Centre Democrat. (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, April 03, 1879, Image 7

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    The Khan's Devil.
or r. o. MrurrriKii.
The khan ctmo from Bokhara town '
To Hamza, canton of renown.
" My head 1* nick, my hands aro weak;
Thy help, oh holy man, 1 seek !"
In silence marking for a space
The khan's red eyes and purple face,
Thick voice, and looee, nnoertain tread,
" Ihon hast a devil!" Ilamsa eaid.
"Allah forbid !" exclaimed the khan.
" Hid mo or him at once, oh man !"
" Nay," Ilamsa said, " no spoil of mine
Can slay that cursed thing of thine.
" Leave feast and wino, go forth and drink
Water of healing on the brink,
" Where clear and cold from mountain snows
The Nahr el Zeben downward flows.
" Bix moons remain, then conic to mo.
May allab's pity go with thee!"
Awestruck, from feast aud wino, the khan
Went forth where Nahr ol Zebon ran.
Roots were his food, the deeert dust
His bed; the water qnonched his thirst.
And when the sixth moon's cimoter
Carved sharp above tho evening star.
He sought again the oanton's door —
Not weak and trembling as before,
Bnt strong of limb and clear of brain; a
" Behold." he said, " the flend is slain."
"Nay," Hamza answered, "starved and
drowned.
The curst one lies in deatb-like swonnd
" Bnt evtAjrcaks the strongest gyvce.
And djins like him have charmed lives.
" Ono beaker of the juicy grape
May call him up in living shape.
" When the red wine of Dadakshan
Sparkles for thee, bowaro, oh khan 1
" With water quench tho Are within.
And drown each day thy dovilkiu P
Theuoeforth the great khan shunned the cup
As Bhitan's own. though offered np
With laughing eyes snd Jeweled hands,
By Yarkand's maids and Barmacand's.
And in the lofty veetibnle
Of the medress of Kansh Kodul.
The students of the holy law
A golden-lettered tablet saw,
With theso words, by a cunning hand.
Graved on it at the khan's command
' 1 In allab's name, to him who bath
A devil, Khan el Hamed saith:
" Wisely onr prophet curst the vine.
The flend that loves the breath of wine
" No prayer can slay, no marabout
Nor Meccan dervis can drive out.
"I, Khan el Hamed, know the charm
That robe him of his power to harm.
" Drown him, oh Islam's child ! the spell
To save thee lies in tank and well."
YouiK'i Companion.
ROSE CLAVERING;
Or, A Leap for Life.
Alt ADVnrrrßß is Tint BLACK HILLB.
" And where does this fair lily of the
Black Hills reside, Dick?"
" About an hoar's gallop from our
camp here, leftiDint. Hho is with her
father—a queer old stick by the name of
Clavering. He keeps by himself, and I
am afeered he will yet como to harm.
The cursed Hionx are about, and Rose
would lie a fine prize for some daring
brave. It is ssiil that the old man has
. dng piles of gold. He may have made
his pile, or msy not, bnt his darter—
aho's pnrtier than a prairie flower land
ing afore the mornin' breeze when
sparkliu' with dew."
" Bravo, my old scont! Yon have
poetry and the love of the beontifnl in
yonr soul if yon have never seen the in
side of a schoolhouse."
" It'll lcetle book lornin' I have picked
ap, leftinint Rat the woiks of nature
and the handiwork of God I love," and
the old man removed hia slouch hat for
a moment, exposing hia graj locks, as
he allowed the light breeze to fan his
broad brow.
" Dick, what do yon say if we gallop
down to the camping-spot of your friend.
Ton have excited my curiosity regarding
this mysterious beauty. I will tell the
sergeant to look oat during my absence,
and he is fully competent to manage
fifty men. We have been stationed here
'<n ihe hills for over six weeks. * I am
tired, and must have a little recrea
tion."
" Ton may git more than you bargain
for. There's Injun signs about, and
there's no tellin' what moment you may
run into a Hioux camp among these in
fernal hills."
"Well, we'll take our chances. We
are both well armed."
