The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1879-08-30
THE MAN WHO WAS KICKED
But. Nevertheless. a Man whom
All the Camp Found Cause to
be proud Of
n the New York sun.

n the New York sun. ~
ct saw Davis at H-Academy
II the beginning of the spring
hlS60, he sitiled iu.o the further
y the seat to lean against the
sMTas then about twenty seven
49,. Isrr..nd A tall, gaunt, awk ard
man, faded. ill-fitting suit OF
home,sp and walking with an un-
decided, hesitating gait, with his
head thrown forward, and one un-
certain hand helplessly rubbing re-
ceding chin, was the figure presented
as he went out of the hall at the close
of prayers. Infirmity of purpose was
written all over him. He had an air
of being old without ever having been
young. His face was long, with large
features. high cheek bones, long nose,
prominent mouth, and receding
chin, from which a struggling whisker
prOtruded a certain way, as though in
doubt whether to grow longer or dis
appear altogether. 1t was a very weak
face, with an infirm culver of the
hardly closed lower lip, and vacillating,
half timid eyes of a very pale blue. It's
weakness and indeciOns might have
been comical had not an expression of
earnestness and seriousness made it
pathetic. His speech was hesitating
and appealing, as though craving
constant indulgence for his temerity
when speaking at ALL Yet there was
such assurance Ofhis hearers sympathy
and help, that it generally carried its
point.
From the time when Davis first
sidled into the seat and leaned against
the wall for support, he continued lean
ing, only exchanging the wall for his
classmates, or indeed any one who
would carry his weight. No sooner
did his support give way in one
direction than he transferred himself
to another. and leaned all the harder.
During the year of academical life his
manners retained their primitive
rusticisty despite the constant attention
to which they were subjected at the
hands OF his fellows. His taste i'm dress
took no turn for the better; his bearing
and gait changed not an iOta; and
when he set out on foot for the hill
region whence he came, he seemed eX-
actly the same old young man that had
sidled in upon us three years before.
A short time afterward j learned
that he was teaching the school OF his
native village. 1t turned oct, however,
that he carried his habit of leaning
even with him there. He asked the
advice of his pupils as to what he
should do so frequently that tn y took
advantage of his weakness to do pretty
much as they pleased. They barred
the master out, refused to attend
Rotations, save at their own pleasure,
and otherwise enjoyed themselves to
such an extent that the Trustees felt
compelled to demand his resignation
on the grounds of lack of government.
After that he went into the country
and taught district school, boarding
round among his pupils. 1t was while
thus engaged that he became tenn
porarily resident i'm the family of a
small farmer, possessed of grasping,
questionable character, and several
daughters for some time in the matri-
monial market. These latter were
thin, sharp-iaced, managing maids,
who partOOk of the unattractive char
acteristics of their sire. The most un-
attractive, perhaps, of them all set
their eyes upon Davis, in lack of better
material, and actually became his wife
before that hesitating person had de-
cided what to do in the matter After
this he drifted out OF my knowledge,
and his memory, with that of other
class associates, rapidly merged into
the sere and yellow leaf of recollec.
ton.
In the summer of 1871 | was one o
semi-official prospection party il
Western Dakota. We intended t.
penetrate the Indian country as far a:
the Souri, River, near the British line
returning by way of the Black Hills
IL circumstances permitted. The dozer
men constituting the party were al
heavily armed, and we had, by thu
way ofimpediment, three mule wagons
The day before we started from thu
small town which, for the fortnight
previous, had been our headquarters
q tall. round-shouIdered man saunteret
into the camp, and, leaning against ;
wapon-wheel, looked kindly but in
ouirjngly about. He wore long Goa
of alpaca of ecclesiastical cut, and
wideawake hat, fustian trousers am
low CATERS tied with a string. Hi
face was long, and its features large
and a retreating mouth, almost destl
tute of teeth, gave greater prom
inence to his rather elongated nose
He carried a black silver-headed stick
and altogether he was curious mixtur
of the clerical with the rustic. Afte
being made the butt of cOnsiderabl
ridicule. he expressed, in a hesitatin
way, his desire to go to the Black Hills
And when / returned TO camp Il
ward evening, / found the strange
added to the party as the guide
philosopher, and friend of one of til
mule teams. 1t was Davis. How b
came there was told in single one I
his hesitating sentences.
.sYou see, Mrs. Davis left me, an
took up with a neighbor of own. l su!
pose 1 was too slow for her. But
thought it might make her uncommon
able to have me living so close by; so
came West.
Further conversation revealed Il
fact that he had tramped most of Il
way. and that all his earthly posses
ions wera wrapped in the fiamir
handkerchief which ne brought in
camp later i'm the evening.
1t was apparent from the first tn
the characteristics that had made ID
Wis conspicuous figure in academic
.davs had not forsaken him "a he Ia
crown older. He began leaning fro
the moment he came into camp. Afr
futile attempts upon myself, he tran
ferred his weight to man from Ke
tucky-a demonstrative, devil-ma
care fellow, who was his opposite
every respect. The first days driv
n hot MI. 10.