The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-05-04
THE LAUGHING HERO,

queen of tlo sky, on throne of burning Ani-
brf, rolled ~ ihO crimson Of fire, with din-
dem Of purple, aud sirenmrfH of painted
punk, oh Il wHh glorious dawn for The
FuUt ~ ENG ~ uurttIi ur-tir-- -rt't'-'" i'fss
a. hoaycui hut neither pool's song nor Hnint's
| prayer made the mntina Of tho PLACE aud tho
! hour Alas uoi u wnH very different sort
Of music.
A century yufhoarsc drums rourcd the loud
reueRt dat uW oko four hundred Texan pris-
ouors hnd their RIard-l0ur times their
number ut MrNlcnu soiicrs-tho flue Of the
. Chlcf Butchers GRIND army,
The prisoners were immediately summon,
od, To- parade before NE post, ~ tho nnin
streets ofthc village, and oyory eye HparE lpd
with JOY, aud every tongue uttered shOui--
| the voluntary exclamation OF confidence aud
+ hope lhauka, noble Snuin Annh! ne h
going a. execute the treaty We shall be-
shipped back lo oar believed United States!
[ We shall see uur dear friends once morrin
/ Such were the cheeriul cries will which the
American volunteers, aud the few Texans
among them greeted lilo order Ia form into
/ liuc
| Tho line wns lufmcd aud then broken it,
! To Two columns, when every instrument of
murir IN the Mexican host sounded merry
mnrch, mud they moved away with quick
step over the prairie iownrd tie west.
/ Five minutes afterwards, n singular dii-
! laguc occurred bclWiXt the tWo leaders ofthc
| front cnluuu oi prisoners;
what makes YOU walk so lame, Col. Ncil2
| Are you wpuudcdN asked tall handsome
/ ann, with blue eyes, aud bravery flashing
| forth ~ nh their bcnnir,
Col lnniu, walk tame TO keep from be.
! ing woundcdi do you comprehend replied
/ lhc other wal u laugh, aud such laugh ns
no words might dcscrihc-it wns'so loud 10
| luxurious, like the ronr of the breakers Of
scn ofhumoT II was, IA short, laugh otthc
/ inmost heart "A
u do not comprehend you, for ! nm no mr.
list ia riddles rrlolncd Fnunin, smiling him.
sell nt the lndicruus gnyely Of his c0GrUu-
Iuu, 80 strangely III timed.
! you discover HAT um lame in each leg
shid Col, Neil, glnHclug down al the members
indicated, aud mimcing The movements of n
confirmed cripple, NJ be- laughed louder thnn
over And yot, lac added, Ia "a whisper, Il
I have ucitllcr the tlcuunlsm in my knees,
/ nor corns on my toes, bu, have two big rc-
ro'rcrs IN my boots"
That N u violation Of the treaty 10y which
fWo agreed 10 give up nit our urirs,i Gui tuf,-
uiu uourufully suggested.
You will s,c, however. TINT ! shnll need
them hciurr lhe SUI ~ nn hour high,' replied
. Nril 'Ah! fauuin, YOU do not know The
|trcuchcry ofllnsc hasc McXcRns.'
| Al that instant tho run arose IA sky of
lr+!tHI'os v 3,,,, n ','ttfg.H How
rr cups nung thctr rich odors ahrond over
the green pruiric, ns mn Offering to the lord
, of light, whru the mandate 10 hail. Was CIV
en- hy one Of Santa Annn- aids, aud tic two
columns OF prisoners were broken uP aud
scattered o,cr The plain, IN smnll hollow
squares, eucirclcd on every sido by McNicnn
, infantry aud troops of horre. with luutlrtl
muskcls nud naked sword+ Aud then cnmo
n momcntary pnusc, awful Ia it, stiilncSsnnd
disturbed only ly 'an occasional rhriCk of
Terror, u, the most timid among the cnpIiNes
realized the impending storm of fre.nud cN-
tlucIou at lc's u-t hope.
And then the micrunl work Of Wholesale
murder was bcguu, aud n scene Cusucd such
NJ scarcely might hn matched IA the very Hu-
unls Of he'll itself The roar Of mushctry
hurst in successive pcul- like appalling claps
+..ftl44lldrr, Int could not utterly drown the
prayers of the living, the screams OF the
wonndcd, and more terrible gronns ol the dy-
ling
Col. Fmniu foil among The first victims,
hat Ilai 80 tAs giant hailr-Aith- pfasF-
of the Mexican officer for his men to firo,our
hero stopped almost to The earth, 20 That the
voloy passed entirely over him. lie waited
not for second; thrusling hand into the
Reg of pBptI huut tTr urur- frtii t.t,titil4 eE
siN-shootcrs, the dendly rcvolvers orAllen's
pntcnt, aud commenced dischdrging them,
with the quick rapidly Of lightning into The
lhickcst- ranks of htS-fo for-,-ti5- -it,lt1,eHSa
strength enabling him to pull OF, both lriE-
gers together. -
Pnrir stricken with surprise and fenr, the
Mcxicnns rccoiIed aud opened passage,
through which Neil bounded with the spring
Qfa panther. aud fed away, as ifwings were
tied to his heels, while half dozen horse
men gave chase. For while IL seemed
doubtful whether the giuni colonel woaId
not distance even these, So much Ind the
pcril- of the occnsiun increased the natural
of his mighty muscles! But pres
emily il charger flueter ilnn the rest nHght bc
dsceuned gaining on his human rival, and
approaching go near that the drngoon rniscd
hts flashing sabre for the coup de grace. n ell
hccamc conscious of his danger, and hastily
slnckcued his speed, ill tile hot stream of
smoke from the horses uostrs appeared to
nnglc with his very hair; aud then, wheel !
ing suddenly, he fred another round from n
rEvoycr. aud The rider tuphed from his sad |
die. The victim theu renewed hls flight
A mad yell of fgricrnud rage broke from the
remaining troopers as they Witnessed The tate |
of their comrude, md its effect was mmcdi-
utely evident in the augmented caution of |
their pursuit; for they gallnped afterwards IN
onc body, thereby greatly retardine their
progress, so thai Neil rcaclod the river be
fore them. He paused not Il moment, hut
plunged hcndlong down the steep bnnk into
the current aud struck off for the other shore.
The dragoons discharged their side arms in
entctuully, aud gnve over the chase
Ia t. " minutes Neil landed, and ms snou
as hc felt satisfied that he was really saved,
burst into M iusnppTcssnblc convulsIon ot |
laughter, rxclpining Ut will kill me! Just
io lhinl how astonlshed the yellow devils