A sharp gallop of an hour brought
the army officer and his companion to
the banks cf a small stream, and riding
to a group of stately trees, the scout
reined DP with a sharp cry of astonish
ment and alarm.
The tent of the solitary miner had dis
appeared. Naught rrmained but smok
ing ruins, ami the unmistakable evi
dences of a desperate struggle having
taken place.
Dismounting, the scout carefully went
over the ground, while the offloer watch
ed him with s face expressive of stern
cess and a desire for vengeance.
"There's only nine of 'em. Bat
bark, there was a groan. If it ahonld
be Boee 7" and rnehttig toward a clump
of grass, the eoont beheld the tall, gannt
form of a miner, from whose gaping
wonnda the life-blood was rapinly ooz
ing. " Oiavaring, poor fellow t has it
come to this t I was afeered of it, and
my words have come true."
"My time ia short. I would speak of
my daughter. The Hionx have captured
her. The young obief of a war party
tore her from my arms ami dealt me my
death blow. But who ia that with you 7
—my eyes are grc .wing dM. 7"
"Itla Lieutenant Paul Welch, of the
oavalry."
" Tour hand, sir. Men of your pro-
fcamon are gentlemen. I onoe occupied
tiio position of ono myself. I have u
package in my breast pocket that will
explain all. If you recover my daughter
tive it to her, otherwise burn it as it is.
t can interest no third party."
He was rapidly growing weaker, the
eyo was fixed, and the hoarse voice
faltered:
"Chase the Hionx, recover poor Rose.
Hho is a lady," he muttered, then with
an effort he rousod himself. " I havo
gold for her—look—great rock, cross,
full moon, shadow—dig "—and with a
rattle, a terrible gasp, and the stout
heart ooascd to beat.
Possessing himself of tho package, the
officer briefly penciled the vague and
unsatisfactory words of the dyutg mau
on the back. It might have W>en the
wauderingß of a mind unsettled by tho
near approach of death, bat ho was de
termined to investigate the matter when
ever an opportunity should ooenr.
" Now for work, Dick. We'll bury
poor Olavering, then follow on the trail
of these red fiends, and Rose shall oitber
be rescued or avenged."
Mounting their horses the two sadly
turned away, sallying forth upon tho
dark and silent prairie.
Suddenly tho scout halted, and his
hand pressed the arm of his superior
with a nervous clutch,
"Look there, lieutenant Do yon
know what that means ?"
Just under the horizon a faint glow of
light was peroeptible, above which hong
a black threatening cloud, which rapid
ly spread over the heavens. Gradually
the stars disappeared, while herds of
wild mustangs, buffaloes and doer swept
furiously by.
Then it was the lieutenant realized
the danger he was in. The Hionx had
fired the dry grass from three difforeut
points, and with gigantio leaps the bil
lowy flames were rolling, hissing and
roaring toward them.
Rut old Dick had not been idle. He
was too old and experienced an Indian
fighter to be outdone in the pecnliar
warfare of the frontier.
Leaping from his horse, he struck a
light and net fire to the prairie in his
turn. Rapidly the P.nmee spread, dart
ing onward, sweeping everything in its
path. Leading their horses forward the
two men followed close npon the track
of the counter fire, while every moment
the number of half-frantic animals in
creased.
Stretching far away in front and be
hind them, the terrible crescent rapidly
clued in npon the men. The glowing
billowa of writhing tlamo roared and
thnndered in their earn, smothering the
cries of tho poor animals, who perished
by hnndreds.
The air became very hot, and the
eddying volnmos of smoko made it all
bnt impossible for the two to breathe.
Their horses became almost unman
ageable; they were obliged to cover
their own heads, as well as their beasts',
with blankets. It was an awfnl moment
of agonizing darkness, with the terrible
heat blistering the expoeed portions of
their skins.
The earth shook beneath the mighty
tramp of an immense herd of buffalo, as
they hurst suddenly forth from the sur
rounding smoke. A muffled, indistinct
cry of warning fiom Dick echo<d for a
moment in the earn of Pnnl Welch, and
then he felt himself borne furiously
along, hia horse hemmed in OD all aides
by the frantic animals.
