The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, May 09, 1879, Image 1
HPUIVO U, ItUUgt;!
- ?dealer IN? '
KCERIE8, HARDWARE,
BOOTS AND SHOES.
MANUFACTURER OF
ARE, 8TOYE PIPE AND SHEET
IRON PANS. '
? qXTPTBRING Alto
DONE AT SHORT NOTICE.
; :o:
I HAVE just received * large lot of Groceries,
ooneieting of
Angers, Coffeer, T^ia, ,
Molasses and 8y rails,' ' Jt
11 aeon, Lard find SWt',
Flour, Rice and Gridfa.
Cheese and Canned Goods.
ALSO A COMPLETE STOCK OF
BOOTS, SHOES AND HATS.
II .V It I) W A It E .
In this line I have everything you may want,
from a Cambric Needle to a llroad Axo.
^ :?:
Cooking and Heating Stoves.
NEVER. SO CHEAP B^JORE.
I invito an examination of tfay Stock, knowing
thai 1 can please in qttdftjfcugmitity and
price. ;< .
IjoYafa ^anVTin
1 manufacture my own Tin Wnre, Stove Pipe
end Sheet Iron Pans, which I warrant to be of
tli* very boat quality,
ROOFING, GUTTERING and REPAIRING
DONK PROMPTLY ANP WELL.
fastings for Stores furnished at the Shortest
Notice.
BOX'T NEGLECT TO CALL ON
J. If. RODGER.
Not 20 48 tf
scow*
?0OOKIXO 01 HIATINft
New Excelsior Oil Stove.
?M< ttoa THlng ftor Llfkt HonMkMplaf.
XI will Bred, Roast, ul Btki battar than a Goal or
Wood Mora Sand for Circular*. AGKNT8 WAMTCD.
COLEK AH OAS APPARATUS ARB
OIL CO..
T? Imr - - Caicsao, Iii.
Tha Orsat Cmm for D/ipmilt, Indlgaatloa, Billon*
Baadacha, Urn Complaint, r??r and Aft*, Or?1
r. FISBin
Medicated ^SbPTIO*.
pel TQ *o Drogn No Doctor Bllto.
DLL I Of Sand for Circular*, daacrtb..
log tha Abaorptlon Ouiw
and tha rarolutlon it to causing la tha aoiaaaa at am
gaa
XhrnmUBsltlik.
Vtrtr and AgM MtM.
Tmto Bait, #9, and Infoati Bait, ft* *
IfcaaaBalU wlllbaaanttoanTaddraaafraaof poataga
'Or mm racalpt of ftix)aach, or 91.00 tor Infant's Bait.
AGXHT8 wan tad in avery aountj in tit*
United Stataa.
Address, FISHER MEDICATED BELT CO.
282 Illinois St., Chieego.
Feb ^1 8 ,'im
T ft ITT * * T ? A n
J. W. W ALL Al; L,
ATTORNEY AT LAW
AND TRIAL JUSTICE,
UNION C. H., So. Ca.
WILL praotiee in all Courts of tbia Stale.?
kTrompt attention to business.
Trial Justice business transacted without delay.
Ofhee opposite Hotel, in II. L. Goes' new
^building.
AprilI8 J 16 8m
~0. o7 OULPr
ATTORNEY AT LAW.
%-OPPICE OVER
SHAID dc MII1IRO,
Will practice in fte Circuit and Supreme
Courts of the State.
Jan _ _ * fane.
"SAMUEL S. STOKES,
TRIAL JUSTICE,
Union C, If., B. .
All twain ess in the jariadictien of a Trial Jus(ilea
attended to with promptness.
Office eeer Sleedman ft Rawls' law office.
Jaw 3 1 tf
014 Papom for Sole.
It ngN^unn: At tw? office.
f*'T' v* '
fe, .
yJXs sdite:
A Western Story of the Way of 18 IS.
BY J. L. M'COWNBL, AUTHOR Of "TALBO'
AJtD VRRNON," ETC.
