Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-11-04
THE INDIAN WHO
REMEMBERED v
BY III. "A. Bruce
Copyright, 1907 by t. C. Mcclure

y y -
Sam Augustus was OF the Algonquin
,,ihe typical Indian of these days of
reservations, lazy, shiftless and ad-
d,eted to strong drink. AS an Indian he
was more or less despised by the white
men with whom he came in contact,
bnf was much too easy going to be dis
tnrbed by that. The possessor of a
small farm on Georgina island, he was
co far true to the traditions of his an
cestors as to allow Mrs. Sam Augustus
IN earn his living for him. which she
eheerfully did, reaping harvest in the
simmer time by weaving baskets of
sweet grass and reeds for the holiday
seekers who annually visited Beaver
ton.
Beaverton was the most picturesque
snot on the shores of Lake Simcoe, but
Sam Augustus, ON the occasions of his
periodical visits to the mainland, never
stopped to contemplate its various
ponts of interest There was but one
attraction in the place for him, and
that 1t must be confessed with shame,
was the harroom of the Alexandra
House
Sans visits to Beaverton, or, to be
more exact, to the Alexandra House,
usually terminated in his crawling into
the loft of the hotel stable, there to
sleep off the effects of the potent fire
water he had imbibed. But on Satur-
day night in June he enjoyed a novel
experience.
Paul Wilson had come to the mill
that day with a load of grain and had
converted the grain not into flour, but
into greasy bits of paper which he
deemed far more useful. Then, as he
was consumed with great thirst and,
moreover. had the wherewithal to slake
It. he naturally turned his team toward
the Alexandra House. Matters follow
ing in logical sequence, Paul Wilson
developed ere night into drunken
bully. with Sam Augustus the especial
object of his hectoring. Sam, indeed.
was in fair way to get the beating Of
his life when Ed Daleton interfered.
Daleton interfered to such an extent
that Paul was escorted to the village
hospital, while Sam Augustus, ready
by that time to consent to any proposal,
acceded to Daleton's request to 60
home with him and in the morning
join the haymakers on the Daleton es-
tate.
An hour later found Sam tucked into
the most comfortable bed he had ever
known. Ere morning came. however.
the bed was empty. The Indian had
already repented his rash promise to
go 10 work. Still, he took away moth
ing but himself and his dirty clothes,
wherefore. Daleton argued. he must
have felt at least half way grateful.
The summer days passed away, and
the autumn shadows heightened into
the blackness of winter, but Sam Au-
gustus had not once appeared at the
Alexandra House since that night in
June. Whatever conjectures the ha-
bltues OF the place might have hazard
ed concerning his absence were driven
out Of mind, however, by series Of
occurrences which gave the villagers
ample reason for not only much gossip,
but also much alarm.
Thieves made their presence felt In
mat Sleepy Hollow OF Canada. One
burglary followed another in rapid
succession First 1t was the residence
OF the reeve that was visited; then it
was the doctors house and next the
real estate Office. In every case the
craftsmen went about their work in
way that proved they were no novices.
or all this Sam augustus was In pro-
found ignorance. He and Mrs. Sam
were now the only inha bitants Of Geor-
gina island, the half dozen other Indl-
ans WHO comprised the normal popula-
ton being away with some wild west
show. For mahy moons Sam had re-
maiaed at home with his wife, fighting
manfully against his lpst for drink,
but at last a day came whSn. Sam de-
clded that he must yield or de. So
with the setting of the sun he strapped
on his skates and started over the ice
TO Beaverton.
lie had gone but few rods in the di-
Fection of the long pier, some six miles
distant, when the brisk. snappy winter
air gave him an insensate desire to
make circuit Of Georgina island be-
Tore striking out for the mainland
Now, it was not such a difficult task
that he had set himself, as Georgina is
out three miles long by two wide.
He was passing a little cove on that
side of the island farthest from his
nome when he noticed what looked I'M
commonly like boats sail Tapping in
the wind. This impressed Sam as being
bit out of the ordinary for mfdwinter,
but what gave him a distinct shock
was seeing light in log cabin that
10 his knowledge had been unoccupied
for years.
There was enough of his ancestors
blood in his veins TO make him wary,
and he conjectured. not without reason,
that whoever was in the old cabin had