Hours elapsed before be succeeded iu
extricating his gallant animal from the
ranks of the buffaloos, and as he stood,
half suffocated, his eyes all but power
less, the officer realized that be was
alone iu the smoking waste, hopelessly
lost, surrounded by gloom and stifling
odors, which rose incessantly from the
blackened earth.
It was agony to remain stationary,
and in hopes to gain a position where
the smoke would be lens blinding he
slowly urged his horse over tho prairie,
waiting and hoping for daylight to ap
pear.
Gradually the atmosphere became
clear, the stars peeped timidly forth
above his head, while a long gray streak
along the distant horizon gave token
that daylight would soon dawn.
As objects became more and more dis
tinct. the young officer was finallr en
abled to make ont the rugged outlines,
deepguHies, thick underbrush, and pe
culiar formation of the Black hills, into
the lower portion of which bis horse had
wandered. Carefully he looked about
him on all sides, bnt failed to recognize
a single object. Everything waa strange;
but the fact occasioned no disquietude
to the officer. He bsd every faith in
the jndgment of his scout, and it would
not be many hours before the old veto*
ran would be on hia trail, followed by
his faithful oompamons-in-arma.
He had allowed his horse to browse
on the fresh green verdnre which bad
escape the track of the fire, while he
plnngcd into a profound reverie over
the events of the last few hours, and was
oblivious to what was passing around
him.
The ramble of horses' feet, a ferocious
yell, aroused the army officer to a full
sense of the peril into which his abeeuoe
of mind bad partially betrayed him.
Pressing his regimental bat well
down upon his forehead, looeening the
sword in its scat)bard, and feeling for
his trusty revolvers, he dashed the spurs
into his horse's sides, while in his rear
followed half a dozen half-naked war
riors, yelling like so many flenda.
It would have been madness to hsve
turned back and galloped on to the
burnt prairie, where no oovar was to be
found, but bv penetrating deeper into
the hills a chance was barely possible
of escaping the painted Sends.
The animal which Paul Welch be
strode had the reputation of both speed
and endurance, qnalities that were now
likely to stand him in good need. The
turf was soft and springy, the asoent
gentle, and, having every faith in the
well-tried animal, Paul allowed the
howling raseals to gain npon him. He
had emerged on to a small bnt level
plateau that enabled him to take a sur
vey of the surrounding country, Inter
spersed here sad there with scattering
shrubs and trees.
Cantering leisurely toward hire, from
opposite directions, were two bdtioa of
Binnx, and with the band olattering in
hia rear, bnt one pathway remained
open to the officer, who began to feel
decidedly uncomfortable as he found his
chanons rapidly narrowing down.
Dashing the spurs into hia steed, he
i for the first time urged him to bis speed.
Bounding ovor a broad and level apace
of grouud, which led lo u umnll valley
lined ou either aide by rough, jagged
rooks, the gallaut animal struck aparka
of I'reaa his hoofa spurned the light
gravelly bottom of the gulch.
A about of triumph, a fe'ooous cry
of joy buret from the throat* of the wnr
riora aa they aomewhat leisurely fol
lowed the brood trail.
Paul Welch did not nnderatnnd the
meaning of that hoarse indication of
satisfaction which was wafted to hia ears
by the light, cool breath of the morning.
He thought it strange that no at
tempt waa made to pick him ofT with
their riflea, with which the Indiana were
all armed, and turning the matter over
in hia mind as ho plunged deeper and
deeper into a country to which he was
an utter stranger, he oakod himaelf the
question how it was all to end.
The path grew atoepcr with every
bound of his pauting steed; the aspect
of the country hud undergone n de
cided change, and in place of verdure
and shrubbery, rocks, gravel nud over
hanging bowlders had taken their
places.
The rußh and sullen muttering of a
deep mountain stream fell suddenly
upon his ear, mingling with the yells of
triumph which now burst incessantly
from the wnrriora as they urged their
ponies forward, rapidly narrowing tho
circle.
Halting for a moment on a smooth,
level lodge of limestone, Panl took a
rapid survey of the dangers which sur
rounded him on all sides. His stont
heart all lint failed him as he realised
the trap into which he had ran.
