Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-11-23

long to Deacon Peabody
Deacon Peabody be id" said the
stranger, las fatter myself he will be, il
he does not look more to his own sins and
less to those of his neighbors Look yonder,
and see how Deacon Peabody is faring"
Tom looked in the direction that the
stranger pointed, and beheld one Of the great
trees, fair and hourishing without, but rotten
at the core, and saw that il had been nearly
hewn through, so that the first high wind was
likely to blow it down. On the bark of the
tree was scored the name of Deacon Peabody,
an eminent man, who had waxed wealthy by
driving shrewd bargains with the Indians
He now looked around, and found most of
the tall trees marked with the name of some
great man of the colony, and all more or less
scored by the axe. The one on which he had
been seated, and which had evidently Just
been hewn down, bore the name of Orownin-
shield and he recollected mighty rich man
Of that name, who made vulgar display of
wealth. which it was whispered he had ao-
qured by buccaneering
Hes just ready for burning !" said the
black man, with growl Of triumph. "You
see am likely to have good stock Of Ere
wood for winter"
"But what right have you said Tom, "to
cut down Deacon Peabody timber p
THE right of prior claim" said the 9th.
er. This woodland belonged to me long be.
lOfb one OF your Wnlte-taCeQ race put tOOt
upon the soil"
And pray, who are you, if l may be so
bold p said Tom.
"Oh / go by various names. l am the
wild huntsman in some countries the black
miner in others. In this neighborhood am
known by the name of black woodsman
am he to whom the red men consecrated this
spot, and in honor of whom they now and
then roasted white man, by way of sweet
smelling sacrifice. Since the red men have
been eXterminated by you white savages,
amuse myself by presiding at the persecu.
tions Of Quakers and Ansbaptists l am the
great patron and prompter of slavedealers,
and the grand master of the Salem witches
"The upshot of all which is, that, if mis-
take not, said Tom, sturdily, you are be
commonly called Old Scratch"
"The same, at your service!" replied the
| black man, with half-civil nod.
H.
Such was the opening of this interview
according to the old story although it has
almost too familiar an air to be credited. One
would think that to meet with such singular
| parsonage, in this wild, lonely place, would
have shaken any mans nerves but Tom was
hardminded fellow, not easily daunted, and
he had lived so long with a termagant wife,
that he did not fear the Devil.
1t is said that after this commencement
they had long and earnest conversation to-
| gether, as Tom returned homeward The
black man told him of great sums of money
buried by Kidd the pirate, under the oak trees
on the high ridge, not far from the morass.
All these were under his command and pro-
tected by his power so that none could find
them but such as propitated his favor. These
he offered to place within Tom Walkers
reach, having conceived an especial kindness
| for him ; but they were to be had only on
certain conditions.
What these conditions were may be easily
surmised, though Tom never disclosed them
| publicly. They must have been very hard,
for he required time to think of them, and
he was not a man to stick at trihes when mon
| ey was in view.
When they had reached the edge OF the
swamp, the stranger paused.
| "What proof have that all you have been
telling me is true 2" said Tom.
There's my signature" said the black
man, pressing his finger on Toms forehead.
| SO saying, be turned off among the thickets
of the swamp, and seemed, as Tom said, to
| go down, down, down, into the earth, until
| nothing but his head and shoulders could be
seen, and so on, until he totally disappeared.
When Tom reached home, he found the
black print of finger burnt, as it were, into
| his forehead which nothing could obliterate.
The first news his wife had to tell him was
the sudden death Of Absalom Crowinshield,
| the rich buccaneer 1t was announced in the
papers with the usual flourish, that "A great
man had fallen in Israel"
Tom recollected the tree which his black
friend had Just hewn down, and which was
ready for burning. Let the freebooter
| roast, said Tom, who cares 20 He now felt
convinced that all he had heard and cen was
no illusion.
He was not prone to let his wife into his
confidence but as this was an uneasy secret,
he willingly shared it with her. All her ava
rice was awakened at the mention of hidden
gold and she urged her husband to comply
with the black mans terms, and secure what
would make them wealthy for life. However
Tom might have felt disposed to sell himself
to the Devil, he was determined not to do so
to oblige his wife so be fatty refused, out of
the mere spirit Of contradiction Many and
bitter were the quarrels they had on the sub
ject but the more she talked the more reso-
lutte was Tom not to be damned to please her
At length she determined to drive the bar
gain on her own account and if she succeed
ed, to keep all the gain to herself. Being of
the same fearless temper as her husband, she
set of for the old Indian fort toward the close
of a summers day. She was many hours alb
sent When she came back, she was reserved
and sullen in her replies. She spoke some
thing of a black man whom she had met
about twilight hewing at the root of tall
tree. He was sulky, however, and would not
come to terms; she was to 60 again with pro.
pitiatory offering, but what it was she fore
bore to say.
The next evening she set off again for the
swamp, with her apron heavily laden. Tom
waited and waited for her, but in vain mid
night came, but she did not make Ler appear
ance; morning noon, night returned but
still she did not come Tom now grew un-
easy for her safety, especially as he found she
had carried of in her apron the silver teapot
and spoons, and every portable article of val
ne. Another night elapsed, another morning
camo but no wife. In word, she was new
er heard of more.
What was her real fate nobody knows, in
consequence of 30 many pretending to know.
1t is one of those facts which have become
confounded by variety Of historians Some
asserted that she lost her way among the
tangled mazes Of the swamp, and sank into
some pit or slough others, more unchRrita-
BILE, hinted that she had eloped with the
household booty, and made of to some other
province while others surmised that the
tempter had deooyed her into a dismal quag-
mire, on the top of which her hat was found
lying. In confirmation of this, it was said
that great black man, with an axe on his
shoulder, was seen late that very evening
, coming out of the swamp, carrying a bundle
tleu III Ohech hptonI Win an hlr OI burly
triumph.
, The most current and probable story, how
ever, observes that Tom Walker grew SO anx-
ious about the fate of his wife and his prop
erty that he set out at length to seek them
both at the Indian fort. During long sum.
, mers afternoon he searched about the gloomy
place, but no wife was to be seen. He called
( her name repeatedly, but she was nowhere to
, be heard. The bittern alone responded to his
voice, as it few screaming by or the bull
3 frog croaked dolefully from neighborine
pool
7 At length, it is said, just in the brown hour
I of twilight, when the owls began to hoot, and
4 the bats to fit about, his attention was at
1 tracted by the clamor of carrion crows hover
!. ing about cypress tree. He looked up, ant
beheld bundle tied in a check apron, ant
. hanging in the branches of the tree with
!. great vuture perched hard by, as if keeping
n watch upon it, He leaped with Joy for b,
recognized his wife's apron, and supposed i
Il to contain the household valuables.
Let us get hold of the property, said he
consolingy to himself, land we will endeav
q or to do without the woman"
- Aa ha scramhlad nm tha traa tha vultur