Year: 1871

| Ill ;ttl undertone; 'Pd rather give mn


pas best COW than-but never mind;


don't believe word of it myself"


Old Isaac, however, nothing doubt ing


pursued his way. and penetrated the thicl


underbrush of shrub-oaks, until he reach


ed the place that had been indicated BY


the lad


Sure enough, crummie was there, en-


tangled by the horns, and in the sorry
halt-starved condition which the boy hat
| foretold.


The youthful diyiner awaited the re-
turn OF Isaac with more anxiety than he


had ever felt before; and shudderin9
sensation crept over him when toward
| evening, he saw the old brindled favorite


in an emaciated and pitiful plight, wend-
ing her way slowly homeward, followed
by CroWtoot in person. Joining the poor


man as soon as possible, Stone learned


all the circumstances Of the finding, md


at the end OF their conference implored


Uncle Isaac to say nothing about tie


matter protesting that it was guess-work,


mere accident, as he felt confident il


his own mind it must be- But if the good


man could have kept the secret, his spouse


could do no such thing; and the incident


was consequently noised abroad, greatly


to the annoyance of the lad, and without


being diminished by repetition, until short


ly reports of no slight magnitude and


equivocal complexion found their way to


his parents.


The investigation that grew out of this


incident brought to light his midnight


viglls, in which the parents readily dis
covered the cause of their sons i'll health
for by this time his constitution, never
vigorous had begun apparently to yield.
His checks had become unusually pale,
and his flesh seemed to be wasting by
degrees away. Indeed the lad admitted
that, whether it was the want of sleep or
that "virtue had gone out of him." he
never past a night in ''casting a figure"
without experiencing prostration and
loss of nervous forcc,-the same loss of
vital force, undoubtedly, that modern
trance-mediums feel after one of their
scances. Accordingly, he was requested
by his parents to discontinue his astrolo-
gical studies; while, at the same time, in
the hope that change Of air would be
beneficial, he was sent to the parish Of
Applebury, a beautiful country town on
the Long Island coast, where he was to
continue his classical studies under the di-
rection OF the late reverend and venerable
DR.. Elliott, 4 clergyman, distinguished
alike for his scholarly attainmcnts and his
piety.


But the story Of Isaac Crowfoot, and
the singular finding of his truant COW,
followed the lad to Applebury; and be-
fore he had reached his sixteenth wear he
had occasion to make additional trials of
his skill, his extreme reluctance to do
which was overcome only by the most
entreaties.


1t happened that in the regular course
Of his business rs West India trader,
Captain David Hoyt. an old friend and
relative OF the father of the writer, pur-
chased cargo Of mules-an animal for
merly OF extensive expectation from Con-
necticut to those islands-and sailed, in
vessel of his own, bound to St. Domingo
A step-son of Captain IIoyt, Of about the
age of young Stone accompanied him.
He was the only son of his mother, and
greatly beloved and was until his death
a lew years since, Il respectable farmer in
The vessel was long time
absent, and no intelligence from her was
\ blig when 5alIeu Trom Ap-
f'lchuly in vulnPtny with Captain Hoyt
had made prosperous voyage and re-
but no tidings Of the other were
brought back, nor had She arrived out at
the time the brig sailed on her return
His friends, consequently, became exceed
ingly anxious respecting his fate; and the
wife OF the absent captain, greatly alarm
cd for the safety both of her husband and
son, having heard the gossip touching the
wonderful finding Of the long-lost brindlc
COW, came to our young hero, beseeching
him to inform her of the fate of the absent
and those on board. There was
no atfectation in the youth, and he was
really and truly reluctant to renew the
experiment. But after much persuasion
he consented to crafty the feelings Of the
anxious wife and mother Us far as lay in
his power, although he admonshed the
good woman against reposing any conf
dence in his reputed skill. In sober
honesty he had no confidence in it himself
for, in respect to the previous affair. he
regarded it only in the light of one of
those condolences frequently occurring in
the course of human events, but which
are not exactly susceptible Of mental
philosophy.


Contrary, however, to his expectations
and even to his own wishes, during u
night of laborious application, the results
of his figures enabled him to return full
answer on the following morning, the
correctness Of which would be tested in a
few days. This answer was, that the alb
sent schooner, after having parted COM
pany with the aforementioned brig, had
been for IL long time becalmed. The cap
oil Int +I<;,,
provisions had become short, their pro-
vender and water exhausted, and the
greater part Of the mules had died of
starvation. The vessel, according to the
''iigure," would to q certainty put back
in distress, and arrive within Sandy Hook
on the following Tuesday, after having,
on the preceding day, thrown the last Of
the mules overheard, and would reach
Applebury the next Thursday 1t proved
to be even SO. On the Tuesday following
the prediction, Captain Hoyt and his step
son arrived in Applebury from New Y Yorl
and in relating the events of the disas-
trous voyage confirmed all that young
Stone had OWNED to the minutest partic-
ular, even to the hour at which they ran
past the Sandy Hook lighthouse and enter
ed New York.


The fulfilment of the prediction, if such
it might be called, was yet matter OF
greater surprise to the yonng astrologer
than in the former instance He was con
scious of having Intentionally done or at
temptednothng wrong on either occasion;
but the success which had attended his cal
culatlons was Il subject utterly inexpl
cable even to himself, and he was half
induced to believe that there must nave
been an evil experimenting agency in the
premises. He shuddered at the idea for,
although not at that time communing
member of the Church, his mind was
deeply imbudded with religious feelings.
From his earliest infancy his young
thoughts had been directed heavenward;
the habits and all the regulations of his
fathers household were religious: the
observance of all the outward forms of
devotion were strict and unremitted on
the part of the father; while all its sweet
est and most attractive influences were
beautifully illustrated in the quiet and IN
obtrusive, yet active examples of the
mother A moments reflection however,
convinced him of the groundlessness Of
his apprehensions. In the exercise of his
supposed power Of divination, he had only
followed rules laid down in nrinted hooks