On three sides of him tho painted
Hionz were rapidly advancing, while be
fore him yawned a precipice fnlly sixty
feet in height, at the bottom of whicn
flowed the dark waters of tho stream
whose mntterings he had heard.
Now he understood tho meaning of
those yells of triumph, realized why
they had foreboro from using their
rifles. They anticipated an easy cap
ture, ami a victim was wanted to tor
ture, whose ashes might be offered np
as a sacrifice to the spirits who were
supposed to reside amid the hills.
This wss to die a thousand deaths, in
preference to which lie determined tc
run tho risk of being dashed to pieces.
On came the warriors, eager to pluck
the fruits of their triumph, while the
officer, with a hasty prayer, plunged his
spdrs into tho smoking flanks of his
charger, guiding him to thb edge of the
precipice.
The warriors paused in wonder and
amazement as they saw the act. They
had calculated on the precipice proving
an insurmountable olataclcto the escape
of their intended victim, and they could
not believe it to bo tho intention of the
white man to attempt the awful leap,
which to all appearance was certain
death.
With his long hair streaming over his
shoulders, feet firmly pressed in the
stirrups, his left hand waving defiance
to his foe, Paul urged the noble animal
forward, enconraging him by bis voice,
until tlicy reached the edge of the bank,
when again applying the "spur, they
made the fearful leap.
Down, down they went with terrible
velocity, without resistance or impedi
ment. A plunge, a shiver, and meeting
the full force of the torrent, the steed
was swept away, while Paul despite his
efforts was carried down the stream as if
ho bad been a feather.
His h'lmo had disappeared amid the
foaming rapid*, the Klwn precipitous
sides of the rocky cliff debarred him
from all hope* of effecting a landing,
and floating on hie back Pan! held hi*
strength in reacrvo.
Tho Indiana had disappeared; the
rongh aide* of the rocky gorge and a
atrip of the bine heaven* above were all
that he conld discern a* the enrrent bore
him be knew not whither. He thonght
of hi* distant homo, hia parent*, the
many friend* of hia yonth, hia brother
officers, the soldier* under hia command,
tho old scout, and tho mnrdered miner's
daughter in the power of tho savage*.
Lopg forgotten facta and reminiscence*
of the past crowded through hia brain,
and he conld not believe that he waa to
B'rish in the nnknown depths of the
lack hilla, hia fate enveloped in mjs-
T sodden sharp ahoek recalled him
to himaelf, A whirling eddy had thrown
him ronghly against the sharp project
ing side of the cliff, and catching at a
crevice, ho suooeedo.l in gaining a foot
hold. Hlowly and cantionaly he drew
himself up from point to point, scaling
the smooth sides of the gorge, until
his head waa on a level with the edge
•of the bank.
Oantionaly be reconnoitered before
drawing himself over the brink, but
he saw nothing that gave evidence of
an enemy, and once more he found him
self in an nnknown region of the Black
hills, minna his horse, with only his
saber and one revolver npon which to
rely.
Tho high ground where Paul fonnd
himself gradually sloped toward the
broad and rolling prairie, forming a
succession of ridges skirting the steep
side* of a hill. A oonfnaed hum, a low
hoarse cry reached his ears, and with
focnltira sharpened by the danger
through which be bad pasted, the army
officer reonnnoitered the depths below,
of which he bad an unobstructed view.
Au Indian encampment with a num
ber of warriors departing upon some
expedition was revealed to hia impatient
gase, and as they disappeared, brand
ishing their long lanoea in the air, Panl
determined to have a nearer look at
the lodges.
Bringing into requisition his some
what limited knowledge of woodcraft,
Panl cantionaly wormed bin way through
the tall grass until ha reaebed a spring
on the outskirts of the camp. It was
snrronnded by a thick growth of bnshes,
from the midst of which he oonld ob
serve everything that transpired before
him.
A i)Timber of warrior* left to guard the
camp lounged oarele**ly a boat, and
waa on the point of withdrawing
to the height* above, when he perceived
a figure, evidently that of a woman, ap
proaching in hi* direction.