% CHAPTER Hi//
TlUI CyiASE-EXL>EI?.
No mor? Mao\he first gray streaks o
dawn had ahot up- frdin the eastern horizon
when tha,disappointed rangors were ngaii
astir. " Their horses?which had been pick
eted upon the prairie, each with a long rope
after the ranger fashion of foeding?wen
-final take* te a little alream to driiik7 ai?r
then moved to a fresh place, to graze unti
their riders were prepared to mount. Suet
provision as they nad made against theii
own hunger was then dispatched withoul
delay and with little preparation. Fortu
natcly, however, the wedding feast had furn
ished viands enough for more than ten timet
their number; and with the readiness of the
women of those days, each had been pro
vided by wife, sistor or sweetheart, with
supplies, ample and well selected.
It was now plain, thut the chase before
them was a long one ; and it was no equivocal
augury of their resolution to follow it
to tho end, that they thus set out with systematic
prudence. *
By the time they had fiuished a hast*
breakfast, and each taken a deep draught
from the stream whero they hud watered
their horses, the gray of the dawn had
deepened into red, and the dew-drops upon
the bending grass were sparkling like div
moods in tho opening light. The birds
within the grove were fluttering, full ol
matin songs, from branch to branch, or float
ing off?in long and graceful flights?fai
ovor the verdant plain : the grouso came
out upon the knolls, where the herbage was
short and green, and strutting pompous!)
fromside to side, clumsily plumed thomselvet
in the morning beams: on tho ridges, farther
off, the deer stalked out from sheltering
hollows, and stamping daintily upon the
ground, or tossing proudly up their nutlercd
heads, snuffed vainly at the rising wind.
A low, faint sigh, as of a passing spirit,
floated?scarcely audible-?along tho jeweled
gross, and shook the jewels gently from
tho blades. The stars went slowly out, 01
I Iks biighiiufcwfrbu*
the shadows that still lingored round the
groves were fading rapidly, or deepening
iuto shade j the red in the east grew yellow,
and an arc of whito announced the sun's
approach. The day had taken full possession
of the earth and sky.
"There is light enough now, boys," s?id
Edgar, risiug to bis feet, "to begin the
search for the trail. Let us saddle up and
be off."
Time was never wasted by theso men ;
within five minutes all were in the saddle,
and extended along the northern and western
skirts of the grove, in search of indications
left by the cucmy. A signal was
given by one at tho extreme north?the trail
was found, and the whole company at once
galloped to the placj. Edgar sprang to the
ground, and examined the track.
"Just as I suspected, boys," said lie, remounting.
"There has been but one Red skit
here, and he has been sent this way, tc
build that fire and at'.ract us from the pur
suit/'
"Titdiiin lito " uniil
I ?MVJ
used our own vigilance, to circumvent us.
Hut we'll never give it up so, Captain."
"Never," was Edgar's deeided answer,
"Hut we have lost ths trail, and must recover
it. Wo must separate into small parties,
and continue the chase. Wo are pretty
nearly due enst from the Portage, for which,
I think, they are making?at all events,
they will not go south of it. We will meet
?in the evening?there; or, if the trail
should turn northward, wo may eouio together
sooner. Let no one linger on the
way?wo have lost too much time already."
The company was soon divided iutc
squads of two and three ; Edgar took with
him White and George Fielding; and, re
peating the injunction not to linger, rode
away to the north-west. The three othei
divisions set out at tho same time, upon di
verging lines; but all maintaining the same
goneral direction.
