The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1861-02-13
The Captor's CAPTIVE.

I The LONE STAR rising, clear and bright
( 10 deck Columba's flag of lighfr
/ Expelled" Yes Horace Morgan wassent away from
West Point in disgrace instead of remaining to gradu
4 ate at the head of lis class as had been predicted
Although reared among the temptations of New York
city, the young had entered the military academy
with an enFabe scholastic reputation for good behavior
and digent attention to study and natural fondness
for military exercises, Indeed his uncle and guardian
tfor Horace orphan) would fain have received
him into his countingroom but the lad was becoming
asolder In this prediction he was somewhat encour
aged by an old friend OF his fathers who had political
influence enough to procure for him an appointment
conscling his uncle By assurance that the cadets
found their pay sufficient for all necessary expenses So
Horace entered the academy had he been long at
West Point before he gained the affections of his com
rades and the appreciation of his professors; winning
respect for his mental superiority and retaining it By
his gentemany department Nor was his fine personal
appearance wthontis share nrendering him thus popu-
lar. A compact form, classical neatntss clustering
brown hair and dark blue eyes, made Horace Morgan
IN his we-httng gray uniform the very beau ideal Of
| a cadet.
A year passed by and Horace, ppoftina by his fur
Tough, visited his uncle whore he naturally fell in love
with his cousin Katrina. lie had left her a mere girl
he found her noble hearted woman in the sunlight Of
whose smiles he basked With delight Yet it was not
merely the marvellous radiance OF her ustrous eyes or
the fascinating smile that swept over her cheeks that
thrilled through his very soul lie gazel upon her
with delight He Aattered himself that his ardent affec
ton reciproeated although he never confessed his
passion, and, at the expiration OF his urOugh he re-
turned to West Point inspired by high chvarous
desire to prove himself worthy of his Cousins love Fer
vent were his dreams Of love and fame in the short
hours Of eyersh repose which he enjoyed between the
eXringuishment Of his lamp and the morning drum
Months passed on during which the young cadet
added 10 his reputation, and again he obtained leave
of absence Need we say tia he went to New Yor, by
the first boat and that his arrival in that busting
f,.-.t H. l,r "a
uncle in Becaor street then Fashionable quarter? He
kindly received by his aunt-a lady who wished to
beconsidcred rtocratc but who decidedly partial
to uniforms or titles.
Your cousin Katrina is ont" she soon remarked
/ 1--WE are having her portrait takenn
T Her portrait! Who can do her tstce?n
| "Why, Horace, how complimentary you are growing!
though have always heard officers were so Forth
ngham is painting your cousin and getngan excel
lent likeness Il will he such a comfort to US when she
is gone"
/ "Gone!' faIteringly inquired the astonshed cadet
4 Dear me. have you not heard the news?"
"No replied Horace, with unfeigncd surprise
Dear me- how remiss your uncle is! Katrina is en-
gagged to Don Francisco de los Toanjos graadce Of
Spain, who is 1t present ad-de-camp to Gen Santa
Anna Of Mexico. Oh he's 80 wealthy, for he owns two
silver mines, and ever so many rauches Then--but
this IS secret Horacethe general means to drive the
squatters out of Texas and be Che Dom to be gov
ernor. Isntit match for Katrina Mason?'
Horace mechanically replied in the affirmative forhe
felt as if melted lead had been poured in his very veins
His brains rang with confused sound Of thousand
waterfalls and il was lucky for him that the announce
ment of aNisitor aftordedhim opportunity of escape
from the house He did not dare to meet his cousin
and left by the afternoon boat for West Point III hope
less misery, few hours before, with the brightest
star OF love beamug before him. he had reoiced in the
promise Of a radiant future; now he was plunged into
the seclnsiOn Of his dark thoughts Visions Of his
childhood passed through his throbbing brain-tones
unheeded at the time--words which had waited until
that hour for their meaning which he now inter-
preted-and hatrinas form WASH all. An unquencba-
bic feeling ike the thirst of who dies in the desert
parched his lips; dark shadows couded the future and
he again in bis tent his blighed heart had ex
perenced all the revulsiou Of feeling which IS deemed
the work of wears of sorrow.
i From that day. the academea career Of Horace was
retrograde. sneerng smile and sarcastic word soon
enstranged bis friends while the lava tide Of despair
it swept over his every feeling rendered him pdier
en to his esteemed professors As for his studies
he neglected them entirely for the stake for which he
bad played was gone ambition had been driven from his
soul and despair rereled in the violated sanctuary of
his affections.
1t was the morning after the battle of San Jacnto,
and Gen. Houston, the hero of that glorious struggle
lay bcneatha widespreadng oak with his saddle for
pillow. painful wound in OF BIS ankles rendered
it almost impossible for him to move but his eyes that
had blazed the battlefield like beaeon-ghts in rag
Il.
ls leI5SCsi sloT "a se Joy ~ MS nctI ms shaIt
la.r ltol' PocglUi PusoS, nau touted
po"e'lui @ nleN'l'll otIa!c santa Anna
"hen lasl he@Iu loal, was uylns ior hl2.lle:
oo AN ONCE Wora b 'g t rgeunosnn cnfl II was
iloIaog I0i '' no" wv ear az c,'"L'5 et MS ''PPGar
anec Ills nanle5S costume m was solea ana dlFty, ms 9u
eSes Eeie olN y ~ ,'s 9l'.ole' iea'ulgS' anu
iilisieo eS2o" "a SUI" 9o q acorn l4 G% over ms
woy 10 the 3Iiss.ssnpi. and so down to New Orleans
Here he tilod =. Iaborer r times 70 rroo,,ro sste
,ca k,,t tl,n,,gI IN HI ,,orTI ,as ~ ~ - t5a
boar ,,ro of t[ouI, hgaaI orar bis hol =; 1ifo
bod carro3 avs al its or,or,G7ts and 1of, b,t tho
tanIed bnI rbcb bnay1y 5rift5 i s,1Ie Of
if dastinatinn Vet ,yben the nons c51,a 9bt Santa
Anna had INVADED Tav,s that croctotf and his b,,ya
s,,r,ss b"i boen sI,gbtord n t, slarao and tIo+
tho fIs1t con,n,,n Of anir had bneI ,,assIo1 lile
I L. - ~ ,, ~ pl, ~ +tt4 H.
# 3a: Wayiran Who had spatcba5 his idol from, bis
boorfsbrno had some infgenca bt aotai il ys that
he oI;snI .s ,raIc Pnt H. iiitar[ oiootin
soc, do,e1onod saf and nro tb, str,,Is &C Ssr I
.,,o bolad boan annoinfej ~ C,,n II55sto ,ii,,rsnt
c tIo art;iIorr
.,{y-ou nv trar,,l;,, y -,i1 II,r.to m rr,roo AZ,
,ro,nbad 0bsTa yo,, retrnei wear IF tbc nbsSsg,
ssCno a,ar esr;as in nell.oina ,.ero~s hut m
l fund some rarf 5r r irsis,s,,
soairr be c,anar,I in Command
,4bi Wen usher him into ON, ,,,o,,st rros,rco, ),