Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-02-18

CllIlDli II uSW Sic llNlu VIII give
We new birth O. mind, body m
soul, and make We bud out all over
new and leafy, like a mountain sap
lin. Just what it'll do. It's sure
Ecure fer all the miseries O. human
natur!"
! The afternoon they spent in roam
ing about the rough clearing, thick
ly interspersed with stumps and lux
uriant with groupings of tender
grass and clover; embroidered by
the tall fire-weed and wild raspberry.
The smell of new made land was
in the air. Hunter ] ohn and his
father pointed out to the visitors
their little f1ocks of sleek cattle and
sheep that the mountain settlers re-
garded with so much pride and
guarded with So much care from
the wild animals. They came to a
large birch stump in which hollow
had been burnt out, forming
smooth, bowl-shaped cavity; and
just above it hanging from a sap
ling was round stone of size to fit
the cavity in the stump. Seeing the
curiosity of the visitors, Hunter
Johns father said: That's plump
ing mill or samp mortar for pound
in out corn. You run across 'em
once in awhile in the back woods
where the settlers are skurse. Yer
see that saplin is springy and helps
with its muscle the arm O. the
FOUNDER. They are quite a handy
continuance when the amt no
pudding-mill in twenty miles, as
twas when we fust moved up here"
In the evening the sire entertained
his visitors with stories of the early
pioneer days in the Green Noun
tains. Of the labors, tolls and ad-
ventures of that period. Said he:
There was once an old Iniin chief
! who called on my folks good many
years ago, down in the valley when
it was fust beginnin' to be settled
up. 1t was in the dead O. night
long arly in the fall, he came N
thumped on the door; father got up
and opened it s'misin' twas one O.
the neighbors. and 10, there stood
: an old Injin with red blanket slung
= over his shoulders; he had on buck
: skin breeches and bow and arrows
: and peace-pipe was hangin' from
his belt, and from raw-hide string
} about his neck hung a heart.shaped
stone, bout twice the size of the
palm of yer hand; eagle-feathers
, were tied in his long tangled hair
and in his hand he carried an old
\ flintlock. :"
e Hello!" SEE pa, who be your
r ugh! Ugh! Big Chief, Moosala
! moo! Pale-face, Injun, kip wig
3 wam?'"
Wal. wal. SEE pa, come in
I'll give We sompin' t'eat and place
to sleep on the floor; hain't got ne
spare bed.
Next mornin' father tried t
Il find out the old Injun's hist'ry, n
e where he hailed from and was bounc
: fer; he answered by pintin' his fin
ger northwest, sayin', heap woods,
a and then turned and pinted south
ward, sayin' away indicatin' the
t direction whence he came and
r whittier goin'. Father thought
r p'raps he might be a runner sent
out from some tribe in the Canadian
: forest, or Adirondacks, to some
e other he knew not where. Father
: reached out his hand to examine
that Gurus stone he had hung about
| his neck, and as he did so, the old
: Injun grasped hold O. the stone with
Y both hands and wouldn't let father
n touch it; then he took fathers hanC
and said: 'Paleface heap good, In
J jun good leap long, and started of
i southwark, as 1.-THE and deft as {
hound on it's scent. That old lnjur
y was alters a mis'try to father, anC
F., what puzzled i'm more n anything
/! else was that ere stone he hid on tt
e so tight"
u Tell 'em how you got yer lame