Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-03-15
AMER1cAN TRAYEL..' !

/ The late celebrated Mr.. Clay was a man
of great resolution and considerable dar.
ing. He once told the following apeo-
dote to friend of ours, Travelling "a
early manhood, in a public conveyance IN
Ia Southeastern State he found himself IN
the company of three other persons, con-
sisting Of a young lady and gentleman,
her husband, and of an Individual mufaed
up in a cloak, whose countepance was
concealed, and who appeared TO be ipdul,
ging in tete with Morpheus. Sud-
denly a big, brawny Kentuckian 60. into
Hereby around, as much as to say, g I'm
half horse, half alligator; the yaller flow.
er of the forest, all birthstone but the head
and ears, and that's aqqafortis, In fact
he looked as. savage as a meat. axe, and
pulled forth hue volumes, of smoke. with
out reference to the company within, ess-.
Pecially of the lady, who manifested GER
tain timid symptoms of annoyance. Pre-
sently, after some whispering. the gentle.
man with her, in the politest accents, re.
quested the stranger not to smoke, as it
annoyed his companion. The fellow an
swered, 81 reckon I've paid my place
IN smoke as much as darn please, and
all hell shan't stop me no how With
that he looked dangerous, and rolled his
leyes round as ficrceIy as rattlcsnake.
1t was evident he had no objection to
a quarrel, and that if it 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 gal
antry aroused. He considered for mo.
ment whether he should interfere bit
experienced natural reluctance to draw
upon himself the brutal violence Of his gir
gantic adversary. In that lawless coun-
try, he knew his life might be sacrificed
unavenged. He knew himself physically
unequal to the contest, and he thought,
after all, it was not his business QuiXott-
cally to take up another mans QUARREL
Feeling PITY for the insulted and disgust
! toward the insulter, he determined to take
no notice; when very quietly indeed, The
cloaked figure in the corner assumed an
/ upright position, and the mantle was suf.
! fered to fall from it without effort or ex-
element. The small but snewy form OF a
man, plainly dressed in tightly button
ed frock k-coat, with nothing remarkable
about his appearance, was seen, and q
fpair'of bright gray eyes sought the heroe
Eoptics the ferOcious Kentucklan.
4 Without a word, this clay figure" pas
.sed his hand under his collar at the bRck
.ofhis neck. and slowly and deliberately
4 pulled, out long=-extremcly long
Eglittering knifogfom his sheath in that sim
bgular place.. "Stranger." he, said, "my
name is Colonel. James Bowie, we'll
Known in Arkansas and Louisiana, and il
I you don't put that cigar outOf the window
Yin quarter Of 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 CoIoners eyes at that
moment. The predominant impression
made upon him was the certainty of the
threat Being 'fdIGllod. and apparently the
same conviction impressed itself ere long
bupon the offender. During two ortthree
seconds. his eyes met that of Bowie. He
/ was the weaker, and he qualed.' With
a curse, he tore the cigar from between
his teeth, and flung it, scowiing, butdown-
cast, out Of the coach window. Upon this,
Colonel James Bowie rs deliberately re-
/ placed his long knife in its eccentric place
] and. without saying n word to. any one
else, or ever voucBsafing glance. az any
one, refoIded his cloak around him, and
did n6tSutler another syllable to The end
d of the journey 90 NesO Quarterly gfSeVfesO 70!
january +" " -t''Lg9W 9 ig,s5ef