The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-08-27

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we heard of -lim than we were beside
ourselves with impotence to come upon
him. Many weeks we roamed the woods
through where he might most likely be
found, but, to our chagrin, could never
come upon him, the passing glances
which we obtained Of him at times only
whetting our desires the more to do so.
God knows we had that desire gratifed,
for at least two of us only too surely and
quickly !
''One autumn day, when the nuts were
beginning to fall, we came upon him
and his sister out in the woods nutting.
With a whoop of delight we swooped
down upon them, and, closely investing
him 80 that he could not escape us, we
commenced haunting and teasing him.
His sister, a tiny, weak little thing,
whose beauty and helpIessness alone
would have appealed to, more manly
hearts, begged us most piteousiy to for
bear and let him alone. that he was dan
gerctis when aroused, and would as
suredly hurt some of us badly if we did
not. Soothing at her entreaties, we only
aggravated him the more. At first he
bore our tallnts and thrusts in sullen
silence, only growing and shaking hinlsi
self like have often seen an angry bull
At length one of our mob, making more
bold at his apparent hafinlessness, slip.
ping up behind him, with asdexterous
cuff knocked his hat spinning off onto
the ground nearlyla fatal blowfor him.
Turning ikea maddened beast at bay,
the idiot sprang after him, ands had 1t
not been for IOur united assistance, his
life would have. paid the forfeit of his
temerity; as it was after Almost desperate
struggle Iof several minutes our superior,
numbers triumphed, but only at the ex-
pense of many severe bruises and
scratches. I Maddenedi and made des-
perate by his sisters cries, his strength
was almost superhuman. After tum-
bling and beating him to our satisfac-9
ton, we. let him go free, and, laughing
at his dire threats Of speedy vengeance,
chased him out of the woods. Then we
cracked nuts, and laughed, and boosted
over our bravery in, the encounter until
night was suddenly upon us. Hastily.
parting from each other with the prom.
Use to meet again at our common rendez-
Eous the next morning for new fun and
stirring exploits, each went to his
home. Reaching mine, / found my
father absent and supper waiting for
lack Of fre-wood. Living right in the
midst of timber, we never had very
large supply cut at any time conse-
quently, as now, we were frequently
out. Recollecting large dead tree
which had lately fallen and been badly.
broken up, I gathered up d basket and
ran to gather up its fragments. It lay
upon the river bank, quite a number Of
rods from our house, and, being sur
rounded by thick woods, it was quite.
dusk there by the time reached it. q
hastily filed my basket and had arisen
to go when cracking of dry twigs and a
stealthy movement In the hazel brush
just ahead of me attracted my attention.
I was in an abrupt bend in the river
where it was joined by another tributary,
both with high andpr ecipitous banks, and
the only escape for me was the way I
came in at, and from whence the noise
proceeded ! Whatever it might be, to
endeavorlto escape was to run right on
to it, and, with the cold sweat oozing
at every pore, and my limbs quaking
with terror, 1 stood helplessly glazing
into the copse before me. The country
was not yet thicldy, settled, and wild
animals were not uncommon, some of
them dangerous, and this might be one,
now crouched to bound upon me. After
an age of agonizing suspense, it seemed
to me, 1 beheld a dark object crawling
surely but stealthily toward me. What
I could not tell until, when it was within
a few feet of me, it leaped to its feet and
confronted me. Horror Not a savage
beast stood before me, but, more direful
yet, the gigantic idiot, his face afame
with fury and a large knife drawn in his
uplifted hand Escape for me he knew
to be impossible, and, crouching low,
panther-like, with his breath coming in
hot, quick gasps, he slowly approached
me as if gloating over, and desiring to
prolong, my agony, toying with me as
a cat does with fated mouse. l-t
Great heavens what could do /? In
a moment he would be upon me, and I,
unarmed and much his inferior in
strength! These thoughts and the one
hope of escape shot through my mind
like flash Of lightning. Some chance
Of life was better than none; there was
but one alternative to escape one death
I must invite another. I must leap the
precipice behind me Scarcely had the
thought flashed through my brain than
hesprung at me, and, turning, I plunged
off into the darkness ] heard veil of
baf1ed rage close above me, felt myself
going down, down-a tremendous shock,
a sea Of meteors blazed about me, and
all was oblivion si'GH9g tAt
"When I again became conscious I
found myself in bed, with my father and
mother and surgeon bending over me.
1 felt a dazed stupor upon me, as if a
great blank had crept into my life, I
endeavored to turn my body little and
speak, when lightning like pain shot
to my brain, and the words died upon
my lips in a groan of agony. Boys"
the old man added sadly, 3" was what
you now see me, a miserable cripple for
life. In alighting in my perilous leap,
I had irreparably crippled myself, and,
in the long dreary weeks which followed
before I could leave my bed, looking
away through the long weary years that
I would have to drag through life, God
knows how I wished that my life had
gone with the use of my limbs. Never
more could I lead the wild, free life
which I had led, never more feel the
proud thrill in my heart as in my con-
scious strength and agility i bounded
along, the envy and admired of every
one. With my wild; restless spirit,
chained down as it has been for life, the
agony I suffered Deaths pangs could
scarcely equal But. thank God, ex-
claimed the old man, fervently, as the
tears streamed down his shrunken
cheeks, :" He who watches and mourns
the fall of even the sparrow has not de-
serted me, but aided and strengthened
me each hour to bear as cheerfully as
might be the great cross put upon me.
"Most dire and sudden had been the
idiots revenge, and most dearly did ]
pay for those few moments of lawless
sport. Not less dearly did my COM
panion, who first struck him in that
hapless assault, pay for, his, though /
envied him at the time He was sent
out to a woods pasture that same night
after the COWS, and was found the. next
morning stabbed through and through,
4 II I II 4 Il