Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1907-09-20

about 'ein. I shant live 20 tell that
story many more years Maybe ! shaii
never tell IL again"
The servants brought ont the Nv"
kettles into the Kitchen where We
could see them through the wide dih'
ing room door
.Put 'em IN the middle 81 the Hoo
before the window" said Uncle Zeoe-
dee. There. that will do. That Is
lust where they were when the Indian
came. You see the Window ne
added.
II had a great. deep set easement.
Grapevlnes half curtained II now on
the outside, and the slantins sun sh"he
through them. its beams glimmerins
on the old silver Of the table. IL
was past the middle Of the afternoon
of the shortening days II autumn.
you have all heard of Philips
war" continued Uncle Zebedee. leaning
forward from his chair on his crutch-
"Everyb body has. II destroyed thirteen
towns of the old colony AMI FOR two
years filed every heart with terror.
Philip struck here, there and every
| where. No one could tell where he
would strike next The sight Of an
Indian lurking about in the woods or
looking out of the pines and bushes
usually meant massacre.
zone Sunday In July. in 1910. the
family went to meeting. leaving two
small children. boy ani girl. at
home in the charge Of maid named
Experience The kitchen then was
as YOU see II now. The window was
open; the two brass kettles had been
secured on Saturday and placed bot
tom upward on the floor just as you
see them there.
"It was a blazing July day. The
hayfields were silent. There was an
odor of hayricks in the air. and the
bobolnks. ! suppose. toppled about In
the grass and red winged blackbirds
piped among the wild wayside roses
just as they do now. | wish that you
could have seen the old hayiieldS In
the long July afternoons, all scent and
sunshine. 1t makes me long for my
boyhood again Just 10 think of them.
But ! shall never NOW again.
Let me see The two children were
sitting on the floor near the two ket.
ties. Experience was preparing dinner
and had made fire in the great brick
oven which heated the bricks. but did
not heat the room.
We'll, on passing between the oven
and the window she CHANGED to look
toward the road. when she saw a sight
that fixed her eyes and caused her Il
throw up her hands with horror, Just
like that"
Uncle Xebedee threw up both hands
like exclamation points, and let his
crutch drop into his lap.
We'll, the maid only lost her wit,
for few moments. She flew to tn,
window and closed 1t and oolted tn,
door. Then she put one of the children
under one of the brass kettles and tn,
other child under the other kettle anC
took the iron shovel and lifted II SO an,
waited to see what would happen
and
Uncle Zebedee lifted his crutCh. lik'
an interrogation point, ana We coult
easily imagine the attitude OF the ex
cited maid.
"And-where was 20
THE children were under the tvs,
brass kettles, and the maid tas stand
Ing with the fire shovel in her han,
So" said aunt. La, I've heard tina
story ever since | was little girl"
Yes, yes; have it all now" sal,
Uncle Zebedee. she was standing
with the fire shovel up so. when sh
discovered that the Indian had gun
gun.
"You see that old fntlock there owe
the sideboardf used to fire 1t off ey
cry Fourth of July, but the last time
fired 1t kicked me over once, Don
kicked, but 1t never knocked me owe
- before | don't think | am quite a
5 vigorous as | used to be, and
/ what did the maid do with tn
e gum" asked aunt.
l. THE gun--yes, that was the gun, tn
y one up there. The gun was up in tn
It chamber then, and she dropped tn
y shovel and ran upstairs to find it. Ri
D 1t was not loaded, and the powder wa
in one place and the shot in anothe
d and In her hurry and confusion sh
e heard pounding on the door, just liz
e that"
i Uncle Zebedee raped on the old GA
It table with startling effect, and thel
IL after moments confusion. continued
Ii "She loaded the gun and went down t
l. the foot of the stairs and locke
Re through the latch hole of the sta
I door, so-and-yes, and the Indian wa
O standing ut the window that Windov
e His two eyes were staring with Won
der on the two brass kettles. He In
'e probably never seen a kettle like thes
W before, and he did hot know what the
u We're.
}. while he stood staring ana wonde
~ ing the kettles began to move. Tw
81 little hands protruded under the bail
'e each of them. like turtles paws, for tt
" kettles stood on their ears, which lifte
y them little way from the floor On
= =, of the children began to creep and
III cry, moving the kettle The other b
" gan to do the same. The cries cause
the kettles to ring. Two creeping Ike
- ties! They looked like two big beet,
" or water turtles, and such the India
y might have thought them to be, bl
IL
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