Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1847-04-28
An Affecting Story

The Mccullough Rangers, after hard days
ride, had bivouacked one night last summer
in beautiful mesquit grove between Reynosa
Vieio and Camargo, barranca protecting one
side of the encampment from surprise, while
the steep banks of the Rio Grande served the
same purpose on the other. The horses had
all been fed, watered AID curried, the ilrst retief
of the guard posted-and the rangers alter drink
ing their coffee, were reclining about on their
blankets, spinning long yarns OF their adven-
lures, when Bill Dean told story that wound
up the entertainments of the evening, in theat-
rical parlance, and caused an outbreak In the
termination that came near stampeding the en-
tire cavalcaJe. Bill had joined McCollough's
men for the trip, and the recollection of his hu-
morous tale about chasing the prairie fire mile
and half, trying to cook his horse meat, Sc
cured him most patient hearing.
Those who know any thing about the emf
grafton of Germans into Texas, are well aware
that thousands of them have made Indian Point
near Port Lavaca, grand rendezvous before
leaving for the interior settlement of NewBran-
nels, or the frontier stations on the Perdenales,
the Llano, or the San Saba. Bill said that he
had visited the Point last Spring, when some
five thousand Germans were encamped there,
and was present at one of the most thrilling &
heartrending scenes it had ever been his lot to
witness. So far as his individual knowledge
went, neither ancient nor modern history made
mention of any case which might be consider
ed parallel.
Among the emigrants, remarked Dean, was
a pretty, red-cheeked girl, the pride of the par
ty, who strolled out alone one day, to gather
wild flowers in tue chapparal. Her ramblings
carried her farther than she intended, and when
she turned to retrace her steps she found that
she ~as lost, poor thing-bewildered and per-
picked in a tangled maze. In vain she strove
to reccollect the position and bearings OF the
camp she had lett 50 joyous short hour before
reason had fled its throne. In an agony of
doubt she ran to and fro in the chapparel, every
step taking her farther from her friends, and
darkness at length found her completely ex-
hausted, and crazed with thoughts of Indian
peril. and starvation. Her suferings during
that dreadful night, continued Bill, you must
fancy for yourselves, shall not attempt to de-
scribe them.
With the early morning light she was again
ON her feet. She gazed In every direction, but
nc sight Of her friends gladdened her longing
vision. While thus engaged, she was discoV-
cred by Mexican girl, whose whose father
kept a small rancho sumo five miles from the
Point. ard now. when succor was at hand,
the lost one fed it's approach. The Mexican
girl called upon her in soothing terms, but she
needed her not. The former then went to her
father hard by, and told him that some stray
gler from the camp of the strangers was in the
bushes, and 10 all appearance lost and bereft OF
reason. The old man mounted his horse, went
out in search, and seen came up with her, but
she fled at his approach as from one of the wild
denizens of the piairic.
The old man, in the kindness of his heart,
with soft accents attempted to arrest her flight,
she understood not, she needed him not. He
knew that she must belong to the camp oil the
Germans, that she was lost and crazed, and he
determined TO rescue her. Colllng the lariat,
or leathern rope, which hung to his saddle, in
his hand, he set off, full speed, after the bewi-
dered and frightened fugitive, threw it gently
over her head, and thus checked her fight
To call his daughter, thinking that she might
better assist in soothing the poor girl was his
first impulse, together to proceed to the camp
of her friends. and deliver her safely to those
= who must be but too anxious for her, was his
second.
Great was the Joy of her relatives, gladdened
were the hearts o. all who knew her, as she was
brought into camp; but soon these emotions
were changed to bitter sorrow, as one by one,
they discovered that the fairest flower among
the emigrauts was crazed. The sweet caress-
es of her mother and sisters she answered only
with vacant stare the kind offices of those
who crowded around were uncared for, unregar
ded. Her half frantic lover, as he uttered words
of comfort and endearment was answered with
a look that told plainly she recognized him not,
that he was forgotten. Restoratives OF every
description were resorted to, but without effect.
A favorite little dog, as he wagged his tail in
ioy and endeavored 10 lick the hands of his mis-
trees in token of gladness at her return, was
spurned as stranger. Songs that she had 10
we'd in childhood fell in soft cadence upon her
ear; vet she needed them not. Presents from
her loVer-gifts that she had treasured in her
heart of hearts-werc passed over as idle toys
Her once bright eve, so full of intelligence and
life, was now glazed, vacant and lustreless, her
round full face, once so radiant with intellect,
was now meaningless blank, and as her friends
yazed upon her they wrung their hands in sor-
SOW, and with sad misgivings that the reason
of the poor girl was lost for ever
At length, continued Bill, an elderly matron
left the melancholy group, and started off as if
intent ON making one more effort to restore the
crazed one to her senses. Presently she re-
turned, with large plate of hot smoking sour
crout in her hand. Eibowing her way among
the sorrowing crowd she presented the dish to
the young girl, and
"And with what effect % calculated Ran
ger who had been listening all the while, and
who now dashed away tear which bad gath
cred in his eye. "With what effect p
astonishing = slowly calculated the wag.
/. 1t brought her right TO, just like shot and
the way she skived into that crout showed that
twenty-four hours hard exercise in the chap
parel was great help to the appetizer
80
1t took at least twenty minutes to collect the
scattered horses that broke their ropes when the
laugh that succeeded this termination to a sad
story first burst upon them.-.N. O. Pic. a.