The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-20 00:00:00

A BAD SHOT.

About the time that the State of Texas declared herself
free of Mexican rul•,, and cam 2 to the conclusion that she
was a little better able to manage her own affairs than to
have them mismanaged any longer by " Granny Mexico"
—a disunion, by the bye, in which the whole world, bar
Mexico, agreed—there lived near the then almost unknown
town of Austin two backwoodsmen, horse-breeders,
hunters, graziers, and farmers, whom we will call Grady
and Long. Each held a large tract of land, and were cele-
brated among the scattered population of this wild region
for their skill with the rifle, and their superior breed of
horses.

These two men sincerely hated each other; they wore
not in open enmity, 'tis true, but a secret jealousy rankled
in their bosoms—Grady's horses invariably won the first
prize at all trotting matches, while Long took ditto for
sharpshooting. Many were the attempts made by Long
to win the horse trophy also ; but the progeny of Old Nell,
a famous trotting mare, the property of Grady, were not
to be beaten—each year Old Nell dropped a foal, and each
year Long's stock was No. 2. his superiority with the
rifle at " long range" did not make amends fur this; Nell's
stock were in demand in the market ; in vain he offered
Grady fabulous sums for the dam, but Grady couldn't see
it.

One day Grady was returning from Austin in a two-
horse waggon ; ho overtook Long upon the road, stalking
along with his deadly rifle upon his brawny shoulder ; he
invited him to ride, which invitation Long accepted. The
onversation ran, as usual, upon horseflesh, and Long
made another offer for Nell; useless—Grady never would
part with her. The road ran along a ridge of open up-
land, overlooking a portion of Grady's " improvement."
Upon the bank of a small stream, a long way across the
fields, Long espied Old Nell, standing under the shade of
a sycamore, and apparently ruminating upon the mutability
of horse affairs in general, and her own in particular.
"D— it," remarked Long, with more force than polite-
ness, "what a fine broadside shot !"

"No man living could kill her at the distance," quietly
remarked Grady, turning his " quid."
"I'll bet five dollars I can," said Long, slapping the
stock of his long " kill-devil."

" Couldn't risk it for the money," said Grady ; "but if
you say ten dollars you may shoot her at once !"
" Done !" said Long, placing the " tenner" in Grady's
hand. He alighted ; here was a chance to rid himself of
an "eye-sore" at a cheap rate ; Taking deliberate aim, he
fired ; when the smoke cleared away there stood Nell,
quiet as an elderly brood mare should who had a bellyful
of tender prairie grass.

" I knew it was too far," meekly remarked Grady.
" Too far! Thunder! I cam blow her eye out at the
distance. Give me another shot 1"

" Yes, for another ten," said Grady.
Another exchange of wealth took place. Long carefully
loaded his piece, and again fired—result, the same !
" No use, Long ; too long a range."
"Never mind the range," said Long; if she don't kneel
over this time, Bill Long won't shoot any more, that's all."
Another " tenner" changed hands ; another shot was fired
by the thoroughly-excited Long. Nell did not deign to
raise her head at the report. Long was wild, and offered
double for one shot more.

" No," said Grady, " I won't risk it again ; a chanco
shot, you know, might reach her." _ _

" Chance ! 11.-11! Do you mean to say that I can't hit
that mare from hero 7"

" So it seems ; at least if you have, she is a wonder of
patience," said Grady.

" Well, I'll bet I've hit near her," said Long.
" Don't feel inclined to bet," said Grady, but we'll go
and see." Hitching the team, they started across the fields
to try and trace Long's leaden missives.

Long, in his eagerness, reached her first—a look satis-
fied him —"Damnation ! Grady, your mare's dead!"

"I know it," said Grady ; she died two days ago--the
boys propped her up against that tree, thinking some fool
would like to shoot at her ! In consideration of your
liberality, you may have her skin if you will take it off !"
Long took himself off !—American paper.

