The Nevada Democrat., 1857-08-05
THE LAUGHING HERO.

we ma the IOilOWlng skelcD In TIC NeN VT
leans Delta, and we presume it does not owe all
its interest to the authors lively Imagination
II was the morning Of the 18th of March 1886
Aurora, mother of dews and mistress of golden
clouds, came as she almost ever comes 10 the
living scenes of the plains of Goliad-athing Of
beauty, queen of the sky, ON throne of burn
ing andre, robed in the crimson of fire, with q
diamond of purple, and streamers of painted
pink. Oh it was a glorious dawn for the poet
to sing Of earth. or the saint to pray to heaven;
but poets song nor saints prayer made the
mathis Of the place and the hour. Alas no; it
was very different sort Of music.
hundred hoarse drums roared the loud rev.
ellie that awoke four hundred Texan prisoners
and their guard--four times their number OF
Mexican soldiers-the elite of the Chief Butch
er's grand army.
The prisoners were Immediately summoned to
parade before the post, in the main street of the
village, and every eye sparked with joy, and
every tongue uttered involuntary acclamations
of confidence lt
"Thanks, Santa Anna He is going to exc
cute the treatyl We shall be shipped back to
the United States We shall see our friends
once more !" 5sv
Such were the feelings with which the Amer.
ican volunteers, and the few Texans among
them, greeted the order to form into line.
The line was formed and then broke into two
columns, when every instrument ofmusic in the
Mexican host sounded merry march, and they
moved away with quick step over the prairie
towards the west.
Five minutes afterwards, singular dialogue
occurred between the two leaders of the front
columns Of the prisoners. fgg
"What makes you walk so lame, Col. Neil
Are you wounded ~ asked tall handsome
man with blue eyes and'braycry flashing forth
in all their beams. ~
"COl. Fannn. walk lame to keep from be-
ing wounded; do you comprehend 2" replied the
other with q laugh, and such laugh as no
words might describe--it was so loud, so luxu-
rious, like the roar of the breakers Of sea Of
humor, 1t was, in short, laugh of the inmost
heart.
~ do not comprehend you, for am no artist
in riddles" rejoined Fannin, smiling, himself,
at the ludlerous gaiety OF his companion, SO
strangely ill-timed.
"You discover that am lame in each leg"
said Col. Neil, glancing down at the members
indicated and mimicking the movements Of a
confirmed cripple, as he laughed louder than
ever. "And yet" he added, in whisper, ~
have neither the rheumatism in my knees nor
ccrns on my toes, but have two big revolvers
in my bootsl"
"Ihat is a violation of the treaty by which
We agreed 10 deliver up our arms" Col. Fan
min mournfully suggested.
"You will see, however that shall need them
before the sun Is an hour high" replied Neil
"Ah Fannin, you do not know the treachery
of these Mexicansr
AT the instant the sun rose in the sky of ex-
traordinary brilliancy, and million of flower
cups flung their rich odors abroad over the
green prairie, as Offering to the lord of light
when the mandate of "halt," was given by one
OF Santa Annals aids, and two columns of pris-
oneis were broken up aud scattered over the
plain TO small hollow squares, encireled on ev-
cry side by Mexican infantry and troops of hor-
ses, with loaded muskets and drawn swords
And then monentary pause, awful in its still
ness, and disturbed only by an occasional shrek
of terror, and the most timid among the cap
tives realized the impending storm of fire and
extinction Of lfes last hope.
And then the Internal work Of wholesale mur-
der was begun, and scene ensued such as
scarcely might be matched in the very annals
of hell itself. The roar of musketry burst in
successive pesls, like appalling claps of thun-
der, but could not utterly drown the prayers
of the living the screams of the wounded, and
the more terrible groans Of the dying ,te
Col. Fannin fell among the first victims, but
not so with the giant O'Neil. With the order
Of the the Mexican officer to his men to fire. cur
hero stopped almost to the earth SO that the
volley passed entirely over him. He waited
not for a second. Thrustinga hand into each
leg of his boots, he rose with couple of six
shooters the deadly revolver. and commenced
dischargng them with the quick rapidity of
lightning into the thckest ranks Of his foes.
Panic-strlcken with surprise and fear, the
the Mexicans pecoiled and opened passage.
through which, 0'Neil bounded with the spring
nf MN han nd Ho1 ,i.s -.
tied to his heels, while half dozen horsemen
gave chase. For while it seemed doubtful
whether the giant Colonel would not distance
even these SO much had The peril of the occa-
sion increased the natural elasticity of his
mighty mnscle. But presently charger fleet
ef than the rest might be discerned gaining on
his human rival, and approached so near that
the dragoon raised his sabre for o coup de
grace O'Nel became conscious ofhis danger.
and hastily slackened his speed, till the hot
stream of smoke from the horses nostrils ap-
peared to mingle with his very hair /; and then
wheeling suddenly, he fired round from re-
volver, and the rider tumbled from his saddle.
The victim then renewed his flight.
A mad yell of grief and rage broke from the
other troopers as they witnessed the fate of
their comrade and its effect was Immediately
evident in the augmen ted caution of their pur
suit-for they galloped afterwards in one body,
greatly retardlng their progress, so that O'Neil
reached the river before them. He paused not
a moment, but plunged headlong down the
steep bank into the current, and struck for the
other shorel In few minutes O'Neil landed
and as soon as he felt satisfied that he was per-
fectly safe, burst into an insuppressive convul-
sion of laughter, and exclaimed cit will kill
me, just to see how astonished the yellow devils
looked when hauled my revolvers out of my
bootsr 0
Such was Colonel O'Neil- possessing fund
of humor that no misfortune could ever exhaust,
and flow ofanimal spirits which would have
enabled him to dance on the grave of all his
dearest friends, or to have sung Yankee Doodle
at his own execution.