She carried a calabaah in her hand,
walking *lowly and deliberately, the
heart of the army officer !>eating with
increaaod rapidity and excitement a* be
perceived that her ooatame waa not that
of a Hioux aqnaw.
Looking over her ahonlder, the woman
quickened her movement* a*ahepei
coived that a number of warriors wore
watching her. A shout, a yell of rage,
and the braves started in pursuit.
The fugitive, for such she undoubted
ly was, immediately dropped the oala
bosh, and sprang away with the swift
noss of un antelope.
Paul noted the pale golden hair, beau
tiful features and ronnded form of tho
fugitive, who lie made np his mind
could be ho less than Rose, the fnr
fumod daughter of the
miner.
There was little time to think, as tho
fair fugitive sped rapidly along, her long
hair streaming in tho wind, and tho war
riors in close pursuit.
Hwift though she was, the foremost
warrior had all trat overtaken her as she
reached tho opposite Bide of the spring,
and ho was in the act of hurling his
lance ns Panl leveled his revolver and
fired.
The brave passed to tho happy hunt
ing-grounds of his people without a cry:
but the shot had alarmed the camp, and
for a few moments all was confusion.
Rose had uttered a faint cry as she
caught a glimpse of Paul, tint never re
laxed her speed, while the army officer,
as ho beheld tho Indians mounting and
preparing for a light, rapidly retreated
in hopes to find a more advantageous
position where a stand oonld be made,
ne had bnt little hopes of saving hia
life; the odds were far too great; but if
he could cover the retreat of the girl,
who evidently knew tho country better
than he did, and enable her to reach a
place of safety, he would die satisfied.
His saber flashed in his right jiand,
securely fastened to his wrist by a
leather strap, upon which he shonld de
pend after exhausting the contents of
the revolver.
He had reached one of the ridges
along which ran a fringe of hashes,
when a low familiar voioe reached his
ear:
1 ' Keen on, leftinint; don't turn yonr
head. We are here, sergeant anil all.
Tho gal is safe. Ho—-here they come."
On swooped tho Hioux in all the glory
of their war paint and feathers. With
lances in rest, uttering shrill cries, they
rapidly closed in on Paul, when a sharp
word of command, the flash of rifles,
followed by the riderless horses gallop
ing wildly to and fro, and all was ovor.
Charging npon the lodges, the MM -
diem encountered the body of braves
who hod turned hack alarmed by the
noise that they had beard. A short, bnt
sharp engagement followed; the band
was oomnletelv broken up, lodges
burned, after which tho troops prepared
to bivouac themselves and rest awhile
on their lanrels.
Dick assumed full charge of Rose,
who mourned the loss of her father, and
to whose care Panl delivered the sealed
packet ooutaining the secret of the old
| miner.
By the fitful blaze of the camp fire,
amid the solitude of the frowning Black
, lulls, Roger Clavering's true history
was at last revealed.
He had once been a wealthy and re
! spcetod merchant of Chicago, bnt a
younger brother forged large amounts
I iu his namo and fled, leaving him to
face tho storm alone. The younger
brother bad been his mother's pet, and
1 on her death-tied Roger had promised to
protect and shield him. Nobly be re
deemed the word he had given. "Die
1 brother came out of the trial broken in
fortune and repntation, his wife dead,
I with naught left him but the little waif
[ of a daughter.
Wifb her he had removed to the far
West, lievoud the pale of civilization,
Pursuing the occupation of a hunter and
Indian trailer, peacefully gliding down
the stream of life, watching his dangb
ter blooming into handsome, and by
no means uncultivated woman. Thai
the excitement of the Rlack hills spread
far and wide, he followed in tho track*
of others, and the sad finale has already
been tola.
I)ick then related how he had been
separated from the lieutenant, and
knowing the danger ho inenrred by
scouting over the prairie alone, he re
joined the soldiers, starting on the trail
of his superior.
Everything was plain np to the very
verge of the precipice, when it was evi
dent Panl had made the dc*t>erat leap.
Then Dick wss in doubt whether his
superior wss alive or not. But follow
ing the course of the river ss a forlorn
hope, they hail fortunately reached the
ambush in time to savo hot* l Rose and
Paul's life.
