The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1866-08-29
American Travel.

man of great resolution and considerable
daring. lie once told the following anec-
dote TO friend of ours:
Travelling, in early manhood, in q
public conveyance in a Southwest state,
he found himself in the company of three
other persons, consisting of young lady
! and gentleman, her husband, and an indi.
vidual mufled in cloak, whose counte-
nance was concealed, and who appeared
! TO he indulging in II tcte a tete with Nor
pheus Suddenly II big bravny Kentuck-
ian got into the coach, smoking a cigar,
and frowned firrcrly around as much as
TO say,-'l'm half horse, half alligator ;
the yaller flower cf the forest, all brim-
stone but the head and ears. and that's
aquafortis' In fact he looked as savage
as a meat-axe, and puffed forth huge vol.
umes of smoke, wi,hou, reference to the
company within, especially that of the
lady, who manifested certain timid symp-
tons of annoyance. Presently, after some
whispering, the gentleman with her, in
the politest accent, requesting the man
not to smoke as it annoyed his companion.
The fellow answered, al reckon I've
paid for my place. TIIsmoke as much as
l. please, and all - shant stop me,
no how" With that he looked danger.
Gus, and role his eyes around As liercely
as a raltlesnakc. 1t was evident he had
no objection to "a uarrel, and that if it
occurred it was likely TO lead TO de IDLY
struggle. The young man who had -po-
ken to him shrunk back and was silent.
Clay felt his gallantry, aroused. He
considered for a moment whether he
should interfere; but exl erienced nat
ural reluctance to draw upon himself the
brutal violence Of his gigantic adversary.
In that la~less country he knew his life
might be sacrificed unavenged. lie knew
himself to he physically unequal to the
contest and he thought, after all, it wa.
not his bu-iness, Quixotically to take up
another tuan's quarrel. Feeling pity for
insulted, and disgust toward the in>ulter,
he determined to take no notice; when
very quietly indeed, the cloaked figure in
the corner assumed an upright position,
small hut sinewy frame Of a man, plainly
dressed in tightly bu,toned frock coat,
with nothing remarkable about his ap
pearancc, was seen, and pair of brigh,
gray eyes sought the fierce optics of tho
teiorious Kentuckian. Without wore
this clay figure passed his hand under
l a. ,c
slowly and deliberately pulled forth long
extremely long and glitter,ng knit,
from lis sheath in that singular place
STRANGER he said. my name is Col
James Bowie, well known in Arkansas
and Louisiana-and if you don't put tha
cigar out of the window in quarter of /;
minute, I'll put this knife through you
bowels, DIS sure as death !
Clay said he never forgot in after lif;
the expression OF the Colonel at that mo
ment. The predominant impression mad
upon him was, the certainty Of the tbrea
being fulfilled, and apparently the sam
conviction impressed itself, ere long, upol
the offender. During two or three sec
ond- his eyes met those of Bowie. ii
was the weaker, and lie quailed. Wit
a curse he tore the cigar from betwee
his teeth, and flung it, scowling, bu
downcast, out of the coach window
Upon this, Col. James Bowie as delber
ately replaced his long knife in its eccen
rc hiding place, and without saying !
word to any one else, or even vouchsafI
glance At any one, refol'led his cloa
around him and did not utter anothe
syllable to the end of the journey
Exchange.