Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1846-02-21
FUN WITH 4 "RARrn
ANIGHT ADVENTURE ON THE MISSOURI
BY SOLITAIRE

BY SOLITAIRE.
Atthe head of ravine on the border of
the river Platte, one bright nigh. in June,
was gathered party of Missouri hunters,
who we're encamped after days chase
for buffalo. The evenings repast was
over, and as they stretched themselves in
easy attitudes around their stack of rifles,
each looked at the other with kind Of
questioning expression Of whether it
should be sleep or yarn? The bright
moon, with full round face, streamed
down into their midst and sprnkIed her
sllvery sheen over shrub and flower, in.
yesting night in those vast solitudes with
strange charm which forbid sleep, and
with common consent they raised them,
selves into a sitting posture and proposed
stalk" as the red skins say. Dan. Elk
horn was the leader of the party, and all
knew his store of adventure was mex
hauslible, so unanimous call was made
upon Dan. for story. "Come, Dan"
cried crony, "give US something to laugh
at, and letus break this silence, which
seems to breed spirit Of melancholy
stir us up, old fellow, do"
II Dan pulled his long knife out of his belt,
and laying il before him, smoothed back
v his long grey hair. He was a genuine
Specimen Of the hardy American noun
taineer,--like the Indian he dressed in
deer skins, and wore the moccasln, while
every seam Of his iron countenance told OF
Escapes and peril. Seeing sthat all were
attentive he commenced
swell, draw up closer, boys, SO shant
i have to holler, cause breath is glttln'
kind short with me now, and | want 10
parcel it out to last pretty strong till the
~lnd-up hunt. You, Mike keep your eye
Skinned for lngins, cause eff we git deep
in yarn here. without a top eye open,
the cussed varmints ill pop on US unawars,
and be stckin' some oil thur quilts IN US
nothin' like hayiE' your eye open and m
sterments ready.--l've big idea TO gin
you an account of some fun had with an
ptd bar, on the Missouri, when | was
younker, and considerably more spry than
4 am jest now. | want to tell you lust,
that bars are KNOWN animals, and they
kin jes tell younker of the human kind
as easily as they kin small pig from
the sow;-they don't fool with me now,
for. they've got to k'tosO me-!
Well, Old Alic. Dennison, q nelghbor
oil mine on the Missouri, had bin about
two years up'in the mountains, and when
he came home he gin treat TO all the
fellars within thirty miles OF hlm-that
was jest seven famiies-and among EN-,
in course, | got an invite. Alic. and
had sot our cabins on opposite sides OF the
drink, near enough to see each other,
and a red skin eff he'd come on scalp
visit would bin diskivered by either
When Alic's frolc was to cum off, |
was on hand, sartain. About evenin' !
got my small dug out, and fixin' my rifle
carefully in the fore eend, and stlck!n' my
knife in the edge whar it would be handy,
jest padded over the drink
III A little above our location thar wur
4 bend in the stream which kind turned
the drift tother eend up, and planted them
about the spot between our cablns--snags
and sawyers, jest thar, wur dreadful
plenty, and it took nifty nice padlln' to ct
across without tiltin'; howsoever, slid
atween 'em sarpentine fashion, and got
over clar as a pet coon. Thar wur con-
L siderable folks at Alic's for some OF the
families in them diggins had about TWEEN
~ IN number, and the gals amung 'em
warnt any on your pigeon creaturs, that
teller dassent tech fur fear ofspilin' 'em,
Dut real scrougers-any on 'em over
fourteen could lick bar, easy. My de-
cided opinion jest now is, that thur never
was grittyer crowd congregatcd before