Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-12-23

savages held incantations here ar
maze sacrifices 10 the evil spirit.
Tom Walker, however. was NO.
man to be troubled with apv fears ,
the kind. He reposed himself Il
some time on the trunk OF a falle
nemiock, listening to the boding CT
oI the tree toad, and delving with b
walking staff into q mound of blac
mould at bis feet.
Cnconsciously turning I'D the sol
his staff struck against sometbin
hard. He raked it out of the veget,
Ole mould, and 10 a cloven. skull
with an Indian tomahawk burie
deep in 1t, lay before him. The rus
on the weapon showed the time tina
had elapsed since this deathblow ba
been given. 1t was a dreary memer
TO OF the fierce struggle which ha.
taken place in this last foo,hold of tia
Indian warriors.
Humph!n said Tom Walker, as b.
gave 1t a kick to shake the dirt from
of it,
Let that skull alone :" said a gruf
voice.
Tom lifted up his eyes and behelt
q great black man seated directly Oh
posite him on the stump of tree.
He was exceedingly surprised, having
neither heard nor seen any one an
proach; and he was still more per
picked on observing, as we'll as the
gathering gloom would permit, tina,
Tho n1ythnr
Indian. 1t is true he was dressed in
a rude half Indian garb. and had q
red belt or sash swathed round his
body; but his face was neither black
nor copper color, but swarthy and
dingy and begrimed with SCOT, as if
he had been accustomed to toll among
fires and FORCES. He had a shock Of
cOarse black hair, that stood out from
his head in all directions, and bore
ali ak on his shoulder.
He scowled for moment at Tom
with pair Of great red eyes.
=" What are you doing here on my
ground ?" said the black man, with q
hoarse growing voice.
Your grounds ~ said Tom, with
a sneer; "no more your grounds than
mine; thoy belong to Deacon Pea
body.
deacon Peabody be id" said
the stranger, las flatter myself he
will be, il he does not look more to
his own sins and less to those Of his
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 fOurishing
without, but rotten in the core, and
saw that it 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 EN-
inent man, who had waxed wealthy
by driving shrewd bargains with the
Indians.
He NV looked around and found
most of the tall trees marked with the
name of some great man OF the col
0ny, and all were more or less scored
by the ak. The one on which he had
been seated, and which had evidently
just been hewn down. bore the name
Of Crowninshield; and he recOllected
o mighty rich man of that name. who
made vulgar display of his wealth.
which i: was whispered had been &C.
quired by buccaneering.
He's Just ready for burning" said
the black man, with a gr0wl OF tri-
umph. you see am likely to have
o good stock Of firewood for winter"
But what right have you" said
Tom, Ito cut down Deacon Pea
body's timber ?"
1.-THE right of a prior claim" said
the other. "1'his woodland belonged
to me long before one of your white
faced race put foot upon the SOIL"
"And pray, who are you, if may
be so bold ," said Tom.
20, l 60 by various names. l am
the wild huntsman in some countries;
the black miner in others. In this
neighborhood l am known by the
name Of the black woodsman. am
he to whom the red man consecrated
this spot, and in honor of whom they
now and then roastad white man.
by way Of understanding sacrifice.
Since the red men have been exter-
minated by you white savages l
amuse myself by presiding at the per-
sccution Of Quakers and Anabaptists;
l am the great patron and promp;er
Of slave dealers. and the great master
of The Salem witches
"The upshot of all which is. that.
II / mistake not" said Tom, sturdily.
"you are ne commonly called Old
Scratch"
1.-The same at your service !" re-
piled the black man. with half-civil
nod.
II.
Such was the opening Of this inter.
view, according to the old story. al.
though it has almost too familiar an
air to be accredited. One would think
that to meet with such a singular per-
sonage, in this wild, lonely place,
would have shaken any mans nerves,
but Tom was hard -minded fellow,
not easily daunted, and he had lived
SO long with a termangant wife, that
I