Modoc Incident, 1923

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Modoc is the name of one of the California indian tribes that lived under the shadow of the Mt. Shasta volcano, and shared it with the Shasta, Paiute, and Pit River Indians. It was also the name of the county where my father was raised. By the time he was born, in 1920, it had only recently, within the previous forty years been indian country. The Modoc indian wars were recent legend by the time my father heard them. One story my father told me, was that of a friend of his mothers, a big woman with nine children who died giving birth at the hands of an incompetent, alcoholic doctor.

The link up with the song Henry Lee though circumstantial and tangential, is equal to its connection to Dante, who looms large as a shadow in the Harry Smith Anthology, and creates the format for both it and this series.

Modoc Incident (1923)

Up in Modoc is a town they call McCloud
beneath the volcano
A logging camp, few hundred, maybe less
beneath the volcano
Back in 1923 was a man possessed
beneath the volcano
by despair and fiery rage into madness
beneath the volcano

The baby's not due yet, there's something wrong."
beneath the volcano
She fainted half away in the Big man's arms
beneath the volcano
When the blood began to flow he cried, "Just hold on.
beneath the volcano
Gonna find old Dr. Lee, no I won't take long."

"Don't let me die by the hand of Dr. Lee.
beneath the volcano
He murdered Little Fire, and he'll kill me too."
beneath the volcano
But the Big Swede doesn't hear, he's out the door.
beneath the volcano
And Ruth, his wife, she knows her fate is sealed.
beneath the volcano

"Doc, you save her life or you're a dead man."
beneath the volcano
"My Ruth is birthin', bleeding on the sheet's."
beneath the volcano
The Doc's so drunk his legs go limp
but the Big Man's grip is strong.
And by his belt he frog walks him up the street.
beneath the volcano

When they get to her bed it's lookin' way too late.
beneath the volcano
There's blood everywhere, her dress is dripping red.
beneath the volcano
Her chest don't move, she can barely take a breath
beneath the volcano
"Bring a bowl of water, prepare to meet thy fate."
beneath the volcano

An infant daughter pulled out stillborn, dead,
beneath the volcano
By the silver tongs of the drunken Dr. Lee.
beneath the volcano
And Ruth has bled to death both men can see
beneath the volcano
And something snaps inside the Big Man's head

The Big Swede's butcher knife slays Dr. Lee.
beneath the volcano
"I told you, save her life or die you must."
beneath the volcano
In the struggle there's a lamp knocked to the floor,
beneath the volcano
and the house is soon in flames, by kerosene.
beneath the volcano

Now Dr. Lee was killed by the Big Swede.
beneath the volcano
who, screaming and wild eyed ran out the door
beneath the volcano
His house in flames, the neighborhood, then the forest is on fire,
beneath the volcano
as he drives off in his truck up the Shasta grade.
beneath the volcano

The sheriff and his men chase the Big Swede,
beneath the volcano
Up the Shasta grade to a burned out pickup truck
beneath the volcano
There's a far off distant speck on the mountain slope,
beneath the volcano
And a posse catching up with a hanging rope.
beneath the volcano

The idea was to lasso the Big Man
beneath the volcano
By court of law, he'd hang for all to see.
beneath the volcano
They find him all alone at the crater's edge.
beneath the volcano
He screams, "Better shoot me now or let me be."
beneath the volcano

But the sheriff knows the law, says, "Rope him boys,"
beneath the volcano
And the lariats are thrown around his neck.
beneath the volcano
He grabs the ropes and he wraps 'em round his arms
beneath the volcano
He takes 2 men with him as he jumps right off the edge
beneath the volcano

So the facts have turned to legend, fish to fowl.
beneath the volcano
The ghost of the Big Swede still haunts the land.
beneath the volcano
You can hear his lonely song in the coyote's howl,
beneath the volcano
in the tortured hopeless heart of a burning man.
beneath the volcano

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