Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-12-14
THE RED STORM
Or the Days OF Daniel Boone
--O-=
B y J E L o B N o N

! subject myself. He came among US
| about four weeks ago. He has man
| aged to make himself peculiarly agree
able to Esquire Aston. and that he
| loves his handsome daughter Rosalthe is
no secret among US. The girl fears him.
| What the secret of his influence is, I
have not been able to discover"
| Does Mr.. Aston favor the preten-
sions Of the Frenchman?" asked Allan,
earnestly.
Most decidedly. Esquire Aston was
| formerly a man of wealth, and could
indulge in the luxuries of refined life
He also has indubitable claims to a no.
bic ancestry. He married into distin-
guished family and his daughter receiv-
| ed an education far superior to that
which usually falls to the lot of young
| ladies. Having lost most of his wealth
! by an unfortunate investment, he turned
! his attention to this new country, and
had the courage to dare a pioneers life.
but if Squire Aston has any weak point,
it is that his sweet daughter should mar
! ry a gentleman"
The conversation was interrupted at
that moment by the entrance of Simon
henton, man whose name is honOrably
! mentioned In the annals of Kentucky
history. His face had frank and hon
est expression which served as q pass
port to the good opinion of Allan The
| brief ceremony of Introduction had
scarcely been finished before another in
| dlvldual made his appearance in the
cabin of the pioneer. This was Joel
| LogstOn, a man of extraordinary mus
| cular power, and of whose wonderful ex-
| plolts tradition is yet eloquent. He was
| followed by one of the largest and ugli-
est dogs that ever aspired to the friend
ship of human being
On account of the explosive and fiery
nature of his disposition his master had
bestowed upon him the name of Vesu-
wins. Nesuvius was q snappish and fret
full cur, given to sudden, violent and dan
gerous eruptions Of the lava of wrath,
when it became imperatively necessary
for all within a certain area to with
draw themselves speedily to escape in
slant worriment with tooth and nail.
This ungentle mastiff always walked
about six inches behind Joel Logston,
except when engaged in his favorite pur-
suit of hunting, for on these occasions
he was invariably in advance of every
thing in the shape of quadruped or BIZ
ped.
Joel LogstOn was quite as celebrated
| for his marvellous variations and extrav-
agant style as for his physical strength.
No man of the three settlements could
tell with such incompatible self-posses-
sion and GOODNESS such stories as he did,
With this strong proclivity to exaggera-
ton was combined a rough drollery and
| good nature that made him at all times
q very agreeable companion. If Joel had
any malice in his heart it manifested it
self in putting Andrew in mortal fear
| by causing Vesuvius to show his teeth
and make several hostile demonstrations
| toward him. Nor was Andrew the only
subject of these currish prosecutions.
Mr.. Alston's colored man, Exquisite Eb-
ony, was another martyr to Joel and his
mastiff.
While Allan was partaking of the
substantial hospitality of the pioneer in
the form Of excellent venison and other
| wholesome and palatable viands, Log
ston amused all the parties by relating
one of his recent adventures, in which
he asserted with much modesty of man
ner, that he had no doubt slain four
teen Indians with his own hand, besides
doing to death litter of bears of six
months, with their sire and dam. For
the truth of this reasonable statement
he appealed to Vesuvius, who answered
with a short, sharp and expressive yelp,
and then fixed his fiery eyes upon An
drew in such a threatening manner that
the latter retreated to the farthest cor
ner of the room, rolling his eyes in great
alarm.
Simon Kenton, though a Drawer man
in the hour of danger never held a rife,
sat silent and reserved as a young IL aid
en-; but Allan observed that his ewes
sought the neat figure of Lizzie Boone,
as she moved lightly about the dwelling.