The National tribune., 1881-09-03
A DOUBLE AMBUSH,

We lived in Florida said Mrs. Walters through
all the Seminole war which lasted seven years 50
that grew up with the names of the great hostile
chiefs OsceOla. Alligator, Wild Cat, and Tiger
Tail, making part of my childhood
sense of peril was always present with us.
/ remember the feeling with which we heard of
the slaughter of Lieutenant Dade and his COM
mand. The tragedy took place in open battle,
vet il seemed dreadful that so many brave men
should be shot down in the dark woods, with the
painted savages 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 distance from the danger.
Among our few slaves. consisting only Of two
black families. was a halt-idiOtic young negro
named Jason, who had the privilege Of wander
ing pretty much as he pleased. He would often
remain all day in the forest either lying asleep
or mOcking the gObble of the wild turkeys.
One day he returned with an appearance which
startled us. His woolly head had been completely
shaved, and his black face dyed to bright scar
let He had, however, received no real hurt, and
seemed not in the least terrified by the ordeal
through which he must have passed.
We gathered from his broken sentences that he
had fallen in with Indians; and it was plain that
they had been in some measure true to the pro-
verbal respect OF their people for idiots. An or
dinary person they would have sacrificed without
mercy; but when Jason stared aimlcssly at the
tree-tOps, or gobbled like turkey, they simply
set their mark upon him, and let him 60
The incident showed that our danger was more
Immediate than had been supposed; bat 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 enemy, and in the mean
time passed a couple Of days in very anxious
suspense The movements Of Indian warriors are
erratic, and to white men unaccountable.
My parents began to regain confidence, believ-
ing that the SeminOes were gone from the neigh
borhOOd, as they doubtless were for the time
Father said they probably scouts, and there
telling how they might have scattered
themselves, or at what point some of them might
appear next. He hoped, however, that the pres
ence of the soldiers had led them to abandon any
design they might have entertained of attacking
lis.
were feeling much relieved. The negro men were
al work in the fields and father had gone to
considerable distance from the house. Mother
Arthur, and myself, with the female servants,
were wthin-dOors.
Presently, not far off. we heard the gobbe of
wild turkey, or what seemed such. although. as
turkeys were not in the habit Of approaching so
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 a minute or two, and natural
they that Arthur would have been all on
fire to seize his rife and hurry in quest Of the
game had he not remembered how often he had
been led upon truitless chase by the vocal pow
ers of the poor idiot.
We all excel in something" said my mother.
and Jason made to call turkeys. But | do
wish he would be quiet; it makes me nervous to
hear him"
Jason" said a little negro girl who Just then
came in from the rear Of the premises: . why.
missus Jason done gone asleep in de shade at de
back oh de wash-houSe. | done seen him dis
minute"
Arthur hastened outdoors. looked behind the
waSh-house, and having assured himself that the
black boy had nothing to do with the gobbIimg,
returned quickly for his rife.
- Ii is "A real turkey" he said, "and he's some
where in the hollow"
The hollow was made by a deprcsson Of the
ground about fifty rods from the house front and
running parallel with it. Upon its further side
Was decayed stump. some four or five feet high
standing below the soping bank, and with lis
top Just visible from the house OF this stump
ihc portion next to the slope had fallen away
a. to leave large cavity capable OF containing Il
man.
The gobbIe indicated the turkeys whereabouts
pretty definitely.
-itessomcwhcre near that stump, said Arthur:
perhaps inside of IT sitting up on the rotten wood
toward the top. I'm afraid he'll get high enough
to see me- Bat III make a circuit, and creep
around where the ground is lower"
He went out at the back door, so as to make
SUR of not being seen. The land on our right. a
few rods from the house. was very low the de-
preston stretching off in crescent shape until ii
reached the gully, which crossed it at fair rife
shot distance from the stump.