Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1854-03-23
Smoking in a Sla4 ID.

great resolution aud cobsiderabl
daring. lie once told the followin;
anccdoie to friend Of ourF: Trav
Cling, in early manhood, in1 ii publ,
conveyance in a Southern State, h,
lound iiimselfin the company of three
B.her persons, consisting of 4 youne
lhdy and gentleman, her husband
and an individual muflled III IA cloak
whose face was concealed, and who
appeared to be ildulging in tete-a-
tfte with Morpheus Suddenly, a
Rlg, brawny Kentuckian got into the
coach, smoking 4 cigar, and frowned
liercely around, as much as TO sal y,
m half horse, half alligator; the
yaller flower Of the forest, all
biimstoHe but the head and ears, and
hats aquaiortis. In fact, hd looked
as savage as md dat-axe, and pulled
ldrth huge volum Ps of smoke, with
out reference to tBe company within,
especially the lad y, who manifested
certain iimid symptoms of annoy
ance. Presently, after some whis-
periog, tie gentl oman with her, in
The pofitest acce bit, requested the
stranger not to sn oke, as it annoyed
bis companion. I'll e fellow answered,
Fl reckon paid for my place. i'll
smoke rs much as | darn please, and
all hell shan't sto b me, no how
With that he lool5 ed dangerous, and
rolled his eyes rou nd as fercely as
RAFT eslpal1e. 1t VI as evident he had
nd objections to a quarrel, and that
if il occurred it was likely to lead to
a deadly struggle. The young man
who had spoken to him shrunk back
and was silent.
Clay felt his gallantry aroused
lie considered for d moment whether
lie should interfere, but experienced
atural reluctan ce to draw upon
himself the brutal violence of his
gigantic adversary. In that lawless
country, lie knew his life might be
sacrificed unayenged. lie knew him.
self physically Unequal to the conf
test, and he thought, after all, it WAS
not his business, quixotically, to take
up another mans quarrel Feeling
pity for the insulted and disgust to-
ward the ipsulter, he determined to
take no notice; when very quietly, !
indeed, the cloaked figure in the cor
ncr assumed an upright position, and I
the mantle was suffered to fall from
it without effort or excitement.
The small bat sinewy frame Of II
man, plainly dressed in GgI4ly-
buttoned lrock coat, with nothing re-
makable about his appearance, was
seen, aud pair Of bright grey eyes,
sought the fierce optics Of the iero-
ciou IS kentuckian. Without a word
this 'iay figure passed his hand, I'M
der his collar at the back. Of his
neck, and slowly and deliberately
pulled forth extremely long
long and glittering knife from it's
shed tn in that singular place. 'Stran-
ger he said, my name is Col. James
Bowie, well known in Arkansas ami
Eouisianafand if you don't put that
cigar out Of the window in quarter
Of , miBpte, I'll put this knife
tiIrd ugh your bowels, as sure aB
death.
n r. Clay said he never forgot in
after life The expression Of the Co.'s.
eyes at that moment. The predomi-
nant impression made upon him was
the certainty of the threat being
fulfilled, and apparently the same
conviction impressed itself ere long
pom the offender. During two or
three seconds his eyes met those Of
Bowie. He was the weaker, and he
qpailed. With a curse, he tore the
cigar from between bis teeth and
fling it, scowling, but downcagt, out
OF the coach window Upon this,
Cpl. James Bowie as deliberately re-
plhced his long knife in its eccentric
hi ding place. and without saying a
word to any one else, or even youch-
sd fling glance at any one, refolded
bis cloak around hin, and did notIE
utter another syllable to the end oil
tile journey -Qaarterly Re,few forIf
't4naqy. II
The uniformed militia of the state
Of New York number 1886 men.