Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1858-02-19

trail. Then DO not attemptto detain m
Ia delay Of one hour is all the time cal
spare" fls 2rt .isa1
81 am sorry to part with you SO soon
my friend;' said the Hermit; sand have
mind to offer my services on the occasion
and try my hand as m Indian Rghter--
will you accept the offer2p ffsi ta4
e'For the offer, you have my grateful
thanks, sir; but can not accept.it.i M
man has ever been led into danger BY
me, and ] am not certain that the presence
of another would not rather embarrass
than aid me. But perhaps you can help
to disguise me and my horse, which will be
of material service, should / happen to be
seen sooner than desire to show myself
"ThatI can do, Mr. Wilmer, and most
effectually; iii wise precaution, too, for
should the red devils learn that the EVIL
Eye" is upon them, their first impulse
would be to murder their captives, that
they might the more easily provide for
their own safety. But come in, and let us
get to work" fass ari-aia
eyes, let us get to work, sir; and yet it
pains me to leave you so soon you have
deeply interested me, and / had hoped TO
hear, tonight, the history of the WRONGS
that have driven you to the wilderness"
Sand you shall hear it Mr.. Wilmer; it
can be told in very few words, and the
necessity for haste will prevent me from
dwelling, as | might otherwise do, upon
the painful theme. I can talk and work
too SO whilst / paint your horse like
pie-bald Mustang, you can learn the points
of story neither long nor romantic, in
the common acceptation Of the term. /
commenced life with small patrimony, and
at the age of twenty-three married lady,
whose name tits needless to mention; and
it is needless to say, too, that she was, in
my estimation, the embodiment of female
perfections. Two years subsequent, l was
prevailed upon to join friend in trad
ing voyage to Havana; and vesting the
most of my means in that venture, we sail
ed from New Orleans, where left my wife
and one son, in comfortable little home
to await my return Choking back a
sigh, the Hermit resumed after a pause.
"For two days, our little bark bounded
over the blue waters, before free wind,
and my heart was as light and joyous as
hope could make it, in the absence of the
two beings whom so tcnderly loved. On
the third day, however, the breeze became
gale, and with shortened sail, we rode
the waves at a speed that was frightful to
alandsman. Before night, with bare poles
we were flying before furious hurricane,
and before morning, our vessel-or rather
its fragments-drifted amid the breakers,
and /, bruised, and almost insensible, lay
stretched upon the beach, having been car
ried ashore, clinging to piece Of timber.
Except myself, none of thas crew were
saved, SO far as | have learned, and thous-
and times have 1 wished that their fate had
been mine. arr.f.4-4.f ..-e
"The sun rose bright, on the succeeding
morning, and its rays as they dipped into
the rippling waves of the now quiet deep,
seemed to laugh at the wreck of hopes and
fortunes that lay buried beneath the spark
ling surface. Chilled, stiffened and bruis-
ed, arose with difficulty, and looked a
round, hoping to see some human hsbitai
ton where assistance might be rendered
me. But the scene was as desolate as my
own blighted prospects, and | staggered
forward, knowing not whittier, and caring
not how soon | might perish from the
hunger and thirst that so sorely oppressed
me- had gone but few steps when
pack of yelling Mexicans, rushing to the
beach to gather the remains of the wreck,
met me on the brow of sand hill, and, in
a twinkling, my arms were bound fast, and
a guard placed over me, for save keeping
--an unnecessary precaution, as l had
neither the will nor the power to escape.
can hour or two having been spent in
the work of plunder, my captors prepared
to return to their miserable village, some
three miles inland. Fortunately, for me,
barrel of water, and one of buscuit,
were among the articles saved, and, by
signs, 1 made them understand that l was
greatly in need Of both articles, and my
wants were sparingly supplied, and my
strength sufficiently recruited to enable
me to walk to the village. There staid
but few days, having beer sold to the
owner of silver mine, by whom ! was
carried to that dungeon in the mountains,
\ 4 \ n q. l.. Ill