Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-04-20

my hand on my pistol, and thus waited for
the light Of morning.
What could 1t bel asked myself thou
sand times. "Surely "thing OF evil y
Was it indeed ''beast, or bird, or dewitt"
Certainly harmless; how else could the calm
slumoer around be accounted forl II harm
less, why chained. Why did it not Slept
If dared not sleep on account Of it, it as
suredly was keeping ceaseless vigil, too. 1t
was a horror; II was a mystery; 1t was a
peril; it was an outrage; and yet, could
blame no one. had forced myself upon
these innocent sleepers; / had bribed them
to permit me to spend this terrible night
under their roof; had humbled myself that
might occupy the same space with this
hated-what! / knew not.
1t is, l feel, useless to attempt description.
Language fails utterly. Thought wearied
itself in exhaustless speculation during
that apparently intending night. Stlll the
ceaseless thud, still the clank of the moving
chain.
Atlast, at last, with the first faint streak Of
gray, i sprang to my feet, with the strength
Of nerves strung TO the highest tension by
the wild wonderings Of those interminable
hours of darkness, wrenched the hasp
which secured the lock, and flung wide the
door The cool, fresh mountain air the
sweet, pure morning light, rushed in, and
fell upon the figure Of a man, not old, or
withered, or deformed but in physical yigor
OF early manhood, chained hand and foot
with heavy chains, made fast by rivets to
the thick plank of the floor. The strong.
sinewy arms, the massive lower limbs, were
thus rendered useless, hGt they looked as
though they could have lifted the hills
around. The stalwart body was scantily
covered by long, loose garment OF coarse
cotton, sleeveless, and confined only at the
throat. The features Of the face were
large, but not irregular; the hair, uncut and
unkempt. fell about the face and neck; but
oh, those eyes! those terrible haunting,
meaningless, restlss eyes! had seen them
hours ago,-now Vicious, now with the
wild glare Of hunted animal
This, then, was my strange fellow-watch-
er from midnight to dawn. 1t was indeed
thing of evil. The space for about six
feet around it was inclosed by plank, or
planks, possible eighteen inches in height,
ikea box. In this Enclosure 1t sat, or re-
clined, as inclination might prompt. Such
a mingling OF strength and helplessness,
Of misery and stolid indifference, was sure
Iy never seen before.
My movement and contemplation OF IL
reused it, and with the supple movement Of
panther, it sprang to its feet and came
toward me to the extent OF its chains.
The chains forgot. seemed to feel already
its horrible weight upon me.
In an instant my revolver was leveled at
its breast. fully meant TO fire. All at
once the man and his wife leaped up from
their bed. Taking in the situation at a
glance, both cried, Don't shoot don't
shoot" and the woman screamed. lower
cd my weapon, but still held it cooked in my
hand, and the man began to denounce me in
unmeasured terms for my objectionable
abuse Of his property and hospitality.
But was master Of the hour
Damn your cried l, why did you not
tell me who and what it vast Speak, or
will make your
He covered before my concentrated wrath
and skulked away 10 his barn, muttering
curses, and |, forgetting all gallantry, for
feitinR forever all claims to true knIghthood,
turned fiercely upon the woman:
what is that thingi and do not dare to
lie TO me-"
She assumed the defiant
Nobody asked ye hyer," she replied,
raising her shrill voice. aye come where
We wuzn't wanted, an ye takes conse-
quences-n
She was right, but reiterated my qU@s-
ton even more sternly:
'What is III Tell me the truth"
She looked at me for a moment, and somo-
thing, perhaps a memory, touched the
woman's heart within her, and throwing
her thin arms over hea head she burst into
food Of tears.
"Do not curse metz she cried. at Is my
child, my own child For twenty-five years
hev hung my head in shame an sorrow
for II. 1t come into the world strong an
healthy, but like the beasts on the mount
iugs From the first 1t was as cuunin' as
the foxes, as cruel as the wildcat, an as
strong as bear. II run wild on the hills
till 1t growed and growed TO be dangerous.
Then folks lowed as ef we didn't ketch It
an keep 1t at hum, they would burn our
house an drive US away from hyer. They
were Altered o. It. II come when no one
was lookin', sometimes o. night, sometimes
at cocks crow, allays to hurt an kill. So
ten year since my man he found 1t asleep
ON high rock, an he tied 1t with a strong
rope, an he axed two nabors TO help i'm, an,
he hev brung 1t hum an chained IL thar, an
thar IL hev been for ten year II can't hurt
nobody now. Don't stay hyer, SIR hev
told We the truth. We hev done all we kin
fer We, please go away"
The unfortunate woman, whom God Al
mighty had cursed by making her the moth
er Of this inhuman monster, was true 70 the
emergencies Of her sex now Her emotion,
which had been suppressed during her re-
cital, burst forth afresh; she sobbed and
wept uncontrollably. Here again was sit
uation for which all my military experience
as picked man had made no provision.
At this iuncture some sound between a
bark and a howl issued from the uncouth
BEINGS lips. This restored the woman to
herself. "Alice Alicep' she called, "give
II something TO cat, quick"
The little girl whom l had seen asleep in
the trundle-bed came hastily forward and
with skill beyond her years, poured into a
long wooden tray large quantity OF milk,
then added broken bits Of brown bread, stir
ring the mixture meanwhile with the busy
grace Of childhood Then she approached
the idiot with gentle, authoritative man
ner, and placing the tray in front, stood by
stroling the long matted hair as II inviting