New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-11-01
a PRINCESS ROYAL.
4 SCENE on THE BRAz0s RIVER.

/ nv youth had been murdered We were schooI-fel
lows, and for five years had been brother officers in
/ the same regiment. He went to the United States
/ when the war broke out with Mexico and became
/ captain of Il company of Kentucky riflemen A few
months after the battle Of Vera Cruz he deputed
by the officers of the brigade to present to General
/ Haylor-Who was on leave Of absence at New Or
/ eans-a gold medal, as a token of their respect
| Choosing the nearest way from the camp, across
country, he set out on his errand with guide ant
two servants all on horseback armed TO the teeth
In Jose Maria my poor friend unWsely exhibited the
medal TO a crowd OF respectable looking persons
/ calling themselves colonies, majors and captains
who seemed to take great pleasure in studying it,
| engravings. He did not even remark in what hur
~ some OF those colonies We're TO start before him
But the medal has in ten years never been heard Of
and my old eomrade and two Of his companions were
| found shot dead in a ravine.
1t was near this place that also fell among colo
nes. There was one OF them who took great llkng
to my horse. when he saw me giving ii to the hoster
He tapped it repeatedly on the neck, declaring it,
with an oath, to be nice animal and no mlst2ke-
which assertion he repeated afterwards over and over
again. to his fe0wmen in the coaeeroom, VINO,
when thew had been out to satisfy their curiosity,
agreed with him upon the matter. NOW, wouldn't
that be nag for you, major r. he SAID, to tall pow
erfu man with rough beard and disgusting features,
who sat little apart from the rest, and wore large
grey coat The major said nothing, but StaEked out
the room soon afterwards followed by the colonel
The others had again taken up their old topic OF con
yersation and were talking politics Yehemently
\ as | thought, when the Wa'ter-a German-came up
to me and told me, in our own language, that had
better take care, as those two Tuans outside had set
eyes upon my horse and would be sure to steal it if
/ gave them the slightest chance. Annoyed at this
intelligence, asked my Gonntryman what he thought
| it would be best for me to do.
"Why, said ne, 'tyou have fallen in with bad set
and if you want to keep your horse should advise
you to escape as soon as possible"
After little reflection | resolved to start at once,
and made for the stable There found the colonel
tivt tbn pnD
looked at me in q rather impudent manner when
! told him to bring out my horse, and paid me n
further attention. | therefore began to bride for
myself
me, and tapping me on the shoulder
"Sirn
I" Come on man don't make a fool of yourself!
want to buy that ERE 'orse, captain"
"Do you?'
Thank Heaven was in the saddle by that time.
Dol? Am l the man to be put out of the way
by one Of these ere chawed up Germans!"
He laid both his hands upon the bride OF my horse.
My blood generally bois at an insulting word against
my countrymen, especially when | am far from home
in foreign lands. In trice the stick of my riding.
whip came down upon the colOnels head, whilst the
horse, urged to powerful lead threw him ten yards
| away upon the ground. AS knew very well that
according to the customs of the country, this
revolver affair now, and as | had no wish to become
eutangled in such business Ibid not wait until the
colonel had picked himself up, but rode forward
4 without delay.
was stopped by the waiter, whom heard calling
| after me, and who was out of breath when he came
| up to me at last. The honest fellow gave me drec
| ton which was afterwards glad to have followed
| he said that the colonel though coward was 9
most desperate villain, not at all likely to give way
50 but that the worst Of the whole set thai
| tall fellow, the major whom he suspected to have
| gone in search Of some OF his companions, You
will be chased by couple of those rogues, he said
'' as sure as am Saxon Let me advise you. Follow
| ia nf oh
then do you turn back to the South as far as Jose
Maria. AT the raVine southeast of that place turn
to the left, and following the course of the brook
| ride for your life Twenty miles up the stream you
will come to a settlement called the Wood Creek
Old Delamotte lives there, and he's the man for You
to trust
offered the waiter few pieces Of money, but he
would not take them; then a hearty shake Of the
| hand, and this he took most cordially.
"StopS be said, when had already set spurs to
my horse He lifted up each Of the horses legs and
looked carefully at the shoeng. All right, he said
" thought the hoster might have played you one Of
/ bis tricks but he has not yet had time | suppose
| Now so ahead, and don't forget the Frenchman,"
| Idarted off
1t was eleven o'clock in the morning. had to
make twenty miles to the rayine which my country
man had pointed out to nue.. But my horse was w0r
thy Of the colonel's admiration and, ia spite not
only of the roundabout way had taken, in accord
anee with my friends advice, and half an honr's de-
lay for rest at Jose Maria, it was but five oclockin
the evening when Preached this melancholy spot
| Istopped and looked about me. The surrounding
country was barren and desolate the soil sterile,
There was wooden cross erected on the spot of the
murder and beneath it lay the mortal remains Of the
man had known in the full glow and ioy of youth.
A strange feeling made me linger in that place.
| The little rivulet smoothly gliding eastward showed
me the way was to 20. ] could follow its course
with my eyes to far distant forest the grass Of the
prairie having burnt track down as it always does
at this time of year, Yet still fingered.
The horse began to neigh softly and to prick up his
ears He was familiar with these prairies, as had
/ bought him but few months ago at Little Rock in
/ Arkansas. There was something the matter.
/ | listened, but I heard absolutely nothing l
alghted and pressing my ear to the ground listened
/ again. The earth tremhled family with the tread of
1 horses, yet at long distance but when mounted
| again / could hear the sound. It was rapidly ap-
| preaching from the direction of Jose Maria, and
although the woods on that side of me prevented me
from seeing anything had but little doubt who were
the horsemen. Now, colonies, majors, captains let
us see what can be done NY horse gave such a
| sudden and vigorous jump when ! merely touched
/ him with the whip that I was almost thrown from
my seat. lost my cap and gust of wind threw it
against that very mound which had bound me to the
| raYne. To pick it up would have been waste of
| time and as wished to be out of sight before my
pursnera had set foot upon the prairie, left it and
sped away, taking straight line as possible in the
direction Of the distant forest to avoid the wndings
~ Cne lltie otoolN Wv "Lnoot losing sght OF u IN
/ the brave horse there was no slackening OF pace,
fnn fines ] r o s,li'H t9uua t,Ge VI
lin cIond " dst ad asbss aisaa n rnsoF s3
III siouu u uass aiiI asuSs Iaiseu oy luyse saw
Peo e d to ~ ny nol 81 4 ~ ee dofesr VA
| far The brooi5 =
hau bIhShtu 40s WINNINGS LOT ABOUT lH9tHeF Huut