The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-18
s4DDEsr TALE or FHE Wan.


/
saddssa That d. On me Eyes % Cnss'
Dsnael whsse Mule was Kiiaee.
MACON. No. Dec. iT.-Near the brsds'
ON the old ridge road 10 nm old log oabir
and In is q candle twinkles. just out
side q freeman Of many years attn upor
q log smoking. This 10 Uncle DAME
Thompson. tho undisputed lord OF q yei'
low dog. two pigs, COW and an acre and
half
II was an hour for ghostly legends
Tho rising moon glinted through the trees
on the eastern hills and bathed the crags
by the stream. suggesting n ruined cathe-
drai Standing majestic and alone WINS a
mighty oak. with a riven arm reaching
heipiessly to the ground, struck by the
wrath OF heaven
Hit was while dc big wah was on. >
said Uncle Daniel when they asked him
II he couldn't tell some creepy tale. i
biong to Miss Van Henerson: she buyed
me from Mas Thompson Of ole ksntuck.
Aunt Janet tole forshunes by lookin'
at dc stahs. OATS how she knowed vat
was comm. She was bout hun'red
yeahs ole an sumthin'.'
The old man hesitated and sighed.
Hit was do saddest ting dat happened
durin' de whole wah.-
Here 10 Uncle Daniels story. freely
translated:
Tho town OF Macon during the early
years OF the war was northern Missouri
headquarters for the Federal forces
Bloomin gton. the old county seat. was
called a secesssss tSwn, ,Aecalise !,.Nost
- a. 81
pathigsrs with the South. and a big COM
pany had gone out from there in 1891
to join Gen. Price. The Federal forces
would 60 over from Macon every once in
a while and round up n few rebel sym
pathizers. There was a constant dread
in Bloomington that they would come
over some time and burn the town.
One day Aunt Janet. the old seer. came
into town highly excited. She said she
had read in the stars that negro regi-
ment from Macon was headed toward
with the purpose OF firing
the town and discriminating everybody
in IL.
Such a story would have been laughed
At at other times. hut then IL was taken
seriously. Old men and boys were mus
tered on the square armed with any sort
Of weapon they could procure. and divided
INTO two companies TO guard the main
:piering town from the east and
south. TMwas agretI that IL the enemy
were sighted the court house bell should
be violently rung. so that tn" defenders
could concentrate IN one body.
One Of the volunteers conceived the
dea OF mining the road and touching tn.
fuse on Just in time 10 annihilate the
enemy. There was plenty of powder in
k..a int,
lion. The man who suggested II volin-
'eered 10 touch OH the fuse AT the right
time. The rest Of the towns defend
ars stood on either side Of the road ready
10 discharge their rifles into what was left
u the assaIlants.
The day passed without incident and
night came on. II wa, "A beautiful moon.
light evening. not cloud 10 be seen and
only enough breeze 10 make the air pleas
ant The volunteers We're all IN their
positions. resolved to do or dia for their
own. The mandate was hat no one was
10 speak above "a whisper
Ar the night Wore on the -ltIia ton began
Ia have its effect on the nerves OF the :
defenders. The screech 90 an owl. the
rail- Of bird. the rustic of leaves, all
ihese might indicate the approach Of the
hostile hand.
Presently there was tn. sound Of
horses hoofs on she highway. They Were
beating rapidly. and in the minds Of the 1
defenders OF the town the sounds were
into a mighty cavalry force /
Guns. corn knives. clubs and other weap- I
ons were clutchsd nervoisly II was a I
terrifying moment The real battle Of :
the great war was a bout to occur
On rushed the enemy. a. IL determined /
TO ride down all oppo- ition. A broad /
sheet Of fame shot up into the air like the /
popon 81 voicano-the man 81 the mine [,
had done his work we'll. There was not a /
yestige ~ an army left.
The defence force gathered about the I
spot where tho mine had been. Things ,
began coming down from the sky. Among
hem was n great dark object which .
struck the earth with a mighty 'hud.
gave hoarse gasp and was still. II was
hig black mule. That's all there was
u Aunt Janet's dire prophecy
The party laughed as the old man CON
studied his tale
That's q good enough story. Uncle
Daniel said one Of the gentlemen. but
What was there 20 sad "A bolt IT,