The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1851-11-12
,ver be dragged through a pigeon.roost

rous appearance and rueiul countenance
.Matter!" he growled angrily, "l've
spent the night in Tophet, that's all"
.Ha! ha! hem.-Beg pardon, Colonel.
but what have you done with your neither
integuments?"
The Colonel was not an Adonis IN shape
when he had his Sundays on: but the iig-
ure he now cut was inconceivably comical.
He was literally covered with mud, blood
and feathers, with a dash of green slime
where he had fallen into some mud-hole.
His coat had not a rag Of tail left, and his
other vestments seemed to be nothing but
rags, while of his rowsers nothing remain
ed but the w~aistband. and a few steamers
attached thereto; his top-boots and ii Kill.
marnock night-cap being the only integral
garments | could observe about him. The
ooze and pigeon feathers which covered
him, looked as if he had undergone a SEN
teh.ce from Judge Lynch. lie stepped Out
IoiEful!y, and cast a dolorous glance at his
paght, as he shouldered his mnsket, which
we now discovered was blown to pieces,
'gi,n little but the stock remaining. Flesh
and blood could stand it no longer, and
Wad burst into a ~paroxism Of laughter.
"You may laugh, young gentleman. but
ifyou had gone through what | have, you
would not have much inclination that way.
All this blessed night have | traversed this
internal roost from one end OF it TO the
other: devil Of 4 soul did | see the whole
time, though they were shooting all around
- Wbatava ANU a. Aneh Irn,, q M
| made right for it. hallooing with all my
might; but no use, | couldn't find anybody.
The internalish hag-ridden, witch-posses-
ed race | have had, tearing and sweating
through the bushes. crawling through briers
and thorns. and falling into mud-holes and
quagmires until | am as sore as if | had
been dragged over a hemp-hackle. Final.
ly, | found this bed Of leaves, occupied by
an old sow; | drove her out, and took pos.
session. determining to rest my bones here
till morning. In falling over a bush, my old
musquitoon went of, and bursted 10 film
ders. 1t is a great wonder | didn't get
killed, or at least seriously hurt; but for
tune favored me that time"
By this time the moon was shining as
bright as day, and after our mirIh had
somewhat subsidized, we found a puddle,
where the old gentleman removed some Of
the filth and mud that encountered him,
and we continued our route homeward.
Half an hours walk brought US all three
into camp, where we found no one awake
but Bolivar, who seemed to be acting sen.
try. Chunk and Montmery were both far
journeying in the land Of Nod, and Boil
vars eyes did not look h~alf-an.hour high.
While the Colonel and Wad were rcla-
ting to him their adventures. | made a Wig
orous attack on the comestibles, finding
my appetite whetted very keen by my ram
BILE. After devouring an indefinite guam
tity of sandwiches. roast potatoes, and
porter. | finished with a cigar, and took a
look around: found all snoring away. each
in a different key, like a concert OF bull.
frogs in a swamp-except Munro, who had
finished his nap, and was martyring a
SQUAD, feathers, insides and all, on the end
of a stick over the fire. The trees and the
fire began to dance and glimmer and
spangle in my eyes, and as Pack says,
the next thing | knew didn't know moth
in.
1t was scarce breaking day, when | was
aroused by Mlontmery and Aukley to go
out and shoot some birds with them; now
was the best time. as the pigeons were
some of them taking a short nap; and as
most of the firing had ceased, there was
rot so much to disturb them. 1t was just
light enough for US to distinguish the dark
.1asses of birds: we could now shoot with
Il better aim, and we made great havoc
among them, bagging nearly three hundred
in a very short time.
81 say, Ernie" quoth Monimery, as it
grew q little lighter, Il wish had "a look
ing-glass."
"What for?"
81 want to show YOU your face, what
with dirt, burnt %gunpowder. blood and
feathers, don't think Miss Laurine would
be tempted to kiss you ttis morning. |
beseech you TO take a squint at your trow-
sers in the mean time: d rag merchant
would have turned up his nose at them in
gust"
Bah! they are nothing to Wad AUX
.svis here-he is in real Arkansas cos
~iuue-nothing but his boots andthe waist
baH' Of bic drawers"
ISL see herc-oh! magnificent"
had just risen a little hillock, when
ug sing sun doomed up from his cloud
.ouch. and shone on a scene Of ~splendor
tfAv indescribab!e. We had ceased fir
no some minutes before, and all was still
ss death.
The eminence overlooked q vast forest
PLAN, The bright rays Of the rising sun
beaming in level lines OF light from the
blus hazy horizon upon that scene, and
every tree and every limb and every twig
in that forest, almost as far as the eye
could reach, covered and bending down
with the graceful and reposing forms OF the
Wild pigeons; their gorgeousIy-,inted. gold