Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1861-04-10
81 GbriIIin9 5kftrb,
From the American Union.
THE TRiPPER AND ELS ITIFE !!
4 TALE OF THE EAR WEST.
By Z. Z. sIACNAMARA.

We paused TO water orr weary horses on /
the border Cf q narrow stream, surglng swift |
iv over peblv bottom. and emptyHg itself |
into large lake some three miles distant.
Ear Two weeks We had alsssl isT away from
any human bahItatiOn; camping on the prai- I
ries and enjoying the rugged and adventurous /
life common 70 the hardy hunters Of the FAR
West. Our party comprised three jo7iai
spirits, with an addition, picked mp some
two weeks prior to the opening Of our sketch.
OF g siaiwars old man, w-ry and tough, with
an honest and suR-broTne1 face, sharp, eagle
eye. aud : hand steady as = rife barrel
Old Tom Hicks, for such he was called,
was truly q queer persCnage; rough IL bis
address. warm and hearty IN his friendships,
fuli Of dEol humcr-just the man, IN fact,
ior jovial, adventurous party; for he would
/ sit and while tie tedious hours aTay by mar
rativc, grave or gay. of adventures IN the
/ bsckv5ods, encounters with the 'IujiUs.' ca
/ tough 4 ats Ei5h and Victories over, that
/ aEact!oIate cretur' the bar
/ Tom had seen and suffered much IN his
/ life; hai hTavad many dangers, and passed
/ umvbautly through them all; he delighted
/ to speak Of them, and many an Interesting
! warn have now STORED IN memory. Old
/ Torn was the first to leap tsom vhe back OF his
( horse, and II few uol-ells Lis example was
/ followed bv the rest cE the party, and our
/ thirsty animals were left TO enjoy their
. drau hts Of TIE delicious element.
Having thus attended to our horses, We
/ proceeded 20 @ gsaasr knoll few yards from
e.. stream. gslelc, aitlaE doHl. We o5@mea-
csd 30 refresh sGr5 -s-s win .r.=4 meat and
T D inorsel OF uasa: cake. which had lain har-
s.7s-.nr II cur saddle hsr= -ar full two weeks
Bly, meal having been finished, ! cast ny
/ ewes about ard away l- the distance, neac
Is-a Of --c stream. .-l-ll chat seemed 20
ne he rgla Of house, g- rather long she'd
Tor r7la5 purpose it had been used / could
not tell ! looked ca l. for some mcTa5nts ~
. state Of surprise. va.uiy coEJectlsnE
sound or plausible reason for its orpe@Eaacc
IN that Y. s@sd uniglayi5si re-ian.
The g-<s +-'-sessgs- ~ f33...s-e haj likewise dis
covered The ru5rT, aud after gazing at It for
some time. he tRrDad to us aud ssid--
sThat In the name of conscience Is that,
ehP Whcreuroa Haze. taking suspicious
looking black bottle from his pocket, and
harf lifting l. into the ar. turned round his
head and laa- mis- eyes upon the rain.
.Thas2 Why that's g-a-' the rest vas
last f.. = loud rur..g-lu- le: for Haze Drt
the bottle to Ills mouth, and If Old Tom had
rot he wou,d soon have made q ruin Of tLet
toe.
PTS agfn ratu-, friend, to suck the hull
out'n q bottle; =Vercts make men Wallyble.
and sparets makes bottles wallyble-hc, he,
and laughing silently at this bis Of paiioso-
rhv. he nut IN the bottle and tool, down the
J Iiguor. Having reformed shat pleasing op-
6 Grafton. he smacEed bi7 lips aud wiping them
/ uDon the sleeves of his well worn hunting
e coat he turned about and pointing his pow
: erful arm in the direction of the ruin, said,
in his sharp, yet penetrating tone
sThat ere IS what surprises ye, amt It be,
he. he and he solaeed himself with another
= Of his peculiar laughs, and lighting his an
L cfsnt. pine, he dropped on his elbow, Pulzd
p at hss pipe. and seemed greatly to enjoy ou'
). suzDcnse, for lie well knew that We were sat
: issad he was acquainted with the story Of l-l
:, Come. come. Tom p cried Haze, vher
natiauee ceased to be q virtue, Come, tel
Us the yarn, whatever 1t is. III be bound
it's rot worth listening to! The last few
cords we're uttered soto coce, but the quicA
= ears Of the Trapper caught them up, ane
z turning round he said, in spirit OF pi4uso
Trile-
baint lived in these ere woods f1r twaat-
: Years and more, nor travelled these ere prare
- rfss without a Iaruin' more nors teached 10
r e9llara.' aud Tom pulled again at his oi.
black pipe.
Haze uinked knowingly at Us, as much q
t. say. I've touched hip, boys ho'll let ol
IN a I1inuta-and old Hicks did let oil
=" .I'ts g0in' on nigh seven years ago, he be
o Gan. when Just thatI came a-near that spot
> Il war harnsum place then, I kin tel sc
IN Thar war a wood thar then. as now; q deep
al solemn old wood. Never did 20 near It c
y enter If but felt more like good man; ev
erytbing so still, so sooihful ike, so gree
Is and beautiful it aren't 10 such wood nov
IL aud never viii be agin. One day trapp1
e. What had spent the best Partof his life hui
IS. tin the TngiDs. the painters, aud sich Ike
war parsing that ere place, anu stopped
feed right under that old trunk, then, l4Tg
ia strong and green limbcd tree. lie liked Il
spot. it war 50 beautiful and natral ike, az
- the game war then 30 plenty They aren
so now. So ne pitched on that ar spot, AZ
he went on back TO the fort to get hisself read
re- to raise q shanty.
ms Wal, about a week from that time he 4
baek. and telling a few trees, built himself
CABIN ekil to anything l ever sot eyes on.
war long and square, sich as is that ere ru
now-cOntained four harnsum rooms and V
- q rale beauty. Bin Morgan, for that was
20 trainers 9ame. warn't alone when be COZ
to the spot. He fetched gal with him, 81
2 pal these eyes Of mine never has seId'
. seen verv beautiful, with the dark bro
&c. eve of the red deer, and the light, swift 81
Of the doe-the Lord makes few sich gals