The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-01-24
AN OLD TROGLODYTE.
" hat Captain Moseley Discov.
cred in His Search for Health.

While a party of men were waiting
at a lonely station for a night train,
Captain Jed Moseley was induced to
tell a story. The station agent, after
placing a signal lantern on the end OF a
cross-tie, had gone home. He had
locked up the squalid little shanty that
served as depot house, and the men
who were waiting for the down
freight had built fire in the woods
near the track and were sitting around
it 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 solicitations he began,
without knocking the ashes from his
his pipe or refillingit as the story-teller
known in literaeure always does, but
simply tossing an old brar root pipe
to the man from whom he had borrowed
it, he related, so far as the writer's re-
collection is unerring, the following:
Some time ago, when | was in the In
ternal Revenue service, my health gave
way to such an extent that | was ad-
vised by physician to relinquish all
labor and seek a prolonged rest in the
country. | had numerous invitations
from friends living near the city, but |
accepted none, having decided to visit
some place far removed from the active
scenes of man. One day, after bidding
the boys a hasty farewell, / mounted
horse and set out for the sylvan shades
and rugged sleeps of the Boston Noun
tains, in Arkansaw. The weather was
charming. The October sun shone with
the mereSt suggestion of summer
warmth; the air was refreshing, the
horizon purple with'a soft haze and the
woodland streams, covered with leaves
of all hues, sparkled in Kaleidoscope
splendor. | made no inquiries; asked
not whittier a 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 a 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 chisel
Houses became scarce, and sometimes |
was compelled to pass the night under
a rock. had brought with me re-
serve supply of food and as the little
valleys afforded abundant grass, neither
myself nor my horse suffered.
One afternoon, after traversing mar
row path that wound around among the
mountains and suddenly became so
steep that to pursue it. farther seemed
impossible, | stopped, and, allowing my
horse to Craze, lay down on an an
Gent bowlder that had evidently fallen
from some great height, and sank to
sleep. was awakened by music---a
flute. '''Can it be possible, " / unused,
that anyone away up here is acquainted
with the Use of such a mellow-toned in
strumentP Yes, it is evidently flute.
l will look for the musician.
Leaving my horse, climbed down,
stepping from rock to rock, holding to
saplings and swinging by vines, until |
reached a little valley. The sounds of
the'flute, after | descended, were not
quite so distinct as before, for / could
now hear the noise of swiftly running
water not rush, nor roar, but u
quiet glide of water, if may use such a
phrase. Turning a sharp ledge of rock.
] saw the musician sitting on a stone.
Just below him small river swept
along, and back of him, l soon discoy-
cred, was a cave. As | neared him, he
ceased playing, but did not arise. He
was avery old man, with long, white
whiskers and long, snowy hair that fell
on his shoulders, ,gs,.- f0tf8e't
How are you, sirpH said I, though
with bad grace, for | could not help but
stare at him. tsss
Gas wholesome of my age could ex-
poet to be,p he replied ~ s1s /. - y,
''Do you live in this neighborhoodP"
81 live in there, pointing toward the
cave.
''Do you live aloneP"
''Yes, and seek no company"