, 1859-03-11

at is false" cried Tom Owen; the man thai
you have just named, as have always heard, i.
an orator, scholar, and gentleman; but YOU
arc only ruiflan."
The yellow eye turned red as Mills responded
to the insult by deliberately splitting in Owen.
face.
The latter snatched a pistol out Of his pocket
and fred at the cthcr's head, but singular TO say
altogether missed his aim.
Not so did Jack Mills. With the swiAness Of
ray Of light he let fall the double -barrelled CUR
from his shoulder and presenting, discharge
twenty buckshot into Owens breast, literally
blowing out his heart, and quenching tho lamp
life ere the powder smoke had ceased to curl ia
the surrounding air A terrible shout Of wrath
arose from the friends of the fllen lyncher, and
number Of weapons were drawn to aVenge
him.
Immediately Mills leaped from his horse, and
pulling the two repeating rifles from their hOl-
sters, handed one to Bill Diamond, at the same
time cutting the rope off his neck Then cock
ing his gun at the nearest of the mcnacing
throng, he cried in a voice that pealsd loud and
clear as the tones Of a trumpet above the noise
and confusion: "Como on, If you darcl We
arc now good for q dozen of you, at the least n
At the same moment, Diamond also had pre-
sented the other Colts repeater. Their joint
attitude Of fierce defiance, and the awful deter
mination which revealed itself in the iron
rigidity Of their muscles, in the marble immo-
bility Of their arms hands, and fingers, all
pointing the road to death, and in every feature
Of their face, so astonished and appalled, their
enemies that they retreated, or rather fed in
utter dismay, and left free opening for the es-
cape Of the two friends, who getting into their
saddles the moment Afterwards, gallOped away,
shouting and yelling like wild Indians; and,
strange to tell, not gun was fired at them, even
when their backs were turned, although hun
dred lynchers, now their mortal foes, held arms
Of every description, so great was the general
panic, so unaccountable the terror which their
desperate conduct had inspired in some Of the
bravest men.
About week subsequent to the occurrence
previously mentioned, visited San Augustine,
the principal village Of the Red Lands Upon
putting up at the only tavern in the place, what
was my surprise to meet with the two friends
whose awful courage had admired so much, as
manifested in the bloody combGts at NacadOches,
only days journey distant l had supposed
that they would fly hundreds Of miles away to
escape the pursuit Of the lynchers, but was
still more perplexed by the change in their
dress and general appearance. Rich jewels gilt
tered in al suitable situations about their per
sons, and their whole aspect was that Of highly
cultivated gentlemen. For the full extent d
this remark there should perhaps be made nc
subtraction. The younger one still wore his vasl
masses Of rcd beard. That however, Is only an
affair Of taste.
After supper, a friend that had known IN
other lands and better days but who was now
resident Of the village, dropped in and inquired
II would not 60 and hear Jack Mills, the cele-
brated orator. -A" t2't 6t
slack MiIlsl" exclaimed, in amusement dc
you mean tho person Of that name now stopping
in this hOusoI" #.t... .... . ..,-
"Certainly," said my friend; AT have not
heard him, but he is universally allowed to be
unrivallod as a dcclaimcr. He has tried both the
pulpit and the bar by turns and has never failed
to melt congregations, juries and even judges, by
the inimitable pathos Of his appeals.
ado you know what he did tho-other day, in
Nacogdoches y inquired.
"He only committed a homicide in self
defence" replied my intcrlocutOr, "and no grade
Of homicide is much Of bar TO popularity iu
this country, as there is scarcely man Of note
belonging to any Of the learned professions who
has not, at some period of his life, been forced Il
shed blood and fly to the Red Lands"
"What is to be the subject Of the gCntlcman's
lecture tonight" inquired with increasing in
terest
Temperance, he answered, adding with q
smile, and the most curious thing about II is,
that he is notoriously addicted to the fiery cup
himself, and in that fact win consist the difficulty
with which he must wrestle before be can make
bis Usual impression 3-.Da5
"Let US hear him, then, by all means" said
eagerly, and We forthwith proceeded 10 the
Methodist church, which was already crowded
with anxious cxpectants Of the promised dis
play. ra--
Atlength the orator arose and began his dis.
course by q mastery cndeayor to remove the un'
favorable impression caused by his known habit
Of inCbriety: Ladies aud gentlemen" said he,
in voice at once sweat and sonOrOus, my theme
is Temperance; but some win say, what busi-
ness have l with any such themel What
right have to preach doctrines that do not
praeticee My answer to such objectors shall be
very brief: for their fallacy is too gros for the
labor Of logical refutation. Truth eternal takes
no tinge Of glory or disgrace from the poor and
perishing lips Of clay that utter its sublime SEN
tences DO not the beams Of . silver planet
shine with the same radiance, whether the eye
that first discovered il floating afar in the azure
Of lntinitude was that Of saint, or Of the most
sinful among mOrtalsI What matters whether
q thief or an honest man was the inventor Of the
plow and spadeI DO the truths Of the great
Constituton--that Of our native land-turn into
falsehOod il pronounced by the tongue Of trail
tor! | would like to know If any being Of
earthly mould ever yet practised the whole OF
what be preached! Suffer me, then, to DO but
the painted sign, which stands at the cross roads
directing the wanderer as to the right way,
while itself remains moliOnless as the earth be-
meath it. Or allow me to resemble the light
house, which lies on the sunken rocks Of the
ocean, and bears the rage Of innumcrable oil.
lows, and the pitilcss fury Of ten thousand
storms, and points out to the mariner during the
darkest nights the safe channel into thst harbor
which il shall never enter till the world shall
disappear like dream"
vi course, | have quoted the above from
| ...,or,, md hava hnt indifFerentlv Dreyontcd