For an hour, those in tho centre kept al
the rest in view; but, at the cud of thai
time, the undulations of the prairie, anc
the rapidity with which they traveled, hat
completely separated them. Edgar, and
the two companions, whom he had ohonct
as well for tho excellence of their horses
as for their well-known courage and cool
ness, were upon the extreme right, or North
era flank?a post which the young cap
tsin had selected, both on account of it
danger and for the advantage it gave him
should the Indians turn to the north. Iti
with him that we must continue the chase
Several hoars passed away, during whiol
they bad crossed the belts of timber whiol
grew upon the banks of two or throe prairi
dircub f kudu, uo spprowoiog ODC VI IU
Cahokia, they suddenly found themaelve
upon the trail of a single horseman. Keep
iog away from the timbe/, it stretched tc
ward the north, parallel with the coarse o
the stream, disdaining the eonoealoien
which might have been in the wood. Th
throo drow up, and Edgar dismounted.
It is tho runic Indian who kindled th
t?mk.' Wbat ihinkVou V
?That if we follow nim," White
"Wo Shall bo ltd away from the chase. He
r taff'es too much pains to show ua which Way
he has gone." * . . . * *>
"You are right," .eaid Edgar; "f<J* Jte
has passed hire since sunrise, and his horse
was as fresh as when he left the gto
The water is all brnshad from his tracks,
' bat is not disturbed between. .We'll not
> follow hrm." ,/
1 And, without further eonsultatiob," he
* sprang again to the' saddle, ejP<K resumed
> bis original direetioo^Vh'l^mJ^indeM,
P rather from 'than, toward, theliflrefkriyib
I I'hoseiittleindtcattoiia-^-Ifke circumstantial
' evidence?moro convincing than positivo
1 declarations, or more apparent signs, satisr
fiud him that this was an attempt to draw
t him off. lie smiled at tho shallowness of the
- deceit and rode away. His companions
' understood his reasoning almost iustiuctive'
lv. [The fact that the grass was dry in the
> tracks, proved that (bcj had been made i
' since suurise ; becauso the dew must hare i
1 ceased to drip from one blade to another, 1
and its being undisturbed between cstab1
lished the freshnoss of the Indiau's horse, i
' because every bound was a clear spring 1
from the ground.] Fifteen minutes brought
' them to the outskirts of Cahokin timber;
and, after a rigid examination of this, <
' they issued again npon the prairie tow- <
' ard the West, maintaining the same course. 1
Thev wore now nnnrnnr?Viint? a >?.* ?
-v M UIU1V UUUOU'
1 ly wooded country. The prairies grew nar1
rower acd were broken, here and there, by ,
' groves and strips of timber, along the banks |
1 of numerous little Btreams. The ground ,
^ became uneven, in places even hilly ; and ,
' every thiug denoted tlfo approach to the ,
Mississippi. This continued for about three
' hours, during which they had made scurce1
ly five miles an hour: it was noon, too, and ,
' tho September suu was pouring upon their ,
1 heads the overpowering heat of tho season. .
A halt became neccessury, both for incu and j
I horses. Edgar rodo within the shelter of
1 the timber, and dismounted on the bank of |
a shallow stream?tho first they had seen .
with a gravolly bed.
p "We must rest awhile, boys," he said,
"and recruit our horses, or we shall break
' down before night."
His companions fbllowod his example ; ,
y ledto the stream,
to drink of its clear sparkling waters. 13ut
! Edgar drew his back, suddenly, before he '
i had touched the tide; and, arresting the
1 others iu the same manner, pointed to the !
bottom of tho rivulet. !
"Is not that a horse's track ?" he asked,
' indicating the spot with his rifle.
1 "Yes," said White, "and here ara more ! j
> And here, to the left, they aro plainer, and
moro numerous. Our visitors must havo 1
passed this way, and aro not goiug to the J
ix.-j - r? 1
x (/nuyc < ,
The tracks were but faint prints in the
shifting gravel of the 8'rcam ; and to the '
1 eyes of less observaut uiou, would have been
' quite void of meaning. It was, however, 1
1 the peculiar faculty of Western Rangers
! never to overlook anything ; and their attention
once attracted, but a few moments
were consumed in determining that Gftcen
1 or twenty horsemen had ridden along the
> bed of the stream; that they were Indians,
- and traveling in haste. It might seem a
more difficult matter to fix, even npproxi1
mately, the length of time which had
' elapsed since their passage ; but the invention
of rangers was seldom nt fault.
