Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1866-02-22
A RIDE FOR LIFE !:
A TRUE STORY.
BY AN OLD CONTRIBUTOR.


5. " In the fall of the year 1926,
;, single horseman might have beel
y seen rushing, at the utmost posi-
N bic speed which the united etfort
rs of both whip and spur could com
ir mand, along the old highway OF
e the south side of the Catawba riv
: er, that led to the famous Island
II ford in the State of Moth Carroll
na. The individual mentioned
e was a fnely-formed, handsome
It youth ON the verge of his majority
with frank, fearless countcnance,
e and fiery grey eyes, betraying a
passionate temperament and a will
> OF strong, perhaps reckless energy.
The lmpetuoslty OF his dispo-
sition also revealed itself in the
wild eagerness of his looks and the
hot haste of his motions. The
powerful animal beneath his sad
die had evidently travelled a long
distance at the present unnatural
rate of velocity, as his smoking
fanks were silvered with foam,
and the painting breath issued from
the purple nostrils in that painful
snorting sound which betokens the
last trightful struggle of the vital
forces with fatigue; but the rider
still urged him on with resistless fu-
Try, devouring space by miles in
minutes, as if determined even to
conquer time, and defy the very
laws of nature. The perspira-
ton rolled, like rain-drops, from
his own bold brow, his rich cloth
ing was soiied with mud from the
slime of the road, and his entire
visage and appearance showed his
flight on some mission of life and
death.
On reaching the bank of the
Catawba, he seized a bugle depend
ing from the bough of an ada
cent tree, and blew a blast so
loud and fierce that it startled ev-
cry bird in the forest, and was i'm
mediately answered by the boat
mans ringing voice on the other
shore of the river, who, in a few
moments, that seemed as many
ages to the impatient traveller, ap-
peared at the ferry.
"What is the name of your mas
teri" inquired the youth, as the
African Charon rowed him rapidly
across the current.
"Colonel Banks" replied the
slave, proudly.
"Is he at home9"
"No, master; he's gone to the
races"
"Where is the overseer?"
''Gone with him"
care his family at homer"
"The colonel is bachelor"
"Have you any fast horses in
the stable?"
The negro eyed the stranger
with a look Of suspicion, and gave
negative response. The boat
soon touched the bank, and the ia
ded beast of the traveller, after
struggling with difficulty up the
ascent, fell upon the earth, unable
to proceed further.
The young man uttered an excla-
nation of mingled rage, grief, and
disappointment; but instantly per-
ceiving a splendid blachs horse
hitched near the door OF the neigh
boring mansion, heexclaimed wild
ly: 81 must have that animal, and
will pay you literally"
"Impossible y calculated the as
tonished African. "Master would
not part with him for his weight
in money!
"Here are two hundred dollars,
and if that sum be not the value,
| will make it another time," said
the youth, coupting out the coin.
"And here is my address," he add
ed, writing with his pencil on
slip of paper the name, 'John
Fitch, Fairy Dell, Wilkes county"
.'But you shall not take Selim!"
asserted the slave, angrily, and
crying with all the strength of his
lungs for help.
His shouts drew a number of 1
Africans and two poor white labor
ers to the spot; butthe traveller,
throwing down the money and his /,
address, snatched a pistol from his