The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-07-24
THE INDIAN WHO
REMEMBERED
BY II. a. Bruce
Copyright, 1909. by T. c. Mcclure

Sam Augustus was OF the Algonquin
tribe. a typical Indian of these days OF
reservations. lazy, shiftless and ad-
dicted to strong drink. As an Indian he
was more or less despised by the white
men with whom he came in contact.
but was much too easy going TO be dis
turbed by that. The possessor of
small farm on Georgina island, he was
so far true to the traditions Of his an
cestors as to allow Mrs. Sam Augustus
to earn his living for him, which she
cheerfully did, reaping harvest in the
summer time by weaving baskets of
sweet grass and reeds for the holiday
seekers who annually visited Beaver
ton.
Beaverton was the most picturesque
spot 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
points OF interest. There was but one
attraction In the place for him, and
that, IT must be confessed with shame,
was the barroom 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 a great thirst and.
| moreover, had the wherewithal to slake
1t. he naturally turned his team toward
the Alexandra House. Matters follow
| ing In logical sequence. Paul Wilson
developed ere night into a drunken
bully, with Sam Augustus the especial
object of his hectoring. Sam, indeed,
was in a 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 paleton's request to go
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
| 20 to work. Still. he took away moth
L l,,r, l,.N nd frfr rln hos
| 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-
bitues of the place might have hazard
ed concerning his absence were driven
out Of mind. however. by a series OF
occurrences which gave the villagers
ample reason for not only much gossip.
but also much alarm
Thieves made their presence felt In
that Sleepy Hollow OF Canada. One
burglary followed another In rapid
succession. First It was the residence
of the reeve that was visited; then II
was the doctors house and next the
real estate Office In every case the
cracksmen went about their work In a
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 inhabitants Of Geor
gina island, the half dozen other Indi
ans who comprised the normal popula
ton being away with some wild west
show. For many moons Sam had re
mained at home with his wife. fighting
manfully against his lust for drink
but at last a day came when Sam de
cided that he must yield or die. Sc
with the setting of the sun he strapped
on his skates and started over the Ice
to Beaverton.
He had gone but a few rods In the di
rection of the long pier, some six miles
distant. when the brisk, snappy winter
air gave him an insensate desire L
make a circuit of Georgina island be
fore striking out for the mainland
Now, 1t was not such a difficult tasl
that he had set himself, as Georgina !.
but three miles long by two wide.
He was passing a little cove on tha
side of the island farthest from hi
home when he noticed what looked un
commonly like a boats sail Tapping Il
the wind. This impressed Sam as beinI
a bit out OF the ordinary for midwinter
but what gave him a distinct shocl
was seeing a light In a log cabin tina
to his knowledge had been unoccupie'
for years.
There was enough of his ancestors
blood in his veins to make him wary
, and he conjectured. not without reasor
that whoever was in the old cabin ha
, no right to be there. So he stoope
down. unfastened his skates. slun
;. them around his neck and. swift as
deer, ran to the shore of the cove. Cat
a tiously he crept over the snow until h
4 stood behind the cabin and looked
through n window.
n Seated at a little table were two mel
!. both keen visaged. both well dresse
and both youthful. Overhead hung
a dirty lantern. On the table betwee
l. them was spread out n sheet OF whit
4 paper. which they were examining wit
a great interest.
"a This" Sam heard one say. pointin
to u mark on the paper, lis the yerai
a da entrance l was telling you about.
h leads straight into the old mans room
and they say he generally has a lid
ann around Farther along here In