The Republican journal., 1903-07-30
AN OLD TIME-STORY.
Adventure of Waldo County Man with e
big "Injun Devil


remember the time when they wa Mt so
awful source nuther. Father used to
tell lots of stories about their deviltry.
| remember special that story bout Old
Tom Hodgkins an how he became a
cripple along o. one O the varmlnts. y
With this for an Introduction one OF
Names oldest lumbermen volunteered
the following tale concerning Thomas
Uodgkins and his adventures with an
Injun devil.
The scene of the adventure which the
lumberman proceeded to unfold is now
known as the township of Brooks.
About 100 years ago numbering opera
lions were carried on there to a conSld-
cradle extent. That was before Maine
was settled to any extent north of Ban
gor and lumber used to be obtained from
what is now Brooks and Jackson town
ships.
Guns of any kind were expensive
luxuries then and there was not usual
ly more than one in camp. Wolves
were as plentiful as crows are now and
Inj un devils were also plentiful. These
Injun devils were not anything like
what are sometimes called Indian dev-
lis nowadays. but what are really only
| bobcats. The real Iniun devil has a
long tail and is of reddish brown color
1t is good deal like the panther and
as stated in contrast to the present
day bob-cat it's tail is as long as its body.
Old Tom Hodgkins, as he got to be
called later in life, had about as thrill
ing time with one as any man can
| have and live. In his time, when he
was comparatively young man. the
pigs and cows had to be kept in the log
cabins nights and even then the wolves
and Indian devils had to be often chased
off with fire brands, the only thing
on earth that they were afraid OF.
1t was one nice night in June, the
last of the 18th century, that Tom set
out to walk from one camp to another,
only matter of a couple OF miles.
The moon was shining bright and Tom
had his long knife with him and was
not in the least bit scared. The knife
would be called bowie now -a-days, but
bowie had never been heard of then.
Hodgkins was within about half a
mile of the camp when as he passed
near tree something made grab at
him. He had jumped as the bushes
switched and this probably saved his
life. As it was the cloth was torn away
On his sleeve and Tom made no delay
in getting up the first tree that he saw.
He had not got ten feet from the
ground when along black shadow with
a switching tail crept from under bush
and started for the tree. As the Great
ure skirted moonlight spot Tom saw
that it was an Injun devil and bigger
one than he had ever heard tell OF.
With never a sound, the big beast
started to climb the tree. Hiding be-
hind limb Hodgkins drew his long
knife and waited. AS the animal drew
near the man slowly moved his arm in
to position to strike. When he fancied
he could almost feel the brute's breath
he struck, and struck hard. With a
cry the brute jumped far into the night.
Blood dripped from the knife and the
man waited. Had he hit vulnerable
spot or was he doomed to a death too
horrible to think of? OF asudden his
eyes almost started from his head. At
the foot of the tree crouched dark fig
ure and even as he looked with spring
it was part way up the tree.
HOdgkins was noted in the lumber
camps for his strength and fearlessness
but as the moonlight showed him two,
balls of fire set deep in fiat wicked head
lips drawn back and long sinuous tail
switching, he turned and fled. With a
spring he was on another limb and still
climbing when something had him by
the leg
! Getting a firm grasp on the branch
with his left hand he turned and with
all his power slashed downward with
the knife. A snarl and swish as the
large paw tore through his leg and
made swing at his hand was all he
heard. He slashed again and was re-
warded by hearing the beast drop to a
lower branch.
Hodgkins climbed to the top OF the
tree but not before the muscles OF his
legs were torn to ribbons and the big
Injun devil was bleeding from a dozen
but not mortal wounds.
Hodgkins owed his life to his great
strengthened powers of endurance fol
the next morning when the man from
the camp, less than mile away. took
the cattle out he found him in the top
of the tree. Running back to the house
the man brought out his old Queen
Anne gun and shot the Injun devil;
Hodgkins pulled through somehow,
but he was a cripple for life. The In
jun devil was the largest ever seen III
those parts, and until this day stories are
told concerning the adventure.-Bangol
Commercial.
She-He eap'tlbear to have girls get ahead
of him. W