The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-19
A VENERABLE TROGLODYTE.


While party of men were waiting
at lonely station, for night train
Captain Jed Moseley was induced t,
tell story. The station agent, afte
placing signal lantern on the end O
cross-tie, had gone home. He haC
locked up the squalid little shanty tina
served as depot house, and the meI
who were waiting for the ''down
freight" had built fire in the woods
near the track, and were sitting around
1t with as much patience as men could
well exercise on such an occasion The
captain did not yield in ready response,
for he was not in the best of spirits,
but after urgent solicitation, he began,
without knocking the ashes from his
pipe, or re filling it, as the story-teller
known in literature nearly always does,
but simply tossing an old briar-root
pipe to the man from whom he had
borrowed it, he related, so far as the
writer's recollection is unerring, the
following:
Some time ago, while l was in the
internal revenue service, my health
gave way to such an extent that | was
advised by a physician to relinquish
all labor and seek prolonged rest
in the country. had numerous invi-
tations from friends living near the
city, but | accepted none, having de-
cided to visit some place far removed
from the active scenes of man. One
day, after bidding the boys hasty
farewell, mounted horse and set
out for the sylvan shades and rugged
sleeps of the Boston mountains, in Ar
kansaw. The weather was charming.
The October sun shone with the mer- |
est suggestion of summer warmth; the
air was refreshing, the horizon purple
with soft haze, and the woodland
streams, covered with leaves of all
hues, sparkled in Kaleidoscope splen-
dor. made no inquiries; asked not
whittier road would lead me, but
pursued my incidental and unchosen
way. The mountains | found to be
grand, as mountains generally are, but
these. it seemed, had peculiar topo-
graphical physiognomy-rearing their
great rocks into the forms of odd faces.
leaning and looking down into the val
ley below. Some of the faces were
almost perfect, as though some great
sculptor had revealed them with his
S'4-oSi. AAOuoCo DCCdmt SCdTce, ana
sometimes | was compelled to pass the
night under a rock. | had brought
with me reserve supply of food, and
rs the little valleys afforded abundant 8
grass, neither myself nor my horse
c
One afternoon, after traversing a J
narrow path that wound around l
lmong the mountains and suddenly t
,ecame so steep that to pursue it far
her seemed impossible, l stopped; G
md, allowing my horse to Craze, / lay G
lown on an ancient boulder that had 8
Violently fallen from some great Il
eight, and sank to sleep. l was
by music-a flute "Can it o
e possible, Unused, that anyone away
p here, is acquainted with the use of n
UGH mellow-toned Instrument
'es, it is evidently flute. l WILCOX NJ
Or the musician"
Leaving my horse, climbed down, II
topping from rock to rock, holding to o'
apllngs and swinging by vines, until NJ
reached little valley The sounds tn
the flute, after l descended, were pr
OF quite so distinct as before, for | at
ould now hear the noise of swiftly oy
INNING water not lush, not a roar. tn
ut quiet glide of water, if may use va
lch phrase. Turning a sharp ledge OF
rock, l saw the musician sitting on ia
stone. Just below him small river a
vept along, and back of him, soon tel
scovered, was cave. As 1 neared tn
m, he ceased playing but did not thu
Use. He was a very old man. with Sc,
ng, white whiskers and long, snowy tes
lir that fell on his shoulders. on
How are you, sirP' said l., though ths
it'll bad grace, for | could NOT helm ole
1t stare at him. the
las well as one of my age could ex- ser
ct to be, he replied. to
do you live in this neighborhoodp"
81 live in there" pointing toward nee
Q cave. of
DO you live aloneP" full
yes, and seek no company" mo
Il do not mean to intrude upon you. ant
I'M seeking health" cha
And | am seeking quiet" hot
Il should not have known that you tim
re here, sir, if you had kept quiet" q
And if you had kept away from all
5 place you would never have viii
OWN but that was quiet" side
iere he took up his flute and began to slit
W dismal tune, which l took to be flut
signal that the converse vers
l, so far as it concerned the venera- upo
troglodyte, was closed. l ventured to
make another remark, but the wis,
urnful tones OF his long yellow flute 90.
re the only reply l received. Re- NOR
n9g to my horse after discoving a kno
Z (Which l could lead him down com
ne 'aK continued my hayward Wht
rse. Qunds of the flute fol- dool
ca me- n,b; after had crossed fish
riy , may faithful horse goot
'in iAe could hear the choi