Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-04-04
THE SHOT IN THE EYE.
A True Story of Texas Border Life
BIT c. WILKINS ELMI.

/ DI - W lLhlNS ELMls
CONCLUDED.
About four months after this affair, in
company with an adventurous friend,
was travelling Western Texas. Our OBJ
jects were to see the country and amuse
ourselves in hunting for time over dis,
trict we found well adapted for a partic.
ular sport, as tor bear hunting, deer hunt
ing, buffalo hunting, &c. Either of these
animals is to be found in great abundance,
and of course pursued to greater adyan-
tage in particular regions and as we were
anxious to make ourselves familiar with
all the modes of life in the country, we
made it point in passing through to
stop wherever the promise of anything
especially interesting offered itself. Prai
ries, timber and water were better dis
/ tributed in Shelby than in the country
we had passed through the timber pre-
dominated over the prairie, though inter-
laid by it in every direction. The diver
sity of surface attracted greater variety
and quantity of game, as well as sffoded
more perfect facilities 70 the sportsman.
Indeed, it struck me as perfect hun
ter's paradise, and my friend happening
to remember a man of some wealth who
had removed from his native country and
settled, as he understood, in Shelby, we
inquired for him and very readily found
him.
Whatever else may be said or thought
of the Texans, they are unquestionably
most generously hospitable. We were
frankly and kindly received, and horses,
servants, guns, dogs. and whatever else
was necessary to ensure our enjoyment of
the sports OF the country, as well as the
time of our host himself, we're forthwith
at our dispossl, and we were soon, to our
hearts content, engaged In every charac-
ter of the exciting chase.
One day we had all turned out for
deer drive. This hunt, in which the dogs
are used for driving the game out of the
timber, scatters the hunters very much !;
they are stationed at different stands"
which are sometimes miles apart, to
watch for the deer passing out for this
reason the party seldom gets together
again until mig ht. We divided in the
morning, and skirted up opposite sides of
a wide belt of bottom timbers, while the
"drivers" and dogs penetrated, to arouse
the deer, which run out on either side by
the stands, and were known to the-hun-
ters. We were unusually successful, and
returned to late dinner at our hosts,
the planters house. By dusk all had
come in except my friend, whose name
was Henry, and man whose name was
Stenor. one of the neighborS who had
Joined the hunt. Dinner was ready, and
we sat down to it, supposing they would
be in in a few moments. The meal was
nearly over when Henry, who was a gay
Yoluble fellow, came bustling into the
room, and with slightly flurried manner,
addressed our host:
Squire, this is q strange country of
yours. Do you let crazy people range it
with guns in their hands 2"
"Not when we know it. Why? what
about crazy people? You look much ex-
cited :"
well, l think I've had enough to
make me feel little curious"
What is it? What is it exclaimed
everybody eagerly"
"Why, | have met with either the old
Harry himself-a ghost-a mad man
and which it is | am confoundedly puz-
zled to tell"
Where How?"
He then threw himself into a chair, and
wiping the perspiration from his forehead
continued:
"You know Stoner and myself, when
we parted from you all this morning, took
up the right hand side of the bottom
timber. Well, Stoner accompanied me
to my stand when we parted-he TO go
on to his, and | have seen nothing of
him since. Soon after he left re deer
passed out shot st-wound-iIt--iu-np-
ed on my little horse TO pursu- it. The
deer was staggered at my fire, but MAS
not SO badly wounded as ! supposed, apd
led me off, until it suddenly occurred to
me that / might get lost, and | rained
up, but / soon found that this sober Sc
ond thought had come too late, and that
| was already out of my latitude. l wan
dered about nearly all day, though tax
ing care not to 60 very far in any direc-
ton, before | came across anything which
promised to set me right again. ! at last
came on to a wagon trail and felt relieved,
for knew it must take me to some point
where l could get information. The
lail was morrow, leading through scrub
by thickets, and was riding along slow
", looking down, in hopes of detecting
the tracks of some of your horses, when
the violent shying of my horse caused me
to raise my eyes. And, by George. it
wat enough to have 'stampeded' regi-
ment of horses. On the left of the trail
stood tall, skeleton-like figure, dressed
in skins; one foot advanced as if he had
stopped in the act of stepping across it,
and long, heavy gun, just swinging
down 10 the leyel, bearing on me. Of
course. my heart leaped into my throat,
and my flesh shrank and erept Before
could think of raising my gun, my eyes
met those of this strange figure; and
such eyes Surprised at their cold, un-
natural expression suspended my action,
burning with chill, singular brilliancy,
in deep sunken sockets, they looked as
if they never had Finked. Dwelling
steadily upon my face for moment, they
seemed to be satisfied, and the gun was
slowly thrown back upon his shoulder,
and plucking a long grizzly beard, with an
impatient gesture of his bony hand, the
figure made stride across the trail and
without speaking c EoEd, plunged into
the thicket. | was so confounded By this
curious dumb show that he was nearly
concealed in the brush before l found my
tongue to shout to him to stop but he
kept on, not even turning his head. |
was provoked, and spurred my horEe in
after him, as far as ! could penetrate, but