Nothing now remained hut to find the
treasure which Clavering had obtained
at such a sacrifice, and many an hour of
anxiona thought hail Paul expended on
the subject. There waa but little to
guide him—a vague hint that might
mean nothing -still, for the aake of the
orphan, he persevered. " Great rock—
cross—fnll moon—shadow—dig."
Rose was consulted, but she knew
nothing of the haunts of her father, and
absolutely nothing of a great rock or
cross.
Accompanied by the entire force of
cavalrymen, underthe direction of Dick,
a thorough search waa instituted in the
vicinity of the old miner's last resting
place.
In a small gully running into the side
of a precipitous hill, a huge rock waa
finally found surmounted by a huge
representation of a cross.
At the full of the moon Paul and Dick
secretly repaired to the spot prepared
to unearth the buried gold; aod noting
the extremity of the shadow cast by the
rough cross, the two men commenced
their labors.
They were crowned with sneer**, and
four large canvas bags of gold dust and
nuggets were dragged forth.
It was the fortune of Rose Glavering;
and Panl, with his eeoort, conveyed her
to the nearest military post, where she
was to reman until he could obtain
leave of abseuoe, and travel with her to
the East in hopes of finding some of her
relatives.
Months elapsed before be was en
abled to carry not his plana; bat hen
he reached Chicago no trace of the name
of Olaveriug remained. The machinery
of the police and law wss put in motion,
but with no satisfactory result.
Every moment of his leave waa ex
pended in the search, and when he
nought Rose, at her hotel, his heart
heavy and sad at the prospect of part
ing with her, she listened in silence to
Peal's regrets at hia failure to find her
friends, but started impetuously to her
feet when he edded thai, with the dawn
of another tlay, ho must return to liic
post anil duty.
Ilor face flushed and paled an she
Htrove in vain to apeak, her bosom rose
and foil convulsively, and hut for the
strong arm of the officer ROM would
have fallen to the floor.
Urn via it *ui prolonged. What pass
od between thein i known only to tnom
aolvoa ; but noon after the war depart
ment received Find Lieutenant Paul
Welch'* resignation, and in place of re
turning to hi* pout amid the savage
Hioux, he engaged double pannage for
the more congenial climate of Europe
with Rone an his young, bluahiug bride.
Hanging anil Whipping Afghan*.
A London Standard letter from the
■eat of war in Afghanistan deecriben the
puninhment inflicted nj>on aome native
priaonora, an follow: Between the sol
dier* hundred* of native* could be Been
squatting patiently for the proceedlnga
to commence, and it wa* cniiiona to no
tion here and there Afghan* with their
long black hair, Kitting quietly among
the crowd of Hindoo*. A party of low
caate Hindoo* were bn*y digging a large,
square bole clone to the gallows. Every
body understood ita use. To the right
the men of the Huaaara were quietly ex
ercising their home*, and the Held*
above them were dotted with noldiera
belonging to the Ninety-second High
landers, who were quite content to aee
the execution from a distance. At
eleven o'clock a company of the Twen
ty-first marched down to the gallow*
with six prisoner* in their midst.
Two were to be laabed and four to be
hanged. The four condemned men
were singled out and led to the front.
Their drees consisted only of a long,
blue ootton shirt and loose pygamas
ticsl in at the ankle*. In two of the in
stance!- the shirts were a mass of rags
frayed into ribbons at the edges, and
holding wonderfully together. None of
them wore sandals or head dree so*.
There they stood staring curiously
around them with their jet hair hang
ing over their faces and their hand*
strapped behind their back*, and all
looking thoroughly desperate ruffian*.
The provost-marshal, a stout-built ser
geant of the Tenth Hussars, showed
each man hin plank and made him walk
serosa it. This all the men did without
much compulsion. They did not appear
to realize what was about to happen to
them, and kept looking over their
shoulders to see what wa* going on.
Their leg* sere strapped together.
What appeared to be their old blue pug-
I gareen or turban* were tied over their
I faces, and the DOOMS were fixed round
| their nocks. Then they appeared to
realize what was coming, and all oom
| menoed crying- out prayer* to Allah.
