The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1881-11-25
Select Story.
A DOUBLE AMBUSH.

We lived in Florida (sad Mrs. Wal
ters) through all the Seminole war,which
lasted seven years, so that | grew up
with the names of the great hostile chiefs
Osceola, Alligator, Wild Cat and Tiger
Tail making part of my childhood.
A sense of peril was always present
with us. remember the feelings with
which we heard of the slaughter of Lieu
tenant Dade and his command. The
tragedy took place in open battle, yet it
seemed dreadful that so many brave men
should be shot down in the dark woods
with the painted sayages yelling around
them.
In the spring when | was thirteen and
my brother Arthur fifteen, the war was
at its worst and my father talked
strongly of removing to a greater dis
tance from the danger
Among our few slaves, consisting only
of two black families, was a half-idiotic
young negro named Jason, who had the
privilege of wandering pretty much as he
pleased. lie would often remain all day
in the forest, either lying asleep ormock-
ing the gobble of the wild turkeys.
One day he returned with an appear
ance which startled us, His woolly head
had been completely shaved, and his
black face dyed to n bright scarlet. He
had, however, received no real hurt, and
seemed not in the least terrified by the
ordeal through which he must have pass
ed.
We gathered from his broken senten.
ces that he had fallen in with the Indians,
and it was plain that they had been in
some mea are true to the proverbial res
pect of their people for idiots. An ordi-
nary person they would have sacrificed
without mercy, but when Jason stared
aimlessly at the tree tops or gobbIed, they
simply set their mark upon him and let
him 90.
The incident showed that our danger
was more imminent than mad been sup
posed; but there was fortunately squad
of United States cavalry picketed within
a few miles of us, and my father lost no
time in notifying the officer in command
of what had occurred. The soldiers,
however, could find nothing of the enc
my. and in the meantime we passed a
couple of days in very anxious suspense.
The movements of Indian warriors
are ematic, and to white men unaccoun-
table.
My parents began to regain confidence,
believing that the SeminOles were gone
from the neighborhood, as they doubt
less were for the time. Father said they
were probably scouts, and there was no
telling how they might have scattered
themselves,o or at what point some of them
might appear next. lie ped,however,
that the presence of the soldiers had led
them to abandon any design they might
have entertained of attacking U.S.
On the third day after Jason's adyen-
ture we were feeling much relieved. The
negro men were at work in the fields, and
my father had gone to a considerable
distance from the house. Mother, Arthur
and myself with the female servants
were within doors,
Presently, not far off, we heard the
gobble of wild turkey, or what seemed
such, although, as turkeys were not in
the habit of approaching as near the
house, we imagined Jason to be at his
old silly pastime again, initiating the call
| which he could so well counterfeit.
The notes were continued with great
regularity at intervals of minute OF
two, and SO natural were they that
Arthur would have been all on fire to
seize his rifle and hurry in quest of the
game, had he not remembered how often
he had been led ON iruitlcss chase by
the vocal powers of the poor idiot,
"Wc all excel in something" said my
mother, "and Jason was made to cal
turkeys, But 90 wish he would be
quiet--it makes me nervous to hear
him.
Jason" said little negro girl wh(
Just then came in from the rear of tn,
premises "why missus, Jason done gon,
asleep IN de shade at de back oh de wasl