SLNGULAR RECOVERY OF A LONG LOST SON.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 11, 15 December 1877, Page 2

SLNGULAR RECOVERY OF A LONG LOST SON.

(From the " Galveston News.") William H. Leddetter, County Judge of Shackelford County, lives in the vicinity of the town of Fort Griffin, 1 \flcas. He is one of the oldest settlers <»f the county, and, in common with •otJier old settlers, has experienced a number of adventures here in early days. 1 crhaps the most noted event connected ■with the history' of his family was the 1 »s of his second chiM, John, nearly nine years ago. In the year 1869, he had John and Harvey, his eldest brother boarding with a neighbor, at whose residence a school was in operation. One ' lay, at recess, the children were amusing themselves gathering mosquito gnra from ;hc trees near by, John being among the number. When they were called in to their studies John was missing; neither could he be found. His father was notified, and together with the settlers for many miles around turned out and hunted the country over, but could find no trace of the missing child. The distressed parents had finally to givo up the search in despair. Since that time, though information has been sought from every quarter, particularly from the Indians through their agents and interpreters at Fort Sill, nothing has ever Wen ascertained to enable the parents to form any opinion as to what has been the fate <>f the child—whether he hud been stolen, drowned, died of starvation, or devoured by wild bcusU. A few days ago a young man called at the house of a neighbor living within a niih) of .Mr. Ledbetter's residence, and asked for dinner. Ho was apparently about sixteen years old, clad in a brown ducking hunter's suit, of dark complexiuii, had a Mar above his right eye, and a double tooth. In conversation with'

' the lady of the house, he informed her that he did not know who hit parents were, and that he would like to find oat something about his people, and where he hail originally come from. The lady mt once noticed that the marks above mentioned in the description of the young man corresponded with Judge Ledbetter's description of the lost boy, and so informed him, and requested him to go and see Judge Lodbetter and family, as she thought it probable they might prove to lie his friends. But now that there seemed to be a prospect that his wishes, just expressed, might be realized, he seemed unwilling to go, and passed by on to the town. This was, no doubt, owing to shyness or timidity. Word was immediately sen* to the Ledbetter family, however, with a description of the young man, bv which he could bo identified, and Harvey, the oldest son, wont at once in search of him. Having found the young man, Harvey imagined he could see in his features a resemblance to his lost brother, but ho did not introduce that subject for some time, conversing at first on other and indifferent topics, and finally persuaded him to go home with him. Mrs. Ledbetter, on being infonned that he was in the house, became so nervous that it was some time before she could compose herself to meet him.

The feelings of an anxious mother under such circumstances may be better imagined than described. Ail that evening the parents conversed with and questioned the young stranger, and at bedtime they were still in doubt whether or not he was their boy. He could give no account of the people he was with or of any incidents that had occurred previous to his being stolen. This did not suqirisc his father, however, for he had frequently said that if the boy was stolen, and at the time become frightened, as would undotbtedly be the case, he was satisfied that, owiHg to his peculiar disposition, he would not remember anything that occurred previous to the fright. There w.is undoubtedly a family rescMibia-w, s :vjim! marks aud

i also-corresponded, as well as some peculiarities in his disposition. Perhaps no one ever pursued an investigation with m >re intense eagerness aud interest than did the family on this occasion.

Early the next morning Mrs. Ledbetter went and~stood over the sleeping youth, and earnestly Studied the lineaments of his face, seeking there to recognize some feature to solve the douhtful problem. She became satisfied, for that motherly instinct which seldom errs convinced her that this was her long last child. Quietly she awakened her husband, carried him to the spot, and together they scrutinized the features of the sleeper. Th. father seeins to have not yet been fully satisfied. During the day, however, all doubts were dispelled by his recollection of several incidents which had taken place, before he was Stolen, and which, he said, seemed to him like a dream. •• " ■ ,-. \His name, he says, is Bob—no more, noless: thinks he was sold by one band of Indians to another. The last Inlians who had him, he has been told, were the Comanches ; but owing to his being at that time in bad health, they sold him to a hunter who went by the name of

" Tige," the consideration being a sixshooter. Old Tige kept him tied to a tree for a week to Keep him from following after the Indians. In that time he was weaned from them. Old Tige is one of those rare individuals who seclude themselves from the society of mankind, dwell in the most retired regions to be found, clothe themselves with skins, and live by hunting. His camp or wigwam is on the head of what John calls Blood Creek, a tributary of and on the west side of the" Pecos River, - up among the cedar brakes of the mountains, in such a secluded locality' that it would be almost impossible for a stranger to find it. There old Tige lives in blissful ignor»nce of the rest of mankind, save a few other hunters of kindred type who reside in similar dens at no great distance. They clothe themselves altogether with buckskin and send a man occasionally in to the nearest trading post to barter for supplies. Old Tige himself has not seen a white woman in thirty years, and until rocently had no other knowledge of the progress of timo than that when it was cold it was winter, and when it was hot ,it was summer. He had lost all reckoning of the years, months, and days. These men have frequently feuds with other bands. The rifle, pistol, and knife are their only law, and when two of adverse factions. meet as a rule one of them must die. John or Bob, young as he is, has shaped in these affrays; he has killed his man, been shot himself, and badly cut with a bowie knifo. He has no idea of law, and even now is constantly on the lookout when meeting strangers lest some of them might get the drop on him. Ho will not consent to be a moment without his pistol. He says old Tige has been very good to him; has killed several men who tried to hurt him ; novor made him do anything he did not want to do ; taught him to read several books he carriod with him into exile, among them the Testament ami Shakupear's works ; nursed him in sickness, and in every way showed a strong affection for him. It is unnecessary to say that this ahV-ction is reciprocated. The old man has been the boys almost sole companion and the only friend he has had. A short time a«o Tige consented to let the boy make his first trip to the settlements with Homo cowmen who had been gathering cattlo in their vicinity. On the trip at Fort Concho, lie says, he saw for the Hint time a whit" women. Since then Tiyo

again gave his consent to another and more extended trip, but cautioned him not to stay away over three months, for if he railed U> return he would die. This time he penetrated as far in the interior (with a cow outfit) as Dallas. There he ".>t his first mil of clothing, the brown ducking suit, which he says made him feel fine. His horse having been stolen he started back on foot to the only home he hail ever known—old Tige's wigwam. He had got this far on his long journey, and thus unwittingly came to his father's door.

He still insists that he must go back to old Tige, even if he should conclude to return and live with his parents. They and his brothers are doing all they can to put off the time for him to start, however, in hope they may wean him from old Tige, and be able to keep him with them. For they fear that if he gets back with the old man he will try to persuade him not to return.