The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1856-12-27

their arrival.
Hardly had the moving wagon passed on
of sight, before three rough looking armed
men rode up from the direction of the cam
which the travellers had left on the previou
night and addressing MIR. Gale, offered, will
the usual courtesy of the prairies, to assist il
cxtricatng him from his difficulty. Thci
protter of services was thankfully accepted
for the emigrant supposed them to be honest
worthy settlers of the country. But 1t was
found necessary to unload the wagon, and q:
article after article was removed comprising
in the aggregate o far more valuable freigh
than is usually to be met with i'll the train OF
il western rover, the farmer remarked sinies
Of peculiar meaning passing from one to the
other of the strangers. The sinister express
sion of their countenances. too, began TO ex
cite bis alarm. Before. however, he could de
eide upon any course OF action, his arms were
suddenly pinioned from behind by the stron.
grasp Of one of the three visitcrs, while /
hoarse voice groaned, BE quiet, Or Ill tax,
the pelt off yer.
Stephen, as said b. fore, was lad Of fic
teen years; but within his breast beat the
heart of a full grown man. His first impulse
was to raise the oX-goad which was in his
hand. and strike the ruian with all his force
against his forehead, temporarily stunning
| him so that he released his hold and stagger.
ing a few steps backward, he fell to the
ground. In the meantime, the other two
men had drawn their knives from their belts
and were advancing towards the emigrants.
| Quick as thought Gale drew IL pistol from his
| breast and warned them off. Instead of re-
treating. they rushed forward with loud yells
brantllshing then weapons. He fired, and at
Al u L., a i 81
w, then recovered himself, and finally fell
| forward upon the earlh-a corpse. At the
same moment, Stephen was deprived Of con.
seriousness bj heavy blow from the man
whom he had proStra;cd with the soad- stick,
and who had recovered Sufficiently to take
part in the ailay.
How long he lay unconscious upon the
prairie sod, stephen knew not; but when he
had recovered his senses it was night, and
the moon was shining. The robbers had de.
parted. He stroye to rise, but his strength
was gone; and then for the first time lie dis
covered chat he had received other injuries
than the wound upon his head. His father
lay near him on the grass, and with much
difficulty he succeeded in crawling to the
spot lie was dead and cold. Resting his
head upon the breast Of his Murdered parent,
The hoy passed a weary night. The cold
dcwS Of evening were Insufficient to quclcl,
the fires Of fever which burned within his
vCliIS.
The party who had gone on, awaited with
impatitncu the arrival Of those who bad been
left b,hiEd, and finally a search was made for
the missing ones. Words cannot describe the
frantic grief of Mrs. Gale, wien the awful
truth was revealed to her that the partner OF
her life, the husband Of her bosom, had been
separated from her by the untlmcly stroke Of
death. The body of thc man whom Gale had
Shot. was found lying near the wagon, but
his companions had purposcly so mutilatcd
his features as to render them unrCcognla bic
stephen Gale was found TO be dangerously
wuundcd. lie had twice been stabbed with
knives. and the .uians had doubtless left him
for dead lie recovered his wonted health
only after months of severe Illness. OF the
muld,rers ot'his father. he could give no des-
cri ption likely to lead to their detection and
punishment, with the exception that he re-
nicinbcryd to have observed upon the forehead
of the one who had commenced the attack on
Mr.. Gale, broad scar--commcncing near the
middle of the forehead, and extending high
up into the lair.
These sad events changed the plans Of the
surviving members of the family, and instead
Of purchasing a farm in Illinois, as had been
PROPOSED, they proceeded Oh to st. Louis,
where, with the assistance Of kind friends,
they secured a shelter and u home.
Such was tie simple story with which my
young fellow yoyager beguiled a few hours
Of our passage. lie subsequently, however,
seemed to regret his commandments and
showed in our further conversation, an evil
dent unwillngness to recur to the scenes Of
the past.
During the brief stay Of the boat at Nat
chez, we were joined by number of other
passengers and among the newcomers were
several whose ill-favored countcnanccs and
staggering gait, afforded evidence that they
were not strangers in the haunts of iniquity
with which the then famous 'Natchez under
the hill" aboundcd. Hitherto our cabin had
been quiet and peaceful now the stiffness
WAS invaded by the loud oath and blust, ring
laugh of the professional blacklcg, and the
vocation Of barkeeper remained no longer a
snecurc.
On the evening after this new accession to
our company, card party was fomed-com-
prising, as | observed, as they gathered
around the table, two of whom suspected to
be professional gamblers. At first, no high
or stakes were played for than "cigars, or
80 drinks for the crowd, but as the night
wore on, and the drinks" began to exercise
their wontcd effect, money was put up, and
the game became more exciting. At length,
after various changes Of fortune, one OF the
gamblers, bury, hard featured man. was
about to sweep ups heavy stake when sud-
denly well dressed gentleman, who had
watched the game for considerable time
laid his hand gently upon his sholder, saying
stop, you did not play fair
The man turned quickly in his chair, so
that the light Of the lamp above fell full upon
his features. and launched yolley Of oaths
and imprccations at the person who had in
tcrruptcd him. At this moment Stephen
Gale, who had been reading in remote part
of the cabin, looked upward from his book,
and bcheld the angry features Of the gam
bier. The volume dropped upon the floor as
he started from his scat and sprang towards
the table. Before his object could be suspec-
t, d Or opposed, he stood btsidc he stranger s
chair, and brushing the hair from his fore
head revealed Il scar extending Lack towards
the crown Of his head.
"Ha. ~ cried he, speaking so rapidly as to
be scarcely Ineligible" where did you get
that scar! Villain, who murdered the emf
grant on Rock River! Who killed my faith
ergo
The face of he rufan, but moment be-
fore, flushed and distorted with anger, turned
al n a., J,,tb ,,N,, iIol h..