davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-12-06
CHAPTER XIV.
HOW UNCANOOLA TRAPPED THE
GREAT BEAR.

HOW UNCANOOLA TRAPPED THE
GREAT BEAR.
Twas Richard Jennifer who first
broke the noontide silence of the noun
tain top, voicing the query which was
thrusting sharp at all of us.
Now. how in the name of all the
fiends did they make shift to burrow
from yonder bag bottom into this?" he
would say
''Ez l allow, that's Jest what the good
Lord fetched us here for-to find out"
was Yeates rejoinder. do you and the
chief Cap'n John. circumambylate this
here pitfall yon way, whilst Cap'n Dick
and 1 go tother way round BY time
we've made the Circuit and fined COM
pany again. reckon we'll know for sar-
tain whether r no they climm' the
mounting to get in"
So when we had breathed us little
the circuiting was begun. Ephraim
Yeates and Jennifer going toward the
lower end of the sink. and the Catawba
and l in the opposite direction.
Since we must examine closely every
rift and crevice in the boundary cliff. it
was a most tedious undertaking and L do
remember how my great trooper boots.
sun-drying on my feet, made every step
wincing agony They say an army
goes upon its belly. but an old campaign
er will tell you that you can march a SOL
der till he be too thin to cast a shadow
if only he hath ease OF his footgear.
Taking it all in all, it proved a slow
business this looping of the sunlxen val
ley and when we had worked around to
the eastern cliff and to meeting point
with the old hunter and Richard Jenni-
fer, the sun was level in our faces and
the day was waning.
Coming together again, we made haste
to compare notes. There was little
enough to add to the common fund of in
formation. and the mystery of the lost
trail remained a mystery. True. we, the
Indian and 1. had foupd~a ravine at the
extreme upper end of the valley through
which, we thought. sure-footed horse
might be led at pinch. up or down, but
this ravine had not been. used by the
powder train. and apart from it there
was no practicable horse path leading
down from the plateau
AS for the hunter and Richard they
had made a discovery which might stand
for what it was worth. At its lower ex-
tremity the sunken valley was separated
from the great gorge without only by
ridge which was more than a huge
dam and this diking ridge was evidently
tunneled by the stream. since the latter
had no visible outlet.
IEasmuch as the most favorable point
Of espial upon the camp below was the
cliff whence we had first looked down
into the sink we harked back thither,
passing around the lower end OF the val
ley and along the barrier ridge. Plan we
had none as yet, for the preliminary to
any attempt at rescue must be some
better knowledge of the way into and out
OF Falconnets cunningly chosen strong
hold. True, we might win in and out
again by the ravine which the chief and
/ had explored at the upper end. and
Dick was for trying this when the night
should give US the curtain OF darkness
for shield. But the old hunter would
hold this forlorn hope in reserve as
last resort
Sort it out for yourself, Cap'n Dick"
he argued 'Whatsomedever we make
out to do-four on Us ag'inst that there
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-12-06
CHAPTER xxv1.
WE TAKE THE CHARRED srrcE,
FOR A GUIDE.

WE TAKE THE CHARRED srrcR
FOR A GUIDE.
q. Luckily for US the new danger was an
preaching from the westward. So. bv
dint OF the maddest hurryings we got
the bodies Of the three Cherokees hofst
upon the horses, and were able to enace
IN part the signs OF the late encounter
oeIore the band OF riders coming down
the Indian path was upon US But there
was no time to make an orderly retreat
At most we could only withdraw a little
way into the wood. hating when we were
well In cover. and hastily stripping coats
and waistcoats to mufie the heads OF the
horses.
So you are to conceive US waiting with
nerves upstrung. ready for fight or flight,
as the event should decide, sitting IN
such pent-up suspense as any or all OF us
would gladly have exchanged for the
fercest battle Happily, the breath-scant-
scanting interval was short. From be-
hind our thicket screen we presently saw
file OF Indian horsemen riding at a
leisurely footpace down the path.
Ephraim Yeates quickly named these
newcomers for US.
Tis about ez I allowed-somo O. tho
Tuckaseges a-scobting down to hold
pOwwow with the hoss-ca0tain- Now.
then, II them sharp-nosed ponies o.
their'n don't happen to sniff the blood
. The hope was dashed on the instant by
the sudden snorting and shying OF two or
three Of the horses in passing and We
laid hold of our weapons. keying our
selves to the fighting pitch. But, curl
ously enough. the riders made no move
to pry into the cause. SO far from II, they
fosged the shylng ponies into line and
rode on stolidly: and thus IN little time
that danger was overpast and the evening
silence OF the mighty forest was ours to
keep or break as we chose.
The old frontiersman was the nrst to
speak.
mought ez well thank the good Lord for
he would say. and he doffed his cap and
did 1t forthwith.
1t was as grim a picture as any Inner
Of the weird could wish to look upon.
The twilight shadows were empurpling
the mountains and gathering in dusky
pools here and there where the trees
stood thickest in the valley The hush OF
natures mystic hour was abroad. and
even the swiftly flowing river, rushing
sullenly along its rocky bed no more than
a stones cast beyond the Indian path.
seemed to intermit It's low thunderings.
There was never breath OF air astir In
all the wood. and the leaves OF the silver
poplar that will twinkle and ripple In the
lightest zephyr hung stark and motion
less.
Barring the old borderer. who had COMO
upon his knees. we stood as we weres
the Catawba holding the pack horses and
Jennifer and 1 the three that bore the
CHASTITY burdens OF mortality. The bodies
Of the slain had been nung across the
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-12-06