"George," said' the captain to Fielding,
' "get on your hor?e, and ride up the stream
a tow rods?as fast as he can walk?in
' among those tracks."
i Fielding obeyed; and turning out of tho
i stream a short distance above, came back
' and dismounted. Tbe little party now
' stripped their horses of their harness; and
- picketing them upon the sweet horbage,
stretched thomselves upon the award at the
margin of the stream. Ae soon as the agitation
in tho waters had ceased, Edgar fixed
his gazo upon the footprints?plainly risible?of
Fielding's horse, and watched the
gradual process of'their filling up by thp
current. Scarcely a pebble or a graia of
sand was washed into one of thorn, that he
did not note; scarcoly a minute passed
whoso influonce he did not estimate in
slowly obliterating the trail; and when, at tho
end of an hour, he roe? and walked nearer
to the water, but a few momenta of scrutiny
were sufficient to determine how long it
would bo bofore tbe new traoka were as
nearly filled up, as were tbe old when he
saw them first.
"They are quite six hours ahead of us,"
I- - -! - .i- l -
do Miu) - ana to morrow nigbt will see
* them, before wo will."
"They moat be making for the ford*,
? above the Piasaa Blaffr," said White ; "and
if so, will not oroes the Mississippi."
"That is rather too far north, Edgar re*
1 plied; bat we will follow them, if tbey go
* to the Starved Rook."
e Ho aaying, he threw the saddle again ape
on hia horse, and?-imitated by hie oompan*
ions?remounted for the permit.
** "I think, George," said he, after stain>*
ute's reflection, "yon bad better ride on to
'f the Portage ; the men will all be there by
t the middle of the afternoon. Tell them to
* bait (heir horses for an hoar aod then fol An
oketivcUon to tho novtatlon of the 1111 note, now
? known m 'Apple Crook Ber." j?
luwmwiin #11. speed, so at to Join mat the
Mouth, of. the. tMinoia by Muirise to-morrow.
Unless the Irtkil should lead ua.toQ much
out of the way, we will wait for tneui there..
If you'do not find us there, lookjTor three
column* of smoke, ranging norjhand south,
and Make <H haste to come up.*' . ' '
- Fielding made no reply j but putting,
spurs to, his horse, turned his head to tho
West, apd was soon out of sight, white,
Edgar and White,.now left alone, took their'
way as rtapidly as was possible up the banks of
the stream. It was a small force with which
to attack twenty savages; but, had the odds
been ten times greater Edgar's eagerness
sod White's seal Would bate felt no chock.
What "they might not effect by the strong
hand they trusted to stratagem to compass;
nnd even the savage was no match for the
ranger, in cunning.
The two adventurers had gone scarcely
a mile wheu they were brought suddenly to
a halt. The trail was about equally divided
?one half the party keeping up the bed
of tho stream, and the other half issuing
toward the left, and leading off westward.
This was embarrassing. The prisoner could
not bo with both divisions and it was extremely
difficult to dctcrmiuc which to follow.
"Wo arc at fault," said Edgar.
"There is a sign which may set us right,"
exclaimed White, pointing to a little strip
jf sonio white stuff which fluttered upon a
bush, but a few paces from the water.?
'The briars have befriended us at need."
Edgar rode rapidly to the nlnc^. A
narrow strip?evidontly torn from Jnno's
bridal dress?hung fluttering upon a briar,
us if caught in passing. He halted at the
diainnce of several yards, and cautiously
approached on foot, closely scrutinizing the.
ground at every step. The horses had
passed, without doubt, near enough to brush
against the briars; but directly beneath
the fragment, a small drj twig was broken,
and the leaves about it were flattened to the
ground.
