Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1855-05-24
"reminiscences Of Travel,
NUMBER NINE.
For the Fayetteville Observer.

ord one peck Of potatoes, at the low
price of one dollar; and thought that
perhaps little ''fre and birthstone"
would be as well applied if it should
rain on this place as on its prototype.
We were told that there was man
living Just down the road about ten
miles, from whom we could get plenty
of provisions. So we logged along,
considerably uplifted with the hope Of
getting something to eat. The road
lay mostly through pinewoods, with
an occasional small prairie. Here we
saw. a greatmany flocks Of parokeets,
and occasionally drove. of deer or
wild turkies. All day we rolled along
across prairies, pine skirts, and @-
press 6uajss, without hearing anything
to cheer us up, but the melodious
notes Of the thousand and one bull
frogs that were yelling their last hy-
pholuti,, strains in the neighboring
ponds. We at length arrived at the
ten mile house and found it one ofsthe
most unique specimens Of architec-
tural audacity that We have met with
in all our travels. 1t was built of
pin logs, small, with the bark On, and
the lower story consisted of about
four pens about twelve feet square and
a passage of about eight feet between
them. The upper story was large
pen with its corners resting on the In
side corners of the four lower pens
and all covered with one roof. We
tried the boss Of the consasp for some
thing to eat, but all in vain. So away
we went down the road, thinking that
when we got to the Gulf we would
certainly get something to satisfy oul
wolfsh propensities. The day wore
away slowly, and evening began to
pass away without any better pros
pect. Riding ahead, l met aman dri-
wing a cart, returning from market as
la Yankee would guess. He seemed
very glad to see me, and had a great
many questions to ask about me and
my business. and seemed to belong to
Ike Know-somethings?' He said we
we're within eighteen miles of the
Gulf, and advised us to 60 to Mar.
tins island, as it was the best place
for fishing and oyster7ng. There were
no inhabitants nearer than the island
to which he directed us. There was
an old station about ten miles from
the Gulf concluded that we
would endeavor to reach these houses
that night. !, The sun was now getting
low. Graham took his wager and sue
ceeded in killing d fine doe, which
caused some delay. We soon heard
the wolves bowling, and night came
on apace. took the pony and rode
ahead to discover the old station. ]
rode about two miles, and it began to
get dark was at least one mile
ahead of the wagon. Pony stopped
suddenly, and directed all his atten-
ton to a dark looking object stand
ing in the road before us. / tried to
make him 60 up to it, but he refused
Thinks l, We have met up with bar
Pony looked and [ looked but we
could not exactly make out what it
was. Everything was as still as
death. / sat and looked and listened
for some time but not a sound could
be heard except a rustling noise like
some huge animal climbing tree not
far off. / concluded thatI must leave
that place, and with an extra effort |
got pony to walk up to our supposed
bear, which Immediately transmogy1-
fed itself into a black stump. After
proceeding some distance, my ears
were saluted with a piercing scream
from what supposed was a panther,
about one or two hundred yards dis
tant. / answered with a loud whoop,
thinking / could scare the uamint
away, but he began to approach me
and scream more frequently; sol kept
silence and rode on, finding it diff
cult to keep my cap on, for the hair on
my head seemed to rise up OCCASION
ally, whenever / heard a rustling
among the bushes. l acknowledge ]
was "kind o skeart," but 1 was deter
mined to go ahead. The night was
very dark and it was with great diff
Guilty that l kept the road. Some
times I was compelled to rely entire
" upon the optics of pony, who could
see betterin the dark than / could
On l rode through this wild region in
utter darkness, hearing occasionally
curious oisesand seeing curious sights
until about ten o'clock. and no sta
ion could l find, neither had / found
my water or suitable place for camp
ng. Atlength pony tlrnedoff from
he road towards a large dark mass
which I supposed was house, and !
vas lust about to cOgratulate myself