Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-09-05
EVENING STAR.
WRITTEN FOR THE STAR.
YOUNG AMERICA UPON THE ROAD:
Or, the Adventures Of Journeymau Tailor.
BY TALBOT GREENE.

should think my motives Of personal nature
in endesvoring to detain you at my inn all
night, will agree to entertain you and your
retinue until tomorrow morning free Of ex
pense, F" cried the landlord Of the only inn in
/ the beautiful, though sparsely settled village
| of jefferson, in Ashe county, North Carolina,
to General Jackson, one brisk evening, late
in the autumn of -, as he entered his coach
to pursue his journey towards Tennessee
The Blue Ridge is infested with banditti,
| and you will certainly be robbed or murdered
before morning. Stay 1 beseech you, stay :"
g Mine host is very kind. and thank him
for the courtesy, replied the General, "but
| shall proceed and cross the Tennessee line
| Mt all events to- night; fear not the robbers.
Drive on Ned, brskly-adieu adieu, gentle
men, ALL" and the General drove off at a
| rapid pace.
. say, say, youngster,'' cried the boots,
eff you are going to Tennessee you had bet
ter jump up behind the coach and 90 along,
| Its as cheap riding as walking"
$50 will, so willard thank you for the
hint, boy" responded genteel looking young
man as he jumped up behind the unwieldIy
| vehicle, as 1t drove off
"Driver. Ned, whoSe that behind inter
! rogated the General
It's me, sir; I'm n traveller like yourself,
| going to Tennessee; thought would avail
myself OF thus opportunity OF expediting my
my progress.
You are welcome to ride, boy, but come
| forward and take q seat with me in the car
| riage."
General jackson is very kind, but will
keep my seat" replied the youngster, ''the
| mountain side is steep here, so l will lump off
| and walk up, the horses seem tired -
lie walked briskly up the mountain side for
about two miles, when as he neared the top
| he espied man in advance, ascending the
mountain lie appeared to be intoxicated.
! He lurched this way and the other way. stag
gering backward and then forward now his
knees would double up; he would step high
as If the earth had suddenly risen before him
now he would cross his legs with quick zig
| zags like cow running, and then an impulse
would seem to hurry him diagonaly. Now he
| would stop and brace himself up so as to nearly
fall backward, then balancing, be would DRIFT
! helplessly along until he could check himself
again.
The young man fell back to the side of the
carriage and looked in.
say, General, do you see yOnder man
ascending the mountain"
- Yes, yes I've been looking at him there
twenty minutes. He seems to be beastly
drunk
Drunk; ha! ha! ha! no more than or
you"
q By the eternal, sir, do you call that 60
"Ah! that do and villain in the bar
gain, else why does he cease staggering every
time he turns an angle in the road and gets
out of sight Of the coach? Believe me, sir, he
is one of the gang who infest this mountain
that the landlord warned you Of I"
" Think you so, sir Well, thon mount you
on top of the carriage and leave me to deal
with him. Mount b! mount. sir. Ned, are You
armed ?''
Eyes, massa, wild de whip "
"Well, then, keep your eyes open. Push
up the cattle briskly"
Scarcely had he dono speaking when, turn
Ing short angle in the road, they espied tho
man sitting, or rather reclining, some yards
in advance.
As they drove up he raised up laziIy and |
hailed them:
:" Hic! a-h, II say, gentlemen, can you
Slve-hlc-a man a lift. can't-can't walk. |
I've too much id mean whisky aboard. |
CANE oan't-hic hic walk"
IF you have, sir, stay there and disgorge
it, villain"
g The devil" exclaimed the man, springing
to his feet with the agility of a cat.
lie gave keen whistle and planted himself |
IN front of the coach. Three armed men
spraHg out from the bushes by the side of the
road and made rush at the carriage, while |
the first one engaged the driver.
Quick as thought the General sprang with |
his whole force upon one of them. Down, !
crash they went, and rolled over in the road
together-now this one on top and then the |
other. |
A dull, crashing, leaden sound next sounded |
over the din of the conflict, and a second one |
rolled over in the road beneath the horses
feet, propelled by the loaded whip in the |
powerful hand Of the driver.
The young man, by timely shot, fred and
brought down another, and then sprang TO the
rescue Of the General, who still fought man
fully with his antagonist while the driver en-
gagged the remaining one
' Stand back Stand back, young man."
cried the General, we re man to man. I'll
give the villain fair play. BY the eternal, L
have you now"
And the General released his hold upon hia
neck, and threw him over apparently hieleSs
Are you hurt, my valiant young friend Pn
inquired the General; aod you, too, Ned p |
where Nedi i''
"Here, Nasal" replied the negro as he |
came, putting, up the road my rObber is a |
coward he run-he he he, Cola L save /
one, de gemmen save one, and massa save one
he he he 20.
All this occurred in much lesS time than it |
takes to recount it.
But you, General, Interrupted the young /
man. :" are you hurt?"
"No, no no serious wound, nothing save a /
few bruises, thank God! but look yonder, sir |
one of the scamps has come to life. You, sir. |
and Ned, confne his hands while examine |
the rest'' |
None Of them were found to be dead; two
were only stunned, and the third had received
a pistol shot through the feshy part of his |
leg, and had orouched down in alright They |
were all soon piniOned. A council was then |
held. 1t was decided to disarm and free them |
on their making fair promises, which they did, |
to amend their lives
No further incidents befell our travellers
during the further progress OF their journey. |
On parting, the General gave the young man |
much good advice, recounted his own history /
to him, and bid him aspire to rise-to be use |
ful.
General jackson continued en- route for home /
in the western part of the State, and the |