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'"ZVZZSZ?' ) AN INDEPENDENT. FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 'gtSS?
Vol. V. IYoav Uloomfioia, Ifoln-imry S21, 1871. TVo. 8.
fiUoomfidir jjnus.
Ja Published Weekly,
At New Bloomfleld, renn'a.
BY
FRANK MOlt TIMER.
BUIISCUII'TION TERMS.
ONE liOLLAli VElt YE A It I
00 Cents for (1 Months; 40 Cents
for ' Months,
IIV A.VA.ISO10.
AIT IDYL OP THE PERIOD.
I! TWO l-AIITS.
I.
" Come right in ! How arc yon Fred ?
Find a chair and have a light."
" Well, old boy, recovered yet
From the Malher'B jam last night 1"
" Didn't dance, the (iennan's old."
Didn't you I I Imd to lead
Awful bore ; but where were you ?"
" Sat it out with Mollle Mcudc ;
Jolly little girl sho Is ";
Said she didn't care to dance,
'D rather have a quiot chat
Then she gavo me such a glance ;
So, when you hnd cleared the room
And had captured ull the chairs,
Having nowhere else, we two
Took possession ol' the stairs ;
I was on the lower step,
Mollio on the next above ;
Gave me her bonne t to hold
Asked me to draw oir her glove.
Then, of course, I squeezed her hand,
Talked about my wasted life,
Said my sole salvation must
Be a true and gentlo wife.
Then, you know, I used my eyes
She believed mo every word s
Almost said she loved mo Jove !
Such a voice I never heard
Gave ine some symbolic llowcr,
Had a meaning, oh 1 bo sweet ;
Don't know where It Is, I'm sure
Must have dropped it in the street.
How I spoonied ! und she ha ! ha !
Well, I know It wasn't right,
lint she did believe me so,
That 1 kissed her pass o light.
II
" Mollic Mcado, well, I declare !
Who'd have thought of seeing you,
After what occurred lnstniglit,
Out here ou the avenue.
Oh I you awful, awful girl j
There don't blush I saw it all."
" Saw all what V " Ahem lust night
At the Mather'B, In the hall."
" Oil you horrid whero were you 1
Wasn't lie an awful goose 1
Most men must be caught, but lie
liau his neck right in the uoosc.
I waB almost dead to dance
I'd have done it If I could
But old Gray Baid I must stop,
And I promised ma I would ;
So I looked up sweet, and said
I'd rather talk with him.
Hope ho didn't see my face
Luckily the lights were dim ;
Then how he squeezed lny hand
And ho looked lip In my face
With his lovely, great big cyos
Really, It's a dreadful case.
Ho was all In earnest too
But I thought I'd have to laugh,
When ho kissed n flower I gave,
Looking oh I like such a calf.
I suppose he has it now,
In u winc-glusa ou the shelves ;
It's a mystery to mo
Why men will deceive themselves.
Saw him kiss mo ! Oh, you wretch
Well, he begged so hurd for ouc,
And I thought thcr'd no one know ,
Ho I let him just for fun.
I know It wasn't really right
To trlllo with his feelings, dear.
But men nrc such conceited things,
They need a lesson oneo a year.
Tho French Conjuror.
IT WAS a pleasant event in my lifo
when I was thrown into tho company
of Grigtion. I was on my way to Califor
nia, and had taken tho overland roulo in
preference to any other. It was on my
journey across the plains that I mado his
acquaintance. Our party overtook a single
wagon. It contained a solitary man.
'The liorseB were dead, and tho man nearly
so. This man was Grignon. I paid tho
utmost attention to his wants. Being a
medical man, I gave him nil tho benefit of
my skill and caro. As ho rooovored, he
naturally entertained a strong friendship
for mo. His wagon had fallen behind tho
train to which he belonged, and they had
'been compelled by their own necessities to
desert him.
The conjuror, howovor, was destined for
a more glorious fatu than to die miserably
'in tho dosol.ito American desert. Ho was
to bocoiuo nn ostouishor to tho natives
(Indians), a savior to civilized lives, and a
lion in California.
