Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-04-20


scare head in this mornings Post,
4he hero Of many sanguinary encount-
ers with the Indians is no more"
The man who, in my younger days, l
took for model of all that was manly;
whose tracks ! nave followed breath
lessly through column after column,
page after page. and chapter after chap
ter of half dime literature is no more.
Dead, and oh, such a death! That he
Should have died lying supiuely on his
bed, cut down by the prosaic scythe OF
Father Time; It is too much.
| did not read the Post; no doubt ii
dealt gently with the hero Of my boy
hoods days. bu; that edition should
have been suppressed; had years ago
killed Bigfoot Wallace; killed him in
such a manner 90 gave me great salts
faction and rcdOunded TO his undying
glory Often in the dead Of night have
/ followed him, barcfooted and clothed
only in my nightie; onward and ever
onward we have pushed our way into
the very camps Of hostile aborigines /;
through gloomy forests whose every
tree trunk concealed a lurking red
skin; where the twanging bow string,
the hurtling tomahawk and the blood
curdling warwhoop have walked the
shuddering echoes.
How have gloatcd over whole tribes
of painted savages left wallowing in
their gore, IA The big-footed avenger
pursued his course; how | have held
my breath as he softly stole into viii
lage after village slew guard after
guard and r. .cucd maiden after maiden
from a captivity which the narrative
confidentially assured me was worse
than death
How well / recollect the deep aver
sion my brother had for reading, while
/ remained indoors absorbed in the
thrilling adventures of my hero, he was
out in the vacant lot playing a game
which he edesignated as stink by Cool y
but which now believe to have been
Stick by Goal or Prisoners Base.
About the time my eyes would be
gin to close | would hear his sibilant
whisper in my ear: .. .#.H
ooh, Dick"
But | would snuggle deeper amid the
sheets, and endeavor to palm Off home
made snore on him.
THAT don't 80. better wake up
would be his threatening reply to my
attempted deception.
''Aw, wotcher want?"
Tell me s'more o. whut that big
footed guys bin doin'."
"Aw, I'm too sleepy"
punch yer nose if you don't"
This ually had the desired effect,
for experience bad taught me that he
could and would do as he said; so, after
he had solemnly promised to tell me
when he went to sleep, would sit up
in bed and through the darkness go
careening along Bigfoot's trail, strils-
ing it only in the highest and most
bloody places, and stopping after each
deed of atrocity to inquirci Fred, yeh
'sleep?"
"Naw, g'wan," would bc the impa-
tient reply.
This would encourage me to proceed,
for what is so rare as good listener?
Getting warmed up would dwell more
fully on details aud forget to inquire
( he was asleep, until, having talked
half the night. or until had run out of
ammunition. | would once more put the
query TO him, only to receive no re-
sponsc; at which | would snugglc down
and go to sleep wondering how much
Of my thrilling narrative had fallen on
deaf ears, and what part Of the story
had better begin at the next night.
He, my brother, was my senior by
some years, and exercised dominant
influence over the pastimes Of my early
days, and 1t was somewhat discourag-
ing, on the rare occasions when really
did wish 10 play, to have him order me
into the house TO read; for he had nc
intention, while Bigfoot Wallace occu-
pied the boards, Of allowing my desire
for frivolous amusement to interfere
with the qualification of his love for
blood-and-thunder narratives.
shall never forget one evening when
we had company at home, | had been al
lowed to sit up later than was usually
the case, and had imbibcd somewhat
more Of my favorte literature than was
my wont, but had at last fallen asleep
on the lounge; hidcously painted say
nges, forlorn madens and truculcnt
| border heroes ran riot through my
! dreams, until ! startled the assembled
guests by springing into the middle OF
the room and shrieking at the top OF
my voice: Bring on yer Indiansl"
The funny man, who is present at all
gatherings, was in splendid form that
night and he Immediately dubbed me
''Three-fngered Dick, the Tar heeled
Terror Of the Plains" and though that
! title stuck TO me for years, my per.
| formauce that evening led father to put
e stop to my novel reading, and then