The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1850-03-08

siep aud mndest cOuntenauce, stole
thrnugh the rum, lnnklug for an empty
bed. hut, of course without finding one.
perhaps gentlemen" said he, with an
extremely woe -begune voice of inquiry,
some of you can tell me where | am to
sleep torigm"
q" In paradise, suppose, - said the
hraying gentleman. "fr III he hanged,
IT there's any room for you here. You
see The beds are full"
Il do." replied the stranger, looking
dlScnnsolutely round, land they are
shocking narrow ones, too. But rath-
or calculate the landlord meant me to
have half of nne some where ur other a,
mong YOU"
" Well, tlia; seems but reasonable,
said the Mississippian; "and | should be
very willing In let you have halfof mine
onIy"-here he turned over in the bed
clothes, aud displayed huge bUwie-knife
lying on one side of him, and pistol on
the olher-"onIy that never sleep with
out my aims, aud they are somewhat
dangerous when dream al night, as
always do after bad supper. Pom my
soul, sir, if you had seen me how slash
ed my bed To pieces last night aud shot
off the bed post? Had t" pay ten dot
lars damages to old Skiuhlnt, the land
lord'
The Yankee recoiled with trepidation
from ills perious bed fellow. and pre-
terred his request to The Tennessee an,
stating very piteousIy that he had an al
fecIion in the head" though OF what
kind he did not inform us--whch was
always aggravated by want of, or even
uncomfortable sleep. The Tennessee eau,
however, declared that he was just as bad
us his neighbor, the Mississippian, though
in another way. He never could sleep
with any body without beginning to fight
the moment he fell asleep; and it was but
fortnight ago, he said that he had goug-
ed fellows eyes out.
The Alabamian declared that he che W.
ed tobacco in his sleep, aud that his
quids we're to the full as ,ngerous to
the bed fellows eyes as the Tennessee.
ans fingers.
The second Mississippian had taken up
a position directly across the bed, hi,
head sticking out on one side aud hit
feet on the other, i'll which position only
he could sleep with any comfort; anc
therefore desired the poor pedlar to ap.
ply to some one else, which he did, will
M better iOrtune-s0me excusing them
selves on prelences as ridiculous as thos'
| have mentioned; while one or two 9th
ers, whose wit WIS not so ready, met hi
suPplicaling glances and hesita;ng sup
plcutions. with downright refusaIs A
for myself, The narrowness of my coucI
was so manifest as to secure me from ap
pIcation.
The poor pedIar thus rejected on al
sides, and with the prospect of remain
ing bedless all night. took the desperate
resolution of preferring a complaint Il
his ma esty the inn-keeper. For this pur
pose he opened the door and called twice
or thrice, but with timid tones. to min,
host, who having aleady retired to hi
bed, aud not choosing to be troubled, TOOL
no notice Of his first calls. and only re
piled to the last by threatening to tur
his unfortunate customer out of doors
he did not keep quiet.
To be turned out of house in whc
he had been so inhospitably treated
might have seemed no disagreeabe al
tcrnative. but unluckily. dismal rail
had now commenced falling, aud Their
was no other place Of refuge within
eight or ten miles.
Nothing remained for the extra lodge
but 10 stretch himself on the floor, whicI
he at last did with sundry groans ant
complaints. pilIowing his head on tn
saddle.bags-in which position he la
until his fellow travellers. myself wit
the rest. all dropped sound asleep.
We had not sleept, | imagine, NOR
than quarter of an hour, when we wer
all the same moment aroused by a terr
BILE voice crying in The mids, of the roor
-"lf there is no other way with them
cut their aristocratical throats!
The words aud voice were alike q
larmingi-but judge our astonishmen
when, starting from our beds, we behel
tho pedlar rising half naked from tn
fioor. as grim aud gaunt as Don Quixott
himself holding bowie knife, to whlc
the Mississippian's was as penknife t,
a razor, aud brandishing it with looks u
blood aud fury, BY snakes and niggersI
cried tho braying gentleman, with some
thing like alarm, "he dreams harder thai
| dol"
"Wake him up-he will do mischief.
exclaimed others; for we all thought tn,
poor follow was suffering under som,
lrightful dream. The Tennesseean bold
or than the rest, seized him by the arm
upon which he dropped his knife. and
his countenance changing from rage t,
trepldation, eXclHimed-"l give mysel
up-l an your prisoner. But take no
t'ce, gentlemen, and bear witness for me
yield To superior fnrce. Give mo five
minutes to say my prayers"
"Thnnderl' cried the varmint of Tom
essee, starting back, the man is mad | ;
And 81 it seemed To us all.
Give me FIVE minutes to say my pray
ers" quoth tho pedlar- who, however
inStead of dropping IN his knees, burs
INT" tears, aud harrangued us in s,me
what the following words: II am an hon
est man, patriot, aud man of the peo
pie, have fought the battle Of my coun
Try, and | die O RnmAn hero. Ynn ar