The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-12-15


 the evil spirit
 to be troubled with any fears of the kind. , He reposed himself for some time on ,he trunk ot fallen hemlocS. listening 10 the boding cry of the tree-;oad. and delv- ias with his walking s;ai ia;o mound of black mould a, his iee;
 nconsciously turning up the soil. his staff struck against something hard. He raked II out of the vegetable mold. and 10 cioven skull. with an Indian ,oma- hawk buried deep in il. lay before hun. The rus, on the weapon showed the time that had elapsed since this deathblow had been gwen. l; was a dreary me men,o of the fierce struggle tha, had taken place n this last foo,hold of the Indian warriors.
 "Humph" said Tom Walker. IS he gave |, kick to shake the dirt from II.
 :" Let that skull alone" said gruti voice.
 Tom lifted up his eyes. and beheld a great black man seated directly opposite him. on the stump ot tree He was exceedingly surprised, having neither heard nor seen any one approach and he was still more perpleNed on observing. as well IS the gathering gloom would permit. tha, the stranger was neither negro nor Indian. 1, was true he was dressed Tn rude halt-lndian saro. and had l red belt or sash swaihed round hls body but his face was neither black nor copper-coior. bu, swaithy and dingy. and begrimmed with soot. as If he had been accustomed 10. ,otl among nres and forees. He had shock ot coarse, black hair. that stood out from hls head in all directions. and bore an axe on his shoul- der.
 He scowled for momen, ], To&l with pair of great red eyes
 What are you doins on my grounds - said the black man. with a hoafse srowi- ing voice.
 Your grounds :" sad Tom. with a sheer :" no more yogi grounds ;han mlne ; they belong ,o ileaoon Peabody"
 Deacon Peabody De damned" sad the stranger. as fa;,er myself he will be If he does not look to A4s own sins and less Ia these ot hi> ue shoots. Look wonder. and see how beacon eaboiy IS tatins.
 Tom .oohed n the d,.ezuo ,ha, the stranger pointed. and behe.d one ot the grea; trees. far and ;iouushsns without. but rotten A, :he core. and s,~ iha, :, had been nearly hewn ,hroasa so ,ha, he inst high wlnd vas ltkely - blow t: down. e.a the bark et ;he tree was scored the name ot Deacon eabody an euinen, man, who haa waved wealthy by driving shtewi hatgains wi,h the In. dians.
 He now in aed around, and found most ot the ,a.l tees 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 us, been hewn down. bore the name ot Croanlnshleld and he recollec,ed a mighty tleh man oi that name, who made a vulgar display of wealth, which II was whispered he had acquired by buccaneering.
 Hes just ready for burning sad the black man with growi oi triumph. - You see l am likely 10 have d good stock othrewood for winter.
 " Blu, ~ha, right have you, sad Tom. ito cut down Deacon i'eabodys ,im- Der :''
 The nigh, of a Srior clam, sa.d the other. "Th.s woodland belonged ,o me long before one ot your whIteiaeed race put foo, upon the soil"
 - And pray, who are you. II may be so bold :" sad Tom.
 oh. 30 by various names am the wiid h ntsman m some coun;f.es the black miner n others. In ,h's neighbor- hood am known by tne name oi the black woodsman. l am ne to whom the red men Consecfated thi. spot. and m honor ot whom they nog and then roasted white man. by way Of sHeel-smeillng sacrihce. a,nce the red mer have been ex,ermina,ei by you white savages. amuse myself by presiding 4; the perse- cutons ot t8lakers and Anabapts,s: am the grea' patron and promp,e' Of siaye-dealers, and me grand master of the Salem witches.
 The upsho, of al. winch ; ,ha, fl I mistake not sad Tom, s,utd.ly. you are he commonly called old S-fstch.
 The same. d yeat sersice replied the black man. with aa!i-cit.f nod.
 Such was the opening -oi ,his interview. according to the old story though Ii h as almost too familiar an air to be credited One would think that to mee, with such singular parsonage. in this sld, lonely place, would have shaken any mans nerves bu, Tom was hard-mlnded fei- low. not easily daunted, and had hved so long with termagant ~iie, ;ha; he did not even fear the Devil.
 It is said that after this com nmeuc emen. they had long and earncs, conversation together, as Tom returned homewagd The black man ,sld him of great sums of money buried by Kidd. the pirate. under 'he oak trees. on he high r.dge. no: far from the rno.ass. Al these were under his command. and protected by hls pow e, so tha: none oald ind them but such as pfopl;ia;ed a,s favor. These he offered to place ithln Tom Walker reach, hay- ing conce.yed Al especial kindness for him bu; they were 70 be had onls on cer. tam conditions