The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-06-21

table with startling effect. and then,
after a mon nt's confusion. continued:
"She loaded the gun. and went down
to the foot of the stairs. and looked
through the latch-hole Of the stair door.
so-and-yes, and the Indian was
at the window. That window. His
two eyes were staring with wonder on
the Two Brass Kettles He had proba-
bly, never seen a kettle like these be-
fore, and he did not know what they
were.
while no stood staring and wonder
ing the kettles began to move Two
little hands protruded under the bail of
each of them. like turtles paws. for the
kettles stood on the ears. which lifted
them little way from the floor. One
Of the children began to creep out and
cry. moving the kettle. The other be-
gan to do the same The cries caused
the kettle to ring. Two creeping ket-
ties! They looked like two big beetles
or water turtles. and such the Indian
might have thought them to be. but
they beloved like two brazen animals,
and-did you ever hear child cry un-
der a kettlep" said Uncle Zebedee,
with a curious smile.
We all confessed that we never had.
''Then. child. you just get under one
of those kettles and hollor. You
needn't be afraid-there amt no Indians
now to do We any harm. Heller
loud!"
l did so.
do you hear that?" said Uncle
Zebadee. "You never heard such a
sound as that before. Hollow as a
bell. just like man with lungs Of
brass and no body. There. let another
little fellow try it."
Another child was placed under one
of the kettles, and uttered a contin-
uous cry. The sound rang all over the
room.
There" said Uncle Zebedee, did
any one every hear any thing like
that? 1t rings all over the room, scary
like.
"Well. the children did not know
about the Indian, and they began
to creep toward the light of the win
dow. moving the kettles like two enor-
nous beetles, and crying, and making
the kettles rumble and rumble all
around, boom-oom-oom. Just like that.
The Indians black eyes glowed like
fire, and he raised his gun and fired at
one of the kettles. But nothing came
of it; the shot did not harm the child
under the kettle. 1t frightened both
of the children, and made them cry the
louder and louder, and scream as
though they were frantic. Ugh said
the Indian. Him no goot.'
.'The kettles were all alive now,
moving and echoing. He was more
puzzled than before. What kind of
creatures could these be with great
brass back and living paws. and full of
unheard-of noises like those? Ugh!
ughr said he. just like that The ket-
ties kept moving and sounding. and the
Indian grew more and more excited as
he watched them. Suddenly he threw
up his great arms and turned his back,
and-now it all goes from me again"
HE said. .Ughr and threw up his
arms and turned his back" prompted
aunt
"And the maid opened the stair door
and fred" continued Uncle Zebedee.
She drew quickly back and waited for
the family to return. The children
continued to cry. But they were safe,
as they could not overturn the kettles,
and bullets could not reach them. The
family came in IN hour in great alarm.
They had seen human blood in the
road. but no Indian.
"A few days afterwari the Indians
body was found in some hazel bushes
by the brook. 1t was buried in the
meadow there, and"
1.-The Indians grave" said aunt,
prompting.
Yes, used to NOW over it when l
was boy, and
THAT is all. Uncle Zebedee," said
aunt You've got through now"
"Yes. I've got through now. Idon't
think that shall ever tell that story
again-and-"
There was something pathetic, and
yet beautifully prophetic. in the contin-
uance. The slanting sun shone through
the old window, and the chippering of
birds was heard in the zelda
Uncle Zebedee never did tell the
story again. The final conjunction of
his long, peaceful life came soon after
he told the tale to me. The violets
and MOSES cover him in the old Dor
chester burying-ground. The old
house is gone, the two kettles. the gun,
and even the gray stone from the field
that rudely marked the Indians grave.
Butterworth, il Youths
Companion.