."A mocassined foot has been set there,"
he muttered. And on directing the examination
to the fragment, his suspicion was
confirmed, that it not accident but design
nrhich placed it there. The fabric was not
Jruwn, as it would have been, had it been
torn inpaesing; and it bore marks of a large
lutud than Jane's.
"They are trying to outwit us, White,"
laid the captain ; "but they don't know
with whom they have to deal. This little
piece of muslin is a Redskin lie?though
itftiid come from Jnue Fielding's dress.
We must keep up the stream, and let those
iccoys go on their way."
"It has been ascertained," says Chatcaubriiud,
"that the white mac, in America,
is capable of enduring more hardships and
privation than the Indian, nnd is decidedly
bis superior even iu his own mode of warfaro
and thence he deduces sundry propositinns
about differences in race, and other
unprofitable speculations. But the facts,
sbout which thero is no dispute, instead of
Dciug mo result 01 generic distinctions, are
the effects of a much later oause?superior
iotollectual culture. Not that the rangers
of those days were highly educated mcu, in
the ordinary acceptation of the term ; but
any degree in the scale of civilization, by the
providence of God possesses measureless
advantages?in all the pursuits of life?over
every lower grade. And though these were
docidely ignorant men, their evident superiority
over their enemies?without contradiction
in terms?was tho fruit of their
intelligence.
We cannot linger to detail the minute
and. to other men, imperceptible signs, or
the acute and logical reasonings upon these,
which led the adventurers unerringly upon
their way, though all would illustrate so
clearly the prinoiple above. They followed
tho trail after it left the stream, several
tnilcs toward the north ; when, on entering
the broken country on the bead waters of
the Piasan, it verged auddenly to tho left,
and led, almost "as the bird flies," directly
toward the Illinois river. A little before
sunset thev reached the banks of ihi* tmn.
qui! stream ; and but a moment's examination
was sufficient to determine that the fugitives
had crossed bore some hours before.
But this was not the only inference that
Edgar drew from the hups of their halt.?
The footprints of several horses led off from
the river, in different directions; but it was
in that uncertain winding way which animals
take while grazing, and from the
extent of these paths, it was evident that a
halt of some duration had been made.?
vVhilo minutely examining the ground, the
captain suddenly discovered the print of a
small shoe, and following it a little aside,
he approached the river bank, and disoov
cred the impress of both of Jane's feet in the
soft loam. Direotly over these, upon a willow
branch, huog a sir all shell comb?
evidently placed there as a signal for him.
Besides her footprints were thoso of two
savages, who had sought her, and draggsd
her roughly back to the halting point.
Edgar noted these things with the coolness,
but also with the ficroencss of the ranger;
and grasping his rifle tighter in his hand,
walked back to his companion.
"They must have halted here two or three
hours," said the latter,
"They think they outwitted us and are
safe," replied Edgar. "But they cannot be
4
"V ' ' *J'r* . -v 1
more than three hours ahead of us, aud I
think wo may overhaul tbeui to-night."
"They are twenty to two," said Whiter
"We must wait for the men."
,;We CftJ cross the rivor," Edgar answered,
^and ride on as long as we have
light. By that time we enn sco which
direction the Indians have taken ; you cat*
thnfi^return here and hasten np the men,
t^ho/Niaustr ^scach this point beforo mid->
?Tl % * * - - ?
it ruqmiTCa jrat lew mmHt6a.l0 cross the
river, which at this srtsoft i? . always low.
Uphh the. Weetcrn bank the traitwrsi sll|}
more apparent thao upcjn the easterh.?B
I Here, awo, there had bden a halt, thanghr
I not so long. "Three hoars of daylight,
now," thought Edgar, "and we should overhaul
them.' He forgot that his force wan
but one to ten?that ho was more than a
hundred miles from any settlement, in the
midst of a vast solitude, where he could
meet none but enemies. Nor would tho
reflection have disturbed him, had it occurred.
