The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-01-31
[Contmued from list page. !


bride fall on my horses neck, clusped my
hands together and prayed as had never be-
fore prayed, so heartily and earnestly. When
] had finished my prayer felt greatly COM
forted. IL seemed TO me, that here in the
wilderness, which man had not as yet pollu-
ted, was nearer TO God.and that my petition
would assuredly be heard. lgazed cheerful
ly around, persuaded that should yet escape
from the peril in which stood. As did so,
with what establishment and ineXpresslble de-
light did perceive, not ten PAGES of, the
track of n horse!
The effect of this discovery was like an c.
lectric shock TO me, and drew cry of Joy
from my lips that made my mustang start and
prick his ears. Tears of delight and graft
tude TO Heaven came into my eyes, and
could scarcely refrain from lenping off my
horse and kissing the welcome signs that
gave me assurance of succor. With renew
I'D strength gallOpcd EDWARDS; and had L
been lover flying to rescue his mistress
from an Indian war party, could not have
displayed more oagerness than | did in fol-
lowing up the trail ofan unknown traveller.
Never had felt so thankful to Providence
ms ut that moment. | uttered thanksgivings
as rode ON, and contemplated the wonder
al evidences of his skill and might that Of
fred themselves to me on all sides. The as
pect of everything seemed changed, and j
gaZed with renewed admiration AT the scenes
through which passed, and which had pre-
Viously been too preoccupied by the danger
O'my position to notice. The beautiful APP
pearance ofthe islands struck me particular
" ms they lay in the distance, seeming to swim
in the bright golden beams of the MONDAY
sun, like dark spots of foliage in the midst
of the waving grasses and many-hucd flow
ers of the prairie. Before me lay
the eternal flower-carpet with its asters, tube
roses and mimosas that delicate plant, which
when you approach, lifts lis head, seems to
look at you, and then droOps and shrnks
back in alarm. This saw il do when was
two or three PAGES from it, and without my
horses foot having touched il. Its long roots
stretch out horizontally in the ground, and
the approaching tread of a horse or man is
communicated through them to the pant,
and produces this singular phenomenon
When the danger is gone by, and the earth
ceases to vibrate, the mmoSi may he seen 10
raise its head again, hut quiverimg and tremb-
ling, as though not yet fully recovered from
is fears.
had ridden on for three or four hours, fol |
lowing the track had so fortunately dscov-
cred, when came upon the trace of'a second
horseman, who appeared to have here joined
the first traveller. 1t ran in parallel dirac-
lion 10 tile one was following.
THU IL DttI pOSSlllt W BtlNItdSt NY JbN I
this discovery would have done so. | could
now entertain no doubt that hld hit upon |
1he way ont o this terrible prtirr. Ii $ rue X
me as being rather singular that TWO travel |
icrs should have met in this immense plain, |
which so fcw persons traverscd; but that they |
had done so was certain, for there was the |
track Ofthc two horses as plain as possible. |
The trail was fresh, too, aud il was evidently |
not long since the horsemen had passed. 1t |
might still b. possible to overtake them, and |
III this hope rode on faster than ever, as fast
at least as my mustang could carry me
through the thick grass and flowers which |
an many places were four or five feet high.
During the next three hours passed over
some ten or twelve miles of ground; but al |
though the trail still lay plainly and broadly |
rnlrkcd before me, | saw nothing of those |
who had left it. Still persevered ! must
0vcrtalle them sooner or later, provided did
not lose the track; and that, was most care
flu not to do, keeping my eyes fixed upon
The ground as | rode along, aud never dcvia- |
ting from the line which the travellers had
followed.
In this manner the day passed away, and
evening approached. | still felt hope and
courage; but my physical strength began 10
give way. The gnawng sensation of hunger in |
creased. was sick and faint; my limbs be-
came heavy, my blood seemed chilled in my !
veins, and all my senses appeared to grow
sluller under the influence of exhaustion, thirst |
and hunger My eyesiglt became misty, my
hearing less acute, the bride felt cold and
heavy in my fingers
Still rode on. Sooner or later | must find
an outlet; the prairie must have an end some
where. 1t is true the whole ofSouthern Tex
as is one vast prairie; but then there are
rivers flowing through it, and if could reach
one of those should not be tar from the IL
BODIES of men. BY following the stpeams five
or six miles up or down, should be sure To
find plantation.
As was thus reasoning with and encour-
aging myself | suddenly perceived the traces
of third horse, running parallel to the two
which | had been 50 long following. This
was indeed encouragement 1t was certain
that three travellers, arriving from different
points ofthe prairie, and all going IN the
same direction, must have some object, must
be repairing TO some village or clearing, and
where or what this was had now become in
different to me, so long us once more found
myself amongst my fellow-men. l spurred
on my mustang, who was beginning to flag
little ia his pace with the fatigue ofour long
ride. ...
The sun set behind the high trees of an
island that bounded my view westward, and
there being little or no twilight in those south
erly attitudes, the broad day was almost in
replaced by the darkness of
night. | could proceed no further with
out losing the track of the three horsemen;
and as happened to be close TO an island, !
fastened my mustang to branch with the
lasso and threw myself on the grass under
the trees.
This night, however, l had no fancy for to-
bacco Neither the cigars nor the dutcisSimlIs