USA > Kentucky > Livingston County > Chronicles of a Kentucky settlement > Part 14
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Dyer's spring did not then come to the surface of the ground, but we are told that in recent years marked changes have taken place. Then, by stepping down an irregular natural stairway some six or eight feet, there could be seen, on the left, a considerable stream of water spouting from a hole in the rocks, and forming a small pool which rapidly whirled around the base of a boulder in its centre, then disappeared, on the right, with a hissing, gurgling sound.
A short distance to the west of the spring, and in a wild and lonely glen, through which a branch flowed, there then stood a small log cabin, near which-and the only clearing in sight-was a small garden spot. Holman, addressing Adair as they rode in front of the cabin, said :
" A few years ago a strong and robust young man lived in that cabin. His wife was but a little over six- teen years old when she was confined to her bed, she
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having just given birth to her first child. The old midwife, having been suddenly summoned to attend elsewhere, the young husband had to watch by the bedside of his sick wife all night. In the early dawn he walked out into his little garden there " (pointing), " and, stopping, rested with his hand placed on a large
stump near the gate. On that stump was coiled a large rattlesnake. It is said the rattlesnake never strikes without giving warning by sounding its rattles, but, if that one gave any, it was unheard by the quick ears of poor John Dyer, for he knew well the sound and the danger. The reptile struck him a fearful blow on the thumb, just under the nail. He sprang back, and, picking up a large rock, soon killed the snake. He put the wounded thumb into his mouth and tried to suck out the poison ; and he might possibly thus have saved his life, but unfortunately his lips were slightly ulcerated, and the poison sucked from his thumb perhaps re-entered his system through these sores. Be that as it may, he returned to the house as soon as he could, and as gently and calmly as possible told his poor young wife what had happened. He told her not to attempt to rise from her bed, as it would endanger her life ; that she must live to care for their baby boy ; that he had drunk what whiskey there was in the cabin, and that it had had no effect upon him whatever ; that he then knew medicine and human skill would be of no use; and that his hours were nearly numbered, for he could already feel the burning
tinued Holmnan, with a tremor in his deep but musical poison darting through his veins. And then," con-
voice, " poor John, in order to spare his darling young wife the pang of witnessing his inevitable dying con-
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tortions, said : 'Now, Molly, darling, show your love for me by staying in bed ; don't try to help me ! Some one will pass along the road before the day is over, and you can call and send word to the neighbors. I will be found in the corn crib. Oh, Molly, how I love you ! but I must say good-by, and may God bless you and our dear baby !' But before his last words were spoken his hand and face were fearfully swollen, and, blinded and reeling, he rushed from the house, intending to find a bed among the shucks in the crib ; but he fell and never rose again. His wife wit- nessed his terrible struggles ; and held his head as he breathed his last on the grass in the yard back of the cabin. She said afterwards that she had always tried to obey 'her John,' but she was wild for a while, she reckoned, for she didn't know what she had done."
" A few hours later," Holman resumed, "I came down that ravine by the spring ; I had been hunting, and had killed a deer and one wild turkey, and, with the turkey, I was on my way to John's cabin to pre- sent his wife, whom I had known from childhood, with my turkey and ask for a breakfast in exchange ; which, however, she would cheerfully have prepared for me, even had I been empty-handed. You may judge," he went ou,-and his voice was so husky that lie spoke with some apparent effort,-" of my horror when I arrived at the house and found John lying dead in the backyard, and his young wife with just enough life in her to tell me what had happened. I did all I could for the poor girl, but that was very little. A few neiglibors were summoned, and they were very kind and attentive ; but a few days after we had buried poor John, we laid his young wife in her grave by his side."
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" And the baby-boy ?" asked Adair, who had lis- tened to the simple but pathetic story with absorbing interest, and, at moments, with a choking sensation ; " yes, the poor little thing, what became of it ? "
" It is still alive, and well cared for by its grand- parents-the father and mother of poor Molly," Hol- man answered.
Adair gave a sigh of relief.
1.
CHAPTER XIV.
Silas Holman, the Hunter and Fiddler-The Posse Arrives at the Gowan Residence-A Horrible Crime-Suicide in a Graveyard-Walter Gowan Sent under Guard to Salem- Adair Quiets the Alarmed Slaves.
T T `HE sad story of John Dyer and his young wife lingered for many a day in the mind of Joseph Adair. The story also awakened his interest in the story-teller, Silas Holman, of whom he had heard much, but with whom he had never been intimate. He knew that Holman, who was then about forty years of age, was a widower ; that a maiden sister-a retiring, inoffensive woman, but supposed by many to be at times slightly deranged-kept house for him ; that he cultivated a few acres of land, and raised about enough corn to furnish bread and feed his one horse and cow ; and that he kept a pack of hounds, and was famous all the country round as a hunter. He further knew that Holman was noted as a fiddler, and that he and Billy Wilmot (a brother of Miss Emily) were in demand for miles around whenever there was to be a dance. In fact, the two fiddlers, although they played entirely by ear, could keep such perfect time, and played such animating tunes, that the oldest and cold-
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est could scarcely keep from shuffling their feet and longing to join in the merry dance. It was said by an old and very devout member of the church that Silas and Billy could "fiddle the young folks out of the . church about as fast as the preachers could get them in."
Adair had furthermore heard about Holman's " pe- culiar views" : that his mind was a veritable store- house of country lore ; that he treasured up every ghost story he had ever heard ; that he knew some- what of the whole supernatural tribe-of wraiths, the very image of persons yet alive ; of spectres dire, and of their dismal groans ; of ghosts, that came and went, and of their nightly cry ; of guilty sprites, that sought out gaping graves ; of demons, that gulled the un- wary to their certain doom ; of wily wizards, and their secret work ; of goblins, full of wrath ; of wrinkled witches, and their blackest arts ; of gnomes, that make their homes in mines and caves and guard the treasures of the inner earth ; of fairies, and their magic wands ; and even of diminutive elves, that "hop as light as bird from brier."
Of supernatural matters, Holmnan, however, rarely spoke, and never during the bright glare of day ; only in the gloaming would a strange sadness sometimes come over him, and then, if he were with a sympa- thetic friend, he would talk freely, and with such a peculiar rhythmnic cadence in his deep-toned voice as to be very impressive. On such occasions he rarely spoke as if from personal knowledge, but as if from information received ; and never expressed credulity or incredulity, however strange his narrative, further than by sometimes repeating the lines :
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" It may or it may not be true, For none of us can know What's going on in heaven above, Or in the earth below."
From such conversations, most persons would have supposed Holman a fearfully superstitious inan, but it was well known that he was often alone in fields or forest by night, and was believed to fear neither man, nor beast, nor any of the ghostly tribe.
But before the cabin where John and Molly Dyer had lived and died, Holman appeared a very different man -one of deep feeling and genuine sympathy.
When the posse arrived at the foot of Wheeler's hill, three miles from " The Point," they left the main road, and turned to the right along a dim country road through a very dense forest. The trees, even some of the largest oaks, were so covered and bound together by grape vines, and the light was so obscured that, to men less accustomed to the forest, the gloom would have been oppressive, if not ominous of danger. Con- tinuing their course for about a mile, they came to a cypress swamp, which was, however, now nearly dry, but as it was boggy in many places, it was safe to cross only by following a very rough corduroy road, which extended for a hundred yards or more ; and, as soon as they had entered upon this, a boy, on the high ground beyond, was seen to ride from the forest into the road, and, applying the whip to his horse, disappeared at full speed.
" There goes a messenger !" exclaimed Duncan, who was at the moment riding beside Adair, in advance. " And, doubtless, to give notice of our approach. W'e have apparently been expected, and as it was known
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that, in order to cross the swamp, we would have to ride over this corduroy road, the boy was evidently stationed where he could not fail to both hear and see us."
"That I think very probable," replied Adair. " And, now," he added, as soon as the rough road had been passed, " let us ride as rapidly as we can." And he led off at a sweeping gallop and soon arrived at the entrance to a lane which was usually guarded by a heavy wooden gate, but this was found open. The lane, which was about four hundred yards long, led between corn-fields up to a gate on the south side of the large yard which surrounded the residence of the Gowans, which faced towards the west.
Halting at the first gate for a moment, Adair directed Benton and Rudolph to pass around the field on the right, approach the river above the house at a distance not exceeding two or three hundred yards, and to arrest the Gowans should they attempt to escape in that direction. He gave similar instructions to Duncan and Coffield, who were to go to the left and below the house ; while he, Adair, with Holman, would approach the house direct.
" If," said Adair before the parties dispersed, " you should hear two short, quick blasts from Holman's horn " (which was suspended at the latter's side), " you will approach as rapidly as possible, while one long blast will be for you to assemble at your leisure."
The parties then dispersed. Adair and Holman, riding leisurely along the lane, soon came in sight of the house, around which all was quiet ; the only sign of life being two negro children playing in the yard, who, upon seeing the horsemen, ran into the kitchen
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at the back of the house. At the yard gate, Adair and Holman dismounted, and, having hitched their horses, passed through the yard around to the front door, at which they knocked. The door was soon opened by a young negro woman, who, in reply to Mr. Adair's question, if her master was at home, said : " No, sir : bofe Mahs Hinton and Mahs Walter dey bofe gon' out."
" Do you know where they have gone, or when they are expected back ? " was the next inquiry.
" I s'pose deys gone a huntin', sir." answered the woman, whose trembling voice plainly indicated that she feared some trouble was at hand. "'Cause dey took dar guns, an' went up de river ; an' dey 'll mnaby be back 'bout sundown, but dey did n't say, sir."
" How long," she was then asked, "has it been since they left the house ? "
"Oli, sir," she answered, " dey haint bin gon' many minits-not more 'an quarter an hour-O Lord !" she quickly exclaimed as the report of a rifle rang out clearly on the still evening air ; "dat 's Mahs Hinton's gun ; I knows it."
"Then," replied Mr. Adair, " we will walk up in that direction, and hope to see your masters without the delay of awaiting their return."
Adair and Holman then passed from the yard through the western gate, and, turning to the right, passed between the field and the river bank, along which were many trees left standing, to prevent the bank from washing when the river was high. There was a narrow path along this strip, and they walked rapidly until they reached the upper corner of the field. There they paused for a moment to look around. [4
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" That rifle," said Holman, " was not fired one hun- dred yards from this spot, and it must have been fired from the rising ground on our right."
To the "rising ground " they at once directed their steps, and soon discovered that, on the top of a hill, a small space had been cleared, and was inclosed by a post-and-railing fence.
" That inclosure," said Holman, pausing and plac- ing his hand on the arm of Adair, and speaking with peculiar emphasis and almost reverential awe, "must be a graveyard, and no hunter would have fired his gun on such a spot. But list !" he added, bending forward, his mouth well open to assist his ears in catch- ing the slightest sound, " there is a groan !" Then bounding away, and placing his hand on the topmost rail of the fence he sprang over, and a moment later called to Adair to " Come quick !"
Adair ran forward and found Holman on his knees supporting the head of Hinton Gowan, who had fallen between two graves-those of his first wife and his mother,-but he was not yet dead ; there was a slight gurgling sound from his throat and a little blood was oozing from his lips. Holman, the experienced hunter, instantly turned the wounded man over on his face, and, pressing slightly on his back between the shoulder-blades, forced a quantity of blood from his mouth ; then, turning him quickly back again, and raising him to a sitting posture, he wiped the blood from the mouth, and, taking a small flask from an inner pocket of his coat, he poured a little whiskey down the poor fellow's throat, who in a few moments revived sufficiently to stare around. Another moment and he spoke :
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"I-did it," he said ; "shot-myself. Walter-was -to shoot - himself. We-crazy - when we- had George-killed. Lord !-_ "
Then there came another spurt of blood from the mouth ; the dying man threw up his right arm and, as if waving good-by to some one, tried again to speak, and then a short, sharp quiver ran through his whole frame. Holman gently placed the man's head on the grave-mound beside him, and said to Adair, " It's all over ! "
Moments passed and not a word had been spoken when Holman, placing his long, curved horn to his mouth, gave one long, wailing blast, which sounded, as it went up from that lonely graveyard and rever- berated through the forest and across the broad, still river, as if it had borne away upon its wind-waves the spirit of the dead man who lay at his feet.
But what had become of Walter Gowan ? Holman traced steps to the north side of the inclosure, where a loaded rifle was found on the ground nearly hidden by weeds. He further traced steps, evidently made by some one running, which he followed until he came near to the river, where he found Walter Gowan, who surrendered without resistance.
Soon after Holman had returned with his prisoner to where Adair was in the graveyard, they were joined by Benton and Rudolph, and a few minutes later by Duncan and Coffield.
" My God ! what has happened ?" was the first exclamation of Benton. A few words from Adair served to explain what had taken place.
When Walter Gowan was brought by Holman to near where his dead brother lay, he burst into tears,
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and it was some moments before he was sufficiently composed to answer the few questions asked him by Adair. From these it was learned that Walter and his brother, supposing they would soon be arrested, had resolved to kill themselves, and had come to the grave- yard for that purpose ; that, after each of them had placed his gun against his own breast, Hinton had accidentally fired first, and, seeing his brother about to fall, he, Walter, had dropped his own gun, clasped his brother, laid him upon the ground, and the sight of his brother's blood and awful face had so unnerved him that, instead of shooting himself, as he should have done, he had run away-to the river, hoping to find a canoe at a certain point and escape into Illinois, but not finding the canoe he had been arrested.
A rude litter was soon constructed by Holman, who, with his large and sharp hunting-knife, soon cut two stiff poles, and so laced them together, with bark from young hickory and pawpaw bushes, that the body could be placed upon it. and it was then borne to the house by Benton, Rudolph, Duncan, and Coffield. Holman, in charge of Walter Gowan, followed. Adair went before, and, after summoning all the slaves who were in or about the house, explained to them the sad occurrence. The poor cowed slaves appeared for some moments to be so dumfounded that they were unable to realize what had taken place, but when they did so, some of them gave vent to loud lamentations, others wrung their hands, and all showed signs of great dis- tress. Their predominant thought seemed to have been expressed by old Jim, the patriarch of the farm, when he exclaimed, "God help us ! an' what's ter becum er us poor niggers ? "
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ยท Mr. Adair could make them no definite reply, but spoke in a kind yet decided manner, saying the matter would, no doubt, be determined as soon as certain papers could be examined, and he hoped all would turn out well for them ; but, in the meanwhile, they must remain upon the farm, and go about their work as usual.
When the body of Hinton Gowan was received at the house, and Walter Gowan was seen standing nearby with his arms bound behind his back, the slaves again gave expression, as before, to their grief, and this, too, notwithstanding one of their number had so recently been inhumanly butchered before their eyes.
Adair then walked aside with Walter Gowan, and remained in conversation with him for some minutes ; after which he summoned his posse, excepting Holman, who remained in charge of the prisoner, to a private room, where he informed them that Walter Gowan had told him that, just before leaving for the grave- yard, his brother Hinton had written to a friend in Smithland, a Mr. James Hawley, informing him that he, Hinton, and his brother intended to put an end to their lives in a few hours ; that their bodies would be found in the graveyard ; and begging him to come at once and see that their bodies were decently interred, etc.
" And from what Walter Gowan tells me," Adair added, " I think it not improbable that Mr. Hawley, to whom that letter was dispatched some two hours ago by a special messenger, will be here this evening or to-night, but not perhaps in time for me to await his arrival and then return to Salem. I have therefore concluded to send Walter Gowan at once, under guard,
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to Salem, where he can be lodged in jail. And, Mr. Rudolph, as you have pressing business to attend to, I presume you would like to be one of the guard ?"
" Yes, sir," answered Rudolph, somewhat stiffly.
" And I would like to be another of the guard," said Coffield, " as I have some special matters to attend to on my farm to-morrow morning."
"All right !" replied Adair. "And now, gentle- men," he added, "if there are others of you who specially desire to return to Salem this evening, you can do so ; but, otherwise, as the guard of two will be quite sufficient, I would be glad to have you remain here, and return with me to-morrow."
Duncan and Benton at once agreed to remain, as did also Holman, when spoken to on the subject a few minutes later.
"Then it only remains," said Adair, "to have Gowan's horse brought out, for he must ride." Then calling old Jim, he gave the necessary order, and the horse was soon in readiness.
