Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-12-25
Vol. g.

| oil the stream, at the rattlIng approach oil the
modern mail, just as she did long centuries ago,
scared by the gallop Of some proud baronial
troin-the squirrel rasps bis acorn on the same
messy limb-the bue.winged Jay hutters and
screams on the same tree tops-the great green
woodpecker rends forth the same wild laughter
as he wings bis Jerking flight from oak to oak
the mighty stag trays his new antlers against the
self same trunk--and the sun pours the same
rich yellow light over the velvet turf, chequerng
it with long blue shadows, and making every
dewdrop on the grass CLEAN like diamond Of
Goconda, which he shed there eight hundred
years ago. Nor, as the eye loses its way among
the vistas formed by the giant boles which stud
the upland, or rest on the dense brakes, and
bosky dingles thick set with hazel, mountain ash,
and holly, which clothe the side of every glen
and hollow, does it require any wide stretch Of
fancy to people those long aises and alleys
green with characters appropriate tothe times,
which are recalled so strongly by the nature OF
the scenery We pass moss.g grown cross, bro.
ken perhaps and headless, and almost wonder
that we see not the burly form Of the gray lrar
telling his beads beside the consecrated emblem.
We cross the opening Of some grassy glade or bri.
die road meandering with its sandy track through
the deep forest, and we can almost picture to
our eyes the clouds of rising dust with the bright
CLEANS of knightly armour rushing from its
smoky wreaths, and lance heads twinkng in
the sunshine with fuuerng penoncelles and BAN
ners waving above alive dive into some dark
some glen, the startled deer, which have been
lurking in its shadows during the noontide heat,
| fit tmidy across our path and vanish in the
nearest thickets, and we feel something nigh
akin to disappointment that we hear not the deep
bay Of the bloodhound, the merry fare OF the
buglehorn, end the FELL whistle of the cohyard
arrow, hard on the traces of the quarry. Such
are our waking day dreams, nor are we aroused
| fully from our reverie, before the limits Of old
Sherwood are behind US, and our road has again
emerged from the wide lonely woodlands into
the bright and cultivated champagne.
1t was a still and breahess morning in July,
nearly the middle OF the seventeenth century,
wherein our tale commemorative newly risen
sun was shining cheerfully among the rich green
leaves, and filling all the air with light which
was itself tinged with an emerald hue-the
voice OF many birds was singing through the
i forest, and there was not one breath Of wind
abroad to shake the dew drops from the branches
or to awake the breezy murmurng voice Of the
tall tree-tops. No human beings were in sight
but thin wreath of pale blue smoke might be
seen worming itself up in graceful folds among
the stems of the great oaks at small distance
from the road, although sudden rise Of the
ground and the rich verdure Of clump Of young
birch trees, concealed the cottage from which it
probably arose. From the same quarter there
came frequently the light and frolic laugh OF
childhood, the playful barking OF dog, and
ever and anon the rich sweet voice of girl
giving vent to the feelings excited in her breast
by that delicious summer morning, in bursts Of
Inn is mil nh baU nd
for an hour or better, without the appearance Of
any living thing, except little wryneck, which
was busy running. up and down the knotty
bark OF one of the large trees, prying into every
Granny in search Of its insect prey, and two or
three gray rabbits feeding upon the dewy grass,
and lmpng lazily among the mazes Of the tufled
Ifern-when suddenly louder sound, and one
entirely different from those with which the
woods were rife, came up the road from the
southward-it was the heavy tramp Of horse
urged to the top of his speed mixed with the
sharp and angry clash Of spur and scab5ard. In
moment or two the cause OF the disturbance
came into sght;--a young man Of some five or
six and twenty years, dressed in the full magnih
'lcent costume of the court Of Charles the First
| He wore the broad blue shoulder scarf and the
black feather in his slouched hat, which had
been assumed by the Cavaliers, in conradjslinc-
Ition to the Orange shoulder knots which the
Paramentarians had borrowed from the liveries
of their leader Essex. But the blue baldrc was
all dabbled with recent blood stains, aud the
black plume deiaced and broken, and the whole
of his rich dress besnirchcd with dust, and
: blackened with the smoke of gunpowder The
very horse which he bestrode, a powerful thor
ough bred charger, fully caparisoned for battle,
bore signs which could not be mistaken. Of
having been but lately in the midst of some hot
melee--for the blood was still streaming from a
deep wound in his quarters, while several other
slighler and superficial cuts were visible upon
his neck and shoulders-hs gallop, too, was
heavy and uncertain; and he rolled in his gait
changing his leg from time to time, and stumbled
more than once as il his strength were lailine
him, although he was recovered quickly by the
spur and curb OF his rider. The rider, too
seemed in no better plight, for he reeled in hi
saddle, YEARLY, and his head dropped, and hi
cheek was deadly pale; although lie struggled
r evidently with the increasing laintness Of hi
wounds, and bore himself as one who knew
that life itself was on his horses speed. Tha
speed, however, was fast falling and as hi
reached the summit OF the little hill, from whC!
the smoke of the woodlands hut was visible
the good horse once more stumbled, and thougl
he rallied at the touch Of the rowels and recov
: cred himself for a moment, he aoundered heavily
and fell with his head under him, despite tn
exertions o! the cavalier, who S.roVe so long t
bring him up again, that it was not without mucl
difficulty he disengaged his leg, as the poor brut
rolled over on its side, and after one convulsiv
e struggle and few gasping sobs lay lifeless q