Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-06-09
sm,okimx ina taae.

The late Mr.. Clay was man of great res
olution and considerable daring He once
told the following aneedote to friend of ours.
Travelling in early manhood in public con-
veyance, in southeastern State, he found
himself in company of three other persons,
consisting of young lady and gentleman,
her husband, and an individual inuffied in
cloak, whose countenance was concealed, and
who appeared to be indulging in a tete-a-teteo
with Morpheus. Suddenly big, brawny
Kentuckian got into the coach, smoking a
cigar, and frowned tiercely around, as much
as to say, /" I'm half horse, half alligator the
yaller dover of the forest, all brimstohe but
the head ami ears, and that's aquafortis. -
In fact, he looked as savage as meat xe,and
pulled forth huge volumes of smoke, without
reference to the company within, especially
the lady, who manifested certain timid symp-
toms of annoyance. Presently after some
whispering, the gentleman with her, in the
politest accent, requested the stranger not to
smoke, as it annoyed his companion. The
fellow answered, 1 reckon I've paid for my
place. I'll smoke as much as darn please,
and all hell shan't stop me, no how With
that he looked dangerous and rolled his eyes
round as fierce as rattlesnake. It was evi~
dent he had no objection to a quarrel, aud
that if it occurred, it was likely to lead to d
deadly struggle. The young man who had
spoken 10 him shrunk back and was SILENT "a
Clay felt his gallantry aroused. He eonsid-
cred for moment whether he should inter-
fere, but experienced natural reluctance to
draw upon hsmself the brutal violence Of his
gigantic adversary. In that lawless country,
he knew his life might be sacrificed unayenge1.
He knew himself physically unequal to the
contest, and he thought, after all, it was not
his business Quixotieally to take up another
man s quarrel. Feeling pity for the ihsulted,
and disgust towards the insulter, he deter
mined to take no notice, when, very quietly
indeed, the cloaIed figure in the corner as
sumed an upright position, and the mantle
was suffered to fall from it, without effort or
excitement.
The small, but sinewy frame of man,
plainly dressed in a tightly buttoned froek
coat, with nothing remarkable about his ap-
peafsnce was seen, and a pair Of bright grey
eyes sought the fierce optics Of the terocious
Kentuckian.i Without word, this sslay fig
ure' passed his hand under his collar, at the
back Of his neck, and slowly and deliberately
pulled forth long extremely long-and
glttermg knife, from its sheath IN that singu-
lar place. ys'Stranger," he said, ssmy name is
Col. James Bowie, well known in Arkansas
and louisiana, and if you don't put that cigar
out OF the window in a quarter of a minute,
Fllp this knife throug your bowels, as sure
as death t,s ,sssr AN
Clay said he never forgot in after lie the.
expression Of the ColoneIs eyes at that mo-
meat. The predominant impression made up-
ON himswas the certainty of the threat being,
FULFILLED, aud apparently the same conviction
impressed itself ere long on the oifender.-
Du1iig two or three seconds his eyes me-
those OF Bowie. He was tbs weaker, and be