Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-12-14
From the Spirit of The Times.

those bears particular fits - sung out Dory, the
plank Of the steamboat on which bound
down the Mississippi drawn in, and we left our
friend Monroe-one night last winter on the wharf
boat at Napoleon, Arkansas.
We should have left him in pitch darkness had it
not been for the ptch-pine lights which shed halo
of glory around his head, and the tail of his New
foundland dog. They were bound up the Arkansas
River on a bear hunt. more whole souied man, or
a finer dos, walked-athough Scotch terrier
IS better dog for bears-and as We left him behind
there was a sense of something lost
In order to find composure and fill up the vacuum,
we adjourned 10 the Exchange or Social Hall of the
steamboat to take g snifter.' On enteri the ia.
Vored region at once made aware of the fact
that the Rackensackans at Napoleon considered
fair exchange no robbery; in payment of our Ro-
land of Monroe they had given rs an Oliver of an
Arkanslan. He was beauty. Straight hicko-
~ sapng, and fully tough, he seemed 10 be lust
the stuff that red eye whisky barrel hoops are made
of-water-proof at that. He was already firm
friend Of the barkeeper having taken two drinks in
side of ninety seconds, and he still wore thirsty
look in his left eye, we at once asked him to take
another
Stran ger," said he, " count me in thar r
So we did, and after drinks all round, we settled
about the stove with cigars, Conversation soon fell
on bear hunting, deer hunting, and finally was clos
ing up with description of "mighty big COON
hunt" wherein way of putting whisky hors du COM
bat, or out OF harms way-cut down untold num-
Der of cottonwood or pekan trees, and pitched into
live oak till he made dead wood of it and finally
killed, on that one night, hundred coons whose
united weight he Judged to be we'll on TO tun
After this we knew the man, but Dory, in whose
locks the "hay-seed" still cleaned, was moved in
turn to tell has tale of hunting, and dwelt long and
feebly on certain snipe-shooting excursion, wherein
each gunner bagged his four dozen brds-he drew it
away about how the snpe and fell, until Rack
ensacklan woke up with the question
"What ar snipe?'
Snipe," said Dory, are the best game that
flies. The kind | mean are called English or Will
sons snpe, and are splendid Long legs, long bills,
Stran. ger, stop thar I've seen the critters
know em like an old boot" interrupted the Racken-
sackian. ''Fve been down in the Lewsiannv swamps
u have! Do you really eat them ar critters at the
North o.
Certainly we do" said Dory; " but you said you
had been down in the Louisiana swamps-they win
ter there, expect?"
Winter and summer both Thar ar a few,
should think, in Arknnsaw Two of my boys was
dowD chopin wood for the steamer tother day. and
them ar snpe sung so loud they come back at night
and said thar was camp meetin goin' on down the
river"
Sing - inquired Dory That is singular. AT
the North, as they rise, have heard them utter a
low whistle, but never knew they sung before"
Stngn' said the Rackensackian p" thew sing so
they make my ha'r stand on eend. You RALLY shoot
them ar critters on to the North? Stranger if you'll
come up to my plantation and shoot off the crop
thar, I'll give you the best horse you pick out
and throw in niger to take keer of him.
"Where do you live!" asked Doly elf ever
am up your way, you'll have to owe me horse and
| a negro"
Wall, stranger, live at Powder-horn Pint on
Meto Creek, bout thirty miles from Napoleon and
cuss me If the man that shoots off them ar birds for
me don't be my eternal friend-he will! Look hyar,
the internal things pitched into my youngest child
arter it was born, so that its head sweled up as big
| punkin -
Pitched into your child !-sweIled head big as
pumpkin! Did snipe do this 2" asked Dory, in
great hopes of having discovered something new.
"Wall, they did. Leastwise what you call snipe.
We call em mus-ke -
Grand tableau. Curtain descends to slow music Of
toddy sticks, broken ice, and the song of an Arkan
saS Shine