entire ccmpeny-this though the conolu-
sion left tho vanishing trail an unsolved
riddle. For II the women could have been
dragged through the low-springing arch
of the waterway, we knew the horses
could MOTTO say nothing OF the certain
destruction of the powder cargo In such
passage.
OF the northern mountain, though Rich
ard and I would first beg a little space
IN which to drain the water from our
boots, and to wiring some pounds weight
OF 1t from our clothes. That done we
fell In line once more, and being 50 for
tunatc as to hit upon a ravine which led
to the cliff-crowned summit, the climb
was shorn Of half of its toll and diff
Guilty. Nevertheless, by the suns height
1t was well on In the forenoon before we
came out, perspiring like sappers In q
steam bath. upon the mountain top.
As Yeates had guessed, this northern
mountain proved to be lofty table-land.
so far as could be seen the summit was
an undulating plain. less densely forested
than the valley, but with a thick sprink-
ling OF pines TO make the still, hot air
heavy with their resinous fragrance AS II
CHANGED, our ravine of ascent headed
well back from the cliff edge, so we must
needs fetch a compass through the pine
groves before we could win out to any
commanding point Of view.
The old borderer took his bearings by
the sun and laid the course Of quartering
to bring us out as near as might be on
the heights above the gorge. But when
we had gene a little way thinning of the
wood ahead warned us that we were APP
preaching some nearer break In the table,
land
Five minutes later we four stood on the
brink of a precfpfce looking abroad ,,oon
one of natures most singular caprices
conceive II you can a segment OF the Ia
ble-land in shape like a broad obliged
man o war, sunk to a depth OF mayhap
six or seven hundred feet below the gem
eral level Of the plateau. Give this ship
shaped chasm a longer dimension of two
miles or more and breadth OF somewhat
less than half Its length: bound II with
a wall-like line of cliffs falling sheer to
steep forested slopes below; prick out a
silver ribbon of a stream winding through
grassy savannas and welI-set groves OF
iordly trees from end to end of the siinkeu
valley, and you will have some picture of,
the scene we looked upon.
But what concerned us most was a
sight to make us crouch quickly lest
sharp eyes below should descry us on the
skyline Of the cliff Pitched on one of
the grassy savannas by the stream, so
fairly beneath us that the smallest can
non planted on our cliff could have
dropped shot into it, was the camp of
the powder train.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-12-06
CHAPTER XIV.
HOW WE KEPT THE FEAST OF BIT
TER HERBS

HOW WE KEPT THE FEAST OF BIT
TER HERBS
You may be sure that Richard Jennf-
fer's bitter re3roaches came home TO me
In sharpest fashion. the more since now
I saw how We had lost our chance bv
reslecting the commOnest precautions
Having determined to attack. the merest
novice OF a general would have moved
his forces to the nearest point. would
have had his scouts search out the ford
beforehand, and, above all. would never
have delayed the blow beyond the earliest
moment Of the enemy's unwatchfulness.
And yet so worn and spent were we
that the hour OF sleep and rest Cd Eph
counseled before we should again resume
the pursuit was irresistible. though
weary and fretful il would have been had
not the old scout slipped off into the
darkness and returned presently with a
bag q indian corn, which he had provf-
oentaily found at the deserted camp and
which ne IL ravenOus fashion baked and
ate IA gliDs e'er we lost consciousness
In slumber
Looking back upon the hazards and
chance takings CT our adventure in the
wiioerre ss. I recall no more promising
risk than that We ran by sleeping unsen-
tried within rife shot. for aught We
knew, Of the camp OF the enemy.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-12-06

