The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-06-20
THE YELLED HERMIT / Y ]!
N Strange Being Who Resides y
3 Texas Cavern.

His Woodland Cave, Filled with Evidences
of Artistic Skill. Accidentally Dis
covered by . Bolated
Traveller.
Wilburrer county, Texas, boasts OF
mystery in the form OF a hermit, llv'ng
near Willow creek in a small cavern,
partly natural and partly excavated ny
him. lined with skin and decorated with
drawings on the wall which are said to
be the work of an artist Of cultivated
taste and great talent. Very little IS
known of the recluse beyond the 1act
that he is white man, an Engllshman
or American by birth, and has lived IN
his cave for the past fifteen years he
always wears close-ftting mask OF
uckskin, which, falling to his breast,
completely hides his face, and dresses
in skins in the winter, while IN summer
he is clothed in loose garment SAID TO
be woven of the prairie grass.
This strange being, says the Philadel-
phia Times, by some regarded as a
myth, is only seen at long Intervals
when some traveller runs across him by
accident, when he will make no attempt
to escape, but respond pleasantly, II
briefly, to any question or greeting and
quietly walk away. If followed or
molested he first mildly protests, and
then, if the attempt is persisted in, has
been known to draw weapon, which
has usually the effect of Kidding him OF
his tormentor. He carries small rifle,
which, however, ne has never been
seen to use, but snares all his game
after the manner Of poachers, or fishes
along the creek. On such fare as he Sc
cures in this way and a patch of ground
which he cultivates the recluse lives,
for he has never been known to visit
town, though sever4 attempts have
been made to induce him to abandon
his solitary life. His cavern. though
known to few, is never visited, for it
is believed that he would resent any in
trusion in very unpleasant manner.
The only man who has ever entered
the cave is Col. j. Nixon, who, on one
occasion was invited there by its mys-
FERROUS inhabitant His story is: II
had driven out from Harold to Lloyd's
ranch, when l was overtaken by one OF
our sudden prairie storms. My ponies
soon grew Interchangeable, and got
out to hold them by the bit, when a
tremendous peal and binding flash
caused the little demons to break away
from me and go tearing across the prai-
RE. After relieving my full heart by a
few words suitable for the occasion
trudged on, b1t soon found the road SO
heavy for my thin shoes that / aban-
doned it for one of the cattle paths
which seemed to run parallel with it.
''Ad1 at once, as plunged on, heard
voice mailing me, and looking closely
about, saw sitting in the mouth of a
dugout or cave in the side of a good
sized hillock man with something
over his face. I hallooed in answer,
when the stranger called to me to come
in out of the rain, so marched boldly
up to him. knew him in a moment,
or I had often heard of the yelled her
NIT of Willow creek, though up to the
time actually beheld him I had never
believed in his existence.
''He led me into his cave and lighting
fire of pine knots, piled up in rude
fireplace with a funnel leading up into
the open air, revealed me to a scene
which for wildness / never saw equalled.
Snakes so we'll preserved as to appear
alive, in all their ugly viciousness, hung
pendant from rafters that supported
the clay-daubed roof; grinning heads Of
panthers, catamounts, bears, jaguars
and every wild beast to- be found for
hundreds of miles around added to the
weird grotesqueness Of the place, while
their skins carpeted the cavern and
made the hermit's bed, which was all
the furniture the place afforded, except
a low stool before the fire.
''The walls Of the cave were of clay,
evidently hardened by heat, and. were
covered with drawings made by some
sharp instruments while the clay was
yet soft. am sufficient judge of art to
know that the hand which executed the
pictures was that of a skilled artist and
they were fine, indeed. They were, for
the most part, from the Bible and repre-
sented Peters denial of Christ, Judas
kissing His cheek, and the disciples
asleep in the garden Of Gcthsemane, but
I also remember one or two scenes from
the Odyssey and Had.
'sMy host brought On some cold veni-
son and q plate Of beans, of which I ate
thankfully after which he resumed his
seat in the door Of the cave. tried to
talk to him, but his snonosyllabic re-
plies soon silezlccd me, and when, pres
entity, the rain ceased, he said: You
must excuse me, but am under &, vow
to hold communication with no one
rose at this hint, and prepared to go.
had a late newspaper in my pocket, and
rendered it to him, but he thanked me
and shook his head.
MY one desire is to forget the world
and be forgotten by it, Here he hest
tated second and said: I would like,
however, to ask you one question. Has
England But he checked himself and
groaned. No, no; better not! Sir, go
quickly. am a wretch who expiates
deadly sin in solitude and pain
HE ran to the back of the cave and
falling on his knees groaned and sobbed.
I had some tobacco with me and some
other trifes, such as pocketknife,
matches, quinine and a flask of brandy,
which placed on the floor and then