Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1854-03-03
American TRAY j,


1 man ofgreat resolution and considerable
daring. He once told the following story
to friend of ours. Traeelling early in
manhood, in public conveyance in a
South Eastern Stat, he found himself in
company with three other persons, con-
sisting Of young lady and gentleman,
husband, and Of individual mufiled up
in cloak, whose couEtenance was CON
cealed, and who appeared to be indulg-
ing In tete-a-tete with Morpheus. Sud
denly a big brawny Kentuckeian got
into the coach smoking a cigar, and
frowned fiercelv around, as much as to
say, I'm half horse, half alligator, the
yaller flower of the forest, all birthstone
but the head and ears, and that's aqua
atortis." In fact, he looked savage as
meat axe, and pulled forth huge vol
umes of smoke, without reference to the
company within, especially of the lady,
who manifested certain timid symptoms
Of annoyance Presently, after some
whispering, the gentleman with her, in
the politest accents, requested the stran-
ger not to smoke as it annoyed his com
panion. The fellow answered. II reck-
on I've paid for my place.-I'll smoke
as much as | darn please, and all h-lI
shan't stop me, nohow.' With that he
looked dangerous and rolled his eyes
about as tiercely as rattlesnake. 1t
was evident that he had no objection to
quarrel, and that if it occurred it was
likely to lead to deadly struggle. The
young man who had spoken to him, had
shrunk back and was silent. Clay felt
his galiantry aroused. lie considered
for a moment whether he should inter
fere; but experienced a natural reluct-
anc to draw upon himself the brutal Vi
oIence of his gigantic adversary. In
that lawless country, he knew that his
life might be sacrificed unayenged. He
knew himself physically unequal in the
contest, and he thought, after all, it was
not his business, Quixotically, TO take
up another mans quarrel. Feeling pity
for the insulted and disgust toward the
the insulte, he determined to take no
notice; when very quietly indeed, the
cloaked figures in the corner assumed
an upright position, and the mantle was
suffered to fail from it without effort or
excitement.
The small but sinewy form of a man.
plainly dressed in tightly buttoned
frock coat, with nothing remarkable
about his appearance, was seen, and a
pair OF bright gray eyes sought the fierce
optics of the ferecious Kentuckian.-
Without a work, this clay figure" put
his hand under his collar at the back of
his neck, and slowly and deliberately
pulled forth a long-extrelnely long and
Offering knife from It's sheath in that
singular place stranger he said my
name is Col James Bowie, and we'll
known in Arkansas and Louisiana, and
if You don't pat that cigar out of the
window in quarter Of a minute, I'll put
this knife through Your bowels as sure
as death Clay said he never forgot
in after life the expression of the Co
loncl's eyes at that moment, The pre-
dominant impression made upon him,
was the certainty Of the threat being
fulfilled, ard apparently the same con
viction ere long impressed itself upon
the offender. During two or three see
onds his eyes met those Of Bowie. He
was the weaker, and he quailed. With
a curse, he tore the cigar from between
his teeth and threw it scowling, but down
east, out Of the coach window. Upon
this, Bowie as deliberately replaced his
long knife, in its eccentric hiding-place,
and without saying a word to any one
else, og even vouchsafing glance at any
one. retolded his cloak around him, and
did not utter another syllable to the end
Of the journey.-New quarterly Re
pie'c, for Jaauayy.