Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1841-12-14

deck, but they appeared TO take no notice
Of them. They had at the time flag
rugged to pole, and dashed to the bulwarks,
which they all persist in saying the people
on board the ship could not avoid seeing.
By the course she was steering they sup
pose she was bound for New Orleans.
Mr.. Clarke requests US TO express, in
| his name, the gratitude he feels TO the con-
| ductor of the Boston and Providence rail
road, and 10 Capt Comstock, of the steam
err Massachusetts, for giving him free
passage to the cily.
PERILOUS ADVENTURE.
The actor and sufferer Of this story was
not very aged man, when heard it re-
lated in my early youth. Duncan, for so
| shall call him, had been engaged in the
affair Of l746, with others Of his clan; and
was supposed by many to have been an
accomplish, if not the principal actor, in
certain tragical affair, which made much
noise a good many years after the rebel
lion. | am content with indicating this,
in order to give some idea Of the mans
character, which was bold, fierce, and en-
terprsing. Traces Of this natural diSpo-
sition still remained on Duncan's very
good features, and in his keen grey eye;
but the limbs had become unable to serve
the purposes, and obey the dictates of his
inclination. On the one side Of his body
he retained the proportions and firmness
Of an active mountaineer; on the other he
was disabled cripple, scarce able TO limp
along the streets. The cause which re-
duced him to this state of inirmity is sim
gular.
Twenty years or more before | knew
Duncan, he assisted his brothers in farm
ing large grazing in the Highlands, COM
pretending an extensive range Of noun
tain and forest land, morass, lake, and
precipice. 1t CHANGED that a sheep or
goat was missed from the flock, and Dun
can, not satisfied with despatching his
shepherds in one direction, went himself
IN quest of the fugitive in another.
In tho course of his researches; he was
induced TO ascend a small and narrow
PATH leading to the top Of high preci-
pice. Dangerous as it was at first, the
road became doubly so as he advanced
1t was not much more than two feet broad
so rugged and difficult, and at the same
time so terrible, that it would have been
impracticable to any but the light step and
steady BRAN of Highlander. The pre-
cipice on the right rose like wall. and
on the left, sunk 10 depth that it was gid
| dy to look down upon; but Duncan passed
cheerfuly on, now whistlng the gathering
of his clan, now taking heed to his foot
| H. Al Il
quired caution.
In this manner he had more than half
assembled the precipce; when in midway,
and it might almost be said in middle air,
he encountered buck of the red deer spe-
cies, coming down the cliff by the same
path in an opposite direction. If Duncan
| had had gun, no rencontre could have
been more agreeable; but as he had not
this advantage over the denizen of the
wilderness, the meeting was, in the high
est degree, unWelcomc. Neither party
had the power Of retreating: for the stag
| had not room to turn himself, and If Dun
can had turned his back to so down, he
knew enough of the creatures habits to be
certain he would rush upon him while en-
gagged in the difficulties Of the retreat.-
They stood, therefore. perfectly still, and
looked at each other in mutual embarrass-
ment for some space.
At length the deer, which was Of the
largest size, began to lower his formidable
antlers, as they do when they are brought
to bay. and are preparing to rush upon
hound and huntsman. Duncan saw the
danger Of a conflict in which he must pro-
badly come by the worst, and, as last re-
source, stretched himself on the little ledge
Of rock which he occupied, and thus await
ed the resolution which the deer should
take, not making the least motion for fear
of alarming the wild and suspicious animal.
They remained in this posture for three or
four hours, in the midst Of a rock which
would have suited the pencil Of Salvador,
and which afforded barely room enough
for the man and the stag, opposed to each
other in this extraordinary manner.
At length the buck seemed to take the
resolution of passing over the obstacle that
lay in his path, and for this purpose APP
preached Duncan very slowly, and with
excessive caution. When he came close
TO the Highlander, he stopped his head
down as if to examine him more closely;
when the devil, or the untameable love Of
sport peculiar to his country, began TO over
come Duncan's fears. Seeing the animal
proceed so gently, he totally forgot, not
only the dangers Of his position, but the
implicit compact which certainly might
have been inferred from the circumstan-
ces Of the situation. With one hand Dun
can seized the deer's horn, with the other
he drew his dirk. But in the same instant
the buck bounded over the precipice, car
rying the Highlander along with him.
They went down thus upwards Of hun
dred feet, and were found the next morn
ing on the spot where they fell. Fortune