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

e Ieit to disposed to sell himself to III
d Devil, he was determined not to d.
50 to oblige his wife; SO he fatty N
q fused. out OF the mere spirit OF cor
{ tradiction. Many and bitter were tn
z quarrels they had on the subject, bu
D the more resolute was Tom not to b,
7 damned 10 please her.
5 AT length she determined to driy,
the bargain on her own account, ant
ii she succeeded, to keep all the eair
TO herself. Being of the same fear
: less temper as her husband, she Sc,
of for the old Indian fort toward the
close OF a summers day. She was
many hours absent. When she came
back, she was reserved and sullen in
her replies. She spoke something OF
the black man, whom she had me,
about twilight hewing at the root o!
tall tree. He was sulky, however,
acd would not come to terms; she
was TO go again with q propi,iatory
Offering, but what it was she forbore
to say.
/ The next evening she set off again
Tor the swamp with her apron heavily
laden. Tom waited. and waited for
her, but in vain; midnight came, but
she did not make her appearance;
morning, noon, night returned, but
still she did lot come. Tom now
grew uneasy for her safety, especially
as be found she had carried off in her
apron the silver teapot and spoons
and every portable article of value.
Another night elapsed. another morn
ing came; but no wife. In a word.
she was never heard of more.
What was her real fate nobody
knows, in consequence of SO many
pretending to know. 1t is one of
those facts which have been confound.
ed by a 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 uncharitable, limited that she
had eloped with the household booty.
and made off to some other province:
while others surmised that the tempt
er had decoyed her into a dismal
quagmire. on the top of which her
hat was found laying. In confirma-
ton OF this, it was said a great black
man, with an AK on his shoulder, was
seen late that very evening coming
out OF the swamp. carrying q bundle
tied in check apron, with an air of
surly triumph.
The most current and probable
story, however, observes that Tom
Walker grew so anxious about the
fate OF his wife and his property that
he set out to seek them both at the
Indian fort. During long summers
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 flew screamingly by, or
the bullfr0g crOaked dOlefully from
a neighboring pool.
At length, it is said. just in the
brown hour OF twilight, when the owls |
began to boot and the bats to fit
about, his attention was attracted by
the clamor of carrion crows lowering
about cypress tree. He looked up,
and beheld a bundle tied in a check
apron. and hanging In the branches
OF the tree. with a great vulture
perched hard by, as if keeping watch
upon it. He leaped with joy, for he
recognized his wife's apron, and sup
posed 1t to contain the household |
valuables.
Let us get hold of the property"
said he. consolingly to himself and !
We will endeavor to do without the |
woman"
AS he scrambled up the tree, the |
vulture spread its wide wings, and |
sailed off screaming into the deep |
shadows of the forest. Tom seized |
the check apron, but. wOful sight!
found nothing but heart and liver
tied up in it!
such, according to this most au.
thentic old story, was all that was to
be found of Toms wife. She had
probably attempted to deal with the
black man as she had been accus- |
toned to deal with her husband; but
though a female scold is generally
considered a match for the devil, yet
10 this instance she appears to have
had the worst of it, She must have
died game. however, for it is said
Tom noticed many prints of cloven
feet deeply stamped about the tree,
and found handfuls of hair that
looked as if they had been plucked
from the coarse black shock of the
woodman. Tom knew his wife's
prowess by experience. He shrugged
his shoulders as he looked at the signs
Of fierce clapper-clawing. Egad,"
said he to himself, "Oid Scratch must
have had a tough time of it y
Tom consoled himself for the loss
of his property with the loss OF his
wife. for he was man of fortilude.
He even felt something like gratitude
considered, had done him kindness.
He sought, therefore, to cultivate q
further acquaintance with him, but
| for some time without success; the
old blacklegs played shy, for what
ever people may think. he is not al
WAYS to be had for calling for; he
knows how to play his cards when
pretty sure OF his game.
At length, it is said. when delay
had whetted Toms eagerness to the
quick and prepared him to agree to
anything rather than not gain the
promised treasure. he met the black
man one evening in his usual wood
mans dress, with his AK on his shoul-
der. sauntering along the swamp and
humming q tune. He affected 10
receive Toms advances with great
indifference, made brief replies and
went on hu ming his tune.
BY degrees, however, Tom brought
him to business, and they began to
haggle about the terms on which the
former was to have the pirates treas
ure. There was one condition which
need not be mentioned, being gener-
ally understood in all cases where the
devil grants favors; bat there were
others about which. though of less
importance, he was inflexibly Obsti.
nate. Ee insisted that the money