The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-12-15

An amusing Sketch Long Out Of Print

Der, in the year -, that it was my fortune
be travelling through the western district
of Tennessee, and on the main road which
now leads on from Bolivar to Paris.
The close Of a pleasant day found me ia.
tigued and weary, jogging alcng through a
wild and thinly settled country, on the on,
cipe for resting place; the few clearings
which had passed, indicated contentment
rather than wealth, or even comfort, and the
hooting ofowls, the long howl of some fam.
ished beast, the rapid passage of birds on
their way to roost, together with the reco-
lection of many stories of hair-breadth es-
capcs and desperate conflict, which had TAX.
en- place in the country through which was
passing, caused me to feel much solicitude as
to where should sleep, and made me think
of home, and happiness, and the busy crowd
ofAtlantic cities; and when contrasted all
this with the fact, thtt was stranger in a
strange land, and beheld the quiet, yet wild
appearance Of the dense and dark forest
around me, 1 involuntarily frightened my
reins and urged my horse onward IS
1t was in this mood, that, upon turning an
angle of the road, discovered a horseman
coming towards me in sweeping trot; he
was rather badly m ,unted but his dress
and appearance were of better order, and
bespoke him genuine backwoodsman OF
srme note. .n
Seeing that he was about to pass me, with
common salutation hailed him to stop.
"Halt Billy" said he, and Billy halted so
suddenly thought his rider would have
gone over his head Sand no, stranger,
what is it you want with me; you must
talk fast, for the way that I'm in hurry is
curious"
~ shall be obliged to you," said I, ''if you
will tell me where can sleep tonight"
can is that all ?-well, here's Buck horn
just ahead of you, though ITS right rough
there, and about eight miles further there is
an excellent house, and if you don't like Ell
ther OF them, spose you turn back with me
I've got but one cabin, and it is full of young
ones. but I'll make you pallet and take
care of your horse" ns ~ - @a
~ thank you, sir, but my horse is tired,
and am anxious to get on
" No thanks, no thanks; stop at Buck
horn, you can make out there for the night"
"But think you said it was rough can
stand it?"
''Oh. stand It, yes; we stand anything
here; only said so because you seemed to
be stranger here, and thought you might
mt like their ways"
"Will they give me and my horse some
thing to eat?"
"Oh yes; stuff you both as full as tics"
"And bed?" 81
"Yes, they'll give you bed; you don't
mind sleeping thick, do, your"
SHOW thick?" "a.
"Oh, sorter thick, and not so very thick
neither; they'll only put you in spoon
fashion, and you must lie awful still, or all
turn over together; it. you don't the outside
ones will fall out, and if they do, they'll be
right apt to hurt themselves"
"Wen, is this all have to fear at the Buck
horn''
" Fear you have nothing to fear-Buck-
horn is considered by many as a very clever
nice place-and don't they want musters
there ?-and don't they try warrants9 and
don't they have shootin' matches? so you
see Buck thorn is not so coarse-and if any of
'em should 60 to use you up, you'll find more
who'll fight for you than agin you-a stran-
ger never wants for friends in these parts"
swell, must go now-good bye-if ever
you come my way, gim me call, yeo hear
fist ask for Little River Jack, they all know
me. Go lang, Billy,"-and he gonged his
old horse who urisxlod, shot forward, ard
curled it so rapidly, that all which remained
visible ofhim was dark streak
Contrasting Western with Eastern man.
nefs, and thinking Of Buck-horn and its in
habitants, I pushed on my way, until, from
well-known signals, I knew house was
near-and in a few moments after, situated
In small clearing, Immediately on the road,
appeared large, rude double-logged cabin,
with bucks horn nailed over the door,
which m .ans, in the West, entertainment for
man and horse, and this identified as the
tavern to which had been recommended.
1t was now the dusk of evening, and al
though its appearance was uninviting, it
seemed to me welcome spot-it was quiet,
and as rode up, nothing was to be seen
but the cattle lying about the yard, chewing
their cud, and the fowls arranged in close or
der on the limbs of an oak which grew near
to the door. My arrival, however, seemed
entirely to change the scene, for the dogs
came whisking and barking about me, as if
they wished to know who and what was,
and what was my business. The cows eyed
me, the turkeys clucked, and thought an
old gobler would have twisted his neck off,
In his solicitude to get his head in such po-
sition that he might take fair squint at me.
Turkeys. when they examine anything very
closely, only use one eye, and my old gob-
Ter would first try one and then the other,
and then he put his head under his wing, as
$500. .hr;rh*cr;r~ .'hir-rsaien-