Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-09-26
MISCELLANY.
sAtrall,ing a Marderer.

In the year 1853 went 10 The Red River
lcouniry wiIA view OF speculating in hors-
ts, lands or anything that might give prom
ise of profitable return ior cash invest
urenl. OF course caiqttS good Deal of
money with me, but knowing Z was going
among a wild, hwless class of every grade
sud oolsr,-smong hali-eivilszed Indians,
negrces, gasahlers, thieves, robbers, mur-
Der. RS aud assassins---with perhaps few
seltlersSt some claim 10 honor any honesty,
! If they could be sifted out from the mass
1 thought it the safest plan not to seem well
off in this worlds goods. Accordingly |
secured my money in a belt about my body,
put ON Il course, rough dress, which by in.
seniional carelessness soon had a vtcy nsean,
i saeyeaiy s,spsSawcs, and alloS~a Hy head
and beard 10 manage matters their own
way, without any Troublesome interference
of razor or comb. Thus prepared, and
armed with two revolcers an@ bowie-kaife,
I pssSed sepae dang rous ierritcry in ooen-
psraiive s,&esy, and Battered myself that no
enc guessed ay Iaclies tArougA my apparent
poverty.
In iaci, on t~o occasions, began to tlis,as
IL eaigi.t have been 10 ssy sdvsntagc to have
looked little more respectasle. Tire first
of these was when, ia travelling in the
Choctaw astien, fcgRd drove of bors, 5
slast plessed me very muoah and was teld
by the owner, in cepy to my question as to
what he would lake head tor the eRtire
lot4 that he was net in the habit of nauo ing
bis price ne every wandering beggar that
hose to satisfy an idle curiosity sss
disposed at Afsi TO put Oh some dignity and
get indignant, but concluded, after a carefHl
survey of my person, that the man had
good caase for speaking as he did, AID so
pserely asssre9 him that knew an indl-
vidual who wished to buy horses, he
could get them al fair price. The horse
owner, However, was not disposed TO believe
gay sta,ement, and SO . passed him by, wath
tsse resolve that, II nothing better tarned Sp,
would give him another call under a more
advantageous appearances. As the second
instance alls2ed to was similxr to ihe first,
il saay be passed over without any further
aotEce.
Bet out of the sarse cassse grew re-
mark able adventure, which ii is my present
purpose to notice.
While passing between two settlements
over a very lonely, gloomy horse-psth
leading throsga dark, hemlock wood, and
while in the most solitary part, there sud
denly came before me, leaping from thick
ct ON the right, a human figure of mos
Startling appearance. Ii was a man Of nae
dium height, sut of a stout, powerful frame
all covered with dirty iatters, that be ap
neared 10 have wora and ~alAswed in 10
/ II l.,l, n nd n,
feet, aud lis skin Was so coated with CRIME
that il was difficult at q 6rst look 10 tel
whether he belonged TO the white race ol
,.ol. his face, high upon his checks, wa
covered with dirty brown beard and h
matted hair hung in Wild proiusion al
around his bead, except a little space betor,
his swollen, bloodshot eyes, and altogetlie
he looked like madman or human devil
His hands held and swang a ternidabl
lclab, and his attitude, as lie lsaped oat i.st
the road before me, was one Vt ReIce naeu
ace and detiance.
| stopped in alaiss,, and while fixing m,
eyes sharply on him, quietly sid my han
into Convenient pocket, and grasped tn
butt Ct one of my revolvers, firmly deter
,nined to keep hnn at the short distance tina
divided US, OF kill him IL he advanced.
Fer perhaps half d minute we sloed 81
Ieatly regarding aud survey ing each othel
and thea resting cue end of his club on tn
ground, and partly leaning forward on tn
other, he said, IN a coarse tone, with a kin
Of chsckling kagh-
@Well, - me is In hopes I'd got
= prize at last; bat if you're sauch better o.
b. nor me, yoa don't show it, by -z-! Stran
!. ger, who are ynu and whar you from r
!. Nell," returned /. feeling highly CON
- plimented, of course, that | rtsembled sue
rs viliainous loaiug object as himsel
iy "some people call me beggar, aud
o. know l don't pass for gel,eel gentle
ne man."
IN s~ar to that-baw, hsw, haw y wa
" the chuckling response. Tie world har
e inade much Of you, MORN it has Of me.
ly see steal in your face as plain as dayligh
Say, what jal or peniteatiary lost yo
p, last ?"
Never ind that" ssid |; "ptolsbl
neither of US got our deserts"
I'd Well, it you'd been decently dressed
:" looked hike you had five dollars abou, yo,
,r I'd knoeked your brains out r pursued th
villain, with q broad grin. . As it is. yo
can pass---tor ! can swar you haint got
red "
h "Much obliged tor your eendor anyhow
rejoined l.
=, He stood still before me, looking siiaigl
into my eye, and now seemed TO be ponder
ing sorre new idea. Presently he muttel
a. ed, as if to himself
~ Il think he might do Them a rc
IT. meut after, he said TO ue, ,---' say, cid te
:, low, how'd yoa like to make raise z
How would like 10 eat when hungry
| answered, thinking it not unlikely that tl
r. scoundrel had some dark project in vieS
which, by see:Hins TO chine in with him,
fuislH discover.
, Well, I've got plan,, said he throw
ing down his club, as if 10 assure me OF b
"a pacific intentions towards myself, and quie
be " advancing to my side" I've got pla
a that viii give Us both q hep OF money, an
!, it'll take just t~o to carry Il oct. I've bee
:. wanting pal, and if you'll JOIN IN III
you halves
NC +" If there's any chance to turn penn
IA I'm your man" said |.
IN = Good 2 returned he; "you LOOK Ike
trump. and III bet high on you. don
lpo~ > ha OILED arpipp me Sharply. " b