The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1888-12-06


deed. 10 European ideas. his small eyes
Sc, obliquely iu his face; bis vide and fiat
nose with iis distorted nostrils, and the
bridge 30 little elevated that the space be.
tween the cheek bones Was almost Hat,
his pro,rudins lips and long aud prcmi
nent but morrow and pointed chin nigh,
appear positively usly. Notwithstanding
the verdiets OF the various Hotienio, bellies
With whom he was on familiar terms. and
Who evidently regarded him with spprov
ing eyes.
He was pure Hottentot ola type nov
almost extinct; he was faithful; tolerably
honAst, except 10 matters in which food,
drink. or money were concerned; lees OF a
drunkard than most Of his compatriots;
aud liar Of but small capacity. He was
sbou, FIVE feet fonr inches high, aud OF .
lAundiced yellow hue. HIS age amounted
% about 10 years in actual time. but he
appeared 70 be at least century old IN
wicksaness aud depravity.
D----kept thermometer hung mp on
. nail which was driven into one OF the
ridge.poles Of the tent, aud the mercury
10 the tube and bowl much exercised the
mind OF Piet. He asked us frequently
what II was for. aud evidently regarded
our explanations as 10 the use OF the in-
strument as mere subtesfuges designed to
disguise the truth. asking
"What the use OF such t'ine' S'pose ]
see cloud dis side over dar. den me know
rain soon catch dis part, and make plenty
cold. S'pose II you no able for tell II day
hot or cold without dem ting.
The word mercury" too, be consider
ed slang name we had invented to des-
cribe the metal in the bowl; and o1e day.
when D-------happened 10 refer to it rs
"quicksilyer' in PETS presenc,, / could
see sudden CLEAN OF intelligence in the
boys eyes, and pleased expression on bis
fiat countensnce, as il he had at least re.
cieved corroborative evidence OF a fact
which he had long suspected. Next day
we came back from the claim somewhat
earlier than was our custom on account OF
the unusual heat, and when D went.
as usual, toward the thermometer to see
what the temperature was, behold no ther'
mometer was there
We, of course, suspected Piet at once,
and searched high and low for him. He
was nowhere near our tent, but after some
time we discovered him at 9 little distance,
Gro uohed down behind a heap OF "stuff''
near q strong table, busily engaged with
something on the ground. We approach
ed him on tip.toe, and beheld IN amusing
sight. Before him on the ground lay the
broken thermometer and beside il, In the
dust, was glistening little silver globule
OF mercury. Piets eyes were fastened
upon this with a mingled expression Of
amazement and fright. Every now and
then he would cautiously extend . finger
anu uuu ouuoevOA w PaSA w seS
mercury, which naturally escaped him
and rolled to one side. His action and OK
preston each time he found he had miss
ed il were so absurd that at last we could
not restrain our laughter; be at once heard
u.s. looked round. and the next moment
was dancing about and making grimaces
at us two hundred yards of.
1t WAS not until the pangs OF hunger
compelled him, toward the evening, TO
approach the tent that we caught him. he
expressed contrition, but seemed to think
at the same time, that we had played
shabby trick on him.
"What for you tell me that silver live in
dem ting for2 be asked. "Why you nc
say it witchcraft? and then left him
That no good silver not money silver
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