The Plymouth Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1878-1901, 1901-06-27
Angus Corb|y's Captivity
Story of Early Indian Life ard Adventure in the Terro,
Northwest of the Ohio River.
BY WRITER OF MARSHALL COUNTY

ol1o1 OheiCCShlt VI SONOn y tdl , III
to which he was sold, according
to the laws ard customs of
those days, and there were many
such cases of kidnapping then,
was as much of slavery as the
master cared to make it, and the
man who paid so high price for
this pawky Scotch BARN had no
conscience, but a great deter
mination that his investment
should prove profitable one.
He was a dealer in merchandise
of such character as was handled
by frontier traders and his Gus
toners were almost exclusively
o. that class. They brought
him furs and peltries and took
away III exchange such wares as
they were able to dispose of to
the pioneer settlers and the In
dams.
Home. then. with the ner-
chant goes our boy from the
ship. treadlng the deep snow in
the streets and wondering as he
trudged along what this change
Iii his crcums tanceS might por-
tend, but most of all thinking of
his weeping mother on the little
farm near Aberdeen. He was
insuficiently clad. having but
the clothes he wore that fine au-
tumn day he went whistling
through the lane on the moor.
and he suffered much from the
singing cold. He was taken
at once to the great cherries
warehouse and instructed in his
work, which he determined he
would perform to the best OF his
ability in the hope that By so
doing he would gain the good
will of his master and secure al
early opportunity to commune
cate with his parents. He set
himself resolutely at his task,
but his master, whose name was
Floyd, kept a close watch upon
him and complainingly urged him
to greater effort, calling him a
worthless lout and an ungrateful
dog and even cutting his ears in
passing.
When evening came he was ia
ken to Mr.. Floyd's house and
given a good supper. better than
any meal he had yet had in all his
wandel1ngs: and he was made
acquainted with the family, con-
sisting of Mr.. Floyd's daughter,
a timid, pretty girl of about six
teen. and son, pert and homely
boy Of twelve, besides the house
keeper, Mrs Floyd having died
some years before. Being thor
oughly tired Angus was very glad
when the housekeeper, a sour
visaged old woman of hasiy tenn
per, took up candle and offered
to show him 10 his bed. He was
conducted to an unceiled attic
and his cot proved to be a we'll
clothed trundle bed set close to
the upholstered wall under the
caves. There he was left III the
dark to undress. shivering with
cold and trembling with vague
fear, but he was soon asleep and
it seemed but evening yet-when
be was summoned to get up and
was sent to the warehouse to
finish before breakfast his un-
completed task of the previous
day. That day at dinner Angus
ventured to ask Mr.. Floyd if he
might send a letter to his mother
but he was CURLY refused with a
tut, tut, child; there is time
enough for that all in its due
season. Besides. who is tc pay
the postage on this precious let
ter? Not |, be sure" And John,
the son, laughed aloud to see the
tortured expression on the face
of Angus, who strove bravely tic
keep back the tears. But he
determined to write nevertheless
aud to use the captains gift fol
the postage.
Mr.. Floyd was a harsh and re-
lentless master, never letting
his slaves have an idle or an un.
watched moment, and though he
provided plenty of good food he
did so because he conceived it tC
be good business TO feed any
working animal we'll The ole
housekeeper made show Of
looking after the boys comfort
but never really did anything ex
cept to bring out some of Johns
well-worn clothing for the slave
to wear. which afforded John
great amusement and gave him
much chance to pick upon the
boy. John was a cruel bully
and he treated Angus with con
tempt and made him a butt of his
| ridicule daily. The daughter was