Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1861-11-21
Wise anu Qtberhise,
Bill Dean, the Texan Ranger.
BY GEORGE W. KENDALL.

the Texas volunteers, yet the fun
NEST fellow of all is happy-go-
lucky chap named Bill Dean, one
Of the Chevalier's spy company,
and said to be one Of the best "sev-
en- up players in all Texas
While at Corpus Christi, a lot of
us were sitting out on the stoop of
the Kinney House, early one
morning, when along came Bill
Dean. He did not know single
soul in the crowd although he
knew we were all bound for the
Rio Grande; yet the fact that the
regular formaIities Of an introduc-
ton had not been gone through
with, did not prevent his stopping
short in his walk and accosting US.
His speech, or harangue, or what
ever it may be termed, will lose
much in the tel ing, yet l will en-
deavor to putt upon paper in as
good shape as possible.
"Oh, yes" said he, with a know
ing leer Of the eye; so, yes; all
going down among the robbers on
the Rio Grande, are you? Fine
times you'll have, over the left
I've been there myself, and done
what a great many Of you won't
do come back; but if | didn't
see natural h-ll-in August at
that an teapot. Lived
eight days on one poor hawk and
three blackberries; couldn't kill
prairie rat on the whole route, to
save us from starvation. The
ninth day came, and we struck a
small streak of good luck-horse
gave out and broke down, plump
out in the centre Of an open prairie
not stick big enough to tickle
a rattle snake with, let alone kill
ing him. Just had time to save
the critter by shooting him, and
that was all, for In three minutes
longer he would have died q nat
ural death. Itdidn't take long to
butcher him, nor to cut eff some
chunks Of meat and stick 'em ON
our ramrods; but the cooking was
another matter. | piled up a
heap of prairie grass, for it was
high and dry, and set it on fire;
but it flashed up like powder and
went out as quick. But
''But," put III one Of our hearers,
Show did you cook your horse
meat after that?"
"How?"
eyes, how"
"Why the fire caught the high
grass close, by, and the winds car
rled the flames strealling across
the prairie. followed up the fire
holding my chunk Of meat direct
~ oyer.the blaze, and the way we
went twas a caution to anything
short of locomotive doin's. Once
in awhile little furry of wind
would come along, and the fire
would get few yards the start; but
I'd brush upon her with my chunk
and then we'd have it again, nip
and tuck. You never seen such
tight raceAit was beautiful"
every, we've no doubt" ejacu-
lated one of the listeners, Interrupt
ting the mad wag, justin season to
give him a little breath; 'sbut did
you cook your meat in the end?"
"Not.bad 1didnt." | chased the
id fire a mile and a half, the al
mightiest hardest race you ever
heard tell on, and never give it up
until | run plump into the marsh;
there the fire and chunk of horse
meat came out event dead heat, |
the meat
''But wasn't it cooked?" put in
another of the listeners.
"Cooked? 10; just crusted over
a little. You don't cook broken
down horse flesh very easy, no how;s
but when it comes to chasing up q
prairie fire with chunk of it don t |
know which is the toughest the !
meat or the Job. You'd have