The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-03-25

The late celebrated Mr. Clay was q man Of
great resolution and considerable daring. He
once told the following anecdote % friend Of
ours Travelling in early manhood in public
conveyance in th-Eastcrn State, he found
himself in the company of three other persons
consisting OF young lady and gentleman. her
husband. and of an individual mufiled up in a
cloak, whose cOuntcnance was concealed, and
VINO appeared to he enjoying tete-d-ttte with
Morpheus. Suddenly, a big Grawny Kentuk-
ian got into the coach smoking cigar, and
| frowned hercely around, as much as to say,
81 m half horse, half alligator the yaller flow
CT OF the forest. all birthstone bat the head and
cars and that's aquafOrtis." in fact he look
Cd IS savage as meat axe, and pufIed forth
huge volumes of smoke. without reference to
the company within, especially of the lady,
who manifested certain timd symptoms of an.
noyarcc Presently, after some whispering,
the gentleman with her. in the politest accents,
requested the stranger not to smoke, rs it an
noyed his companion.
Inc fellow answered. al reckon I've paid for
my place. III smoke as much as darn please,
and all hell sha'n mt stop ne no how.' With that
ne looked dangerous. and rolled his eyes round
as berceiy as rattle e-sDake. Ii was evident he
mad no Objection to quarrel, and if it occurred
it was likely to lead TO deadly struggle. The
young man who bad spoken to him shrunk back
and was silent.
| NiNS iSit MS aroused. lie cONsiG-
cred for moment whether he should interfere;
but experienced q natural reluctance 10 draw
| upon himself theibrutal violence of his gigantic
adversary. In that lawless country he knew
his life might be sacrificed unavenged He
knew himself physically unequal to the contest.
and he thought after all it was none of his bus
mess, Quixotically to take up another mans
quarrel. Feeling pity for the insulted and dis
gust toward the insultcr he determined to take
l.y iplo fba
cloakCd figure in the corner assumed an upright
position. and the mantle was suffered to fall
from it without effort or excitement. The small
but slnewy frame of man, plainly dressed in a
tightly-luttoned frock-coat, with nothing re-
markable about his appearance, was seen. and
pair OF bright gray eyes sought the fierce op
tics OF the terOcious Kontuckian. Without
word this lay figure passed his hand under
his collar at the back of his neck. and slowly
ana deliberately pulled forth long-extreme-
ly ,ong-and y,.t.ering knife from its sheath in
that singular place.
Stranger he said, my name is Col James
Bowie, well known in Arkansas and Louisiana,
ard if you don't put that cigar ont Of the win
dow in quarter of minute. I'll put this knife
through your bowels, as sure as DEATH
! Clay said be nrver forgot in after life the ex-
pressions of the Colonels eyes at that moment.
The predominant impression made upon him
was the certainty OF the threat being fulfilled,
and apparently the same conviction impressed
itself ere long upon the offender. During two
or three seconds his eyes met that of Bowie.
He was the weaker. and he quailed. With .
curse he tore the cigar from between his teeth,
and flung it. scowling. but downcast, out Of the
| coach window. Upon this, Col. James Bowie
as deliberately replaced his long knife in its
eccentric hiding place. and, without saying =
| word to any one else. or even vouchsafing .
glance at any one. refolded his cloak around
him. and did not utter another syllable to the
end of the journey.-.Hi,D Quarterly Review
for January.