SFN THANK YOU for the warning
Captain Falconnet" she said
facing him bravely 10 the last
\ When the tine comes. mayhsp
the dear God will give me leave
70 die as my mothers daughter should"
BAH" said he; and with that he
whlstled for his troopers; and while we
, looked, my dear lady and her tire
woman were helped upon their horses,
and at the leaders word Of command the
escort formed upon the csptives as a
center a moment later the little glade,
with the snOldering embers OF the
lodge FIRE 10 prick out It's limits IN dusky
red, was empty. and on the midnight
stiffness OF the forest the minishing
hoofbeats Of the horses ca ne fainter and
fainter til the distance swallowed them.
Then II was that my poor lad, famine
mad and frenzied. rose up 10 curse me
bitterly.
Now may all the devils in hell drag
you down 10 everlasting torments John
1reton, for your cold-hearted caution that
made us lose when we had good hope
10 WIN" he cried zone little hour I
begged for. and that hour had fought
her battle and set her free But now"
He broke on In the midst choking
with what miserable despair I knew. and
shared as well: and throwing himself
down IN the wet grass he would exc out
the bitter words upon such rawlings and
sobbings as bubble up IN sheer aban-
oonment OF rage and misery.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-12-06

"HIS is the Fourth Instsll1neat
OF ''The Eastsr Of Ap2leby."
What co you think now Of the
4 mystery Of whom Msdgs Stair
Richard Jennifer, John Ireton
OF Sir Frank Falconnet?
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-12-06

THANK you for the warning.
Captain Falconnet." she said.
facing him bravely TO the last.
When the tine comes. jmayhsp
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1903-12-22
Christmas Carols.

Parents ought to begin in time to
rIan for a happy Christmas for their
children. They need not burden
themselves buying presents; the
simplest and least expensive gifts r
the best. It is a pity that the custom
Of making costly presents is grow
ing. and that many parents sigh rath-
or than rejoice as the time of the an
nuaI merry-making approaches. 1t
should not be given over to handing
out things merely; thought to be a
radiant season., filled with sunshine
and song, and not with forebodings
and fretfulness. There are other
and better things to do than to give
things away. The best way for a
grown man or woman to enjoy
Christmas is to become a child again.
and the children would ask nothing
better. Let business cares go to the
winds. Throw off the harness, avoid
the clubs and the midnight orgies
and stay at home with the little ones
and enter into their joys and pleas
ures.-Charity and Children.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1903-12-22

never did have a harder time keep
ing anything hid, and, too, I would
slip up to my room and work on them
sometimes. Finally, the dear soul
took a notion that / was in love with
somebody and must be writing lots
of letters. I grinned and bore it, but
when / gave them to her, I begged
her next time not to ask so many
questions just before Christmas.
forgot to tell you that I told sew
eral gentlemen friends what a time
l was having getting them done, so
when they called at night I would
smuggle my work into the parlor and
crochet the whole time. Of course,
they did not object, and maybe came
oftener than they otherwise would
have done, for they felt like they
were helping me, you know. Father
remarked several times that it was
strange that I had become so sud
denly popular, but when I gave him
his home knit gloves and told him
when l knit them, he said he would
be quiet as a mouse next time, for
he had positive evidence that it was
not boys I was studying but him and
mother.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year, I beg to be.
remembered as,
JENNIE ACTON.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1903-12-22
Human Nature Hard to Understand.

One never gets old enough to I'M
derstand people, or to learn positive
lessons in contrasting them. There
is a here who has suffered al
most every sorrow and doesn't get
one-thousandth part of the love she
gives, and yet she goes around try
ing to say and do things to bless hu-
mainly. Another woman has never
suffered physical pain, and is inca
pable of feeling any other kind; she
wears tabernacle clothes; has never
faced trouble of any sort, and yet she
lives a day without saying
words of malice. One man here is
poor and Ill half the time, and he
frets because he can do so little for
other people. Another man is strong
and more than passing rich and hon
ored, and yet he harbors evil
thoughts of his fellows, and his spir-
it would prompt him to kick a dog
for no cause. You never know ex-
actly what is in the heart or head of
the other fellow, or why it is there.
In truth, a man dies without ever
having understood his W motives.
Charlotte Observer.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1903-12-22
From Jennie Acton.

