The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-10-31
GIIa GatelliqenNr.
onoe, So.. 20 and % fourteenth Street.
FRONTIER NAN'SSTORY

OF the dismal out OF dooq. The theme
their conversation seemed 10 be principa
ly composed Ct their numberless adven
tures and hair.breadth escapes, eac
one trying to tell larger stor
than his precedent. At last, afte
nearly every one had told his story, the
became quiet; each one seemed searchin
his past IN order to discover some new Ia!
Of hardships aud peril, with which h
might interest his hearers. At length tn
stiffness was broken by the voice of
well dressed gentleman who had beer
closely surveying a middle aged man tina
sat diagona!ly across the room from him
who, by his buckskin pants and blouse
showed that he wa1.a genuine type o
frontiersman. He addressed him in thu
following manner:
"Say, you fellow over there, dressed in
buckskin, tell us how you got that ugly
scar on your cheek. l would judge from
your appearance that you had seen con
siderable OF frontier life"
"Was yer speakin' ter me?" said he al
he raised his head from his hands and as
sumGd an upright position.
Eyes, we want to know how you came
by that scar on the side Of your face" sale
the first speaker.
"Wal, stranger, that air gear has got a
mighty bad story, and l don't Just crave
the job Of tellin' it to you. So il yer no;
very particular about it I'd as soon be ex
Cused."
The others had by this time gotinterest.
ed in their conversation, and as he said
that he had rather be excused they all
spoke up at once urging him to 80 on with
the RtOTy.
"Wal," said he, after Strengthening him
self up and giving his stub pipe knock
on the hand to remove the ashes, las ye
all seem curious to know it, an won't
hear to any thing else, ] s'pcse eau tell
it to yer, though it'll be no fun for me. To
make every thing plain s'pose II! have
to begin at the beginning. | was raised
on farm 'mong the stony old hills OF
New England; and like most striplins
| got married rs soon as l
could muster cut a few hairs
under my nose. Jennis-tcr that
was my wite's name was as
handsome a gal as ever sot my eyes on
and law, how she could turn out WORK
She'd pile out o bed in the mornin' and
have breakfast half ready fore I'd git my
eyes rubbed open. Wal, we found it
hard grubbin' on them ole hills now !
tell We. So after we'd worried through a
year or so, We como to the conclusion
mat we could git along better il we went
West. So wa j9ined the mex. emigrant
train that come along and started west.
wand bound. And such Il journey as that
was | never want to take again For
weeks and months our white-topE ed
wagons crawled over hills and praries till
at last we reached the young but thrifty
State If Illinois.
ave stayed in that location about three
years and then pulled up and started on
westward with another emigrant train
This time we did not stop until We had
reached the Rsckies and climbed up
'mong their beautiful valleys aud cliffs
An gentlemen, if it hadn't been for that
air last fool move, might have been one
Of sthem big farmers oil Illinois who keep
the blooded stock, a head OF which We
once in while see out in these parts
But got the Western fever ss they cal
It, an uothin' else would do, but 90 West
"Wal, we selected a handsome location
on the side OF q valley which wound in
and cut 'mopg the SNOW capped peaks
and on whose floor elk and deer made II
their iavorite feedin' ground, while every
nov and then few redskins would pitch
their greasy wigwams. Others that CANE
through with US took up claims up and
down the valley at different points, hu'
the nearest ones to US were five milea dis
tant. Veal set to work with good will
and By fall each OF US had got a comfort
able shanty with cutbuildings to match
We yinteied oil right and when sprins
came we planted our garden and fixed up
things tilt it looked like home, though tbs
bald peaks in the distance had dreary
look. The GUNNER passed away as vel
as did the winter, only that it left US deer
in love with our frontier home and the
cold but beautiful surroundings AM
now as faltcommenCes l can't tell you ahS
more sbout our prosperity, for it is nov
that my dreadful story begins"
Here the grizzly old hunter paused, and
for a few moWerts seemed calling TO mem
ory some horrible event; for bis whole
hody trembled and his eyes seemed aa
though they were fxedupon a scene tee
horrible to behold. At last, after wipinl
away tear: he proceeded: "0ne mornin'
when | went out In the field | saw O
mighty pretty head Of deer feedin' upon
the side Of the mountain, and thought to
myself that I'd go up thsre after dinner
and give EN- acall, as our stock OF meats
was gittin' down. So after dinner 1.-THE
last meal ever ate at home) / took down
nv rifle and cartridge belt, and alter kiss
ing the baby who hsd crept cooling up tc
my feet, and telling Jennie to be ready tc
help dress fat buck when came back
| left the house, little thiRkin' 'twould bt
the last time 1'dstep over the threshold o
home. As l climbed the mountain
stoned and looked down on, my little
farm which lay spread out in thu
valley below me, more like a picture
than real mountain home, where lay
all my earthly hope and pride. Their
turnin' round ] started on, lollOwin' up 6
deep ravine which led up IN where haC
seen the deer. And when l had reached
the further end stopped and began look
in round me 10 see il the deer wero II
sight, As was listening, faint indis
tipct sound reached my ears. At first
was at loss to know from what direction
It came but ailsr climbing to the top Of I
huge rock l was aware that 1t came from
The direction Of home, and as this iSo
dawned upon me, q cold chill ran through
nv veins causing my heart to nearly
stand still! For, as / stood listentn' I
faint war whoop caAeto echin' mockin'll
mn long on the rocks till it reached IN!
ear like haunted ghost. The frs
thought that struck me was, that the red
skins we're out on raid and had called
at our house! Then Iturued. and II seem
ed 10 me, almost few down the rGvIn'
and did not stop till came in sight o
home. And then, o God! what sigh
met my eyes!"
Here the old hunter again buried hi
head in his hands and gave way TO hi
!ndescribable grief. Then, after SOM
time, he overcame his feelings and wen
on: