USA > Kentucky > Livingston County > Chronicles of a Kentucky settlement > Part 17
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31
"After I was seated, Wilson said : 'My daughter has told us of your accident. We will be glad to do
250
CHRONICLES OF
all we can for you. If you have no objections, I will examine your ankle.' Of course I permitted him to do so. He found it much swollen, but after turning and twisting my foot about a good deal, and causing me much pain, he declared that no bones were broken ; and then, after speaking to his wife aside, he left the room.
"Soon, a negro boy entered, who, by Mrs. Wilson's directions, assisted me to the room assigned me, in a wing back of the main building, and on the ground floor. The entrance to my room was from a wide back porch ; opposite the door was a square window, near which was a small table and one chair, and, in one cor- ner of the room, a very comfortable bed.
" Mrs. Wilson soon entered and said that Mr. Wil- son thought my swollen ankle should be bathed at once in cold water ; that it should be bandaged with cold, wet cloths ; and that, when I lay down, if my foot was elevated a little it would pain me less ; to which I assented. Toby, the negro boy, bathed my foot and ankle ; Mrs. Wilson herself bound my ankle in wet cloths ; and when in bed, and my foot slightly elevated on a cushion, I felt comparatively free from pain. Mrs. Wilson, before leaving my room, informed me that my supper would be brought to mne ; and that, if I required anything, I was to call out, and would be heard and attended to.
" You have never seen Wilson or his wife ? Well, he is about six feet in height, and of powerful build-a perfect Hercules, I should say, in point of strength ; but he has now grown too corpulent to undergo much fatigue. His head is large and well shaped : his sandy brown hair, now thin, is turning gray, for he must be
251
A KENTUCKY SETTLEMENT.
fully fifty years old ; his eyes, of a steel-gray color, are brilliant, and his glance quick and penetrating ; his nose rather short and thick ; his upper lip remarkably long, his mouth large, and his lips full and sensuous. He has a broad, firm, double chin, and his voice is deep and sonorous. I should add that his complexion is very florid, and that he converses fluently. On the whole, when in repose, he gives one the idea of a good- natured, rather than a surly, bull-dog ; but, if aroused, I should say he would be a lion tamer. Mrs. Wilson looked as if she had at one time been a handsome woman, but she was thin, wrinkled, and gray, and her subdued, sad face made her look older than her hus- band, but she is doubtless a few years younger than he.
" And now here I was, alone and crippled, in the house of the dreaded Jim Wilson. But I did not feel uneasy. I had seen that Wilson was not a devilish monster in appearance ; that, after all, he was but a man, and had a wife, and a kind and beautiful daugh- ter, who had promised to befriend me, and in whom I trusted implicitly. My only uneasiness arose from the ever-recurring question, 'Is poor John alive ? '
"A good supper was sent me, and, after I had fin- ished eating, Wilson came in to see me, and asked me how I was getting along. I told him I was doing finely -that, so long as I was quiet, my ankle gave me very little pain ; and I thanked him for the great kindness shown me. We then entered into a conversation, which lasted perhaps for ten minutes, during which I told him who I was-George McGregor,-where I was from, where I was aiming to go, and so on. He listened to me very attentively, asked me several unimportant questions, and, so far as I could tell, seemed satisfied
252
CHRONICLES OF
with the correctness of my tale and answers. Before he left, I told him of my poverty, and that I would be greatly obliged if he could give me some work to do, in my line-at least enough to pay my board and lodg- ing while I was detained by my lameness, -that I had some tools with me, and thought I would be able, the next day, to do such work as would admit of my sitting down ; at the same time mentioning such work as I thought I could do-the repairing of harness, bridles, etc.
"' I think,' he replied, 'I may be able to find you enough work to keep you employed for a week or two,' saying which he bade me good-night and left me.
" I did not sleep much that night. On the following morning, after Toby had waited upon me and brought me my breakfast, Wilson came again to see me ; in- quired how I had slept, about my foot, etc., and said he would have one of his negro men make me a pair of crutches during the day, which would enable me to hobble around ; and that he thought I had better rest another day before I attempted to do any work. His words were certainly kind and considerate, and I thanked him heartily. He then left me.
" That afternoon Miss Wilson came to my door, which was open. It was the first time I had seen her since my admittance into the house. She looked more beautiful than ever, but her face wore a thoughtful and sad expression. She asked how I was ; was glad to know I was improving ; said I must be as patient as I could ; and, as she was about leaving, said in a low voice : 'Mingo will bring you some crutches within an hour or two. He says that you should keep very quiet in the house, and that he will go to work to-night.'
253
A KENTUCKY SETTLEMENT.
" That face, and the words spoken, gave me food for reflection. She had doubtless suggested to her father that the crutches should be made for me-had planned for Mingo to bring them to me, -had spoken to Mingo of me,-and he would begin work-that is, the search for my brother, that night.
" Presently a negro man appeared with the crutches ; it was the same who had assisted me from the horse and into the house ; it was my friend Mingo. He was respectful, but not familiar. The crutches were too long -- that he had expected .- and with a saw which he had with him he soon made them the required length. They were very well made, of seasoned hickory wood. I tried and found I could get around very well, but my foot, when hanging, pained me very much. I thanked Mingo, and said to him : 'Has your young mistress, Miss Catherine, spoken to you about me ? '
"'Yes, sah. She's tol' me. I'm goin' ter hunt a little ter night. Ef I ketch enny game, I'll bring yer some 's soon as I ken.'
" I understood his meaning, and was somewhat astonished at the prudence of his reply and his sagacity in thus furnishing me with a clue to the method by which he proposed to go to work. 'Thank you, Mingo," I replied. 'And I hope the titne will come when I can serve you, and your kind young mistress. He bowed in acknowledgment and withdrew.
" That night, after supper. Wilson again made me a visit. Was glad I was getting along so well, examined my crutches, and said Mingo had made a better job of it than he expected. He then asked me several ques- tions about my past life. I told him I was born in Scotland, but had come to this country-to Charleston
254
CHRONICLES OF
-when quite a small boy. He told me his father had come from Scotland, but had married in this country. I spoke of the old country,-of the ocean, -and gave him a ludicrous account of my sufferings from sea- sickness, at which he laughed quite heartily. I even showed him my testimonial from St. Andrew's,-told him of the organization, its aims, etc. He had heard that St. Andrew was the patron saint of Scotland, and supposed that such societies did a great deal of good. He did not think I would be pleased with the 'rough and tumble' life of the West ; but had been told that Scotchmen were a roving race, and could be found in nearly all parts of the earth. In a few words, he seemed disposed to make himself agreeable. On my part, I did my best to entertain him ; and, when he left me, after fully an hour's chat, I was satisfied he was in a good humor, for he proposed to send me a whiskey toddy for a ' night-cap,' which he did.
" The next day I had some light work to do for Wil- son, and passed the day quietly and more hopefully. In the afternoon Miss Wilson made me another visit, but it was merely to ask as to my condition. That evening I took supper with the family, and a young, awkward countryman, to whom I was not introduced. After the supper the countryman left, and Wilson lit his pipe. We talked for an hour or more, the ladies rarely joining in the conversation, although I made an effort to interest them ; they occasionally smiled, or laughed a little, but not heartily as Wilson did. Before retiring Wilson and I had our 'night-cap' of whiskey.
"I had been in my room perhaps an hour when I heard a low tap at my window. I opened it, and Mingo, whose head just reached the sill, was there.
--
.1
255
A KENTUCKY SETTLEMENT.
He said, in a low voice : 'Did n't ketch nothin' las' night, but got on a trail ; an' I '1l foller it up.' He then asked : 'Did yer know de young man what tuck supper wif Mahs Jim, or did he know you ?' 'No,' I said ; ' I never saw him before that I know of, and he did not appear to know me.'
"'Glad ter hear it. Be keerful,' he replied, moving away.
" Here was another proof of Mingo's sagacity,-an evident warning ! It looked as if persons were to be admitted to the house from day to day to look at me- see if they recognized me as a dangerous person, or spy.
" Within the three following days I think as many as eight or ten persons called to see the 'lame saddler,' and have him do little jobs of mending, etc., for them. They all paid me my moderate charge. I was on my guard, for I was now sure that I was being closely watched ; and I scrutinized each new-comer as closely as I could, fearing I would see one of the men who had arrested me on the flat boat. At last there came one young fellow whom I took to be one of the three who bound me, but I was not certain. He certainly looked at me very closely, but my impression was that he was also in doubt as to my identity.
" In the meanwhile, I had not seen or heard any- thing from Mingo ; but every day I had received a short visit from Miss Wilson, who had assured me that Mingo was not idle.
" About half an hour after the suspicious young man, to whom I have referred, had left me, Miss Wilson entered my room rather hurriedly, and I saw at once she had something important to communicate. I waited for her to speak. To my surprise the first thing
256
CHRONICLES OF
she said was to ask me if I could ' play on the flute.' I told her I could.
" ' Were you playing on the deck of the boat a short while before you were arrested ?' she hurriedly asked.
"'I was,' I answered. 'Was playing not an hour before that time.'
"'Did you ever see this instrument ?' she asked, almost with a gasp, producing a flute which I had not before observed in her hand.
"' Yes,' I answered, 'that is my flute ; and you will find " G. D.," the initials of my name, carved upon the silver band.'
"' That is enough,' she sighed. And then with decision she added : 'I will leave you, but will return again in a few minutes ; and you must get ready to leave here as soon as possible.' Saying which, she left the room hurriedly.
" Miss Wilson had placed the flute in my hands, and had left me almost dumfounded. But I soon aroused myself, and, having collected my tools, was ready to depart when she returned. Handing mne a note, she said : ' Here is a note from Colonel Andrew Lovell, a gentleman who lives near liere. He invites you to come to his house, and you must go, and start quickly. Mingo will, in a few minutes, be at the gate with my pony saddled. He will go with you, show you the way, and bring my pony back. My mother under- stands that you are going, and no leave-taking is necessary. I will explain your departure to my father. Mingo, as you go, will explain the necessity for your leaving here.'
"'But iny bill for board and lodging ?' I asked, pulling out what money I had.
257
A KENTUCKY SETTLEMENT.
" 'Keep your money,' she said quickly, and added : ' You owe none in this house. But go now ; there is Mingo at the gate, and the pony is ready. No, one moment, stay ! I must tell you-and, oh, how glad I am !- that I am now almost sure your brother is alive, and I doubt not we will be able to trace and find him.'
"'But I must,' I exclaimed, 'see you again ! I have much yet-'
" But before I could finish my sentence, she spoke hurriedly, and said : 'Not now, not now ! You will see me again.'
"'Until then,' I said, taking her hand in mine and pressing it to my lips, 'good-by ; and may God bless you !' and for once my prayer was an earnest one.
" There were tears in her eyes as she replied in a low, tremulous voice : 'Thank you for your prayer ; and- good-by, good-by !'
"I took my flute and crutches with me. Mingo assisted me to mount, and, merely saying, 'Foller me,' he walked rapidly back along the road I had passed over. A short distance from the house he left the main road, and, turning to the right, entered what appeared to be a cattle trail ; and so rapid was his pace, that the pony had to trot to keep up ; but rapid as was his pace, Mingo seemed to see, hear, and note everything around. It was not until we had nearly reached Colonel Lovell's that he slackened his pace and gave me any explanation. He excused himself from answering my question, as to how he had obtained his information, by intimating that if he did so he would be ' br'akin' his word.'
" The substance of the information he gave me was, that he had bought the flute from a young man, and
17
258
CHRONICLES OF
had given it to Miss Wilson ; that he suspected that young man of being one of those who arrested me on the boat ; that the same man had gone to me, just after dinner, to have some work done ; that he, Mingo, had watched the man, and was sure he had recognized me, and would let 'Mahs Jim' know who I was ; that he, Mingo, had gone at once to his 'young Missus' and told her ; that she had, a day or two before, procured the note from Colonel Lovell to be used if required ; that Colonel Lovell was the best, and the bravest, and the ' biggest little man ' he had ever known ; that no- body would harm the Colonel, or me, if I was in his house ; that somehow or other the bad men about the Cave thought if any harm was done the Colonel that all the good men in the county would rise up in arms against them ; that the flat boat I was a passenger on, had gone on down the river the day following its arrival at the Cave, in charge of a new crew from the neighborhood ; that there were carried away in the boat two men, if not more, who were said to be horse thieves, arrested at the Cave, and were to be taken to some town down the river ; that one of those so-called thieves exactly answered to the description of my brother, which I had given to Miss Wilson ; that the other was a red-headed young man, who stammered a little (which description exactly fitted one of Captain Lumley's crew) ; that he, Mingo, was sure the so-called thieves were part of the old crew, and would not be murdered, but put ashore at some safe point : and that this was all the information so far obtained, but that he would keep hunting, and if he learned more, his young ' Missus ' would let me or Colonel Lovell know as soon as possible. Mingo then asked me if I knew Colonel
259
A KENTUCKY SETTLEMENT.