He saw but one image?tho helpless
captive in the hands of bis most bated foes;
and, cool and cousidorato as lie usually was,
ho would not have hesitated to eucountcr
the whole band, with his single strong arm.
Fortunately, perhaps, no such opportunity
seemed likely to bo offered biui, for, after
winding about for a few miles among tho
bluffs, the trail ascended tho ridge which
divides the two rivers, and here turning
again toward tho north, the fugitives hadinnrno.-.l
? 1 . .....
..iuii cpiuu. J. IIC lODg IWIllgtlt,
too, was deepening into night, and the fear
uf again 5W15 nlraj TiuuW uviupct a lialt,
10 soon as the tracks became invisible.
They followed, however, with all practicable
speed, foi an hour longer?dismounting
at overy offshoot from tho main ridge,
to ascertain their direction ; but, at the end
of that time, it was no longer safe to proceed,and
Edgar rsluctantly drew up.
"You had better return to the river now,
White," said ho, "and bring the men up a?
fast as possible. I will expect you bcl'oro
daybreak."
"If they do not come up, I'll return myself,"
said White; and turning about ho"
roda away to the south.
The hardy ranger was now left alone, inthe
midst of the wilderness. Night had'
closd in moonless, and the stars twiuklcd
but faintly down through the woods. The
wind?as is usual in the country?had
subsided toward evening, and sunset had
been followed by a dead calm. When the
footsteps of White's horse died away in tho
distance, the silence of the grate added
depth and awe to the solitude. Not a
branch wared?scarcely a loaf stirred; and'
even tho trickling of a little spring, in a
ravine near him, only served to make the
stillness audible, as a glimmering light
but renders darkness visible:
Edgar dismounted, and led his tired horso
in the direction of the sound ; and having
allowed him to drink, divested him of hi?
harness, and picketed him on a slope of
green grass near the spring. His owu thirst
satisfied, he then seated himself at tho fool
of a tree, and drawing his blanket up over
him, endeavored to sleep. The stillness
i was broken only by his borsc eagerly crop
ping the sweet gross, and tho monotony of
the dripping fountain, combined with his
fatigue, soon brought on that half-dreamy
state which precedes oblivion. Indeed,
his head was thrown back against tho tree,,
and his eyes wero closed, when ho suddenly,
sprung to his foot, and standing as motionless
as the trees about him, assumed the
attitude of profound listening.
[to be continued.]
?
Deep and Shallow Plouoiii.no.?Few
subjects attract more attention and
giro rise to more discussion and want of
agreement than that of the depth of ploughing.
Many do not consider the very important
fact that deep or shallow ploughing
depends upon the naturo of the soil. The
truth is, there aro many soils in which if
one ploughs deep be may find great profit
in so doing; but, oi> tho other hand, thorn
are thousands oRd thousands of acres of land
where it is sheer madness to plough deep.
On flat clay laud, where water cannot drain
rapidly away, and whore the lack of drainage
is tbc bano of the cultivator, it is found
by experience that a shallow but rich surface
soil is much better than a deeply stirred
one And the reason is obvious : If
water be an injury, and it cannot get into
the soil by reason of tho hardness of the
subsoil, the rain will pass over tho surface
to the open ditches, which always have to
be made in a flat country. If we loosen
such soil deeply we only harbor moro of
our liquid enemy, and this counterbalances
knt Oth?rwi?A mioht La a l?nn/l '- -
_w WW M m^rv/va |UIU^ 1U U
4eep soil. Besides these, there are other
considerations. If the surface soil be poor,
and we turn this down into a still poorer
subsoil we bury what little good thero might
have been in the surfaoe soil fhr below tho
reach of the roots.
A little learning is undoubtedly a dangerous
thing in farming. Thero is no department
of industry where circumstances
alter cases more than iu this. While deep
ploughing is an cxoellent thing when circumstances
suit, thore are innumerable oasos
when it is wise to go on the other way.?
1\m v w rrnvftivivf* A Wy
This sods thb column. Look above.