The Southern journal., 1846-02-28

SSoi" ASn o0i CoeJ' MJ uCCiVeo
opinion jest now is, that thur never
was grittyer crowd congregated be-.
fore on that stream, and sich other
dancin' and eatin bar steaks, aud corn
dodgcr, and hpggin' The gals, don't
happen bat once in feIler's liie.time
and scarcely that often.
Old Alic bad darter Molly that
war the most enticin', gizzard-ticklin,
heart distressin', feline creature that
ever made feller git owdacious, and
| seed Tom Sellers cavortin' round
her like young buffalo, putin in the
biggest kind licks in the way Of
courtin', and between her eyes and
the sweetened whiskey he had drunk,
you'd thought the feller would
busted. Jest TO make matters lively,
| headed up alongside Of Molly, and
shyed few soft things at her, seech
as askin' haw she liked bar steaks
cooked, and if Jim Tarrant war'nt
equal in the elbow TO mad panter's
tail, when he war 6dlin' that last reel,
and sech amusin' light conversation.
Well, boys, Tom started swellin' an.
stanter. He tried to draw her atten.
ton from me: but got to talkin' about
sum new improvements I war contem-
platin' bout my cabin, and the COW
'spected up from st. Louis, sides the
lonely feelins' I'd bid havin' lately,
and Tom couldn't git in show of
talk edgeways. Didn't he git mad?
wur you ever near enough to painter
when his har riz with wrath? Well
ef you have, you can create some idee
Of Toms state Of mind, and how elec.
tricity from liquor and love, run out
10 the eends OF his head kiverin.' 1t
wur easy to see he wur gittin danger.
GUS, so / slid off and left him alone
with the gal. Arter got to talkin'
with another one of settlers young
women. Molly kept lookin' a! me, and
every now and then sayn' somethin'
across 10 me, while she war'nt payin'
any attention to Tom at all. He
spread himself into a stiff bow and
left her; then movin' across the floor
like wounded deer, he steadied him.
self on the back of my seat, and look
in me in the face, says Sinister Elk.
horn, | shud be strenuously obleeged
to you ef you'll step down thar with
me to the old persimmen tree"
nodded my head, and told him to
trot outside and wait until got the
docyments, and as soon as he moved
sent his old daddy to accompany him.
Jest informed the old feller that
Tom wanted fight, and as he was
too full Of corn juice to cut carefully,
didn't want to take advantage of
him. The old man said he was ob,
LEGGED to me, and moved out. Tom,
thinkin it wur me, walked ahead Of
the old man, and | concluded, as it
wur near mornn', to leave; cause !
know'd when Tom found out his dad
dy was along with him stead of me,
he'd have fight any how. | acknow
ledge the corn, boys, that when star
ted my track war'nt anything like a
bee li,ae!-the sweetened whiskey had
made me powerful thick,legged; but
arter fashion l got to my dug-out,
with nothin' of weapon along in the
world but the paddle. Thar war Jest
enough light to tell snags we're plen..
ty, and Just enough corn juice inside
to make feller not care a cuss for
/
'em. felt strong as hoss, too, and
the dug-out hadn't leaped moren six
lengths from the bank afore-zip-
chug-co souze | went-the front eend
Jest lifted itself agin IA sawyer and
emptied me into the element! In a.
bout a second | came up bang agin a
snag, and guess grabben it sudden.
while old Missouri curied and purled
around me as eff she war in hurry to
git to the mouth, SO she might muddy
the Mississippi. i war'nt much skeer-
ed, but still | didn't jest like to hang
on thartill daylight, and l didn't want
Md axe a fuss for fear thew would saw