The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-03-30
ADVENTURES IN TEXAS.

While in Texas n few years since, | was
riding home with friend. an old settler,
from driving the woods for deer in Mata-
| gorda County. As we were crossing n small
| prairie situated between Caney and Live
OAK Greeks, and close to a small ''mOtte -
or island of timber, he halted and said, II
came nearer having my scalp lifted right
here once than ever | did, and have been
| In many tight place Cap.n Small in
ducement was necessary to induce him to
relate the tale, which shall give. as nearly
| rs | can. In his own words.
| "lt was in the fall of 1851 rccOllect
the corn was getting ripe, for | had been
| pulling fodder the day that what am going
| to tell you happened. We on the coast had
| latterly not been much troubled by the In
| dians, aud were beginning to congratulate
ourselves on the peaceful times we were
! having after the constant strife of previous
years. The Caronkawa Indians our most
| troublesome tribe, we thought. were down
| toward the Nueces River, Aransas Bay
into which it empties itself that being a
iavorite haunt of theirs at that season.
| They were coast Indians, living principally
\ on fish, oysters and vensOn, never using
horses, like the prairie tribes, performing
all their journeys on foot, or in their dug
outs canoes followed out of the cotton
wood and cypress trees. They were the
! finest men that ever saw, standing
straight as rifle barrels, and many being
| nearly seven feet high. They were armed
| with cedar bows, each warriors being the
hight of himself. They tipped their cane
arrows with bones, and sometimes with
hoop-iron, which they obtained from bar
rels washed on shore from wrecks by the
waves of the Gulf of Mexico, and which
they showed considerable skill in fashion
ing, with such rude implements as they
mad, to their purpose.
There was no love lost between us, be
sure, for Captain Randall Jones had fought
them one whole day on a creek in Gulf
Prairie. which yet bears his name, and
both sides were pretty considerably used
up"
Il know Captain Jones'" said, ''and he
told me of shot made by one of the In,
dians in that very fight. The chief was at
least fifty yards from man named Bar
nett, and yet his arrow pierced through
and through him. and stuck In tree on
the other side"
"Bill Bucknel and Jack Smith were living
mile apart, at the head of Bucknell's
Prairie, about three miles north of this
Mrs. Buoknell, about four o'clock in the
aftefn0on. when the sun was getting low.
Went over 10 call upen Mrs Smith, taking
four-months' old baby IN her arms. She
paid her visit, and had started on her way
way home, Mrs. Smith leaning ON her gate,
looking after her, when, what was her hor-
ror to see an Indian start up out of tina
prairie grass close to Mrs. Bucknell There
was quick blow, the CLEAN of something
bright and the mother fell dead at the feet
of the red-skin, who instantly scalped her
and killed the baby. To run into the
honse, bar the door and fire off a gun to
recall her husband from his cOrn-field. was
but the work of a minute to Mrs. Smith.
"ln the course of the night all the set 4
tiers near knew of it, and savage enough /
NNFn AnEN NlNsa1 Il a.
at Smith's house ready TO take the trail at
the break of day, supposing 1t was only
red-skin or two, and little thinking of the |
mess we were about TO get into. With the |
first light we took up the track. which led |
in for Caney Creek and down toward Mrs. |
FhoInpsou's plantation; it then took out |
here by this island of timber, where we
now are, and it seemed to trend for that |
nook In yon corner, where there was at that |
time small beaten path, although it is now
a good wagon road. We followed on till |
we got about where you see that dark patch !
of gramma grass, when in an instant be- 4
fore you could wink, up rose around us, out i
of the tall grass, nigh on to two hundred 1
warriors In their paint, yelling like de- 4
mons, under their head chief the Swapping
Turtle. Old Jlmmison, our leader, knew /
the sarpent well.
''I'ye heerd some considerable nllss i'm .
my time, Cap, but that beat all creation. .
y, vs. sL suI ~. ,ti pGa go paek III kihd
vi siIoie my, "ltliouI llhes pointing ~ the
Ieptiies, Wno WeIe uahSlhg ana yelllhg
10 ISuiu' m as .ney eooh Soo9 care re 10 Keep out
oi +, ene nc rahSs oi our uIeaueu western rifles
an az Cnte ule MiiooPillg ceaseu and snap,
braves, began TO harangue them.
'Jimmison, said old Bob Denis, noted
Indian fighter, he's trying to persuade the
thieves to make a rush at us; he sees clear