Dear Aunt Jennie They do say
that to keep a talking woman's
tongue quiet, keep her at work. Well,
I believe it. I can't even write when
I am busy, and that is the reason /
have not been with you before this.
Christmas will be here soon, but l
am ready for it. What a time we
girls do have trying to hide our pre-
serves so that they will be a pleasant
surprise for somebody Why, one
year I determined to give mother a
number of crocheted mats and I
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1903-12-22
The Winter Fashions.

Dropping shoulders, the full round
skirt, voluminous sleeves and the
old-fashioned pereline are some of
the picturesque modes of the mo-
ment, and the shops abound in exqui-
site materials that have been manu-
featured especially for developing
them. For dressy gowns, the mate
rails preferred are soft and adapted
to the full, straight skirts. The new
chif~fon-velours is the material above
all others for these artistic creations.
There is an extensive variety of nov
elites in imported fabrics, among
them zibelines and camel's-hair
weaves, showing mixtures of two or
three contrasting %colors, with a
heavy mohair matte o~ver-plaid as the
distinguishing feature of some of the
samples. These goods r. fashioned
into the most modish coat-and-skirt
suits for street wear.
The reign of the shirt waist is SUI
preme, and there are all kinds of
these attractive and practical gar
ments, but the smartest girls wear
very simple waists, with no trim
ming save the conventional embroid-
cry.
Embroideries of all kinds continue
in vogue, and gowns, bodices, wraps
and, indeed, everything else bear this
stamp of good style. The old-fash-
Toned eyelet embroidery forms a
smart trimming for the simple little
cloth blouse in some delicate tint
worn over a silk slip of contrasting
color or white.
This is undeniably a button sea
son, and buttons big, small and me-
dunn size, are extensively used as
trimming as we'll as for their origi-
nal purpose of fastening garments.
There seems to be no reaction as
yet from pendent trimmings, and
there are braids, motifs and gallons
~nnumerable. Fringes of all sorts
are shown, though those of jet and
palIIcttes are perhaps better accept
ed than any other, and they r
charmingly used on black and white
1rocks of sheer fabrics.-From The
DeIineator for January.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1903-12-22
JENNIE ACTON.
A Voice from Indian Territory.

Dear Aunt Jennie:-To a Tar
Heel, fresh from Western North
Carolina, the Land of the Sky" this
country affords a striking contrast.
In place of mountain peak after peak
piercing the clouds, it is a dead, mo-
notOnous level that strains the eye
in the gazing, and wearies the brain
by its sameness, and causes one to
long with an intense longing for the
quiet river valleys of North Carroll
ma, with their escarpment of noun
tains towering into cloudland.
AS farming country it, however,
far surpasses the Eastern States,
and the ground only needs to be
clicked with a hoe to laugh with a
harvest" The crops grown here are
similar to those of North Carolina,
but the yield per acre is much larger,
and the labor of production much
less. Here a hoe is never seen in a
cornfeld and a one-horse pillow would
be a curiosity worth going miles to
see, yet I would advise no one to en-
igrate at the present time. The land
belongs to the Indians as yet, and all
sales are illegal; so a homeseeker
stands no chance of securing a home
in fee simple.
Land can be rented from the In
dams, for a term of years, and the
Indian makes an ideal landlord, but
the average Tar Heel leaves home in
order to better his condition, and he
would hardly consider the change
from proprietor to renter as a bet
terment. However, many do so, and
say there is money in it. At present
allotment has stopped and the Land
Office at Tahlequah is closed.
The Indians, that is the ~full-blood
portions of them, are in a state OF
unrest and dissatisfaction. They
have been led to believe by grafters
and designing politicians, that their
tribal government and laws would be
restored to them by January l, 1904,
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1903-12-22
Aunt Jennie's Letter.

