The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-05-27
Che Graurller.
For The Cecil Wing
SKETCHES OF TEXAS;
No. vi.

| an encampmcnt on Little RiYer, tributary
of the Brazos. The place of that cncamp-
ment was the site of an old picket fort. gar
risoned some years previous by detachment
of Texan soldiers, stationed there on the look
out for Indians. The stream was skirtcd by
a bottom of about two miles in width dense
ly covered with timber. Many of the trees
we've filed with wild honey: and game, such
as deer, bears, and turkeys; was found in the
neighborhood in in mvnse numbers The
river was filled with the finest fish, the lat-
ter sentence is an cxaggeration, buffalo fish
and catfish are not the finest fish by any
mcans,) while the rolling prairies beyond the
bottom were covered with thousands of buff
falo
Having fallen in with a "LcathcrStock-
ings" specimen of the frontier who had fire.
qucnted those parts of Texas about the years
lS34-35, | induced him, without much per-
suason, to spin me some of his yarns. An
old sailor, hunter, campaigncr. or soldier is
always ready to display to willing listener
his faculty of story telling, and they all APP
pear to have that distinguished quality in an
eminent degree, ofnot letting story lose
anything in the narration. This Texas
Lcathcr-Stockings, who did not appear so
punctilious in matters pertaining to right and
wrong, as his great prototype, who has been
immortalized by Cooper, in those days fol-
lowed bcc-hunting on Little River, and dis
posed of his honey and wax at Washington
on the Brazos, to which town he descended in
skif The Indians were not troublesome
then and by avoiding them he kept clear of
all difficulties on that score.
One old Indian displayed remarkable
tact, however, for falling in company with
| him.
"Onc day." said old stockings, {"
as he went on with his desultory CONVERSE
ton, about bees and Indians, part of which |
will give, in order that the reader, who has
not had an opportunity of an acquaintance
with any of those singular pcrsonages of the
woods and prairlcs, may have an iGea of the
kind of beings-half savage. Ealf civilized
that hover on the front of that living tide
which is flowing irresistably toward the set
ting sun. / would warn him, also, not to be
too crcdulous of everything tl:cy say, when
they figure as the hero of their own st r.
Gone day was walking lcisurely along
the river bank, keeping sharp look out, as
[ thought, when the old Indian rose up di-
rcctly before me, ont of an old stump, that hid
him from view when ina sitting posture.
lIa ha white man, me could killy you
and so he could have done. This adventure
caused me to be more on the alert in future,
and caught him several times watching me.
! His watching me caused me to watch him,
for knew no good reason for his espionage,
unless the devil had got into his head. SO on
another occasion | got my eye upon the old
fellow, who was seated at the root of tree,
on the river bank in such a position as to en-
able him to slip round on either side and drop
down on to a second bank that would ctlectu-
ally conceal all but his head from the view of
a passer-by. His position compelled me to
believe that he was watching for me, and
from the spot he had picked upon to way LAY
me, and concluded that he meant to make
finish of his yigils 10y shooting me as ap-
preached him.
The old Indian was looking down stream,
expecting me to appear as usual from that
quarter, but this time | came upon him from
a different direction. Now my old fellow
said | to myself you've been watching ne
long enough; there's some devilment in your
head, and Ill put an end to the business
His gun lay beside him, as he sat, with his
eyes turned down the stream. Raising my
rihe fired, and he rolled from the bank into
the river, sunk and [ never saw sight of him
after, save few bubbles that rose over the
spot where he went down. 1 took his rifle,
threw the primin' out, put rag in the pan
and hid it under the shclyin' bank"
The North Carolinan was in company at
at this rehearsal of Leather Stockings, for we
had not at this time arrived at his place of
destination, and being quite novice in from
tier legerds-and very excitablc withal-he,
as was his wont, gave vent to his impulsive
n,turc, in EXPLANATIONS of surprise, which
served to cheer the old hunter on to deeds of
greater daring. as the s'hark hillaloo! !" of
the sportsman animates his hounds. The
old fellow continued
81 tell you, have license to kill every
red skin that crosses my path. Where did
get it, CHI! Where the cabin of settlers smo-
ked in ruins over its roasted inmates. Where
children; aye, babes, with their threats cut,
or their brains knocked out, were found as
left by the red devils, stuck on stakes, or pla-
ced on stumps about the yard. Where the
captive white man was bound to stake,
stuck full of lght-wood splinters, and roasted
alive! Here is where got my license to kill
1.-THE hardest brush ever had was at Bill
ly Taylors cabin, up on Little River in 49,"
and here follows a tale, in which the heroine
out heroes-to steal the pith of an old express
sion respecting Hereditary of those inmate
rial beings that the genius of Cooper has con-
jured up, to cnchant the imagination of lit
eIary world with. There were about two