'4
We resumed our journey. Wo had
started however like many others in those
days with insufficient preparations. As
soon as we found out our mistake we bad
to be very economical in our provisions.
Wo killed buffaloes whenever wo found
them, mid nlways replenished our water
casks at every stream. At length, howovor,
wo camo lo a dry and parched waste, whero
thcro was scarcely a drop of water, scarcely
a blade of grass, and not n single living
animal of any description.
And now began tho troubles of our jour
ney. Wo had eomo into tho country of
tho warlike Indians, and they wcro not
slow to acquaint us of tho fact. Evory
day they prowled around us in groat
numbers, threatening and insulting us.
Occasionally they used to snatch up some
thing and dart away on their horses. We
did all wo could to bo friendly, and deter
mined to avoid nji open rupture as far as
possible, for thero wcro only twclvo on our
side, and on their side apparently twelvo
hundred.
Every day only mado matters worse. In
spite of our precautions, tho Indians grew
moro and moro abusivo and insulting.
Wo became watchful and tried to bo more
forbearing, but our forbearance was taken
for cowardice, and tho savages began to
think they could do anything with us.
Wo held a council of war, and determined
to bring matters to a crisis at once.
Tho crisis soon camo.
Olio day a big Indian camo riding along
by us. Io began talking in a contemptu
ous way, and gesticulating furiously. At
last ho asked one of our men for his gun.
Tho man refused. Tho Indian repeated
his question, and attempted to tako the
gun from his hand. The man drew back.
The Indian sprang forward, flourishing his
knife and threatening. At this tho man
calmly leveled his piece and shot tho Indian
through tho heart.
As the wretch fell shrieking from his
horse, tho plain seemed to bo alivo with
other Indians. From behind every clump
of trees, every hillock, overy rock, and
every rising ground, they poured forth in
countless numbers. Wo had never beforo
seen so many assembled together as now.
And now our companion, tho conjurer
camo out conspicuously. Ho had been onco
in tho French army, ho said, and under
stood all its admirable, discipline. A few
words of warning and a short explanation
sufficed to muko us form a circle of
tho wagons, and draw tip behind them
with luggago heaped up for breastworks.
Thero wo waited for the savages.
But they did not como just then. With
loud whoops and screams they gathered
upon the plain at a distance from us. Tho
wretched cowards, as soon as they saw Our
slight preparations, wcro actually afraid
to attack.
They waited till night.
Night camo. Our defensos wcro made.
Our wagons were arranged moro closely,
and tho barricade of baggago was made
higher, deep and moro effective. In tho
center were our cattle. Behind this little
fortification wo awaited our foes.
Shortly after dusk tho tramp of thousands
of hoofs shook tho plain. Down upon us
thundered tho Indians. Shouts and yells
burst around.
On they came, nearer, and still nearer.
We waited for them in breathless sus
pense. At last our volley burst in thunder upon
them.
Shrieks arose from amidst tho gloom.
Wo saw not what tho effect of our shots
had been, but only conjecture that it had
boon deadly.
Thero was a wild uproar tho confused
sound of trampling horses, tho noiso of
men calling to one another, intermingled
with groans and cries of pain. Without
giving them tlmo to recover from their con
fusion wo poured In another volley, and
yet another, loading's rapidly as o could
and firing revolvers whero wo had them.
Tho effect was terrible. Many must have
been wounded or killed, judging by tho
uproar that nroso. For a time thero was
a confused hubub of sounds. Horses
wore trampling ; men calling ; groans wero
mingled with cries of rago. During all
this time wo filed at intorvals whenever wo
heard a sound, husbanding our ammunition
and not willing to waste a shot.
At last there arose a wild tramp of horses
the sound moving from us, and seeming to
show that our enemies had retirod baffled
from the assault.
Yet wo wore afraid of some plot. Orig
non made us keep our watch, and all that
night we lay on out arms, expecting evory
moment to hoar the Indian yell, which an
nounced the assault of tho savages.
