The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-02-07
Miscellaneous,
From Blackwood's Magazine.
ADVENTURES I'm TEXAS.
A TRIAL BY JURY.
No. II.

river MY horse was grazing quietly few
Yards of, and beside me stood a man with
folded arms, holding wicker-covered flask
in his hand. This was all / was able
10 observe +; for my state of weakness pre-
vented me from getting up and looking n
round me. .,
where am ~ gasped. ..F
where are you stranger? BY the Jacinto
and that you are by il and not in il, is no fault
ofyour'n, / reckon .. .,N" ...
There was omething harsh and repulsive
in the tone and manner i'll which these words
were spoken, and in the grating scornfiil
laugh that accompanied them, that Jared up
on my nerves, and inspired me with feel
ing of aversion towards the speaker. knew
that he was my deliverer; that he had saved
my life, when my mustang raging with thirst,
had sprung head-foremost into the water; that
without him, must, inevitably, have been
drowned, even had the river been less deep
than was; and that it was by his care, and
the whiskey he had made me swallow,and of
which still felt the flavor on my tongue,
that had been recovered from the death-ll1e
SwoOn into which had fallen. But had he
done ten times as much for me, l could not
have repressed the feeling of repugnance, the
meXpcablc dislike, with which the mere
tones of his voice filled me. turned my head
away inorder not to see him. There was
silence ofsome moments duration.
Don't seem as if my company was over
and above agreeable said the man at last.
Your company not agreeable? This is
the fourth day since saw the face ofa hui
man being. During that time not bit nor
drop has passed my tongue
Halo! That's lie,' shouted the man with
another strange wild laugh. you've taken
Il mouthful out of my flask; not taken it, GER
l,,,t oil IL,
same. Where do you come from? The beast
amt your'n.'
MIR ealss,' answered ].
See it is by the brand. But what brings
you here from Mr. Meals? It's a good seven
ty mile TO his plantation, right across the
prairie. Amt stole the horse have you%
Lost my way--four tlavs-eaten nothing
These words were all could articulate
was TOO weak to talk '..-r
-Four days without eatn,' cried the man,
with a laugh like the sharpening of saw,
and that in TeXian prairie, and with islands
on all sides of you! Hal ] see how it isl
YOU'RE gentleman-that's plain enough. Il
wns sort ofone myself once. You thought
our prairies was like the prairies in the State
Ha, ha! And so you didn't know how to help
Did you see no bees in the air, no
on the earth"
Bees? Strawberries repeated ].
yes bees, which live in the hollow trees.
Out oftwenty trees there's sure to be one full
of honey. So you saw no bees, ell? Perhaps
you don't know the creturs when you e'em2
Amt altogether so big as wild geese or fut
keys. But you must know what strawber-
ries are, and that they don't grow upon the
trees .H I.' ..r... .. "..'. Z
All this was spoken in the, same sneering
savage manner as before, with the speakers
lr1F 4
features were distorted into d contemptuous
grin.
And if had seen the bees, how was ! TO |
get at the honey without an axe?
How did you lose yourself?
My mustang--ran away ..
Il see. And you after him. You'd have
done better to let him run. But what dye |
mean to do now?'
Il am weaE-sickt to death. Iwish to get |
to the nearest 'house-an inn-anywhere |
where men are.' ..| ".-'
where men are,' repeated the stranger,
with his scornful smile. where men are
he muttered again, taking a few steps on one
side. DI hrr -. ."r".'
was hardly able to turn my head, but
there was something strange in the mans
movement that alarmed me; 81 making vio-
ent effort, / changed my head sufficiently to |
get him in sight again. He had drawn a long |
inite from his girdle, which he clutched in
1ne hand, while he ran the fore finger of the
'ther along its edge. now for the first tirle
rot a full view of his face, and the impress
SION 1t made upon me was anything but ia
vorable. His countenance was the widest |
had ever seen; his bloodshot eyes rolled like
balls of fire in their sockets; while his move
nents and manner were Indicative ola violent
inward struggle. He did not stand still for
hree seconds together, but paced backwards
md forwards with hurried irregular steps
asting wild chances over his shoulder, his
myers playing all the while with the Knife,
With the rapid and objectless movements ola
maniac. 'rT..'-' H.l '' n.'H7It~ Ha u
l felt convinced that was the ca,ise 6fthe
truggle visibly going ON within him; that my
lie or death was what he was deciding Upon.
'ut in the state then was, death had no ter
or for me. The image of my mother, sis
ers and father, passed BEFORE my eyes. l
ave one thought to my peaceful happy !
ONE, and then looked upwards and pray
The man had walked off to ONE distance.
turned myselfa little more round, and as j
III so, caught sight ofthe sd me Inagnifce mt
hehomenon which had met with on Il re
'cond day of my wanderings The coloss !.
We oak rose in all its sivery sple.rdor, at tin
stance ola couple of miles. Whilst was
'zng at it, and rejecting on the strange i'll
c e. that had made me pass within. so short
Instance of the river without finding il,
w my new acquaintance approach neigII-d
'rng cluster of trees, amongst which he dis E
'peared q u"sa1"t9T'7 ln'1T.'
After nshort time l again perceived him "
'Hilhg towards me with a slow and stacger-I
& step. As he drew near had am opportt,- ia