West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1882-03-08
Mr.. Martins Scalp.

ms was tne way III happened.
was playing Indian in the yard.
had wooden tomahawk and
wooden scalping-knife and a bow
narrow. | was dressed up in my
fathers coat turned inside out, and
six chicken feathers in my hair.
I was playing was Green Thun-
der, the Delaware chief, and was
hunting for pale-faces in the yard.
1t was just after supper, and was
having real nice time.
Mr.. Traverse came, and he said,
Jimmy, what are you up to now ?"
| told him I was Green Thunder,
and was on the war-path. Said he,
Jimmy, l think l saw Mr.. Martin
on his way here. Do you think you
would mind scalping him ?" l said
[ wouldn't scalp him for nothing,
for that would be cruelty; but if
Mr.. Traverse was sure that Mr..
Martin was the enemy of the red
man, then Green Thunder's heart
would ache for revenge, and |
would scalp him with pleasure.
Mr.. Traverse said that Mr.. Martin
was notorious enemy and oppres-
sor of the Indians, and he gave me
ten cents, and said that as soon as
Mr. Martin should come, and be
comfortably sitting on the piazza,
| was to give the war-whoop and
scalp him.
Well, in a few minutes Mr.. Mar
tin came, and he and Mr.. Traverse
and Susan sat on the piazza, and
talked as if they was pleased to see
each other, which was the highest
hypocrisy in the world After a
while Martin saw me and said,
Glow silly boys are. That boy
makes believe he is an Indian, and
he knows he is only little nui-
sance." Now this made me mad,
and | thought l would give him a
good scare just to teach him not to
call names. So | began to steal
softly up the piazza steps, and to
get around behind him. When |
had got about six feet from him I
gave a war-whoop and jumped at
him. caught, hold of his scalp
lock with one hand, and drew my
wooden scalping-knife around his
head with the other.
| never got such fright in my
whole life. The knife was so dull
it wouldn't have cut butter; but,
true as | sit here, Mr.. Martins
whole scalp came right off in my
hand [ thought / had killed him,
and | dropped his scalp, and said,
"For mercy's sake! I didn't 90 to
do it, and Pm awful sorry" But he
just caught up his scalp and stuffed
it in his pocket, damned his hat on
his head, and walked off, saying to
Susan, II didn't come here to be
insulted by little wretch that de-
serves the gallows."
Mr. Traverse and Susan never
said word until he had gone, and
then they laughed till the noise
brought father out to see what was
the matter. When he heard what
had happened. instead Of laughing,
he looked very angry, and said that
Mr.. Martin was a worthy man.
"My son, you may come upstairs
with me-"
you have ever been boy, you
know what happened upstairs, and
L needn't say any more on a very
painful subject.
| didn't mind it so much, for 1
thought Mr.. Martin would die, and
then | would be hung and put in
Jail; but before she went to bed,
Susan came and whispered through
the door that it was all right; that
ID Mr. Martin was made that way, so
he could be taken apart easy, and
that [ didn't hurt him. I shall
have to stay in my room all day to-
day and eat bread and water; and
what [ say is, that if men are made
with scalps that may come off any
minute if a boy just touches them,
it isn't fair to blame the boy
Jimmy Broaora, IN Harper's Young
People.
Whoever would keep his promises
must be cautious in making them.
In one minute a man can make an