The Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1844-1847, 1846-07-11
From the N. o, Picaypne.
CULINARY ART IN TEXAS PRaIRLES.

NCA@ASfs4AtA Al = ~ = A1<AsAS 4 AeV@AAeA<Os'
The following graphic accouu, Of The straits to
which the Texan Rangers are sometimes reduced
for cooking materials, addresses itself to slhe
charity thai belieyeih all lhingsn-neverIheles
many things have had Their day as sooh, which
are not quite credible as this. There is nocOm-
pulsion intended upon the credit Of anybody, tho
the story, all must admit, is easier Of deglutition
than the meat was when roasted.
MATAMoRAs, June Is, ls46. Z
Rare wags may be found among the Texas
volunteers, yet the funniest fellows of all is hap
py-go-lucky chap named Bill Dean one Of Chew
alters spy company, and said to be one OF the
best 'seven up" players in all Texas. While at
Corpus Christi, LOT Of us were sitting out on the
sloop Of the Kinney House, early one morning,
when along came Bill Dean. He did not know
a single soul ia the crowd, although be knew we
were all bound for tie Rio GraRde; yet the fact
that the regular formates Of an introduction had
not been gone through with, did not prevent bis
stopping short in his walk and accusing us,.--
His speech, or harangue, or wnat ever may DO
termed, will lose much in the telling. YET will
endeavor TO put il upon paper IN as good shape as
possible. "Oh yes" said he, with a knowing
eer of the eye, "oh yes all goin'dOwn among the
robbers Oh the Rio Grande, are youl Fine times
yoa'H have over the left. I've been there, myself;
and done what q good many ofyou WON'T dol
come back; bul il | didn't see natsraI hill; 10
August al lhat--I an teapot Lived eight days
on one poor hawk and three backberres--
couldn't kill prairie rat on the whole route TO
save Us from starvation. The ninth day come,
aud we struck small streak of good luck--a
horse give out and broke down, plumb out in the
centre of an open praire-not a stick in sight big
enough to tickle ratesnake with, lei alone kill
I, In n ~ bxy
shootih' him, an that was all, for in three minutes
longer he'd have died nateral death. Il didn't
take US long to butcher him. nor long to cut off
some chunks Of meat and stick 'enl on our ram
rods, but he cookin' was another matter. piled
up heap Of prairie grass, for il was high and
dry, aud sol II on fire; but it flushed up like pow
der and wont oul as quick But"
.sBut,' put in one Of his hearers, shut how did
you cook youl horse meat after that
SLOW - t4ss
"Yes, how :"
"Why, the fire caught tho high grass close by,
and the wind carried the flames slreakin' across
the prairie, / followed up the fire, holding my
chunk Of meat direct over the hottest part of the
blaze, 4 the way we went il was caution 10 any
thing short of locomotive doins Once in while
little furry Of wind would come along, aud tho
fire would get few yards the start; but I'd brush
upon herslap her with my chunk, and then we'd
have it again nip and tuck. You never seed such
tight race--il was beautiful
"Yery, we've no doubt" circulated one Of the
listeners interrupting the mad wag Just in season
to give him a little breath; "but did yOn cook
your meat in the endl"
mot bad didnh, chased that I'D fro
mile and half the aImighiest hardest race you
ever heer'd tell on, and never gave it up until I
run her right plumb into wet marsh; there tho
fire and chunk Of horse meat came out even--a
dead heat, especially the meat"
''BuI wasn't il cooked 2. put in another Of the
listeners
Cooked no Just cfusled over a little. -
You don't cook broken down horse flesh very ca
silly. but when il comes to chasing up pra-
RE Ere with a chunk OF it, | don't know which
is toughest the meat or the job. You'd have
laughed 10 split yourself to have seen me in that
iace-to Zee The ie leave me at lines, aud then
Ia see me brushin' Up on her again, humpin' and
n1ovin' myself as tho | was a tunnin' agin some
of those big len mile an hour GdefsIeeves
b he old States Ba Pam gain' over 10 jack
Haynes to get cocktail aud some breakfast
m see you al down among the robbers on the
Rio Grande.
And so saying Bill Dean staked off | saw
the chap this moning in front Of a Mexican fon>
do. tying 10 talk Spanish with a GreGser and ems
deavoring to canvmce him that be was a gd--d
robber.n Such is one Of Bill Deans slories--
if could only make il as effective on paper as
did be ID telling, il would draw laugh .iFom those