Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-16
THE STORY OF A BIRTH MARK.

An Explanation of u Peculiar Scar
Found on the Face of an Indian.
From the Norwich Telegraph
one day last week the exchange editor
saw In Canadian paper an account of an
aged Indian falling from an embankment
and breaking his neck This paper adds
that the old mans face was dishgured by a
terrible scar, which resembled a hunting
knife. There was not much that was in
teresting in the item; not much to attract
the attention of the casual newspaper read
er, and nothing that would, ordinarily. hold
the glance of a man who reads hundreds of
such items every day. But the description
OF the man and the manner of his death
brought to the mind of the editor a story
as romantic as any Cooper tells.
One Sunday in the late summer of 'gs the
newspaper man started for a tramp in the
country. HIS walk took him up the road
that leads to South New Berlin and also to
Chenango Lake. Every resident of Norwich
knows Of the little ravine on the north side
OF and far below this road. a short distance
east from the main river road. 1t Is a mar
row, shady crevice In the rocks. On the
southern side Is a bank or terrace about fif-
teen feet high. at the foot of which, over a
bed OF rocks.sa shallow, lazy stream wan
ders on Its way to the river. a little distance
below.
Walking through the ravine the writer
saw, lying In the water, what he thought to
be the dead body Of a man. He FASTENED
10 investigate, and found IL was indeed q
man that ne saw. but he was not dead only
stunned as If by a fall, or he might have
tainted. Turning the man over on his back
the newspaper man was Mortified at the
fearfully Scared face. He saw what was
the exact image of an Indians hunting
knife, starting with the handle near the
right temple and extending clear across the
face. The man was evidently of Indian
blood. and very old. little water brought
him to consciousness and he told this story
first exacting a promise that 1t should never
be repeated till he was dead:
My father.' he said, has often told me
the story Of my birth and how / came by
this fearful scar and a desire which / can
not resist, the result Of which you have lust
seen. MY father was chief or under chief
of the Mohawk Indians. On some Of his
hunting or trapping expeditions toward the
south he met and loved a maiden of the
Otsegos A brave of her own tribe loved
her. too. but she seemed to think only OF
my father and to mourn for him when he
was away. At last opposition from the
sages Of both tribes drove the young brave
and his sweetheart to run away and marry
ravine near the banks of the Chenango
river and were happy there together.
All that summer my mother, for it was
my father ana mother who. came to live
dlOHc, uScu W cutie anu SIT IN the shade on
that little bank on the southerly side of the
ravine. She was sitting there one day when
a noise disturbed her, and looking up she
saw her old lover Of the Otsegos. Drawing
hunting knife he held 1t close to her face
and told her If she could not belong to him
she should belong to no one else. My
mother, In her excitement, sprang to her
feet and seized the powerful, angry Indian
by the arm. In his endeavor to shake her
off they slipped and fell from the embank-
ment together into the water below. The
Indians neck was broken. My mother man.
aged to get to the little hut. That night
was born and my mother died
You see this scar-Ihat is the legacy the
Otsego Indian left me. And he left me
more Every year on the same day, my
birthday, 1 come to This place. l cannot
help it. Though 1 know what Is going to
happen, l come. Every year 1t is the same
come to the edge of that bank look at the
stream below and fall. This is the first time
have ever been stunned. This is my desti-
ny. shall come here once every year on
this same day till 1 die. 1 cannot help it,
do not know that 1 would II could.
Promise me that you will never tell this
story: that no one shall ever hear 1t till /
am dead.
The writer made the promise. The old
man marched straight up the ravine, never
looking back. That Is all there Is to tell.
The Canadian paper furnished the con-
clusion.