M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1857-03-12
IniIns About,

AulAHS AOOut'
A Texan correspondent of the New
Orleans Picayune tells a good story, in
one of the letters, ,ofa "surly y-faced, ,griz-
zly.haired, cufiy and moon-eyed chap"
who prosecuted certain roguish dam
sci with his attention, and was finally
thrown off tho course Of true love by
the following ruse:
! 1t being the watermelon season and
Betty's father having a fine supply,
all the youngsters for miles around as
semblcd there on the holiday to feast
on melons.
@. was prominent in the circle till
the afternoon. Betty held private in
terviews with the other young men,
and arranged that O. should be decoy-
ed from the house, and be frightened
by the cry of Indians from some of his
comrades, which, it was thought,
would wound his pride and drive him
away.
Five young men, with O., walked
out. A bath in the river three hund.
red yards distant, was proposed by
one, and seconded by several. Of
course, poor 9. was Gin"
They went down to the ford, near
the melon patch and began undress-
ing. In the mean time, ,eightof the 9TH
ers, with guns, had gone down, under
cover of the bank, and secreted them.
selves along the path from the bath
iDg-place to the house.
"Now,boys," said one, "who will
be the first to dive into that ERE
.poolp
81 will" said G.; amt I first with
the gals2 In course I'm first here"
Off went coats, shoes, pants, &C.
Just as @. had doffed everything, bar
ring a long flannel shirt-bang! bang!
bang! Wh-wo-yeh! Bang! went two,
three, four, guns-long and shrill
went the Indians yell in the dense
brush under the bank.
"Oh, Lord; | am dead man, boys"
said James Simpson.
"My leg is broken. Oh, save mel"
cried George Williams.
"Run for life, men! run-for mer-
cy's sake, rum" cried Jack Parsons.
"One ofmy eyes is out, and both
arms broken!" all being said in an
instant.
Do you see that red blaze along the
path3 Look a moment--what veloci-
ty! The jagged hair all straight out
behind that's Ca streaking it for the
house, shirt and all. Sec him about
the corner Of the field, by the thicket.
Bang-bang-went half dozen
pieces; louder than ever, rose the hid
eous war-cry.
"Oh! Lord!" shouted c., redoub-
ling his speed-the red blazes getting
larger-bunches of his bushy hair
dropping out as he "spread himself"
See him leap the -fence--high in
the air-red shirt and all.
The porch was full of ladies-on
went two or three more pieces. @.
glanced at the ladies, then at his red
shirt.
Run for your life, c." screamed
Betty; "the house is full of Indians
Fathers dead and brother Sam woun-
ded. Run, speed!"
In the twinkling of an eye Q. was out
ofthe yard; and, supposing the prem,
ses surrounded, off he shot--the red
blazes more brilliant than overland
striking directly into thick, thorny
bottom, he reached and swan the riv.
er; and, although it was near sunset,
O. got into a settlement, fifty miles
distant,to breakfast next morning; still
retaining the sleeves and collar Of his
red shirt, and reporting all the family,
visitors, &C., among the slain. As
for himself, he said he fought as long
as fighting would do any good.
1t is Unnecessary to inform you, dear
reader, whether Or not Betty was troub-
led with @. after that snap.