Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-06-13
WAROGT Try.
From "Porters Spirit"
q NIGHT IN A HUNTERS CABIN.
BY e., OF ARKANSAS"

BY e., OF ARKANSAS"
Arkansas is some for bars, "and no mis-
take" Were to enumerate the number
of shaggy animals killed in one season, by
one man alone, it would be very serious
draft upon the credulity of your forty thou
sand readers. But, mourning the risk Of be-
! ycouuted Munchausan the Second, I,upon
voire dire, do solemnly assert that in the
fall Of i847. saw forty three bear skins
hanging up to dry near little log cabin, at
tho foot of Pine prairie, in this State, and
every one of them slain by the hands of the
owner Of said cabin.
| have every reason to recolcct the num-
ber, land also the night l spent with the
hunter. 1 was then about TO make my de-
but into this goodly State. l had left an
adjoining parish in Louisiana, to what is
now called Ashley county, Of this State,
for the purpose of permanently settling in
Arkansas. was then the owner Of as
good steed as ever walked on iron, and
had rode some forty or fifty,miles in order
TO reach the hunters cabin, as il was the
only resting place, for many a long mile,
for man and beast.
nearod the hunters cabin about twi
light. There was a stiff "nor'- wester"
blowing from off the prairie, which was an
unbrokcn level for fifteen miles, and moth
ing TO intercept the view, save now and then
low, s:unted copse of bushes, covering an
s area Of a quarter OF half ali acre of ground
When T. had "PProaehod within some
hundred and fiftv or two hundred yards OF
the cabin, my horse, that during the whole
day had not SHED or frighted, though many
an antlered buck had suddenly bounded
from his leafy couch almost under his nose,
now began to rear and plunge most violent
ly. II was in vain attempted TO appease
him, by kind and gentle words--in vain
were whip and spur applied. He would
90 neither backwards nor forwards; but as
though a thousand rattlesnakes were shak-
ing their rattles underneath him, he would
bound from the earth, six or eight feet in
the air, with frightful snorts, and biting the
ground, begin his vaulting feats anew. For
the life of me, could not determine what
was the matter, until casting my eyes up.
wards, in one of his lofty leaps. saw a
large black object, or thing, dangling from
the limb of a tree near by. swinging back
wards and forwards as the breczes came
sweeping over the prairie. honestly con,
fess that my hat began TO rise upon my
head-I will not say through fear--bu
there was something suspicious about the
ma,ter--at least, so thought. Again
cast my eyes around. when it appeared as
if every tree in the forest had one of these
suspicious objects dangling from their
boughs. There was q peculiar rattling
sound about them, too, as they were shak
en- by the winds, that by no means liked
1t was a doleful, melancholy rattling. sug
gestive of bolts and chains, and men hang
ing upon the gallows.
About this time became more anxiou.
than everto get my horse under motion
mean moving forward--butit it was no us'
trying; for now. changing his manner o
action, he appeared to have succumbed
and stood trembling, like n man with th'
tertian ague. dismounted, and tried t.
lead him, but it was very much like trying
to move the Allegheny mountains for
sticking his fore feetout in front of bis body
me positively refused to stir an inch. Tbt
only alternative left me was, to try anC
make myself heard at the cabin by halloo
ing so, raising my voice to the bighes
pitch, halloocd till the woods rung again
with the sound of my voice.
AI lDG IITSJ ellpTt j InhuS tOWHuS IhllOO
ing. was answered from the mouths of a
least dozen dogs from the little enclosur
Of the hunters cabin, and down the Who'll
pack came snarling and barking as if t
see who the intruder was, that was lrespass
ing upon that not oft.visi,ed domaip. We'll
thinks I to myself, here's all Bedlam brok
loose, but if you chaw anyof my rind, yo
yelping ,snarling, barking devils. you'll hav
70 do il on the back of my good steed Tel
egraph, and in second was seated frml
ID the saddle. awaiting their coming. Dow
they came, with the noise of q bursting vol
cano, and in q minutes space of time, / wa
surrounded by dozen of the most viciou
looking animals Of the canine species ha
ever looked upon. They rushed at me a
though determined TO pullme ofmy horse
and one of the dogs, more vicious than th
balance. actually leapsd up lsy fhe side Q
the steed in order to get Eoi9 o me-
Quick as lightning, struck bisl across th
eyes with my riding whip. reiaaslpg, "tak
that for your impudence," aaaa "a deep
toned voice near by was heard, "Git out
you Zig; down, Jumper! git out, say |!