Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1856-05-10

need them before the sun is an hour high,
replied Neil. 'Ah! Fannin, you do not
know the treachery of these base Mexi-
cans
At the instant the sun rose in a sky of
extraordinary brilIiancy, and a million of
fower-cups flung their rich odors abroad
over the green prairie, as an offering to
the lord of light, when the order to halt
was given by one Of Santa Annals aids,
and the two columns of prisoners were
broken up and scattered over the plain,
10 small hollow squares, encircled on ey-
cry side by Mexican infantry and troops
Of horses with loaded muskets and drawn
swords. And then came a momentary
pause, awful III its stiffness, and disturbed
only by an occasional shrek of terror, as
the most timid among the captiyes real
lied the impending storm of fire and ex-
t~inction Of Eife's last hope.
And then the Internal work Of whole
sale murder was begun, and a scene en-
sued such as scarcely might be matched
in the very annals Of hell itself. The
roar of m~usketry burst in successive peaIs
like appalling claps eff Thunder, but could
not utterly drown the prayers of the Iiy-
ing, the screams of the wounded, and
more terrible groans Of tho dyingl
Col. Fannin fell among the first VIC
tins, but not so the giant Neil. With the
order Of the Mexican officer to his men
TO fire, our hero stopped almost to the
earth, SO that the volIey passed entirely
over him. He waited not for a second;
but thrusting a hand into the leg of each
boot, he rose with a couple of six shoot
ers, the deadly revoIvers, and commenced
dischargiag them with rapidity and fatal
precision into the thickest ranks of his
foes.
Panic stricken with surprise and fear,
(the revolver was not then known in Mex
ico,) the Mexicans recoiled and opened a
passage, through which Neil bounded |
with the spring of a panther, and fled as
if wings were tied to his heels, while half
a dozen horsemen gave chase. For a
while it seemed doubtful whether the gi-
ant Colonel would not distance even
these, % much had the perils of the oc-
casion increased the natural elasticity of
his mighty muscles. But presently a
charger fieeter than the rest might be dis
cerned gaining on his human rival, and
approaching so near that the Dragon
raised his sabre for a coup de grace. Neil
became conscious of his danger, aud has
slackened his speed, till the hot steam
of smoke from the horses nostrils ap-
peared to mingle with his very hair; aud
then, wheeling suddenly, he fred another
round from his revolver, and the rider
tumbled from his saddle. The victim
then renewed his fight.
A mad yell Of grief and rage broke
from the remaining troopers as they wit
messed the fate of their comrade, and its
effect was Immediately evident in the aug
mented caution of their pursuit; for they
galloped afterwards inone body, thereby
retarding their progress, so that
Neil reached the river before them. He
paused not a moment, but plunged head
down the steep bank into the cur
rent, and struck for the other shore. The
Iragoons discharged their side-arms inef-
sectually, and gave over the chase.
In a few minutes Neil landed, and as
'oon as he felt satisfied hat he was really
saved, he burst into insuppressible bursts
If laughter, and exclaimed: 1T will kill
ne just to think how astonished the yell
devils looked when / hauled my re-
ont of my bootsI' +,
Such was Col. John Neil, possessing a
und Of humor that no misfortune could
yer exhaust, and a flow Of animal spi-
its which would have enabled him to
lance on the graves of his dearest friends, !,
n to have whistled Yankee Doodle at
lis W execution. I
I'LL CALL AROUND AND PAY !
What a rnrId nc won Ia cnntninna II :