After a long night, which soomcd Inter
minable, morning dawuod. As the night
illumined the wide plain we looked around
anxiously for our enimios, but saw liono
whatever. Wo took a hasty breakfast,
and then deliberated on what wo ought to
do, whether to tako advantago of this rcs
pito and movo on, or wait a whilo. Most
of us thought wo had better hurry on ;
but Qringnon gavo it as his opinion, that
tho Indians wcro not in tho neighborhood
and wcro waiting to attack us on tho march.
IIo thought that wo had better wait at least
another day. Wo all yielded to his opinion
and waited as best wo could.
Wo did not have to wait long.
After a few hours, at about 10 o'clock,
ten or a dozen horsemen appeared over a
hillock, in tho distance, riding slowly
toward us.
" They wish to havo a parley," said Grig
non. " Somo of you step forward and seo
what they want. I wish to have a word to
say, but will wait.
One of our men was selected, mid went
outside of our enclosure to meet them.
Meanwhile- Orignon lifted a trunk out of
tho wagon which belonged to him, drew it
outsido and busied himself cooly in arrang
ing and turning over tho things.
Wo all thought that this was dono for
tho purposo of assuming an air of indiffer
ence. So nono of us noticed him particu
larly. Our representative stood outsido waiting
for tho Indians. Ten of them dismounted
and walked towards us in a friendly man
ner, whilo tho rest hold tho horses.
Ono of them addressed our men in broken
English.
Tho Indians, ho said, did not want out
lives. They wanted powder. If wo would
givo thein what wo had they would let us
go in safety, and protect us from other
tribes till wo got beyond tho plains.
Givo them our powder ! A pleasant re
quest, it scarcely needed debate. Wo ro
fuscd. Wrell, then, would wo givo them our bul
lets ? They wero vory much in want of bul
lets. Ono of us said in a low voico that bullets
wero tho only thing they would get from
us, but tho Indians did not hear him. Our
representative refused very mildly.
Tho Indians now stood talking with ono
another. Grignon advanced toward them.
IIo whispered something in a low voico to
our representative, who immediately with
drew. Grignon then stood facing tho Indians.
" Aro you captain ?" said tho spokesman
of tho Indians, suddenly as ho noticed
Grignon.
" No, I'm the medicine man ; you can't
shoot theso men or these horses, I savo
them."
Tho Indians translated this to his com
panions who burst into roars of laughter.
Grignon advanced moro closely. Ho
was looking steadily at tho Indian, and wo
saw that tho latter appeared to bo uncom
fortable mulct his gazo.
"See," said Grignon ; "you can't shoot
me. Hero" and ho drew a pistol from
his pocket, a revolver " firo at mo."
Tho Indian smiled.
"You dou't want mo to kill you?'1 said
ho scornfully.
" You can't."
Tho Indian's eyes Hashed.
" Shoot" cried Grignon, folding his
arms.
The Indian hesitated a moment. Ho
looked at us suspiciously. Then ho looked
at his companions, and said something in
their language. They Jail responded ve
hemently. Tho Indian took aim.
" You tell mo to shoot," said lie.
" Shoot 1" said Grignon again.
Tho Indian fired.
Grignon smiled, and, walking forward
to tho Indian, ho handed him a bullet.
The Indian looked paralysed.
Grignon showed him how to flro it again.
Tho Indian fired tho other Ave shots.
Grignon caught each bullet, somotinibs
scorning to catch it from his breast, some
times from his faco, and each time ho hand
ed it to tho Indians, who wcro now in a
state of wild excitement,
"They may all shoot if thoy choose,"
said Grignon, and, saying this, ho wont to
his trunk, drew out uino pistols, and, com
ing up to them, proceeded to load each ono.
Ho took tho powder and put it in, then tho
wadding and bullet, and the Indians saw
him do it. Ho handed a pistol to each on
loading it. Suddenly, ono of thoso fellows
took aim and fired. Grignon, without
seeming to havo noticed him raised his hand
and seemed to catch a bullet in his fore
head. Ho tossed this toward tho Indian,
who piekod it up with an air of stupefaction.
