Sketches From Oldest America 



severe earthquake gave the inhabitants great alarm. 

 The ground moved and rolled like the ocean waves, 

 while large crevices opened in many places allowing 

 smoke and sulphurous vapors to escape. 



The people in their fright rushed out from their 

 homes; the invalid, forgetting his crippled condi- 

 tion, also sought the open air and began jumping 

 down the beach on his stumps, or as the people said, 

 " He jumped big." No doubt the alarm added to his 

 alacrity in his effort to escape, thus gaining for him 

 the reputation of being an excellent jumper. The 

 eclipse passed off, so also did the earthquake, but 

 the villagers all declared that it was the jumping of 

 the invalid that caused the phenomena of nature to 

 cease, and after that, instead of being an obscure 

 cripple, an object of charity to his neighbors, he 

 arose to the dignity of being one of the greatest of 

 "Ongootkoots." If any of the inhabitants were 

 taken ill, the cripple's aid was solicited, and he 

 would jump around the sick one a few times, exor- 

 cising the evil spirit and commanding it to depart. 

 If hunting parties were about to start on expedi- 

 tions, they could not expect to meet with success 

 unless the cripple had jumped around them and their 

 sled a number of times. His fame extended 

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