APPREHENSION OF A BANKRUPT IN FEMALE AT-

TIRE.-On Monday afternoon some excitement was caused
at the Greenock Railway Station, Bridge-street, Glasgow,
in consequence of the arrest of an apparently neatly-
attired female, who, it turned out, was a bankrupt attempt-

ing to elude his creditors. The gentleman in question is
Mr. Patrick Clark, the sequestration of whose sstate, we
believe, was awarded on Tuesday. He is a merchant and

dealer in West Indian and Russian produce, although he
does not appear to have confined his attention to the com-
modities of either country. Clark, we understand, would
have been in custody long ago had he not been so well
disguised.—North British Daily Mail.

A MEMORABLE SUlClDE.—Something niorethana
century before Justice Halo's death, a not loss memorable

suicide was perpetrated by Chief Justice Ilankford, who,
wishing to throw away his life and preserve his estate to
his family, ordered his park-keeper to shoot every person
who should be seen in the park after dark, who on being
called upon to stand should not obey the command. The
order—for which some recent acts of leer-stealers fur-
nished a plausible pretext—being thus given, Sir William
Ilankford crossed his keeper's path during a dark night,

and on being ordered to stand moved away. Acting upon
the directions given him, the servant fired at the retreating
figure, and the Chief justice fell dead.-4 Book About
Lawyers.

TILE MACLURE TESTIMONIAL.—Mr. Maclure
was on Tuesday presented with a silver salver and a sum
of £5,000 —the proceeds of a general subscription in Lan-
cashire and Cheshire—" in grateful acknowledgment of the
gratuitous services rendered by him as the honorary secre-
tary to the Central Executive Relief Committee during the
whole period of the cotton famine." The presentation took
place in the Town-hall. The Lord Lieutenant of the county
presided, and there were also present Lord Hartington,
Mr. Wood, Major Leigh, and the Mayor of Manchester.
Mr. Maclure was at the same time presented with a silver
inkstand and an address by the employes of the Central
Relief Committee.—Manchester Guardian.

A STRANGE STORY.—I knew a strange old man
with something noble about him outwardlyand inwardly
he might have sat for Retzsch's etching of the "Ancient
Mariner," so exactly ho resembled it—who whilst living
amid the Eastern civilization that had reared; him, one day
found his arm moved and his finger pointing, in obedience
to nerves which he could not, or fancied ho could not, con-
trol. The finger pointed westward, and he resolved to
follow it. It brought him to a door in a town near the
source of the Ohio, at which he knocked. He related hoW
he had been guided there to the inmates of the house, and
ho found them full of faith in his pointing finger. They
e ntertained him for some days, and called in their friends,
who sat around this Ancient Mariner with silent expecta-
tion. Again his finger pointed to the river, and to it the
group followed him. There they found a raft waiting to
be employed, and the old man had an impression that they
must all got on it, taking tents, clothing, and provisions ;
and that they must float down the river, to some place
afterward to be revealed, or " pointed" to, where they
were to found some kind of Now Jerusalem. Strange as it
may seem, well-to-do men and woilen, old and young, em-
barked on this singular voyage. On the slow raft, shoved
aside by hundreds of swift, amazed steamboats, they
floated one or two weeks without once landing until at
length the old man stood at the front and pointed to the
shore. There they left the raft and made their way a mile
from the river, whore they mapped out a city and built
some cabins. Then the pillar of fire which had led them
seemed to melt into the light of common day. One after
another they departed, leaving the cabins alone as the
monuments of their adventure. But I believe that none of
them again lived in the ordinary way in human society;
they have wandered ever since through many parts of ,the
world, as if seeking for something they had lost. Lately, 1
saw some of them walking along the streets of London
with the same sad:expectant look. But I doubt not they will
all find their way back to the Ohio, where they belong, as
castles belong to the Rhine and docks to the Mersey. Ages
before them, the rod aborigines floated down the same
river, following their westward-pointing finger and dream-
ing of fairer hunting fields. And, with only a more con-
ventional superstition—steamboat instead of raft - there
went before them missionaries. Mormons, Owenites, and
Californian gold-hunters. Did any of them any more find
what they sought ?—Fraser's .3fagazine for December.
A WRONG ROAD TO REFORM.--The more mode-
rate men were agitating for universal suffrage and annual
Parliaments. There is no concealing the fact now that
in 1816 the general distress and discontent had led the
rasher and more ignorant of the Reformers into dangerous
schemes. It is on record that at the trial of two men at
the Edinburgh Court of Justiciary, in 1817, it was
proved that the oath administered at their Reform club in
1816 had ended with the following clause, worthy of a
German secret tribunal : —" I will support the same to the
utmost of my power, either by moral or physical strength,
as the cause may require; and I do further swear that
neither hopes, fears, reward, nor punishments shall induce
me to inform on, or give evidence against, any member
or members, collectively or individually, for any act or
expression done or made in or out of this or similar so-
cieties, under the punishment of death to be inflicted on
me by any member or members of such societies." Men,
hopeless of reform by any means but force, who could
sign such an oath, were quite ready to burn Bristol,
or to plot with the Cato-street conspirators. That wise
minister of Henry Quatre, Sully, speaking from the depth
and in an age of revolutions,
life's experience, of his long
said, profoundly, " The people never revolt from fickleness
or the mere desire of change. It is the impatience of suf-
fering that alone produces revolutions." Looking back
now, we can all see clearly the misery that gave rise to
thatth e
s o l troublesong d
ofe
delayed
ItBh3e irresistible advance of reform.—
0 , and we can deplore the violence
Dickens's "All the Year Round."