Are you too busy to read anything
this week9 / always look forward to
Christmas week with fond anticipa-
ton, as reading is to me recreation
IN the true sense, and I then find
time to indulge in it. Papers and
magazines are laid aside for several
weeks and gazed at with longing
eyes but busy hands.
l hope that all the mothers who
have no help in the kitchen will have
prepared everything they can for the
table before Christmas day arrives,
for by doing this they, too, will have
time to enjoy some of the festivities.
If you do not, then when night comes
after that day of toll it will find you
tired and congratulating yourself
that Christmas comes but once a
year.
So many women dread the day, for
it so often causes boys and men to
forget to whom they owe their allie
glance and abuse their better selves
by indulging in a liquid which is
stronger than water and one which
will most assuredly steal their pride,
self-respect and manhood from them.
Not only this, but remember your ex-
ample weighs a lot in your friends
estimation of you. Too many a boy
has started on the road to ruin on
this holy day. 1t may be hat an egg
'nog was the first step, or a glass of
wine proffered him by some fair
hand, which caused him to fall. I
want to beg you, my girls, to prom
Use that you will not give any man
or boy any Intoxicating beverage,
either on this or any other day, for
then if in after years a brother or
friend should become addicted to
strong drink remorse will not trou-
bic you; you will have a clear con-
science. / am truly. thankful that it
is no longer considered stylish among
the young men to drink. I am glad
that older men are becoming more
careful as to the habits of a young
man whom they employ. I am espe-
cially proud of our boys who hold
their heads up and pursue the right
path in spite of ridicule from fellows
of the baser sort.
A letter this week from Indian
Territory is especially interesting,
and we hope for more of the same
kind from the same source. Jennie
Acton, too, is with us.
Wishing each and all of you a
Merry Christmas, I am as ever,
AUNT JENNIE.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1903-12-22

also that England insisted on the
fulfllment of an old treaty made and
entered into between George III. of
England and the Cherokees, long an
terror to the Revolutionary War, by
which he guaranteed to them and
their p~osterity, while grass should
grow and water run, all lands lying
between the Alleghaney mountains,
on the east, and the Mississippi River
on the west, and for some time they
have been expecting the forced re-
moEal of the pale-face from that re-
gion.
No serious danger need be appre-
hended, but many of the white rent
ers are uneasy, and tales of old In
dian outbreaks and massacres are re-
called. The whites, however, outnum-
Der the Indians FIVE to one, So the
latter realize their weakness, and will
submit in sullen silence. It is those
of their own race whom they regard
as traitors that are in danger. A
few days ago there was great excite
ment here, caused by the arrival of
several bands of Indians. It seems
that Oogalah, the great medicine man
of this place, and really possessing
wonderful skill in the treatment of
diseases, had in his treatment of
pale-face patients, used some of the
formulas and recipes considered by
the Indians sacred to the use of the
red nan only. Oogalah, however.
possesses the gift of oratory to a re-
degree, and after a long
the ~peace-pipe was smoked
and the Indians left the medicine
man to pursue his avocation in peace.
AS among his patients treated by
mail are some of New York's "Four
Hundred it is money to him to be
allowed to treat whites as well as
Indians.
In a few years this country will
offer great inducements to the seeker
after a cheap home, but at present,
he desires to rent land for a
term Of years, he had best stay away.
ELLA COOKSON.
Cookson, Indian Territory.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1903-12-22
OUR SOCIAL CHAT

All letters intended for this department
should be addressed to "Aunt Jennie - care
OF me Progressive Farmer, Raleigh, II, @.
Newport daily independent., 1903-07-25

Methodist Church Sunday school at 9:30 a. m. Preaching at II a. nl.. and S:15 p. m. by Rev. w. F. Walker
Newport daily independent., 1903-07-25
DRAINAGE COMMISSION
 WORK COMMENDED.

The Village Creek and Running Water Drainage commission met in Walnut Ridge last week and organized the board by the election of s. O.. Dowell of Lawrence, president; 0. w. Mays of Randolph, secretary; c. H. Wilmans of Jackson, treasurer. H. L. Ponder was chosen attorney for the board and he was instructed to bring suit to confirm titles to lands along the route. The commission will at once make description of the route. This drainage bill was drawn by H. L. Ponder and was introduced by Repre- sentative T. w. Campbell of Ran dolph county, and was passed by the last legislature. The bill is a long move in the right direction and this dredging process will reclaim thou sands of acres of our choicest lands. It will require two years' time for the commission to carry out the plans they have mapped out. Walnut Ridge Blade.