The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1921-02-04
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voREWoRD

To the Reader OF this Work:
In submitting Captain Carriers
strange manuscript TO you In book
form, | believe that few words rela-
tive to this remarkable personality
will be OF interest.
Ny first recollection of Captain Car
ter is of the few months he spent at
my fathers home In Virginia. just
prior 10 the opening OF the Civil war.
I was then a child Of but five years,
yet l well remember the tall, dark,
smooth-faced, athletic man whom ]
called Uncle Jack.
He seemed always TO be laughing;
and he entered into the sports OF the
children with the same hearty good
fellowship he displayed toward those
pastimes in which the men and wom-
en- OF his own age INDUCED; or he
would sit for an hour at time enter
tanning my old grandmother with
stories Of his strange. Wild life In all
parts OF the world. We all loved him,
and our slaves fairly worshiped the
ground he trod
He was a splendid specimen Of man
! hood. standing a good two inches over
six feet, broad Of shoulder and mar
row Of hip. with the carriage Of the
trained fighting man. His features
we're regular and clear cut, his hair
! black and closely cropped, while his
eyes were Of steel gray, rejecting a
strong and loyal character, filled with
fire and initiative.
When the war broke out he left us,
nor did see him again for some hf-
! teen or sixteen years. When he re-
turned | have seen him sit for hours
gazing Off into space. his face set in
look Of wistful longing and hopeless
misery and at night he would SIT thus
| looking up into the heavens. az what
did not know until I read his manu-
script years afterward.
He remained with us for about
year and then went 10 New York,
where he purchased a little place on
the Hudson. where ! visited him.
He told me at this time that n any
| thing should happen 20 him he wished
me 10 take charge Of his estate and
he gave ne a Key 10 a compartment
( In the safe which stood in his study
| telling me | would find his viii there
and some personal instructions which
/ he had me pledge myself 10 carry out
/ with absolute fidelity.
After had retired for the night I
have seen him from my window stand
al. H.. ir.ff. IT
/ the bluff overlooking the Hudson with
/ his arms stretched out TO the heavens
as though in appeal.
Several months after 7 had returned
/ home from my last visit, the first Of
/ March. 1856. ! think, / received tele-
gram from him asking me to come 10
him AZ once.
! arrived no the little station, about
mile from his grounds and the
/ livery man told me he had some very
bad news for me; the Captain had
been found dead shortly after day
light that very morning by the watch
man attached 20 an adjoining prop
erty.
For some reason this news did not
surprise me, but ! hurried out TO his
/ place as quickly as possible.
The Waterman who had discovered
him related the few details connected
with the finding Of the body II lay,
he said. stretched full length In the
snow with the arms outstretched
above the head toward the edge OF the
blur, and when he showed me the
spot II flashed upon me that 10 was
the Identical one where ! had seen
him on those other nights with his
arms raised in duplication TO the
skies
Left alone in the study. I opened
the safe and withdrew the contents OF
the drawer IN which ne had told me ]
would find my instructions lie direct
ed that remove his body To Virginia
without embalming. and that he be
laid IN an open coffin within q tomb
which he previously had had con-
structed and which. as | later learned.
was well ventilated. His further in
structlons related 10 this manuscript
which | was TO retain sealed and I'M
read Just as found IT, for eleven
years; nor was | TO divulge It's con-
tents until twenty-one years after his
death.
\ A strange feature about the tomb,
where his body still lies. is that the
massive door is equipped with a
single, huge gold-plared spring lock
which can be opened only from the in.
side.
Yours very sincerely,
EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS.
CHAPTER l.