Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1853-09-24
a Eexan Rangers Best Shot.

ful faces, they watched the shadows of night
stealing over lake and chapparal.
can hour like this casts spell upon my
sprits,' said Cameron. 81 love to see the
glare ofday fade and give place to the dim, pI;s-
cid twijght'
a Il have similar feelings" replied Wilson,
but ike night best when more advanced to-
wards the small hours, and the moon and stars
r are brightly beaming.'
5 Cameron made no reply, and the parties re-
maincd silent. Wilson was the first to speak.
= "That's heavy rifle Of yours he said, CLAN
, eng at the weapon upon which Cameron was
l leaning. 81 dare say it has been Of service to
: you in its time?"
"No money could induce me to part with it,
because have proved its metal on many oc-
casions. Did | ever tell yon of an adventure
that had once near the Red Riverr
You never did; l should like to hear it,"
said Wilson.
"Scverrl years ago." resumed Cameron, II
was hunting near Cross Tmbers, not far from
Red River The Indians were then trouble
some, and frequently committed their depre-
datIOns Of the frontier settlements; but | was
fond Of hunting and cared little for them, will
ling to trust to my own courage and ingenuity
in any emergency that might occur. | carried
this same rifle, and was called one of the best
shots in the country.
"Many people said the piece was too heavy
for common use; but was accustomed to it:
and it didn't feel burdensome to me; and when
| fired it was sure to do the right thing, for
what animal could not carry off an ounce and
half of lead, skillfuly sped on its errand!
"Having discovered Indian signs one day I
thought it best to change my hunting ground;
and so put considerable distance between me
and the spot and encamped on wide pra-
rie, bounded on the east by the Cross Timbers
Not long after this event, | was sitting on the
bank Of small stream, resting my weary limbs
after long and fatiguing hunt, when was
fired upon and slightly wounded
! II WAS fortunate enough to discover the
marksman, who proved to be an Indian, of what
t tribe do not now remember. INSTANTLY shot
| him dead, and then perceived that he was not
alone; for one ofhis brethren was with him, who
made good his escape. Time passed on, and
was undisturbcd in my amusements for long
! time.
"One day, not feeling very we'll I returned
to my camp sooner than usual. ! laid down to
! sleep, but could not. | felt uneasy and nerv-
Gus, and so arose and went on the prairie. The
| grass was now very tall and the hot suns of
the season had dried it until it was crispv, and
ratified as walked through it. | ascended q
gentle swell and looked around me. TIE scene
was gland one On one hand were the Cross
Tin bcrs dmy seen in the distance, resembling
4 dense wall Of wood built by human hands;
while in every other direction the prairie strecI,-
ed away until lost in the distance. The sun
was getting low, and looked like sunset on
the sea- AS my eyes wandered from point to
point they were suddenly fixed upon a solitary
figure several hundred yards distant, at the foot
Of the long swell or roll upon which | was
standing
"He stood in an open space, and at first !
wondered how that could be, as the grass was
so high in every other place; but the affair soon
explained itself. More careful examination
showed me that the solitary object was an Indi- |!
an, and his object in packing up the dry grass
was evident; he was going to fire the prairie -
1t was doubtless the same fellow that had es> |
capped at the time had been fred on He had |
discovered my retreat, and was about to revenge
himseIfn singular manner.
"Ihe wind was blowing fresh towards me- |
and if the grass had been set on fire, no pow
er on earth could have saved me, for the fleet
est horse could not run fast enough to escape
its devouring flames. A terrible dread Of that |
kind Of death came over me. | stood like one
fascinated and gazed at the preparations of the
savage. He stood in the middle of the open
space he had made, with blazing torch in bis
hand. lnnumerable thoughts rushed through
my mind in an instant of time. | was never so
completely paralyxed and stupifed before ia
my life. The power Of thought seemed to be
the only power left me, and that was stimulated
to an unnatural degree. The past, present and
future were reviewed and specalated upon n
that brief and broken fragment of time in which
the savage stood waiting for the brand to burn
more brightly before he thrust it into the grass
eyes, my destiny was to be burned Some
hunter Or traveller would find my body ctarred
or blackened; and others, after time, would pass
my bones bleaching in the sun.
Il shuddered; my eyes felt hot, my throat
dry, and Imagined that felt the flames creep
ing over me. If it had been danger that |
could have batted with, or if could have seen
any chance of escape depending upon my own
exertions, it would have been different; but now
all that could do was to stand and stare the
most dreadful of all deaths in the face.
"Iou must remember that all these ideas and
reflections run through my mind in the shortest
appreciable space Of time; for you must know
that the sudden prospects Of great danger, from
which there is no apparent mode of escape,
impart to the brain horrible faculty of thought
of which the mind at ease can form no possible ,
Il closed my eyes in prayer, and commended
my soul to God; but it was impossible for me ,
to close my eyes against the one great and
absorbing idea in my ,nind-that of being burnt 70
up like vile reptile that crawls in the weeds.
My lips uncosed, and as they did so, my
eyes rested upon my trusty rifle it was the
first time had thought of it, for the distance
was great between me and the enemy: but now
it looked like an old friend, the only one that
had the power to save me-
81 embraced the thought that the sight of my
rife called up-a species of joy which is nearly
overpowered by an agonizing feeling.
"One chance still remained-a small chance
it was true, but still chance: and despair can.
not paralyzc aad subdue the heart. willie even