The prisoner, having been previously examined and found unarmed, was then required to mount, after which he was so bound that he could not spring from his horse, and yet his hands were left sufficiently free to guide his horse ; which, in addition to a bridle, wore a halter with a long rein, to be held by the guard rid- ing beside him. All being in readiness to start, Wal- ter Gowan, who was very pale, and had spoken but few words since his arrest, cast a lingering look around, and tears, which he evidently strove to repress, came into his eyes ; but, after bowing slightly to Mr. Adair, he turned to his guard, and in a husky and scarcely audible voice said, " I am ready."
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When the prisoner and his guard had ridden away, Adair turned to his remaining companions and sug- gested that a second messenger should be dispatched to Smithland, to inform Mr. Hawley, if there, and if not, then to inform Doctor Clayton, the family physi- cian, of the death of Hinton and the arrest of Walter Gowan, and request that a coffin be sent by the skiff carrying the messenger, so that Hinton might be duly buried. The suggestion was at once approved, and Adair, after writing a short note, dispatched two able- bodied negroes, who were good oarsmen, with instruc- tions to row down to Smithland as soon as possible, and deliver the note to Mr. Hawley or Doctor Clayton.
Adair then informed old Hannah, the cook, that he and his three friends intended remaining all night, and probably until after the burial, which seemed to take a great load from off her mind, for she at once exclaimed : "I's mi'ty glad, sir ! an' so '11 all us be. I'll tell Sophy, an' she'll hav' de bedrooms in order fur you all ; an' I'll 'tend ter gettin' de meals fur you. An' dars Jim ; I'll speak ter him, an' he '11 hav' yer hosses took keer uv."
Old Jim then approached, and seemed even more delighted than Hannah that the "gem'men " were going to remain; for, after promising to take " de best o' keer uv de hosses," and tendering his services to do anything required, he added, shaking his head slowly : " Ef yous gemmen hed gon' off, an' lef' us poor niggers here, wif Mahs Hinton's corps, de Lord only know what 'ud 'uv come er us."
CHAPTER XV.
Holman and the Picture-The Strange Note-Holman's "Im- pressions "-Adair and Holman on the River Bank- Ghostly Predictions-Dr. Clayton and Mr. Hawley-Omens -Mr. Hawley's Statement-Indications of Insanity.
W HEN Adair returned to the room where he had left Holman, he found him alone, and appa- rently plunged in a profound reverie. Not wishing to disturb him, he picked up a book which was close at hand, and sought a seat nearby behind Holman and close to a window. Before opening his book he again glanced at his companion, who sat as motionless as a statue, excepting that he occasionally raised his hand to his mouth, and, removing his pipe, slowly blew out a small jet of smoke, while his eyes seemed intently fastened on a faded, half-length oil portrait of a young lady which hung upon the wall. Adair had not before observed the picture, but as he now looked at it, he saw it was that of a young lady apparently not more than eighteen years of age ; that in her hair was stuck a tortoise-shell comb which towered much above the crown of her head ; that around the neck were high, stiff, white ruffles ; that the dress was of a pale yellow- ish silk, the waist remarkably short, and the sleeves
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remarkably full, excepting at the shoulders and wrists, where they fitted closely. The face was rather a pleas- ing one, and would have been considered beautiful but for the lower jaw, which was somewhat too broad and square.
Turning his eyes from the picture, Adair began thinking of the singularly abstracted manner of his companion ; and then of the seemingly good judgment, coolness, and dexterity he had displayed in reviving the wounded man in the graveyard, so that he was able to utter the few but important words spoken. At this moment, on opening the book there fell from it a note, whereupon Holman's spell seemed broken, and, rousing himself, he quietly remarked, " I thought so," and, turning his face towards Adair, saw him pick up the note from the floor.
"And what was it you thought?" Adair asked a little curiously.
" About that note," Holman answered. " You see that picture," he resumed-indicating that of the young lady,-" well, I make it out, that's the mother -taken before her marriage-of the dead man in there"-pointing through an open door. "And I've been studying that face-waiting to see if it would not speak to me-no, not speak to me, exactly, but impress me ; and the impression came as I thought it would. There is, I suspect, an important message in that note."
These singular statements, all made in Holman's ordinary deep voice, but accompanied by a peculiar expression on his face, puzzled Adair very much ; and on turning over the note he was furtlier surprised to find it addressed as follows :
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