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

~ Dear. dear, SUhu CJJSpoSs
Where could he stow them all away!
A pound Of ginger-snaps J"
But mamma falls to kissing,
Forgetting fright and toll,
While grandma bustles out to fetch
A dose of castor oil.
TnE DEVIL AND tom WALKER.
washington Irving. In Swinton's Story
Teller.l
A few miles from Boston in Massa-
cbusetts there is deep inlet, winding
several miles into the interior of the
country from Charles bay, aad termi-
mating 10 thickly wooded swamp or
morass.
On one side of this inlet is q beau
tiful dark grove; on the opposite side
the land raises abruptly from the
waters edge into high ridge, on
which grow few scattered oaks OF
great age and immense size.
Under one Of these gigantic trees,
according TO old stories, there was
great amount of treasure buried by
Kidd the pirate.
The inlet allowed facility TO bring
the money in boat secretly and ell
night to the very foot of the hill; the
elevation of the place permitted q
good lookout to be kept that no one
was at hand; while the remarkable
trees formed good landmarks by
which the place might easily be found
again.
The old stories add, moreover, that
tie devil presided at the hiding Of the
money. and took it under his guard
ianship; but this. 1t is well known.
he always does with buried treasure.
particularly when 1t has been ILL.,
gotten. Be that as it may, Kidd new
er returned to recover his wealth,
being shortly after seized at Boston.
sent out to England, and there hanged
as a pirate.
About the year 1927, just at the
time that earthquakes were prevalent
In New England, and shook many tall
sinners down upon their knees, there
lived near this place meager. miser-
ly fellow, of the name Of Tom Walk.
er. He had a wife AS misery as him.
self; they were so misery that they
even conspired 10 cheat each other.
Whatever the woman could lay hands
on she hid away; a hen could not
cackle but SHE was on the alert TO
secure the new.laid egg. Her hus-
band was continually prying about
to detect her secret boards. and many
and fierce were the conflicts thst took
place about what ought to have been
common property.
They lived in u forlorn-looking old
house that stood alone and had an air
of starvation. A few struggling savin
trees, emblems Of sterilty. grew near
It; no smoke ever curled from its
chimney no traveller stopped at the
door. A miserable horse, whose ribs
were as articulate as the bars Of a
gridiron. Stalked about field where
thin carpet of moss. scarcely cover
ing the ragged beds of pudding.stone,
tantalized and baked his hunger. ana
sometimes he would lean his head
over the f. ce. look piteously at the
passer-by and seem to petition deliv
erance from this land Of famine.
The house and its inmates had alto
gether bad name. Toms wife was
tall termagant, fierce of temper
loud of tongue and strong of arm.
Her voice was often heard in wordy
warfare with her husband; and hi.
face sometimes showed signs tha
their conflicts were not confined Il
words. No one vcntured, however
to interfere between them. The lone
ly wayfarcr shfduk within himself a
the horrid clamor and clapper-cl
ing, eyed the den Of discor. askance
and hurried on his way rejoicing, i
a bachelor, in his cel,bacy.
One day that Tom Walker had bee:
to distant part OF the neighborhoo'
he took what he considered shor
cut homeward, through the swamp
Like most short cuts. 1t was an III
chosen route. The swamp was thick
ly grown with great gloomy pine
and hemlocks, some OF them ninet
feet high, which made 1t dark at moor
day, aud a retreat for oil the owls q
the neighborhood. 1t was full 9
pits and quagmires, partly covere
with weeds and moses, where I'd
green surface often betrayed III
Traveller into gulf of black. smoti
ering mud; there were also dark an
stagnant pools. the aeodes Of the tai
pole, the bullfrog and the water snak,
where the trunks of pines and hen
locks lay half.drowned, half-rottinj
looking like alligators sleeping IN th
miro.
Tom had long been picking his wa
cautiously through this treacherot
forest; stepping from tuft to tuft ,
rushes and roots. which afforded pr
carious footholds among the dee
sloughs; or passing carefully, like
Cat, along the PROSTATE trunks I
trees; startled now and then by Il
sudden screaming of the bittern. /,
the quacking of wild duck raisir
on the wing from some solitary pos
AT length he arrived at firm pie,
OF ground, which ran out lie : pc
inspla into the deep bosom of Il
swamp.
1t had been one of the stronghold,
OF the Indians during their Wa
with the first colonists. Here Oh,
had thrown up kind of fort. While
they had looked upon as almos, il
pregnahle, and had been used ms
place Of refuge for their squAws al
children. Nothing remained OF q
old Indian fort but few cmban
ments, gradually sinking TO the lev
OF the surrounding earth, aud alreas
overgrown by oaks.and other fore
trees. the foliage Of which formed
contrast to the dark pines and her
locks of the swamp.
Il was late in the dusk of the eve
Ing when Tom Walker reached d
Old fort, and he paused there awhi
10 rest himself. ANY ONE hat