A NEW WORK BY JAMES ORTON, already
favourably known as the author of " The Three Palaces
and " The Enthusiast," is now, we are glad to learn, pre-
paring for the press. It will be entitled, "Love in Eden."
And simultaneously with its appearance from the press
will be published new editions of both " The Three
Palace' and " The Enthusiast.''

11.1‘v

SUN OFFICE, 7 o'CLocK.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE—Ths Lay.

---- o

CITY BETTING--THIS DAY.
There was no bettingof any importance to-day at either
the Victoria or Albert Clubs. The only bet that came
under our nctice Was an offer of 50 to 1 against the no-.
torious Mail Train for the Chester Cup.

Bank of England Returns,--This Evening.

An Account, pursuant to the Act ith and Bth Victoria,
cap. 32, for the week ending Wednesday, Dee. 19, 1866. •

ISSUE DEP

Notes issued ....X32,699,545

X 32,64515
JUNKING 1):
Proprietors' Capi-
tal £14,553,000
Rest
Public Deposits
(including Ex_
chequer, Sav-
ings' Banks,
Commissioners
of National

Debt, and Div
Accounts) 8,070,235
Other Deposits 18,181,096
Seven Day and
other bills

£44,531,653

I'IRTMENT.

Govermut. Debt—£l.l,ols,loo
Other Securities.. 37981,900
Gold Cola and

Bullion
Silver Bullion

£32,699,543

:PARTMENT.
Goveruint. Secu-
rities(including
Dead Weight

Annuity) £13,011,222
Other Securities 19,825,202
Notes 10,599,060
Gold and Silver
Coin

£44, 551, 653

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

LONDON, Doc. 20.—Wind this day at noon—South-
Westerly ; light breeze, and cloudy weather, with a
dense fog.
FALMOUTH, Dec. 19.—Wind S.W.—Sailed—Maid of
Perth, fur Rio Janeiro.

PORTSMOUTH, Dee. 18.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Dundee,
from London for Jamaica.

LIVERPOOL, Dec. 19.—Wind N.l7.—Arrived—Lord
Raglan, from Monte Video. Sailed—Estelle, for New
York.

(13r TELEGRAPH.)
GRAVESEND, Thursday Morning.
Arrived, pec. 19. —Daybreak, from 110 ; Henry Reed,
from Calcutta; Aurnaut, from Dunkirk; Pride of England,
from Calcutta ; Speedy, from St. Michael's ; Superior, from
Quebec ; Maria, from Odessa.

Arrived, Dec. 20.—Refuse, from Dahoust ; Baron Osy,
steamer, from Antwerp ; St. Bode, steamer, from Dantsic ;
Nora, steamer, from Rottendam ; Triton, steamer, from
Boulogne,

Returned, leaky, Evening, for Cuba, from Shields.
DEAL, Thursday Morning.
Passed, Deo. 19.—Emerald, from Loudon, for Cardiff ;
British Crown, from London, for Port Phillip.

Liverpool Cotton Market—This Day.

Market steady. American rather dearer. Sales
probably 15,000 or 20,000 bales.

Foreign Mail Packet List.