The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1891-04-24

death
When IN The fall Of 1885 the
writer accompanied.a party, bent
on hunting wild turkey and other
game, 10 The Mazatzal mountains,
Singing Springs were selected for
a camping place. The Indian leg
end in no way affected us, save but
to make us feel more secure from
the possibility of theits, or muir
derous assaults from small bands OF
Indians out son permits from the
San Carlos reservation, while the
scenery, water, grassfor our pack
muie-, proximity TO excellent
bunting grounds and all else com
bined TO make it a most desirable
place for camping purposes. II
proved a happy selection, too, for
we met with good luck in bageing
game and enjoyed our sport with
out the least mishap or dlsagreeble
adventure TO mar the pleasure.
Two weeks had passed in This
satisfactory manner When one
evening member of the party
Z. G. Bicknell-reporlel having
made rather remarkable discov.
cry. 1t was that certain small
cave on the mountain side, about
two miles from camp, was illuml-
mated by peculiar band of natur-
al light, apparently issuing from
The solid rock. He was much IN
teres,ed in the phenomenon, and
on the afternoon of the following
day accompanied him to the
place for he purpose of assisting
IN determining It's cause. We
found that the cave was cut by IA
small ledge of decOmposed miner
al ore, and that between the foot
wall and The ledge matter proper
there was u streak Of soft, putty
like material, known in mining
parlance as gouge. This had a
sulphurous odor, and we reached
the conclusion that from it was
thrown out The Ii ght by which the
cave was illuminated. Waiting
until alter dark we found such to
be the case, and solved the mys-
terry as 10 the direct cause, even il
we were unable to account for its
existence. Having satisfied our
selves in this respect, we waited a
couple of hours for the moon to ap-
pear and then started back for
camp. 1t was October, the sky
was clear, the moonlight and the
atmosphere delightfully."- invigora-
ting. The wind gently sighed
through the pines; the night bird,
the toad and The cricket Joined in
a grand chorus.
Each one absorbed in his own
thoughts, we proceeded in silence
until withla about zoe yards of
the camp. Suddenly 10th Bick-
nell and myself stopped short and
listened. Almost unconsciously
for some moments before | had
heard a strange and unusual sound,
and il was this caused Mr.. Bick-
nell To halt at the same instant |
did. 1t was unmislakably The
wierd music OF Singing Springs,
yet louder and more natural to the
human voice. Besides this it was
too near 10 emanate from the wa
ters and in a slightly different 1i
reclion than were the springs.
As ! became fully aware of these
facts | was overcome by queer
sensation, somewhat like the ei-
feet of a sudden fright and send
ing thrill to every nerve as would
have been produced by an electric
shock, and yet | reasoned that |
reasoned that | was in no danger
and tired TO convince myself that
| entertained no fear. That my
companion was similarly affected
| recognized by his whispered ad-
monitlon TO keep quiet. In that
unbroken solitude at midnight the
surroundings are sufficiently I'M
pressive and awe-inspiring to pro-
mote a certain degree Of nervous
ness and an involuntary and va
que sense OF dread, without the |
pressure of supernatural agencies;
it was several mo
ments before we could decide upon |
the proper course 10 pursue.
A few rods ahead of us, as we |
we'll knew, was an open space in |
the forest much smaller than the |
glade i'm which we were camped,
and we approached its edge in a
line with The trunk of huge pine
in order to hide our movements |
from any one who might be there.
Stealthily we reached The tree and |
Bicknell, who was ahead, peered |
around its shelter into
the 'open." 1t was only for an
instant, however, when he sank
back and excitedly whispered:
"By heavens, Charley, its the
Tonic squaw! Look there! Look
there!'
Impulsively | secured view of
The glade, and then beheld The
most extraordinary, weird and
supernatural vision of my life, The
like of which, hope | may never
again be called upon 10 witness.
In The little dell, scarcely 10 steps
from where we were concealed,
was an Indian woman, faultless in
form and perfect in carriage. She
was clad simply in skirt OF fan
tastic colors, and elaboralely or
with the rarest stones 10