke in the morning found
Nose had gone, and as missed his rifle
and the remaining dogs, and moreover
found his track on the yet visible trail Of
the bear had no difficulty in guessing
On what errand he was bound. / Occu
pied myselfin putting the place in order
| dragged the carcasses far into the
woods ont of the reach of our senses
suoothed and sodded Jacks grave, and
cut slab out of the cedar to inscribe his
name on the tree. While at work l list
ened all day for the crack of Moses rifle
but all was i'll. He returned late, ate
ravenously of the food / had prepared
for him and when Ispoke to him turned
from me without a word and went to
bed.
He was up before daylight, cooked
some bacon and are it, fed the dogs and
started for the woods. Day after day he
went on the same errand. He never
brought anything home from the woods
and | knew that he never discharged his
rifle at any living thing since Jacks
death Afer some time | came to un
derstand that he had some idea that Jack
coald not rest quietly IN his grave until
the hear was killed. But somehow he
had ne ,er been able to come up with
her.
This went on for more than three
weeks. NY own situation was becoming
very uncomfortable, and had made up
my mind to leave as soon as the picture
had in hand was finished, when one
evening when | was washing my brush
es, thought heard a shot in The dis
tance. Nose did not return that night
but in the morning / found one Of the
dogs at the door. He seemed uneasy,
and having examined him I soon satisii-
ed m, self that he had been in a fight
He was bloody and torn in several
places. Taking down my rife, and put
ling in my pouch such 'hings as | nigh;
need in case of finding Nose hurt, call
ed the dog and he led the way into the
woods. walking along with a steady per
severance which showed that he was
aiming at c-rtain point. I followed
him rs best could for two hours when
he leaped into a rugged ravine. and dis
behind some bouiders, from
which | Icould hear him whining.
l scrambled "fter him through the
briars with which the place was choked
up and worked my way to the point
from which heard the dogs vhimper,
and there, sure enough, lay Nose, by the
side of a puddle Of wafer to which he
had crawIed TO slske the feverish thirst
Of a sorely wounded man.
He pointed at huge dark body some
few yards of, and said With grim smile
I've got her. but she's done me az she
done jack" I asked him whether he
fell much hurt. and he answered with
just two words, Rubbed OUT
Yet he seemed so ocheerful-nay, aciu-
ally happy-abOut it that could not re
alize that he WAS fttaly injured
I'm going to join Jack" he said. II
might ha' known that US two couldn't be
long apart Won't he be took a back
when he sees ME a comm
Icould do nothing for him where he
lay, and I was puzzled how tomanage, as
it was impossible for me to move a man
Of his sizs. He seemed to preceiye my
dilemma. for be said, "You must 20 to
the mills and get two or three men TO
come with you and Lift me out Of this
hole, for you know must Lay by Jack ;
I couldn't never rest nowhere else.
AS this was evidently the best plan. l
left my flask and some food with him.
and built large fire near to scare away
the wolves. Then bidding him goodbye
I hurried back to the cabin. I left on
the mare about four O'Clock bound for
the village The night closed around
me before l was half way, and I had to
camp in the woods TO wait for daylight