Then ho stood and told all tho rest to
firo.
Eight reports sounded in rapid succes
sion. Grignon took off his hat and walked up
to tho Indians. To their amazement eight
bullets wcro in his hat. Each mail took
and looked at it iu wonder.
They all expressed a desiro to do so.
" Well, hand mo tho pistols."
To their amazement tho pistols wcro
gone.
They looked at ono another in wonder.
"You seo," said Grignon, "they fired
tho pistols at mo, too, and I swallowed
them."
"Swallowed them 1" faltered tho Indian,
and ho told this to his astonished compan
ions. "Yes ; do you want them ?"
Tho Indian nodded.
Whereupon Grignon opened his mouth,
and rolling back his eyes, he inserted his
fingers and drew a pistol apparently from
his throat. Another followed. Then ho
drew forth a third, then a fourth, and so on
until ho had drawn forth tho eight pistols
from his throat, whilo tho Indians stood
looking on in utter bewilderment. And no
wonder, for wo ourselves felt no less aston
ishment. Wo could not account for it ; wo
wcro as much stupefied as tho Indians them
selves. After this Grignon calmly drew forth
six or eight more pistols, then a number of
cartridges, and finally a carbine.
" I'm tho mcdicino man," Baid ho sol
emnly. Tho Indians said not a word.
" Do you want to firo again?" said he,
and ho offered pistols to tho Indians.
They nil shrunk back in horror.
Grignon tossed tho pistols, carcridges,
and carbine over to us, and smiled benign
antly on tho astonished savages.
IIo then shook his hand.
A knifo fell out of the palm. Another
followed, and another. Ho- shook threo
moro out of his hand, nnd drew a scoro or
so out of his cars.
" Perhaps you would like somthing to
drink?" said ho, smilingly to tho Iudian
who spoko English.
Tho savago looked at him suspiciously.
" WThat'll you havo? Hum, brandy, gin,
whisky, alo, porter, wino, or cider?"
Tho Indian brightoned up, and spoke to
his fellows. They all preferred whisky.
Grignon asked tho Indian to lend him a
loose blanket which ho wore. Tho Indian
took it off doubtfully. Grignon shook it;
a bottle rolled out. Ho shook it again ; a
glass rolled out. Ho shook it a third timo ;
nine moro tumblers fell out. IIo shook it
again ; a corkscrew tumbled down.
"Will you tako it raw or with water?"
asked Grignon, as ho proeooded to unscrew
the cork.
Tho Indian said nothing'
"Isn't that good whisky ?" nsked Grig
non, as ho poured out a glass.
Tho Indian smelt it suspiciously. Then
ho tasted it,and smelt again. Tho tasto was
enough. Ho drank it all off, smacked his
lips, looked around triumphantly on his
companions, and then hold out his glass for
more. At this nil tho other Indians, en
couraged by this experiment, clamored for
somo. Grignon poured away from his bot
tle. Each ono drank and wanted moro.
Grignon was quito willing to pour. Ho was
not forgetful, however, of tho duties of
hospitality. Ho walked off to tho Indians
who wero holding tho horses, who had
been watching tho scono iu stupefaction
and offered somo to them. Tho smell of
tho whisky was enough for them. They
drank and wanted moro.
But Grignon shook his head.
" Not now," ho said to tho spokesman.
" I'll givo you a bottle apiece to carry homo
with you." And going up to tho blanket,
ho shook out a dozen bottles of tho samo
kind as the last.
By this timo tho Indians woro in tho jol
lieBt mood conceivable.
"Beforo I givo you any more," said ho,
"let me mako you so that you will not get
drunk."
Ho walked up tho first Indian, and took
each of his hands in his, and looked at him
stoadfastly in the eyos for somo timo. Then
ho stroked his brows, and left him ; this ho
did to each. The Indians had all got ovor
their suspicions, and merely expected that
something good was coming. So they al
lowed him to do as ho cho.se.
Grignon then stood off a little distance,
and iu a loud voico ordered thorn all to look
at him. Whether thoy understood or not
mado no difference. They certainly all did
look at him.
