The Gonzales inquirer. [volume] (Gonzales, Tex.) 1853-current, 1854-04-01
Smoking in Q Stage.

The late Mr.. Clay was q man of great rcso.
luton and considerable daring. He once told
the following anecdote to a friend of ours
Travelling, in early manhood, in q public con.
veyance in n southwestern State, he found
himself in company Of thrce other persons,
consisting of young lady and gentleman, her
husband, and an individual mutiied in cloak,
whose countenancc was concealed, and who
appeared to be indulgiDg in q tete-d-tete with
Morpheus. Suddenly Big, brawny Kentuck.
ian got into the coach, smoking cigar, and
irowned herccly around, ~ much as to say,
I'm half alligator; tho yaller flower Of tho
forest all birthstone but the head and cars, and
that's aquafortis," In fact, he looked as say
age as meat-axe, and putied forth huge vol
umcs OF smoke, without reference TO tho com.
pany within, especially tho lady, who manifes.
ted certain timid symptoms Of annoyance
Presently, after som0 whispering, the gentle.
man with her, in the politest accent, requested
the stranger not to smoke, as it annoyed his
companion. The fellow answered, II reckon
I've paid my place. I'll smoke as much as
darn please, and all hell shant stop me, no
how" With that he looked dangerous, and
rolled his eyes round as fercely as rattle
snake. 1t was evident 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 shrunk back and was
silent
Clay felt his gallantry aroused. Ho consid-
cred for moment whether he should interfere,
but experienced q natural reluctance to draw
upon himself the brutal violence of his gigan-
tic adversary. In that lawless country, he
knew his life might be sacrificed unaycnged.
He knew himself physically unequal to tho
contest, and he thought, after all, it was not
his business, quixotically, to take up another
mans quarrel Feeling pity for the insultcd
and disgust toward the insulter, he determined
to take no notice; when very quietly, indeed,
the cloaked figure in the corner assumed nm
upright position, and the mantle was suffered
to fall from it without effort or excitement u
The small but sinewy frame of man, plain
ly dressed in tightly-bnttoned frock coat,
with nothing remarkable about his appearance,
was seen, and a pair of bright gray eyes sought
the fierce optics Of the ferocous Kentuclkian.
Without a word this "lay figure" passed his
hand under his collar at tho back of his neck,
and slowly and deliberately pulled forth long
Extremely long--long and glttcring knife
from its sheath in that singular place ''Strap-
ger" hc said, "my name is Colonel James
Bowie, well known in Arkansas and Louisiana,
and if you don't put that cigar out of the win
dow In quarter of minute, I'll put this
Gnile through your bowels, rs sure as death y
Mr. Clay said he never forgot in after life
the expression of the Colonel's eyes at that
moment The predominant impression made
upon him was the certainty Of the threat be-
ing fulfilled, and apparently the same convic,
t:on impressed itself upon tho offender. Du.
ring two or three seconds his eyes met those
OF Bowie. He was the weaker, and he quaied
With curse he tore the cigar from between
his teeth, and flung it, scowling, but downcast
out of tho coach window. Upon this, Colone
James Bowie as deliberately replaced his long
knife in its eccentric hiding-place, and without
saying word to any one else, or even vouch
safing glance at any one, refolded his cloak
around him, and did not utter another syllable
to the end Of the journey. - Quarterly Re
pieu.