While they were doing this one of the
prisonrtw who was standing behind wait
ing for his flogging shouted out to them
that they were never to mind; he would
lie left alive and he wonld avenge thsir
deaths. All eyes were tumid toward
him, but only for a second, as the scene
being eoacted in front wa* of more ab
sorbing interest Four Enropean sail
or* caught up rope* attached to the
planking, a signal wa* given, and they
pulled at the same moment sweeping
away the scaffold and launching the
prisoner* into the air. Hut it wan only
for a second that the condemned men
hung. The cross beam creaked and
broke with a startling crash, and the
four men fell to the ground hanging,
half resting their feet upon the earth.
Hoarsely had any |<erwon time to feel
horrified at this nnfortnnate accident,
before the provost-marshal drew his re
volver anl sent a bullet through each
man'* brain. One of the Afghans was
tlien stripped naked and tied up to one
of the poles of the gallow*. A stalwart
hussar gave him a dozen and a half
ladies a* warmly a* his arm could lay
on, then another hussar completed the
three dozen. The fellow grinned con
siderably, but bore the flogging marvel
onsly. He never uttered a groan the
whole time he wa* receiving his punish
ment One of the hussars threw his
clothes at him and toll him roogblv to
salaam. This the man did not under
stand. It wa* a grim joke at the best
He quietly put on bis clothes—they
were but rags —and coolly asked if he
might go. He was told that the next
time he was caught with s loaded rifle
near a British camp he would not get
off no easily, and then he wa* marched
across the river by two armed Bikh*,
who gave him a parting push with right
cood will. The oilier man who was to
have been flogged was marched back to
camp in custody.
A Poser for the " Hawkeye " Mas.
A youDg man, who evidently repre
sents some Ht. Louis house, aaka roe
where lam from. 1 tell him. His eye
brightens. He says:
" l>o yon know Oust. Hiraob, there?"
No, I tell him, I do not
"Know kiarx Oppenbeimer?"
I don't know Marx Oppenbeimer.
" Do you know Joe Helming baa son ?"
I fail to remember Mr. H.
" Then do you know Chris. Erliugen
schafUicher ?
I don't believe I da
" Rut you mast know Ernest Gund
lacbeastreibichdukircbsenliebslatenhei-
minghans ?"
I think possibly that I may have
known acme of him, and possibly a
great deal of him, at different times,
but I am quite positive that I never
knew him ail at onoe.
The young man from the St Louis
house looks amaaed.
" Well," he says at last "you ain't
got much acquaintance in Burlington."
And I sadly remarked that my ac
quaintance there is rsther limited, and
be goes away. Presently be returns.
"Ob," he aaya, "them fellua I aaid
to you about lives in Davenport"
And I fesl greatly relmvsa, for I had
begun to think that I didn't know any
body ia Burlington.— R. J. BurdrtU.
The origin of astronomy baa been
traced to Obaldea in Asia. There it is
said to bare be* n first cultivated by the
shepherds, being attracted to the noo
turnal sky while guarding their flocks,
by the peculiar brilliancy of the stars
and planets, which arose pertly from
the geographical position of Ohahlra.
but more from ciraumatanoea which
made the atmosphere wonderfully trans
parent and serene. A single dear night
would diso'oee a majestic movement of
the great starry dome which inoioeed
them.
ITEMH OF IHTEREMT.
A wrecked bark—A dead dog.
A matter of cores—Apple sauce.
A checkered career—A convict's.
A man of plnck—The fowl-*tripper.
To ascertain the age of a tree—Axe it.
Flags are employed for *ignaling at
•tea.
Every baker's shop has the stomach
cake.
William Tell was an arrow-minded
man.
A shot tower i* usually about 180 feet
high.
There arc 107,000 Hebrew* in New
York.
There are about COO newspapers is
Hufwia.
The only thing which is oosstant—
Change.
A man of push—The wheelbarrow
trundler.
The serpent was subtle, but the army
trader in nutler.
In the year 1828 there were but three
mile* of railroad in the whole United
Mates.
What ia the need of being told to rise
with the lark ? The lark se* abo
3,000 feet.
It in safe enough to tickle a wasp un
dor his wing, if you do it with a very
long straw.
