The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1850-11-14
was fast seeking refuge among the neigh

4 = :
ed over the battle plain, witnessing the cx
ulting triumph ,ha. filed the savage breast
as he wound bis fingers into the CORY lock-
Of his dying or liieIess enemy, and snatch
ed from his skull tile bleeding scalp.
A little further on, we paused for mo
ment, TO look upon the beautiful war steee
oftLe maniac, as he lay stretched upon th,
bloody plain, pierced with The barbed iror
Of a feathercd arrow, and as we has,enee
away from The scenes Of slaughter that sur
rounded ua, our ear caught the dis,n u, ndtc'
Of voice, breathing in plaintive strains
the brigand song Of ancient Caledon:
ssWhy, England has no braver bov
Tnan 6cotland's gallant, bold Rob Roy"
Years passed away. The scenes We
have attempted to narrate had almost been
forgotten. Along the border Of our prair-
les and iii tho deep winding dells Of the
wooded streams, the humble cabin Of the
cmigrant had begun to lift its modest front
while through the new made field, the GER
ian harvest waved its golden head, or silk
en- tasscls' decked the luxurlant corn. Il
was August. The emigran', the pioneer,
the Indian trader, and the hunter of the sur
rounding country, had asse5s:bied as jurors
and spectators. around the rude log court
house Of newly started village, upon The
banks Of the Mississippi, The setting sun
OF the first days court had already closed
its labors, when the cry of"Steamboat from
alove," brought a large concourse Of spec
tators 10 the river bank. The ringing II
the bell announced the determination Of the
boat 10 land, and ms she approached the
shore the guard call Of The rolling drum,
brought to her deck an cifieer ofihe United
States. accompanied by few soldiers, who.
marching from the boat, began to ascend
the river bank, followed by well dressed,
tall muscular person, boand iii chains, who
NIGH, have seen some twenty seven years.
The spectators opened 10 the right and left,
ms the stranger passed along, with down
cast look, while his folded arms concealed
10 part the chains that bound him. Ad-
vancing 10 the sheriff, the officer observ-
ed:
Il deliver into your charge. sir, mur-
dercr, whose name is unknown. Ample
proof Of his guilt will be found in these two
soIdicrs.''
Then snrrenderipg his charge he depart
ed for the the baat. At the sound Of .'mur-
derer," shudder seemed to creep over the
person Of the stranger, as he lifted his eyes
slowly from the ground. At that moment
we discovered an old man, beutby the hand
Of time, standing in the opposite rank Of
spectators, leaning forward upon bis rifle,
which he supported with one hand, while
with the other he shaded his eyes, as he
peered into the face OF the stranger. And
us he gazeJ, the blood would rush to bis
cmbrowned visage for moment, and then
an ashy paIeness seemed 10 diliuse itself
over the wrinkied features Of the old man,
whom we now recognized as the far-famed
Jimmy Black, the wandering beo-hun.er Of
the North, who, muttering TO himself, silent
~ Withdrew from among ,'c spectators, as
the prisoner passed under the guard Q? the
Sheriff
The Court had already adjourned for the
day, and as the evening advanced, the nt-
PENDANTS Of II, began 70 congregatc at the
different groceries. And soon the baccha-
nalian cup awoke the hunters song, while
,uauy fearful tale of border life, renewed
lis heightened details. With each glass,
accompanied by the cxu!.ing shout Of the
card-players, and the attending tumult Of
ra,tling ofthe dice box, until the night had
far advanced, when We approached the high
bank oflhe river, to enjoy the cool breeze
that stirred its mobniii surface. Seating
ourselves beneath the branches of.a stunt
ed oak. our attention was soon arrested by
the dark form Of a person gliding stealthily
among the dense cedars that skirted the
descending bank Of the river. As he mp
proachod the open sands Of the river, we
recognized the bent form Of the bee hunter,
who. .pausing for moment, and peering
cautiously around, seemed satisfied that he
was undiscovered, then advancing 10 the
border of,i,e river, he stretched himself up
on its sands, placing his ear close to the
surface of the water. Listening for time
he arose and commenced soliloquizing as
his attention seemed fixed upon some dis
tant object on the river.
"Weil, Wells said he, ''the boys safe
now; il he courses for the old gum. twill
not be the sheriff of this settlement that'll
line him up, He had monstro',s deal Of
book larnin', hut his mind was little better
than piece Of rotten conib. ] told the
bar keeper 10 throw his hker out. to the
matter O. that speck o honey ] seli'd TO the
clark Of tho boat. I'll do without the pow
der; yes, yes, I can do without il, for J re-
member we'll the time when, at single
blow, he struck eff the Indians arm that
held the knife over these old groy locks Of
nine" here the old man paused, seeming
iy 10 brush away an ,n,rudinc tear. then
continued, @weII, well, I've done him q
good torn. God be with ye boy, wherever
ye ro.'' Al that moment canoe contain
inc a single person, glided on; from beneath
the opposite hank ofthe river, and hoa'ed
along upon The current OF the stream, from