The prairie news. [volume] (Okolona, Miss.) 1851-1875, 1858-04-08
An Amusing Story.

hooper, tnc eult0r OF an ALABAMA Jour-
nal, whose name we just now forget, but
which has always something in it to make
us laugh, tells the following capital yarn
Shall tell you bit Of story, hav-
ing no connection with politics, this hot,
dry weather! BY permission
cold Col. D., of the Mobile dis
trict, was one of the most singular char
acters ever known in Alabama He was
testy and eccentric, but possessed many
fine qualities, which were fully apprecia-
ted by the people of the district. Many
of his freaks are fresh in the memory of
the sold uns" of Mobile-and all of them
will tell You that the Colonel, though
hard to beat, was once terribly taken in
by couple of legal tyros. 1t is George
Woodward, l believe, tells the story !;
but however that may be, it is in keeping
with others, related of the old gentleman.
cit seems that Col. D. had mis-
understanding with the two gentlemen
alluded to, and was not on speaking terms
with them, although all three of them
were professionally riding the circuit
pretty much together. The young ones
being well aware of the Colonels irrasc-
IDLE nature, determined, as they left one
of the courts to go to another, to have
some sport athis expense by the way
They accordingly got about half an hours
start in leaving, and presently they ar
rived at broad, dark stream, that look
ed as if it might be dozen feet deep,
but which, in reality, was hardly more
than as many inches. Crossing it, they
alighted, and pulling off their coats and
boots, sat down quietly to watch for the
old Tartar
jogging along, at length came up
the old fellow. He looked at first at the
Youngsters who were gravely drawing on
their boots and coats, as if they had just
had swim, and then he looked at the
broad creek that rolled before him like
fluent translucent star. The Colonel was
awfully puzzled
SIS this creek swimming?" he growl-
ed after pause of some moments.
"No reply was made-the young men
simply mounted their horses, and rode off
some little distance, and stopped to watch
our hero.
"The Colonel slowly Invested himself
of boots, coat, pantaloons and drawers.
These he neatly tied up in his handker-
chief, and hung them on the horn of his
saddle, then he remounted, and as he
was fat, short man, with paunch of
inordinate size, rather inadequate legs, a
face like withered apple, and brown
wig, there is no doubt he made an inter
esting picture as he bestrode his steed,
with the breeze holding gentle dalliance
with the extremity of his only garment
Slowly and cautiously did the old
gentleman take the creek. Half a length
and the water was not fetlock deep
Here the horse stopped to drink. A
length and a half, and the stream no
deeper! Thirty feet farther and de-
cided shoaling aa
"Here, Col D. reined up. There
must said he, be HI of swift, deep
channel between this and the bank. See
how it runs. We will dash through
here a
"a sharp lash made the horse spring
the watery waste, and another carried
the horse and rider safely 70 the oppos-
lite bank. The creek was nowhere more
than foot deep.
A wild yell from the young'uns an
nounced their appreciation of the sport as
they galloped away.
"sI'll catch you, you - rascals,
was growled between Col. DIS teeth ;
and away he galloped in hot pursuit, NUT
tering vengeance on his foes.
On, on, they sped, pursuer and pursu-
ed. The Youngsters laughed, yelled and
screamed, the Colonel damned with nigh
tv emphasis, while his shirt futtered and
cracked in the wind, like loose flying
jib.
On, on, and the pursued reached the
farmhouse on the roadside. Their pas
sing startled flock of geese from fence
corner, which, as the Colonel dashed up,
met him with outspread wings, elongated
necks, and Kisses dire. His horse swerv-
ed suddenly, and the Colonel in moment
was upon the ground, in most unroman-
tic heap, with his brown wig lying by
his side, and his bundle of clothes scat
tered all around.
1.-THE white-headed children of the
house came out first, took distant view
of the monster, as it seemed to them, and
then returned to report progress. After
a little the father Of the family came,
and the affair being explained, assisted
the Colonel in making his toilette; Colo
mel swearing, and the countryman laugh
ing all the while.
Dressed and mounted our hero start
ed off with woeful phiz, and was very
soon out of sight.