Lovell, and when I had answered that I did not, he said the Colonel 'wus mi'ty quiet, but kep' up a heap er thinkin' ; an' 'ill be a true fren' to yer.' In reply to my remark that I thought he had a very kind and handsome young mistress, he said : ' You 's right, sah, 'bout young Missus. Dey don't make 'um enny better 'an her.'
" When we arrived at Colonel Lovell's I pulled from my pocket several dollars in change, which I handed to Mingo, but he shook his head and said : 'No, sah, don't ax no pay,' but picking from my open hand the smallest coin he could find, said, 'but I'll take dis little one fur luck.' I could only take him by the hand and thank him heartily for what he had done for me.
" After Colonel Lovell had welcomed me into his house, and introduced me to his wife and her sister, Miss Laura Howard, -whom I knew, having been at her father's house several times, -he excused himself, returned to the gate, and remained for half an hour or more in earnest conversation with Mingo.
" Of Colonel Lovell and his wife I need not speak, for you know them. This much, however, I must say for myself : I think there is no better or truer man, and his wife is worthy of him. Of Miss Howard, I would say, her nature can be summed up in the one word- LOVE, and, in its train, a boundless sympathy, and an unselfish desire to serve others. That I speak thus of her, you will understand before my story is ended. But -- "
Here Duncan and Adair were interrupted by the entrance of their friends Benton and Holman ; for it was 2 A.M., and they were to sit up during the remain-
260
A KENTUCKY SETTLEMENT.
der of the night, and let Duncan and Adair get a few hours' sleep.
After exchanging a few words with their friends, Duncan and Adair sought their rooms, but, before separating, the latter said : "Duncan, I have half a mind to make you sit up and finish that story, for you have gotten to an exciting point to me ; however, good-night."
CHAPTER XVIII.
Silas Holman-Burial of Hinton Gowan-The Return to Salem -Hardin's Knob and the Rosicrucian-Minerals near Salem-Duncan's Story Resumed-Lovers' Talk.
T HE breakfast the following morning, although abundant and well prepared, did not seem to tempt the appetite of either of the six gentlemen who sat around the table ; all seemed wrapped in thought, and disinclined to make more than casual remarks and inquiries.
When breakfast was over, Adair and Benton walked out to the bank of the river and took seats on the same bench, under the white-limbed sycamore, where Adair and Holman had sat the evening before. Their con- versation soon chanced to turn about Holman.
" I have known Holman long and intimately," said Benton. "I have hunted with him by day and by night ; have occasionally heard him talk about super- natural appearances ; not as believing or disbelieving in such, but as affording matter for serious considera- tion. I, also, once heard him express some strange opinions on the subject of his feelings or impressions, as affording him a surer guide, in most matters, than
261
262
CHRONICLES OF
his reason. I replied to him that what he called his ' impressions' were more often perhaps than he sup- posed derived from the operation of his reasoning facul- ties ; for that he does, after his own fashion, think and reason a good deal is evident to any one who will watch him, and listen attentively to his conversation."
" Yes," replied Adair. "And I have, of course, known Holman ever since I came to Salem ; but, being no hunter, I have never known him intimately-have, in fact, only known him casually as a hunter and fid- dier, but since we left town I have talked more with him, and have observed him more attentively than ever before; and, I confess, he is quite a different char- acter from what I supposed. I doubt not his seeming peculiarity, at times, so far from being assumed, is entirely natural, that however peculiar his views may be, they are honestly entertained ; and I fully agree with you that he is a thoughtful man, and, withal, one of a kindly and sympathetic nature."
" Oh, yes, there's no sham about Silas," responded Benton, " and he's a good-hearted fellow. There are but few persons to whom he is much attached, or with whom he converses freely, but those few he will stand by through thick and thin. As a rule, he seems to prefer animals for companions rather than men, and he seems to possess a strange power over them. For instance, I know that he is not afraid of the largest and fiercest dog,-that he has approached such, an entire stranger, and not only made friends with them in a few minutes, but remained as an old acquaintance. I have also seen him go to a blacksmith shop, when a restless and vicious horse was being shod and calm him as no one else could. His wife was, for some years
263
A KENTUCKY SETTLEMENT.
before she died, in very delicate health, and he was unusually kind and attentive to her. Since her death, his sister-the eccentric Miss Jane-has lived with him and kindly cared for his pretty little daughter Susan. But year by year Silas is becoming more of a recluse."