I had scou plenty of exporimonts boforo
in mosuiorism and electro-biology, so that
tho present sceno did not surprise me so
much as it did my companions and tho oth
er Indians.
Grignon simply stood at a distance, wav
ing his arms nt times, and giving words of
command. Evory word was oboyed.
First they all began to dance.
Then they all knelt down.
Then they touched hands and could not
sever themselves from ono another's con
tact. Ono Indian suddenly rushed wildly
around, with tho othors all joined to him,
trying to freo themselves, but uttorly una
blo, yelling and howling liko wild boasts.
At last a shout from Grignon, and tho
charm was dispelled. They sprang back
from ono another, and stood motionless,
liko so many statues.
Suddenly they all began to shiver as
though they woro suffering from intense
cold. They gathered their blankets closely
around them, their teeth chattering and
eveiy limb trembling.
In an instant they wero panting as though
with extreme heat, and drawing difficult
breaths, gasping and flinging off thoso
blankets which but a moment boforo they
had wrapped so tightly about them.
This then passed.
They began to bark liko dogs.
They wont down on all fours, and evi
dently imagined that they woro of tho ca
nino species.
Then they tried to imitato tho motion
and croaking of frogs. After this they
went through performances too numerous
to mention. At ono timo they became rigid,
and arranged themselves liko tho stakes of
a tent hoads together, feet outward.
Then four of them knelt down and tried to
run about with four othors on thoir backs j
then they all jumped wildly up in tho air,
and began to flap their hands. At last
they mado a furious onset upon ono anoth
er with fists, nails, and teeth, nnd if they
had not left their weapons behind, they
certainly would havo dono somo frightful
injury.
The two Indians who held tho horses
looked on in horror, bewildored and stupe
fied ; not knowing what to do. Thoy
would havo Hod in thoir fright, but dared
not leave their companions behind. Grig
non stood calm with frowning brows, watch
ing tho uproar, himself tho presiding spir
it of tho scono. My companions were con
founded. Even somo of them, as thoy nf
tcrwardstold mo, thought that Grignon
was tho devil.
At last Grignon gavo a loud shout.
Tho Indians fell fiat on tho ground.
They lay for somo timo as if dead. '
Thou Grignon waved his arms, and they
rose to their feot. All looked bewildored
and frightened. With torrified glances
they regarded first Grignon and then ono
another.
Tho Indian is superstitious, liko all sava
ges ; in fact, liko all human beings. Thcso
men saw in Grignon a torriblo demon, who
could exert ovor them any power ho choso.
Ho ndvanced toward thorn.
, Thoy turned and ran toward their horses.
Grignon ran after them.
Away they went. They urged thoir hor
ses at tho top of thoir speed.
Grignon followod them a short distance.
Then ho turned back and camo into our
enclosure
" Gather up thoso bottles," said ho.
"Taeklo up the caltlo, and let us bo
marching."
Instantly our men roso and obeyed.
Grignon took a heavy glass of whiskey,
and then lay down in ono of tho wagons,
utterly exhausted.
We traveled all that day, and tho next
night unmolested. Grignon slept long
and soundly. Aftor resting a long time,
wo pushed on our teams, so as to got as far
beyond tho hostile Indians as possible. Wo
saw nothing moro of thorn.
"They won't dare to pursuo us," said
Grignon, confidently. "Thoy'll go back
and tell such a story as will bo tho wonder
of tho savages for many a long year."
Grignon was right. Not only did they
not pursue us, but for all tho remainder of
the year, nnd for the next, no travelers ou
that routo wero molested.
"I don't seo," said I, "how you man
aged to do thoso tricks on tho opeii ground
without any table."
Grigou smiled.
"Only clumsy performers uso tables,"
said ho. " I could have dono far more
wonderful things, but they would havo
been thrown away ou thoso savagos. I'll
reserve my good tricks for San Francisco."
And so ho did ; for of all the wizzards,
magicians, and conjurers that havo visi
ted tho Golden Stato, nouo have won such
famo or excltod Btieh wonder as my friond
Grignon,