Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1883-10-19
gflfrt story.
A DOUBLE AMBUSH.
BY GEORGE II. COOMER.

We lived in Florida (said Mrs. Wal.
lters) 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 8
G.art Of my childhood.
vsnss Of fTrA was always. preserl
with us. remember the feeling with
which we heard of the slaughter oi
Lieutenant 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 savages
yelling around them.
In the spring when | was thirteen
and my brother Arthur fifteen the wal
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 u hall.
idiotic young negro named Jason, who
had the privilege of wandering pretty
mnch rs be pleased. He would often
remain all day in the forest, either ".
ling asleep or mocking the gobble OF
the wild turkeys.
One day he returned with an ap.
pearance that startled us. His wool.
ly head had been completely shaved,
and his black face dyed to bright
scarlet. He had, however. received
10 real hurt. aud seemed not in the
least terrified by the ordeal through
which he must have passed.
We gathered from his broken sent,
ences that he had fallen in with Indi-
ans; and 1t was plain that they had
been IN some measure true TO the pro.
verbal respect of their people for
idiots. An ordinary person they
would have sacrificed without mercy
but when Jason stared aimlessly at
the tree-tops, or gobbled like a turkey
they simply set their mark upon him,
and let him 20.
The incident showed that our dan
ger was more imminent than had been
supposed but there " as fortunately a
squad OF United States cavalry pick
eted within few miles of ns. and nv
father lost no time in notifying the
officer in command OF what had oc-
CURED. The soldiers, however, cculd
lind nothing Of The enemy. and in the
meantime We passed couple Of days
pa vsxy anxious suspense. The move
Anents OF lndlan warriors are erratic
and TO white men unaccountable.
My parents began to regain conf.
dence, believing that the Seminoles
wefe gone from the hcigh hborhood, rs
they doubtless were for the time.
Father said they were probai ly scouts,
and there was 10 telling how they
might have scattered themselves, or al
~ha' point some Of them might aI pear
next He hoped. however, that the
preseuee of the soldiers had led them
to abandon any design they nigh,
have entertained OF attacking us.
On the third day after Jason's ad
venture We were feeling much relieved.
lie negro men we're at work III the
fields, aud father had gone to a consid.
derable distance from the house
Mother, Arthur, aud myself, with the
female servanis, were within doors
Presently, not far of, we heard the
gobble of Wild turkey, or what seem.
ed such, although. US turkeys were
not in the habi, of approaching SC
eear The house, We imagined Jason to
be ut his old silly psstIme again, imi.
tating the call which be could so well
counterfeit.
The notes were continued with
great regularity ut intervals of min.
ute or two, aud 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 upon q
fruitless chase by the vocal powers OF
the poor idiot.
We all excel in something said
mother, 'and Jason was made TO call
turkeys. But | do wish he would be
quiet; he makes me nervous to hear
him.
JASON said 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 OF
de sh-house. done see him dis
minute
Arthur FASTENED out doors, looked
behind the wash house, and having
assured himself that the black boy
had nothing to do with the gobbling
returned quickly for his rifle.
1T is real turkey he said, 'and
he's somewhere in the hollow
The hollow was made by depres.
sion of the ground about fifty rods
from the house front, and running
parallel with it. Upon Its further
side was a decayed stump, some four
or FIVE feet high, standing below the
sloping bank, and with its top just
visible from the house. OF this stump
the portion next to the slope had SC
fallen away as to leave large cavity
capable of containing man.
The gobble indicated the turkeys
whereabouts pretty definitely.
He's somewhere near that stump,
said Arthur; perhaps inside of it, sit.
ting upon the rotten wood toward the
top. Pm afraid he'll get high enough
to see me. But I'll make circuit
and creep around him lower
He went out at the back door, so as
to make sure of not being seen. The
land on our right, few rods from the
house, was very low, the depression
stretching of in crescent shape until
it reached the gully, which crossed il
at fair rifle-shot distance from the
stump.
Arthur, young as he was, had al
ready become an excellent marksman
having two years possessed rife o.