A few hours later the mortal remains of Hinton Gowan, dressed in his best suit of black cloth, were gently lifted from his bed, and placed in the coffin of dressed and varnished cherry wood. The lid was then placed on,-the face forever hid, -and then, without an audible word having been spoken, the slow procession started ; the coffin borne on hand-spikes by six white men ; some twelve or fifteen negroes, old and young of both sexes, following ; all going to that lonely grave- yard in the forest, where a grave had been dug by the negroes under the supervision of old Jim.
Slowly and silently the coffin was lowered, and the dead man was separated only by a plank or two and a thin partition of earth from the mouldering remains of his first wife and his mother. The grave was then filled, smoothed, and patted down. Then there was a pause, and Holman, to the surprise of every one, began singing, in his deep-toned but melodious voice, that old and familiar hymn, beginning :
" Hark! From the tomb a doleful sound ; Mine ears, attend the cry ! Come, living men, and view the ground Where you must shortly lie."
As the singing progressed, Holman was joined by several of the gentlemen present, and by nearly all of the adult negroes. The hymn ended, all felt that this slight measure of respect to the memory of the departed
264
CHRONICLES OF
was appropriate. Then, with quiet almost unbroken, the gentlemen returned to the house, the negroes fol- lowing behind. All was over.
Adair and his companions soon ordered their horses brought out. After a few encouraging words, and bidding a kindly good-by to old Jim, Hannah, and -Sophy,-who were outspoken in their expressions of regret at seeing "yous kin' gem'men go 'way " ; and after a few parting words with Mr. Hawley and Doctor Clayton, Adair and his party mounted their horses and rode away.
The return journey was rather a rapid one, for the four men had been away from home longer than they expected. The afternoon was far advanced when the party reached the top of Champion's hill, and caught sight of Salem in the distance. The attention of all was at once arrested by the rays of the setting sun reflected from the windows of the Court House, which made the building look as if its interior was a mass of flames.
When at a point in the valley from which a view could be obtained of Hardin's knob, some three miles off to the northwest, there hung around its peak a thin veil of mist, and Holman, pointing this out to Adair, said :
" Some years ago there lived over in the valley near the knob an old and lonely German widower, who often sat at the door of his little cabin and looked out upon that knob ; and it was att idea of his that such a veil as now hangs around its peak was not misty clouds, but smoke that ascended from a deep and unexplored cave near the base of the knob ; and that the smoke was from fires kindled down below by gnomes, who
265
A KENTUCKY SETTLEMENT.
guard the treasures of minerals in all these hills around."
" A Rosicrucian, I presume," said Adair. "But, tell me, do you suppose there are such treasures in these surrounding hills ? "
"Yes," Holman answered. "I know a spot not three miles from here, and on this side of Lowdy's Creek, where lead can be obtained, near the surface, so pure that old hunters, before there were stores where lead could be bought, used to dig it up, melt it in a common ladle, and mould it into bullets."
" But here we are nearly home," said Adair, "and before we part I would like to know if you do not think it better to wait until to-morrow before showing Benton that strange note signed 'H. G.' For he sat up a good portion of last night, and, after his ride, no doubt requires a night's good rest; and I fear the note would disturb him."
"Certain to," replied Holman, " and to-morrow will be soon enough. I hope he will heed the warning. He should do so."
" I will say nothing to him," said Adair, "of our conversation regarding the note. He will no doubt talk with you on the subject, and you can then give him your views about the matter, which, I am sure, will have weight with him."
"But now, boys," said Adair, addressing his three friends as they rode into town, " I had to treat you all before starting out on this trip; and, as I have to thank you all for remaining and returning with me, as well as for your voluntary services, I will, unless Ben- ton objects, invite you all to ride with me to the Brick Hotel, and we will have another drink."
266
CHRONICLES OF
" What I do object to-and seriously object to," said Benton, "is to be considered as a possible objector to a proposition made under such unobjectionable condi- tions. Besides, I will require a little extra inspiration to enable me fitly to describe to a gaping crowd- But, no, hang me if I do anything of the kind ! There was no fun in it ; and you other fellows may do all the talking about our trip."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.