St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-04-30
THE OLD TURKISH SABRE.

lived in the then far western wilds OF
Ohio an uncle Of mine, to whose fam
ily | was once taken for long visit,
and it was then ! heard the particu-
lars Of the little story l am about to
relate.
A few miles from my uncle's par
italy cleared farm resided an old ex'
officer of cavalry, one Col. Beaumont,
who had served in the Revolutionary
war, and later, in that of 1912, with
his widowed daughter-in-law and
two little grandsons, named George
and Benjamin in honor oftheir grand
fathers ideal heroes, Washington
and Franklin. The veteran occupied
an immense log house, situated close
to the edge OF vast primeval forest,
wherein, Notwithstanding his ad-
vanced age he INDUCED to the full in
his favorite pastime, hunting.
Though there were no elephants,
lions, tigers, leopards and such like
dangerous beasts as, in his early
youth. he had been wont to Stay in
India, the old soldier found ample
compensation in the abundance OF
deer, bears, wolves, lynxes, wild
turkeys and other indigenous
creatures of which no one could bag
more than he. Neither was more
formidable game entirely lacking; tor
at that time, the scattered settlers
were, perlorce, obliged to let their
swine roam the woods at will, where
whole herds sometimes reverted to a
wild state, and the males, growing
to an enormous size, became fleet as
deer. more savage and fearless than
tigers, and were, with their terrible
tusks and stubborn courage, truly
fearful foes to encounter. More than
one hunter, taken unaware while
chasing younger pigs, had been killed
by these fierce beasts, which at the
distressiul squeal of their imperiled
kindred, would suddenly rush from
all sorts OF unexpected places upon
the needless sportsman. In those
dense woods the brutes could not be
ridden down and speared, as on the
plains of India. Only by the long
range rife could they be effectively
reached-and woe to the marksman
who missed with his first shot.
Col Beaumont's house was built in
sections, and though but one story
high, contained many rooms, one OF
which-a delightful place to examine
he called his armory.
Being man OF ample means, he
had grati6ed his peculiar tastes by
gathering into this apartment a
really wonderful collection of arms
and armor, from complete suits OF
mail long swords and heavy lances,
used by the ancient crusaders, down
to weapons Of Chem modern date.
The boys, George and Ben, never
tired of this fascinating room; but
among all its treasures, none so
excited their admiration as a pair of
immense, gold-studded, longbarreled
pistols, with butt pieces of solid
silver, and a jewe-hilted, curved
sabre, both of which had been
wrested by far-back, warlike
English ancestor from a Turk in
single combat.
The youngsters, at the time my
story opens, IA and II respectively,
were particularly fond of handling
this beautiful sword, whose dam
ascened blade bore an edge OF such
exquisite keenness that an expert,
the colonel said, might sever with it
silk handkerchief tossed in the air
a feat which the boys were contin-
ually, but vainly trying to perform.
AS for the pistols. with their 1S-inch
wide-bore tubes, gold-enameled flint
locks and richly chased, massive
butts, they thought them simply
perfection.
With these and the sabre, they fire.
quently stole off to the forests depths
in search of thrilling adventures
which, so far, had never been found
But there came a time when their
long-practiced lessons in swordsman
ship and their chivalrous instincts
were put to the test of trial.
At this period-1S34-were located
on the borders of Indiana, 10 mile.
from the Beaumont homestead, sew
eral bands of half civilized Indians
a harmless, inoffensive people, who
added to their regular occupation
(hunting) that of a very limited anC
rude agriculture.
Among the younger of these semi
savauee uac q Youth ca1lad Date