The river Yukon, in Alaska, never lias
been surveyed, but ha* been navigated
for 2,000 mile*.
Pocahontas is to have a monument
over her grave at Oraveeend, England,
where she lie* buried.
Nothing ' doe* no much for people't
look* a* a little interchange of the
small coin of benevolence.
If you Bweep your own doorstep*
clean vou will have little time to criti
cise those of your neighbor.
It is the work of a philosopher to be
every day subduing his passion* and
laying aside his prejudice*.
" That'* the long and short of it," as
the street Arab remarked on passing a
tall wife and a little husband.
" Pa," said Pet, " may I det up and
twot on your knee V " Certainly," was
the ready reply, "let the little gallop,"
A somnambulist in Fountain City,
Wis., cut off his finger with an axe
while asleep, a lelon being the incite
ment.
It i* a most mortifying reflection of
any man to consider what he has done
compared with what he might have
done.
Electricity is found to l*e i delicate
test for purity of oils, which are judged
of by the reeiatanoe they offer to the
current.
The French are acquiring a more
stable government everv year. Paris
alone consumed 11,219 horses for food
last year.
" You ought,to husband your coal
more," said the charity woman. "I
always doc*. I make him sift ashes and
pick the cinders."
Even the most religious man, who
would scorn to worship an idol, take*
a peculiar delight in being worshiped
a* an idol himself.
The leg of a " G/anther Graybeard"
(which is a species of spider) retains its
vitality one or two days after being sev
ered from the body.
One hundred and three boys between
the ages of fourteen and nineteen are
now confined in the California State
prison, at San Qtientin.
lie ware of prejudices, they are like
rata, and men a minds are like traps.
Prejudices creep in easily, but it ia
doubtful if they ever get out.
A muddy pool, rippled by a brecse,
will sparkle quite brilliantly while in
motion ; but when qaiet it is seen the
more plainly to be only a shallow pool.
Stopping to deny denials ia as profit
less aa stopping to deny truths. It ia
oouacnting to leave an affirmative for a
negative position, which is s removal
from the strong side to the weak.
To know a man, observe how he wins
his object, rsther than bow be loses it;
for when <te fall oar pride supports us
—when we succeed it betrays us.
Plletier, the French a&emiat, discov
ered quinine, the active principle of
Peruvian bark, about sixty years ago,
and was awarded a prize of (3,000.
In the course of a recent libel suit |the
English attorney-general said : "There
ia at present a mania in literature, art
and philosophy to say something which
oannot be understood."
A Ban Franciscan, who was sued for
the value of half-a-dosen shirts made to
his order, pleaded a misfit, and appeared
upon the witness-stand wearing one of
the garments. He won the ease.
The Jackson (Miss.) Oornct remarks
that there oannot be too much gratitude
to the North and Weal for aid given the
yellow fever sufferers, but there oan be
far too much poetry on the subject
Hood, is u> article of singular humor,
states that the phraee • republic of let
ters *u hit upon to isaionate that,
taking the whole lot of authors together,
they had not got s sovereign amongst
them.
An exchange grimly aaetrts : An im
possible feat for a female pedestrian is
to walk a thousand miles in a thousand
hoars, past one thousand millinery
stores displaying the latest styles Ot
spring bonnets.
There are published in Sweden 800
papers and periodicals, of which eighty
four appear in Stockholm. There are
only ten daily papers, of which five are
published in Stockholm; while in Nor
way there are fifteen, in Denmark
seventy-six, end in Finland six.
The sleeping hours of s plant wore
changed recently by s French chemist,
by exposing it to abright tight at night
and piecing U in e dark room during
the daytime. At first the leaves op. Nad
and Moeed irregularly, but at length
submitted to the change, unfolding at
night and closing is the morning.
Klias Black, a farmer near Doyleatoo.
Pa., baa sixteen harvests of bay and
min rotting in stacks on his farm,
farm produce began to rim with
the breaking out of ihs wardie held hig
mop for still higher prices. When priori
Ml embitters* by IhappointnMSuh hh
kept on stacking untHTha. fJO.OO®
worth bay and grain an hia hands.