John Smith's Funny Adventures on a Crutch: Or The Remarkable Peregrinations of a One-legged Soldier after the WarHill, A. F. (Ashbel Fairchild)
History
John Smith's Funny Adventures on a Crutch: Or The Remarkable Peregrinations of a One-legged Soldier after the War
Hill, A. F. (Ashbel Fairchild)
Disabled veterans -- United States -- Fiction; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Veterans -- Fiction
It was at this highest point that, a few years ago, a man named Wheat, a
citizen of Wheeling, actually drove over the precipice in a two-horse
sleigh. Two other persons were in the sleigh with him, riding along the
summit of the ridge, and on his declaring that he was going to eclipse
McCulloch, they jumped out, and the fool actually touched up his horses
and drove down the precipice. His name was _Wheat_, as I stated; but
Charlie told me that _rye_ had more to do with it than any one else.
Down tumbled Wheat, the sleigh and two horses; and only that good luck
that ever seems to attend an intoxicated man could have saved him from a
violent and speedy death. While the sleigh was dashed to splinters, and
both the horses precipitated into Wheeling creek and killed, Mr. Wheat
lodged among some stunted trees, about half-way down—badly bruised and
“stove up,” it is true, but still alive and in moderate _spirits_. He is
still living, but has been a cripple ever since his mad and daring
sleigh-ride.
Charlie and I returned from our pleasant walk, feeling as though we had
been acquainted for years. We had considerable conversation, on various
topics, and I will never forget a remark I heard him make. We were
speaking of religion, and I found that he, like myself, was a dissenter
from the orthodox faith. Speaking of the doubts and perplexities that
always arose, when he thought on the subject, he said:
“If I possessed the wealth of the whole world; if the lands, the houses,
the gold, the gems, the kingdoms, and the thrones were mine; I would
gladly give them all to know the TRUTH!”
The reader has, no doubt, heard or read of a certain cave among the
rocks on Wheeling creek, in which an Indian once concealed himself with
a rifle, and, by imitating the voice of a turkey, decoyed several men
from the fort in succession, and shot them. His stratagem was at last
detected, however, and a pioneer who was as shrewd as he, went in the
night, concealed himself in the neighborhood, and in the morning saw the
dusky savage go and ensconce himself in his usual hiding-place, and
begin the song of the turkey. The pioneer, who could see his dark visage
among the rocks, took aim with his rifle, and with one shot silenced him
forever.
Charlie pointed this cave out to me, and I went the next day and visited
it. He would have accompanied me, but he was subject to rheumatism, and
was suffering considerably that day; so I went alone. The cave is about
a mile from Wheeling. I had to climb up the rocks fifteen or twenty
feet, in order to get into it, and I sat there awhile, aiming my crutch
at a stump beyond Wheeling creek, and imagining myself the cunning but
unfortunate Indian who personated a turkey and got shot for it. The cave
is not large—in fact, one cannot stand erect; but half-a-dozen persons
could be stowed in it in a reclining position, provided none of them
were ladies in capacious crinoline.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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