The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-08-08

i nOl0 Vi NY dpfOu anu hlllSu NY ICdE5 always
looked at the old man again.
What are You crying for9'
He put away the bottle and spoon, and
wiped his eyes with the back of his hands, and
said:
I'm not crying; it's only sweat
"'Old man, you shouldn't lie / remarked
for felt concerned about him. He only gave
q kind of deprecatory grunt and stared at me
Are you Hog Mackey9' asked.
go Yes. I'm Hog Mackey'
Are you going TO eat me2'
| No. he said calmly; little girls are out oil
season now; and, besides, / think you have
more need to eat somebody or something your
| SELF
al am right hungry candidly admitted
"With that he hurriedly brought me gourd-
full of milk, which he thrust into my hands
and was rushing after something else, when
dropped it on the floor, being too weak TO manage
| it. He quickly filed the gourd again aud held
| it form while drank. Then he soitened bread
in the milk aud gave me- As soon as my hun
ger was a little satisfied, he ran out of the
house and halloed with all his might. Then
| he came in, cut a slice Of ham and put it on a
gridirOn TO broil in the open fireplace, where
there was no fire. Then he ran out aud halloed
| again. Then he come in aud threw the grid
| iron across the room and grabbed down his gun
| from of some hooks. aud went out and shot il
| off After this he built fire and cooked his
ham and made some coffee. aud led me with
| them, stopping every minute to 90 out an halloa
and fire off his gun. Once in "A while he would
exclaim:
"'Coufound them If didn't want any
body there would be a dozen poking about
After / had been fed a half dozen times,
and had my face and hands washed as though
i was baby, and had been nearly strangled
again with raw whisky, it occurred to him TO
ask me how / felt. l told him / felt pretty
good, only couldn't move
Gould you bear 20 be carried p he asked.
' said thought could. Then he filled "A
bottle with milk, which he put in one coat
pocket, and in the other he put lot of bread
and ham. Then he brought sheet which he
folded like shawl, and placing me on il tied
me up AS though / had been a bundle. Then
| he put his head through the loop OF the sheet,
raised me ia his arms locked the door of his
house, aud started to carry me the five miles
10 my home. IL must have been terrible hard
work, for was stout heavy girl for my age,
aud he was an old man who did not look
strong. BY sitting down To rest frequently no
bore me along, however. until we came down
the mountain road 10 where our house could
be seen in the valley. Here he sat down aud
called again with all his voice, but there was
no one at our house TO hear him, aud he toiled
OH with his burden until he had me ut home
aud laid on my mothers bed.
" he then, alter resting few minutes, took
the long tin dinner-horn and blew blast
which must have awokc all the mountain
echoes. he also took father gun out and fred
IL of, 10 call home not only my own folks
but the people of all the neighborhood for
miles around who had been out OH the mount
ain hunting for me-
They all CAME rushing home, and terrible
fuss they made. Mother and aunt promptly
washed me all over in hot water, gave me dose
OF some kind of horrible weed tea crying and
scOlding all the time, til they had nae in bed
and tucked up in blanket SO tight that
could do nothing but sweat; and then they
seemed to forget all about me, they were so
busy over Hog Mackey aud something he
seemed to have done. Everybody was trying
20 feed him and pet him and give him drinks
all at once, and lie seemed not 10 mind much
until Aunt Isabel put her arms around his
neck and wanted 10 give him a drink Of my
weed tea. Then he got up and looked little
scared, as he said, quietly but firmly:
- Good folks, you ali being willing, / guess
I'll 90 home
Father insisted upon taking him In the
carriage, aud at last lac consented. Before going
be said:
I'D like TO look at the little girl who
thought i might eat her out Of season."
=" Then he came into mothers room, and after
looking all arOand 10 see that no one was look
ing be suddenly bent over me and kissed me.
Then saying Don't tell, little girl" he went
away.
"Of course I was soon about and as well nm
ever but had lost great deal OF my interest
in Musconetc0ng Mountain, except so far as
John MAckey was concerned. The first useful
work ! ever did was 10 knit him some warm
WOODEN stockings and mttcns and take them 10
him. IL WAS not long before learned all Of his
history that was 10 be learned. He had il was un.
derstood, been an officer IN The Federal army dur.
tho nd af 81,
his home in Brooklyn. In 1915 he disappeared
from LAS bone, which was with brother, who
died ia ls20. In 1877 or 1878 he appeared In
Bethlehem on horseback, carrying only a yalise
containing few clothes Away up ON the
side Of the Mnseoneteong Mountain, Just after
the Revolution, man named Crofut had
built house upon section Of Government
land which he patented with q soldiers right.
de cleared about 30 acres, but found IL 80 stony
as 10 be worthless for farm land and being dis.
appointed IN not finding the iron he expected
TO- he abandoned the place because he could
not sell II. Mackey found this place and.
hunting up the heirs Of CrOtfut bought IL for a
song. In this way nc became the owner of
toerably fair house and $50 acres Of about the
most undesirable land In Warren County. After
furnishing his house and procuring COW, his
last purchase was half dozen choice Pennsyl.
wanna hogs.
u He now settled down, after letting 1t be
known that be had no particular desire 10 be
unsOciable, bat he wanted no woman ever 10
come into his house or set foot on his place.
HIS lie OF seclnsion soon gave him the appear.
ance and reputation Of hermit His only
business and Ostensible means OF living was in
his pigs. lt soon became widely known
hackey, on MusconeicODg Mountain, sold the
best breed OF pigs in the country; hence ne
got the name Of Hog Mackey. His life was
| perfectly barness. His only ecceutricities
were that he visited nowhere. spoke TO no one
unless 1t was absolutely necessary, and would
allow no woman TO enter his house.
Every Christmas until was Is years OF
age, sent him remembrance Of socks and
mittenss 70 which mother added table delicacies
was then away for three years at school, and
one OF the first things / heard was that John
Aaekey-I would allow no one 10 call him Hog
Mackey In my presence-bad been sick aud had
asked for me. lie did not say he wanted 10 see
me. lie only asked the doctor where was,
The very next morning / saddIed a horse and
rode 10 his house. without knocking pushed
open the door and walked in. He was still
| quite feeble, and sat IN chair by the FIRE. The
moment he saw me he exclaimed:
90 away, wOmanl Have yon no more
sense Than 10 rush into mans house that way
Pm no woman replied I'm only the
little girl you wouldn't eat out Of season.
So God bless mel he exclaimed; 'you don't
look as though you had been out lost on the
mountain for two days and nights lately!'
told him had not and did not particu.
larry want 10 be again. Then / went 10 work
fixing up his room aud preparing him some
thing good 10 eat. He demonstrated with me
FIRST, then he ordered me out Of the house. and
swore at me; TO all of which paid no attention
4.